Franklin Electric Co. has announced that, effective January 1, 2007, its new general sales policy will be to sell all of its products only on a direct basis to wholesale water systems distributors.

R. Scott Trumbull, chairman and chief executive officer of Franklin Electric Co., announced that Franklin Electric communicated to the water systems industry in North America that its new general sales policy, effective January 1, 2007, will be to sell all of its products, including 2-HP and smaller submersible electric motors and associated products, only on a direct basis to wholesale water systems distributors. Exceptions will be made only where Franklin determines, on a case-by-case basis, that sales to a particular pump OEM (original pump-equipment manufacturer) would add significant customer value to the distribution of Franklin products.

As Franklin Electric implements this change in the market, the company will make available to wholesale distributors the needed assembly and test equipment, coupled with the training they may require, to assemble Franklin motors to Franklin pump-ends or other OEM pump-ends. It is Franklin Electric's objective that wholesale water systems distributors should be able to supply their contractor customers with the motor and pump combination of their choice.