Russ On The Road Recap 2023

Russ Owen

It’s been a record-setting year for Russ on the Road! The Utility Expo in Louisville, Kentucky is always an amazing event to attend. With 1.5 million square feet of show, it’s a lot to take in. 2023 also boasted the largest show with over 21,000 attendees and 900 vendors. We spent the time enjoying face-to-face opportunities with our channel partners, customers and end users, gathering valuable feedback to make sure we meet the needs of the electrical industry in the future. This was a great show and I’m already looking forward to 2025.

The 39th Annual International Lineman’s Rodeo was another recording-breaking event this year. This event has grown to over 200 teams and more than 350 apprentices competing and showcasing their skills. There were also thousands of observers, family members and company members in attendance. A huge number of vendors were there to show their support and discover what’s new in the industry. I enjoyed being part of the Safety Conference, which had over 400 attendees and provided a great deal of information. The competition at the rodeo grounds was absolutely the best of the best. Congratulations to all the teams that participated and those that walked the stage.

Throughout the rest of 2023, I had great opportunities to work with multiple utilities across the US regarding everything from rubber insulating gloves and sleeves to arc flash protection with award winning Prism Shield Plus. Looking forward to seeing the progress of many topics discussed, including grounding and dielectric footwear.

During the past year, I worked to expand my knowledge and add to the committees that work on standards for the industry. All these groups do so much and are vital to safety for workers, and this is one of my favorite parts of what I do. The NFPA conference in Las Vegas was a great place to learn more, and the ASTM committee meetings in Denver and Washington D.C. allowed us to work with so many people on making things better in our industry.

I’m looking forward to 2024 -- what we’ll get to be part of, and the role we play in bringing safety to the industry. The best part of my job is giving those in the field the right equipment to choose from to help them stay safe on the job and to arrive home at the end of the day.

Safety