What a line card is for
A line card lists the manufacturers and product lines a distributor carries. Done well, it answers a contractor’s first question — “can you get me this?” — before they have to call. Done badly, it’s a wall of logos in a PDF nobody has updated in years.
Step 1: Organize by what contractors buy
Contractors think in categories, not brand lists. Group your lines the way they shop, for example:
- Power distribution — switchgear, panelboards, breakers, transformers
- Wire and cable
- Conduit, raceway and fittings
- Lighting and lighting controls
- Automation and controls
- Wiring devices
- Generators and power quality
- Solar, storage and EV charging
- Tools, test equipment and safety
Within each category, list the manufacturers you carry.
Step 2: Be clear about what you mean by “carry”
Contractors need to know what’s on the shelf and what’s a special order. For each line, show:
- Stocked — held in inventory
- Available — orderable, but not usually stocked
- Which branches stock it, if it varies by location
Only describe yourself as an authorized distributor for a manufacturer where that’s true.
Step 3: Connect lines to people and products
A line card becomes far more useful when each line leads somewhere:
- The specialist at your company for that line or category — lighting, automation, gear
- Product pages or your online catalog for that manufacturer
- Services tied to the line — quotations for engineered equipment, lighting layouts, training sessions
Step 4: Put it on your website — properly
- A web page, not just a PDF, with the line card as real text that can be searched and read by search engines and AI assistants.
- A section or page per category, so a contractor looking for lighting sees lighting.
- Clear links from each line to your products, specialists and quote request form.
A contractor searching for a particular brand near them is more likely to find you when your site clearly states that you carry it, and where.
Step 5: Keep a PDF — and date it
A PDF is still useful for email, proposals, trade shows and the counter. Keep one, generate it from the same source as your web page, and put the date on it so everyone knows how current it is.
Step 6: Follow manufacturers’ brand rules
If you use manufacturer logos, follow each manufacturer’s brand guidelines and permissions. When in doubt, list the name as text.
Step 7: Keep it current
- Update it the day a line is added or dropped.
- Review it regularly with your branch managers and specialists.
- Tell contractors when you add an important new line — it’s good news worth sharing.
Common mistakes
- An alphabetical wall of logos with no categories
- No difference between stocked and special-order lines
- A PDF-only line card that search engines can’t read well
- Out-of-date lines still listed years after they were dropped
- Claiming authorized status that isn’t current
- No link from a line to a person who can help