Roughly 12 million U.S. businesses are owned by Baby Boomers, and with about 10,000 Americans reaching retirement age every day, the pace of ownership transitions is accelerating quickly.
Located at 900 Kennedy Boulevard, the 44,000-square-foot facility will serve plumbing, heating, HVAC/R, and other professionals seeking a convenient source for systems, tools, equipment, parts, and accessories.
Long before the ribbon was cut on a 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art training facility in Maple Heights, Ohio, the foundation for the Jay Blaushild Training & Education Center (J-TEC) was already firmly in place.
Targeted increases across plastics, metals and HVAC components continue into April, signaling a more surgical pricing environment for PHCP-PVF distributors.
The latest round of adjustments, effective from mid-March through mid-April, reflects that same trend, with manufacturers implementing measured increases across venting systems, brass and PVF components, thermoplastics, HVAC parts, controls and copper fittings.
In the United States, the current steel tariff structure is rooted in Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, which imposes duties of up to 25% on imported steel, with some increases reaching 50% in recent policy adjustments. These tariffs were designed to safeguard domestic manufacturing and national security interests, but they primarily target raw steel and certain derivative categories, leaving gaps that global suppliers have learned to navigate.
During beta testing, F.W. Webb customers praised the app’s ease of use and time-saving features. They highlighted the ability to switch locations and view product availability by store as standout features. Customers also appreciated the option to register for training events at their nearest F.W. Webb store right in the app.
Following the most recent vote, Bill Condron, CEO of The Granite Group Wholesalers, LLC, was elected to the Board for the first time. Karla Neupert Hockley, Chair & CEO of Consolidated Supply Co., and George Vorwick, President and CEO of United Electric Supply Company, Inc., were re-elected to additional terms.
Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from buzzword to boardroom priority across PHCP-PVF distribution, but for many companies, adoption still feels stalled before it even begins. According to Brooks Hamilton, principal at AI Strategy Advisors, that hesitation often comes down to a long-standing misconception: that AI requires perfectly clean data before companies can get started.
The February 2026 ASA Master of Distribution Management cohort is officially underway, with a class of 13 students kicking off, ready to embark on their leadership growth pathway.
Robotics has moved from trade show demonstration to boardroom discussion. For many larger distributors, the question is no longer whether automation exists; it is whether it belongs in the next phase of operational strategy.