PEOPLE NEWS

Watts names new product manager

Steve Hocurscak has joined Watts as senior product manager, regulators and automatic control valves (ACVs). He will have overall responsibility for Watts Regulator and ACV product management, as well as for developing and executing new strategies focused on business growth.

Hocurscak brings with him to Watts extensive experience in product management for large product portfolios across several industrial verticals, the company noted. He worked previously in leadership level product and business management roles for valve companies, such as Metso and Neles.

Asahi/America hires industrial  piping business development manager 

Asahi/America is pleased to announce the addition of Josh Goldberg to its business development team. Josh joined Asahi/America in February as business development manager for industrial and environmental piping systems in the western United States.

Goldberg comes to Asahi/America with more than 20 years of polymer formulation and product development experience and 10 years in market analysis and technical product sales. He holds a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and master of science degree in polymer chemistry from University of Oregon. Goldberg, the company noted, will work closely with the company’s sales and engineering teams to further promote Asahi/America’s industrial piping product line across a variety of industries in the U.S.

COMPANY NEWS

The Ducane Bell & Gossett’s Little Red Schoolhouse reopens to in-person learning 

Xylem Bell & Gossett recently reopened the Little Red Schoolhouse, the company’s suburban Chicago training center for professionals dedicated to the plumbing and hydronic HVAC industries.

Xylem Bell & Gossett’s Little Red Schoolhouse in Morton Grove, Illinois, has been an industry icon in education for more than 60 years, having trained more than 62,000 engineers, contractors and other hydronic HVAC and plumbing professionals who have been educated in the proper design, installation and maintenance of hydronic and steam systems.

The Little Red Schoolhouse offers training covering a wide range of seminars tailored to different occupations within the industry and is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training.

“Industry professionals recognize the value of in-person training, and we are happy to welcome them back to the Little Red Schoolhouse,” said Mike Licastro, director of training. “Whether its manufacturers representatives, engineers or contractors, our goal is for training to provide a knowledge base that makes them better equipped to perform their daily job duties related to hydronic and steam product application and system design.”

Instruction at the facility is well known for taking a systems-based approach that teaches students not only about individual components but also how those components work together once installed in a complete plumbing and HVAC system.

Xylem Bell & Gossett, through the Little Red Schoolhouse, has a long history of providing industry professionals with the in-depth hydronic system design knowledge they need to confidently and expertly help their customers. The learning center was updated in 2019 to ensure Bell & Gossett’s mission of education continues to add value to and advance the industry.

Along with cutting-edge technology, Bell & Gossett has reinforced its emphasis on hands-on training with dedicated space for three new demonstration areas that feature functional displays of equipment for a variety of commercial and industrial applications, including variable speed controller technology, plumbing products and service and maintenance.

Little Red Schoolhouse second-quarter schedule

*Seminar approved by GBCI to provide credit toward the credential maintenance requirements of the LEED Associate and LEED AP certifications.

To learn more about the Little Red Schoolhouse, enrollment, course descriptions and online courses, visit www.bellgossett.com.

Caleffi welcomes Harry Eklof & Associates

Caleffi North America has selected Harry Eklof & Associates to represent its complete catalog of products in Delaware, eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, southern New Jersey and Virginia.

Harry Eklof & Associates has three locations, including a training facility located in Landover, Maryland. Distributors, contractors and engineers throughout the region can conveniently attend product demos, contractor certification classes and educational seminars. They also offer a full menu of virtual training opportunities.

“As a family-run business that was established in 1968, Harry Eklof & Associates is well positioned to lead Caleffi’s sales and training efforts in the Mid-Atlantic region. For nearly 55 years, they have had a strong focus on the contractor market segment, developing a loyal following by offering top-notch training throughout the region. Distributors are also well supported with Eklof’s three regional distribution centers,” said Roger Corrente, director of sales, Caleffi.

LeadSmart Technologies announces partnership with NetPlus Alliance

LeadSmart Technologies, a software company in the cloud-based CRM, channel collaboration and business intelligence market, announced a technology partnership with NetPlus Alliance (NetPlus). Headquartered in Lockport New York, NetPlus is a buying group for industrial and construction supply distributors. LeadSmart will provide its innovative Channel Cloud SaaS product solutions to NetPlus’s membership of distributors, suppliers and independent manufacturers representatives throughout North America.

“Industrial and construction supplies distributors are working to get their arms around digital transformation and make the most of their technology investments and existing data from other internal systems. LeadSmart Channel Cloud is a great solution to help our members take the next step in their technology journey to help them grow their businesses,” said Jennifer Murphy, president of NetPlus. “The LeadSmart offering is different from typical software systems because it was created and developed by industry veterans to meet the needs of distributors and manufacturers.”

LeadSmart Channel Cloud combines a CRM with a business intelligence solution that has been designed and developed specifically for distribution companies. LeadSmart Channel Cloud enables manufacturers and distributors to have visibility and accountability into sales, marketing, account planning, full-line selling and customer expansion, and includes other purpose-built tools that help both sales teams and leadership have insights into business opportunities and drive revenue growth.

“LeadSmart Channel Cloud can connect to other business systems like marketing automation and ERP to combine critical CRM and Business Intelligence components into a single suite,” LeadSmart co-founder and CEO Kevin Brown said. “After more than 30 years in the industry, I understand the challenges industrial distribution companies have in managing new business opportunities while at the same time working to sell deeper and wider into customer accounts. Our partnership with NetPlus Alliance is exciting for us as we share the same core focus of achieving outcome-oriented results.”

Aliaxis completes acquisition of Harco 

Aliaxis SA, a global manufacturer enabling access to water and energy through inventive fluid management solutions, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Harco, a producer of fittings located in Virginia. Harco will join Aliaxis' North American IPEX business, thus further strengthening the company’s position in the United States, the company explained.

“As part of our Growth with Purpose strategy, North America is a priority growth market for Aliaxis," said Eric Olsen, CEO of Aliaxis. "Acquiring a well-established company in municipal, irrigation and agriculture end-markets allows us to offer an expanded product portfolio to a broader customer base in the U.S.”

“We are very happy to welcome more than 200 new colleagues," said Alex Mestres, divisional CEO for Aliaxis in the Americas. "This joining of two great companies provides us with an exciting opportunity to combine the strengths and experiences of both the IPEX and Harco teams to continue providing industry-leading customer service.”