Writing this column I am just getting home from my first-ever trip to Chicago. While I was there — on Thursday, Nov. 10 — the city recorded a record high temperature for that time of year at 76° F. This was great news for a born and bred North Carolinian who doesn’t fare well in temps below about 50°. Now, the culprit behind these record-setting temps — global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions — isn’t such great news, but it is one our industry is actively working to address (check out the story on geothermal trends and decarbonization in the December issue for more information there).
Now back to the good news. Weather wasn’t the only things setting records in Chicago that week. The American Supply Association’s annual NETWORK conference brought a record 850 attendees. More than 90 leading distributor members gathered with more than 150 manufacturer and manufacturer rep partners for educational sessions, panel discussions, roundtable sessions and endless networking opportunities. I believe this record-setting attendance reflects the increasing level of engagement and investment companies are putting into the PHCP-PVF industry. As incoming ASA President, Katie Poehling Seymour put it during her speech at NETWORK, “This is our moment,” and ASA members and partners are really showing up to take advantage of that.