Natalie Forster: From the Editor

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It’s not fun to list these losses, but hearing from peers, competitors and loved ones of these men reinforces the true family-like atmosphere the PHCP-PVF industry embodies, and that is something to be honored and celebrated. It is an industry where even the toughest of competitors share mutual respect and care for one another. This is certainly the case when it comes to Mr. Ed Nierman, or “Eddie Nierman” as many were used to calling him. 

Since diving into the wholesales-distribution corner if the PHCP-PVF industry, I’ve spent a lot more time thinking and learning about family-owned businesses, small-to-mid-sized businesses and all of the behind-the-scenes that goes along with building a career in one of these businesses. I’m proud to say that from learning from you all, I’m much more aware of the importance of supporting the independently-owned businesses within my community. And I don’t think I am alone in this attentiveness.

On Dec. 7, 2021, more than 27,000 customers of Amazon Web Services (AWS) — which includes Ring Security Cameras, Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, Facebook, Venmo and more— experienced site outages, slow streaming or complete shut-offs of services. The outage also affected Amazon’s ability to deliver on its usually two-day shipping promise and delayed updates for customers.

The end of a year is always a good time to reflect and plan for the year ahead, and this is especially true when that year (or two) has been particularly challenging. When reflecting on my last year, one stand-out moment was getting to hear Shark Tank’s Daymond John speak at ASA’s NETWORK conference in Las Vegas this November.

As I’ve been back out attending in person events this Fall, I’ve noticed the conversation surrounding what we’re doing as an industry to bridge the labor gap and recruit more talent has a common theme.

Over the past 18 months, I have been in the unique position to hear first-hand how the booming remodel market, supply chain disruptions and material costs are affecting plumbing distributors and showrooms while simultaneously being the end-user customer who’s remodeling her kitchen.

If you’ve talked to a contractor recently, chances are they told you how busy they are.