Few would argue that transporting cargo from one place to the next isn’t complicated. Even during the best of times, there are (literally) so many moving parts to account for, and one tiny blip in the process can produce big (read: expensive) problems. Today, ongoing commercial, environmental, and geopolitical developments are making the management and movement of fleets and freight an ever-changing affair.
The upward pricing trend that carried into the new year is continuing through February and into March, with a steady stream of plumbing, hydronic, HVAC and PVF manufacturers announcing increases. While many adjustments are landing in the low- to mid-single-digit range, several manufacturers are implementing category-specific or “various” increases, with select product lines moving higher.
In a statement following President Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address, ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman emphasized that while the construction industry remains resilient, affordability pressures and policy uncertainty are weighing on contractors across market segments.
The ruling invalidates the administration’s across-the-board emergency tariffs, including the baseline 10% global duties that had applied to a wide range of imported goods, including those heavily relied on by the PHCP-PVF supply chain, such as imported components, castings, steel, aluminum, electronics and finished equipment.
The commercial HVAC industry has entered a transformative era. As sustainability goals and regulatory requirements shape the market, building owners and contractors have the opportunity to lead the charge toward more efficient, future-forward solutions.
Water conservation in commercial and multifamily buildings has traditionally been seen as an engineering or ownership issue, focused on codes and sustainability. However, with rising water costs, aging infrastructure, and complex systems, conservation now also emphasizes system performance, risk reduction, and operational intelligence, engaging plumbing distributors in the discussion.
A proven Winsupply entrepreneur and Local Company President, Jesse Backman, has moved into an Area Leader role for Winsupply Inc., a national wholesale distributor based in Moraine, Ohio.
Wholesale distribution has always operated on relatively thin margins. Public benchmarks typically place gross margins anywhere from the high single digits to the low-30% range depending on product mix, with net margins often falling between 3% and 10%. In plumbing and PVF, those margins vary even more dramatically by category — with commodity products leaving far less room for error than engineered or value-added offerings.
American Pipe & Supply has announced the opening of a new 71,200-square-foot facility at 190 River Hills Drive, Nashville, Tennessee. This strategic relocation replaces the former Fessler’s Lane branch and serves as the cornerstone of the company’s recent regional growth, following new branch openings in Knoxville, TN, and Pensacola, FL, in late 2025.
Hajoca has acquired American Refrigeration Supplies (“ARS”), a leading HVAC-R distributor serving the Southwest United States, from Kitchell, a leading construction and real estate development company. Kitchell has owned ARS since 1970, supporting the business through decades of growth and service excellence.