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Warehouse

The Silent Cash Drain: Why slow-moving inventory is killing your branch

Dead stock is not a warehouse accident.
Will Quinn
March 11, 2026
very distributor has it: The pallet of specialized fittings that hasn’t moved since the Biden administration. It’s the high-efficiency boiler ordered for a commercial project that got cancelled three years ago. It’s the "seasonal" SKU that seemed like a genius buy in March until the weather or the building code changed in May.
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US Capitol
From the Editor | Natalie Forster

Advocacy as a business strategy

Court cases, energy standards and state regulations are increasingly influencing what distributors can stock, sell and support.
Natalie Forster headshot 2025 200x200px
Natalie Forster
March 10, 2026
Between tariff rulings, state product bans, federal efficiency standards and mounting workforce challenges, the PHCP-PVF channel is operating in an environment where regulatory shifts can alter inventory planning, product availability and pricing strategy almost overnight.
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Woman Attending HVAC Unit
Women in the Industry

Meet 10 Influential PHCP-PVF Women of 2026

Ten PHCP-PVF leaders share how relationships, strategy, and smart growth are shaping the next era of the industry.
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Natalie Forster
March 8, 2026
Several of the women profiled began their journeys in unexpected places — from architecture programs and greeting card companies to post-9/11 career fairs and water restoration firms. What kept them here wasn’t just product lines or market share; it was the people.
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Marki Huston

How Viega is reshaping the executive table in PHCP manufacturing

A different kind of bench strength.
Natalie Forster headshot 2025 200x200px
Natalie Forster
March 5, 2026
That broader context makes what’s happening at Viega noteworthy, not because the company set out to “make a statement,” but because its executive leadership bench reflects something manufacturing often says it values but doesn’t always operationalize: building leadership based on capability, development and long-term performance, and ensuring strong talent isn’t overlooked.
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Cash Flow Distribution Graphic

Managing commissions – as the distribution landscape evolves, what are reps doing to track?

As distribution networks grow more complex, commission management requires clearer data, stronger communication and tighter alignment.
Matt Guidish
March 4, 2026
For commission-side reps, what once seemed like a simple process – reps sell product to distributor, manufacturer ships product to distributor, rep gets commission on invoiced product via sales reporting – has, these days, become quite the labyrinth of accounting processes and procedures. The main confusion driver in this labyrinth is often DC-to-branch, branch-to-branch, or DC-to-contractor transfers that flow across state lines or rep territory boundaries.
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Construction jobs

Construction employment jumps by 33,000 jobs in January 2026

January employment data highlight specialty trade hiring even as construction material prices trend upward.
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Natalie Forster
March 2, 2026

The latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the construction sector added 33,000 jobs in January, bringing total construction employment to more than 8.3 million workers nationwide. The gain represents one of the largest monthly increases since mid-2023 and was driven largely by hiring among nonresidential specialty trade contractors.


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Price Increases

PHCP-PVF price increases: February-March 2026

Valves, water heaters, pumps, fixtures and HVAC equipment see adjustments ranging from low single digits to 10%.
Natalie Forster headshot 2025 200x200px
Natalie Forster
February 27, 2026

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.


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Retail warehouse worker in a safety vest and hard hat, scans inventory using a barcode scanner. A virtual infographics is displayed on the boxes.
ASA News

ASA University’s Year in Review: Most used courses, MDM milestones

February 26, 2026
ASA members stayed busy in 2025, taking full advantage of ASA University’s tools and training to boost employee performance and drive profitability across their businesses. This year also marked a return to some familiar training trends, with members gravitating back toward foundational product knowledge.
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