Natalie Forster

Natalie Forster is Chief Editor of Supply House Times. Prior to joining BNP Media in 2020, she was an editor and digital content director for Southern Trade Publications, a publishing company with titles focused on the PHCP trades and the real estate industry. Natalie holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

David Kohler gives State of the Industry at KBIS 2021 Virtual

Natalie Forster

February 26, 2021

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Following NKBA CEO Bill Darcy’s welcome and State of the Association report on Feb. 9, KOHLER President and CEO David Kohler took to the virtual stage for a State of the Industry analysis.

Eastern Industrial Supplies social media

Natalie Forster: Social media success

Eastern Industrial Supplies uses social channels to promote company culture, connection and employee retention.

Natalie Forster

February 25, 2021

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I’m always curious to hear about how distributors and others within our industry are utilizing social media. For some, it’s a new territory that they’ve yet to fully explore because there’s no internal team member with the time and knowledge to do so.

Natalie Forster: Screen time

Making the most of your increased blue light exposure.

Natalie Forster

February 15, 2021

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Anyone else cringe a little when you get the weekly iPhone notification: “Your weekly screen time report is available?” I for one, am always hoping to see, “Your screen time was down by X%,” but that’s not often the case.

Masters of Resiliency

PHCP-PVF master distributors dig into supply chain conditions, market status and what the next year may hold.

Natalie Forster

February 1, 2021

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Low oil pricing, supply chain disruption and lack of skilled labor are some of the top concerns among master distributors around the county.

Distributors Push Forward

Part two of the annual distributor roundtable focuses on the next generation and long-term success.

Natalie Forster

January 29, 2021

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The majority of distributors agreed that while they know the workforce and customer base are aging, they aren’t yet feeling a prominent shift related to business practices and customer habits.

Natalie Forster: Flipping the script

While work-from-home is the norm for many, NYC rep invests in innovative office space for staff.

Natalie Forster

January 6, 2021

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According to Standford News, approximately 42% of Americans are currently working from home. Businesses have been working tirelessly to keep employees safe, many by setting up the needed technology to work remotely.

Distributors push forward

11th Annual ASA-Supply House Times roundtable discussion takes place virtually.

Natalie Forster

January 5, 2021

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As 2020 came to an end, five American Supply Association distributor members participated in a virtual roundtable interview to cover the latest trends and challenges present in the PHCP-PVF supply chain.

HARDI virtual summit recap

Keynote speakers and state of the channel make for a beneficial conference for members.

Natalie Forster

January 4, 2021

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The Heating, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) replaced its annual year-end summit with an all-new virtual format in 2020. The virtual conference took place Oct. 7-9, bringing in 349 wholesale-distributor attendees from 127 different member companies, and a grand total of 695 attendees from 270 member companies.

Economics during uncertainty

2021 economic industry forecast points to strong housing market, continued tariffs and stronger trade relations.

Natalie Forster

December 28, 2020

One Comment

It’s no secret that 2020 was a year packed with challenges for the PHCP-PVF supply chain. Some areas of our industry, such as the residential construction and remodeling markets have flourished. No matter the market sector, distributors have entered 2021 with high hopes and are searching for answers when it comes the state of the industry.

Remodel and Rethink

Residential bath and kitchen market booms, homeowners rethink design with wellness in mind.

Natalie Forster

December 8, 2020

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According to the Q4 2020 Houzz Renovation Barometer, the home renovation and design market is reporting its strongest business activity since Q3 2018. With wellness in mind, homeowners are rethinking bath and kitchen design.