Articles by Natalie Forster

I’m happy to see the PHCP-PVF industry taking every chance it gets to shout the importance of what you do, work together for the greater good, and give back in numerous ways.

When Al Pekelney started selling Bock Water Heaters out of the back of his car while driving around New Jersey and New York in 1947, he likely wasn’t aware it was the start of what would become a 75-year-old company now representing 23 product lines.

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. 

When a company doubles in size every five years, you know it’s doing something right. At least this is true for Lebanon, Pennsylvania-based APR Supply Co., as it’s celebrating this exponential growth as well as 100 years in business under three generations of family leadership.

A highlight of the group is its annual ELEVATE conference, which has become a crowd favorite, full of top-notch speakers, networking happy hours and fun evening events for the women. The last time ELEVATE was able to happen in person was in 2019 in San Diego, where turnout was at an all-time high and included 91 new attendees. ELEVATE was slated to take place in Charleston, South Carolina in April of 2020, but had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ASA and the Women in Industry executive council provided a virtual meeting in April of 2021, where attendees still gained access to great speakers, educational sessions and virtual networking. But after three years since an in-person ELEVATE conference, the Women in Industry division is itching to get back together.

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.

Each year, Supply House Times editors receive thousands of product releases from industry manufacturers. The 20 products highlighted here have earned the distinction of being PM’s Top Products of 2021 based on the number of page views on supplyht.com. Congratulations to those products on this year’s list.

According to a global supply chain report compiled by IHS Markit, delays and disruptions for manufacturers and deliveries is currently on a higher scale than ever recorded in the company’s more than 30 years of conducting Purchasing Manager Index’s (PMI) — monthly surveys of more than 40 economies worldwide. Distributors across the U.S. can vouch for that, as supply chain disruptions they endured throughout 2021 have yet to show signs of correction.

Buckle up for Part 2 as participants get into the nitty-gritty of technology, top threats to wholesale-distribution, plus the next-gen’s effect on the marketplace and consolidation.

More than 600 kitchen and bath exhibitors use KBIS/IBS to showcase the latest product technology and design trends to the tens of thousands of designers, dealers, architects, showrooms, builders and remodelers who attend the show. For the first time since 2018, DCW is returning to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida this February 8-10.