The December 2021 issue of Supply House Times features our cover PVF Ring of Honor Inductee Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, 2022 Industry Outlook, and much more!
It is pretty rare to see a private, family-owned company reach fourth-generation leadership, much less fifth. For more than a century — 120 years to be exact — the Dowd family has led Charlotte, North Carolina-based pipe and fitting manufacturer Charlotte Pipe and Foundry. Built by W. Frank Dowd in 1901, the original foundry in Charlotte employed 25 men and produced cast iron soil pipe and fittings.
Digital presence can be somewhat of a buzzword in the PHCP-PVF industry as it continues to adapt and evolve in an accelerating digital age. Each company may have a different definition of what digital transformation means to them. For Fargo, North Dakota-based PHCP distributor Dakota Supply Group, it’s simply about delivering the best online solutions to its customers.
There’s a shift happening in showrooms, and experts say it’s not about competing with the internet, it’s about offering an experience that can’t be matched by online shopping.
After enduring a unique set of challenges through 2020 and 2021, industry experts are excited to move forward into another high-demand year. The excitement is coupled with caution, as supply chain constraints, material pricing and labor shortages are not expected to resolve themselves in the near future.
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.
In 2022, we expand the image of decorative plumbing.
December 10, 2021
We’re almost through the second year of the pandemic and vendors and showrooms are boldly sharing what they think will be popular in 2022. A common thread in many of these predictions is that people are starting to work bold colors and patterns into rooms. This simple prediction tells me it is time for the decorative plumbing industry to move outside — way outside — the chrome and white box.
There are very few work-related emergencies that carry more risk and danger than fire events. Many regulations related to fire prevention have been developed to protect workers and facilities with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) being responsible for many of them.
Culture seems to be all the rage in the corporate world today, or maybe that’s just because I read a lot about it, and because we really focus on it being real. At Eastern, we have a healthy desire to have a positive impact on the lives of people we come in contact with. One of the ways we foster this is through our 28 Fundamentals, or as we call it, The Eastern Way.
As another year comes to a close, I cannot help but to look back and reflect on how resilient and successful our association was during another year of disruption. For a second straight year, our world struggled with a worldwide pandemic and unprecedented supply chain disruption. But one thing remains constant. Our association and our dedicated volunteer leaders continue to be the voice of hope for a stronger future for our industry.
I read somewhere that the most prevalent machine in the world is the electric motor. I thought about that for a while and it made sense. Just look around. But then I began to wonder what the second-most prevalent machine in the world is. Turns out it’s the pump! And most pumps are connected to electric motors of one kind or another, so there you go. Throw a rock and you’ll hit a motor. Or a pump. They’re everywhere.
The topic of labor has been front and center for quite some time now inside and outside of this industry. But it wasn’t until the recent Thanksgiving holiday break that it really hit home as to just how bad the current situation is. While waiting for my daughter to finish a recent fitness class, I decided to run a quick errand to mail a package. While driving down this road in an industrial park setting, business after business had roadside signs looking for labor — virtually every business on this busy road.
Uponor North America announced a national distribution agreement with Winsupply to stock Uponor PP-RCT piping, fittings and accessories at select Winsupply local companies and two distribution centers across the US.
The company's sales were $585 million for the third quarter of 2020, which was 3% lower than the second quarter of 2020 and 38% lower than the third quarter of 2019.
The Granite Group has promoted Chris Ploss from chief operating officer (COO) to president and Amir Rosenthal from chief financial officer (CFO) to COO. The promotions come as the company lays the foundation for its strategic growth plan.
Plumbing and Heating Wholesale (PHW) announced the acquisition of Sioux City, Iowa-based industrial supplier Wigman Co.
Wigman will initially continue to operate in their current location under the same name, plans will be made in the future to identify a new home for Wigman Co. and the industrial team.
The For the Pro Training Academy combines the company’s existing in-person training programs with a new self-paced eLearning option for Bradford White’s valued contractor customers.
Midland Industries announced the acquisition of Century Brass Products, a distributor of primarily machined brass fittings and valves to the plumbing industry across the US.
Milwaukee Tool’s new Streamline ACR press jaws and ring made in partnership with Mueller Streamline allows users to complete refrigerant line installations with a flame-free, efficient alternative to traditional brazing, Milwaukee Tool notes.
Viega MegaPressG fittings are the first fittings approved for connecting gas pipe up to 4". They come with HNBR sealing elements and graphite separator rings approved for use in gas and fuel oil applications, including natural gas, liquid propane gas, diesel fuel and more.
Ideal for repairing frozen and burst pipes quickly, SharkBite’s brass push-to-connect slip fittings can be installed on copper or CPVC wet lines and require no special tools, crimping, glue or soldering.
Rapid Locking System (RLS) is a patented press-to-connect fitting specifically developed for the high-pressure application of the HVAC and refrigeration industries.
NIBCO’s Wrot Racer push fittings is a new line of copper push fittings engineered to join copper, CPVC-CTS, PEX and PE-RT (with stiffeners) for easy transition between piping systems.
Walraven’s Rapid Sliding Wall Bracket shower valve bracket kit is a mounting kit for the industry’s most popular shower valves The RSWB kit can be used in multiple ways.
The Lubrizol Corp., in partnership with Colonial Engineering, expands its line of cost-effective and easy-to-install FlowGuard Gold pipes and fittings with the addition of the new FlowGuard MultiPort.
RectorSeal, Houston, introduces Draft-Block Orange, a fire-blocking expanding polyurethane foam sealant for use by trade professionals across North America.
Gerber Plumbing Fixtures expands the Treysta valve family to now include six new options with a preinstalled copper stub-out for quick and easy tub spout installation.
Serene Steam’s sleek and flush-fitting fixture offers steam, aroma and light therapy, which work synergistically to create a holistic steam-bathing environment that will invigorate all senses and assist the body to sweat, the company explains.
NTI Boilers’ S20W high-performance wall-mounted indirect water heater features space-saving installation flexibility, and offers heating contractors multiple benefits for a variety of new installations as well as for retrofit projects.
TOTO’s new Drake transitional WASHLET+ CS aesthetic yet functional design offers a gently flaring tank, supporting a generous lid and distinct lip, creating newfound shelving space for bathroom necessities, the company explains.
The newly upgraded NCC199CDV commercial condensing tankless water heater from Noritz America offers an industry-best, 10-year warranty on its redesigned dual stainless steel heat exchangers, the company points out.
Manufactured from premium, lead-free, dezincification-resistant brass, these full-port ball valves from Uponor feature positive tube stops that ensure installers insert the valve into the pipe far enough without overextension.
The GROHE Essence right height, dual-flush elongated toilet has sleek German design and engineering, featuring DreamClean technology to ensure the bowl is thoroughly cleared and cleaned, while conserving water, GROHE explains.
DXV’s luxury Wyatt one-piece, elongated toilet is a low-flow, WaterSense-certified toilet with a seamless architectural design that is luxurious to the eye, yet easy to maintain, DXV states.
American Standard’s Champion PRO chair-height elongated toilet is engineered to prevent clogs and features the industry’s largest 4” flush valve and extra-wide 2 3/8” glazed trapway, the manufacturer points out.
The compact, yet powerful JM-1450 Jet-Set water jet from General Pipe Cleaners uses high-pressure water to clear drain lines clogged with grease, sand, sludge and ice.
Navien has introduced three new chemical-free and environmentally friendly products to refresh their PeakFlow lineup of scale prevention solutions. The three models, PeakFlow S, PeakFlow A and PeakFlow C, expand the options made available by Navien to now include point-of-entry and commercial grade scale prevention.
Grundfos’ CR 255 features a new hydraulic design improves everything from impeller to guide vanes to inlet, discharge port, sleeve, and diffuser, taking current energy efficiency and performance standards for vertical multi-stage inline pumps to the next level, the company notes.
HamatUSA's Chelsea workstation sink combines the unmatched strength and beauty of natural fireclay with ingenious product design, the company explains.
Navien has added a new 120,000 BTU/h model to the NPN non-condensing tankless water heater lineup. The NPN-120E is the fourth model introduction to the NPN-E (exterior) series. The new size is offered in separate natural gas and liquid propane configurations for outdoor-only operation. NPN-120E provides 4.2 GPM at 45° F temperature rise and stays in-line with the rest of the NPN series at 0.81 UEF.