The January 2022 issue of Supply House Times features the 12th annual ASA-Supply House Times distributor roundtable, AHR product preview, Quarterly codes updates, and much more!
Part 1 of the annual ASA-Supply House Times roundtable discussion hones in on next-gen view of supply chain status, labor concerns and tackling a unique marketplace.
This diverse group of five participants includes roles from executive and marketing to purchasing and inventory experts. After the nearly three-hour conversation, it was clear one thing is for certain; the current supply chain status and high-demand calls for an all-hands-on-deck approach.
Water heater manufacturer Rinnai America Corp. has been working for the last three years with a state department of corrections to upgrade the water heating systems in five prison facilities. This initiative, Jason Tuttle, Rinnai America’s commercial business manager for the North Central region, notes, had a goal to increase the facility’s overall efficiencies.
When Supply House Times reached out to me to ask if I would consider writing a quarterly column providing readers with updates on what is happening in the world of codes and standards I jumped at the chance. So beginning with this introductory column I will begin providing you with what I hope to be valuable information on codes and standards changes impacting your business.
On Dec. 7, 2021, more than 27,000 customers of Amazon Web Services (AWS) — which includes Ring Security Cameras, Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, Facebook, Venmo and more— experienced site outages, slow streaming or complete shut-offs of services. The outage also affected Amazon’s ability to deliver on its usually two-day shipping promise and delayed updates for customers.
In 1992, I self-published a thick book I called, "The Lost Art of Steam Heating." I did this because I could not get a publisher interested in something that few, if any, contractors had installed since the 1930s. I thought it would do well in New York City, where there are still plenty of steam-heated buildings, but to my delight, we sold tens of thousands of copies everywhere, and even in Hawaii. Go figure.
I can’t believe that is has been nearly 10 years since Joe Poehling of First Supply flew out to visit me at our offices in New Hampshire to pitch me on the value of getting active in ASA. Joe was ASA president at the time, and I always looked up to him as an industry leader and great business person. Little did I know that meeting would eventually lead me to taking over as the 53rd president of ASA. Guess I should have known that Joe is way too good of a salesman!
There are certain world/U.S. events that you can recall exactly where you were when they happened. The first in my upbringing was the attempted assassination of President Reagan. I was walking up to our front porch after getting off the school bus when my mom told me about it. The Space Shuttle tragedy: I was in school that day. If my memory serves correctly, we had a grainy TV on that was on one of those huge school AV carts.
Within the American Supply Association, the Emerging Leaders division offers up-and-coming professionals in the industry the ability to network with their peers from around the country as well as educational benefits to help them grow in their careers. Considered the leaders of tomorrow, it is paramount to the success of the industry that this group grow and continue to cultivate the skills learned from participating in Emerging Leaders.
“As we enter into 2022,” — when you say that out loud it sounds a lot like “2020-2.” Don’t be alarmed, I believe things are moving in a positive direction. I have laid out trends that I see as important factors moving into the new year. I am not going to prognosticate about where the stock market is going, but rather about what I feel is going to be the most important factors impacting supply houses across the country.
The nasty secret that we decorative plumbing folks hold close to our vest is that only a handful of architects, designers, builders and maybe a homeowner or two have the ability to completely design, procure and build the bathroom that they envision.
While people fall year-round, the freezing season is the perfect time to think about fall prevention. Fall hazards such as slippery leaves, wet pavement and frozen water are common in the colder season. They can't be ignored, even when businesses are extremely busy. The injuries sustained from a fall can range from the bruised ego to death. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 5,333 fatal occupational injuries in the United States in 2019. Out of the 5,333 fatalities, approximately 900 or 17% of the total were the result of slips, trips and falls.
Located at Creekside Commerce Center on John Price Road in southwest Charlotte, at over 200,000 square feet, the new facility nearly doubles the company’s warehouse space in the region. The DC will serve IPEX’s customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
The Valve Manufacturers International (VMA) membership elected the 2021-2022 Board of Directors, following the announcement of the slate of candidates at its Annual Meeting, which took place in October. VMA’s Chairman of the Board for the 2021-2022 year is Ron Warren, president/COO of Bray International, based out of Houston.
Congressman Smucker toured the new distribution facility and was one of the first to see APR’s latest implementation of warehouse automation. While on site, Congressman Smucker took time to address the APR warehouse 1st shift teammates, along with the corporate and leadership teams.
Net sales of $6,803 million were 26.6% ahead of last year, 24.5% higher on an organic basis with 1.8% from acquisitions and a further 0.3% from the impact of foreign exchange. Inflation in the first quarter was in the low teens.
Munch’s Supply a Chicagoland area-based heating, air conditioning and plumbing distributor, has acquired TML Supply and its 13 branches servicing the province of Ontario, Canada. This will expand Munch’s geographic footprint to 64 locations serving 16 U.S. states and one Canadian province.
ProSource Supply has acquired Marion Davis, a plumbing, lighting and electrical supplier with two locations in Upstate, South Carolina. Marion Davis will be rebranded to ProSource Supply after a transition period.
ELEVATE2022 is loaded with education and networking opportunities. Highlights include a tour of Zoeller Pump’s Louisville headquarters, plus educational sessions with Michelle Villalobos (How to “Sell” with Grace, Ease & Flow), Kathleen Hoye (How to Keep “Family” Part of Family Business), Janine Driver (You Say More Than You Think: Leadership, Sales & Communications Secrets for Affinity and Success) and Kristen Hawley (Self-Kindness is Self-Care).
ASA’s monthly sales report shows October 2021 results that reflect another month of robust performance compared to the same month a year ago. Year-to-date and trailing-twelve-month figures remained strong when compared against 2020, a year that had multiple weeks, if not months of closures or partial closures.
If your ASA Northeast is reviving its longstanding summer conference that operated under the former WANE banner. The 2022 ASA Northeast Summit takes place June 14-15 at the Live! Hotel and Casino at the Philadelphia Stadium District.
Each year, ASA members compete for the award by submitting an application and their prior year’s incident rate (300A form). Thank you to all those that participated in the ASA Safety Award competition, and to all those who help form ASA's safety culture and education through volunteerism, and support through such efforts as its Safety Recognition Program.
Franklin Electric’s Inline 1100 SpecPAK has been recognized with an AHR Expo (International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition) Innovation Award.
GF Piping Systems’ COOL-FIT PE Plus is the pre-insulated polyethylene piping system ideally suited for glycol, brines and chilled water used in secondary cooling applications.
Axiom System Feeders, also called Glycol Feeders, simplify the process of maintaining the cold static fluid pressure in closed-loop heating and cooling systems.
With 62 feet max head and 320 GPM max flow, Taco Comfort Solutions’ new 00e VR Series high-efficiency ECM circulators raise the bar for high-efficiency, high performance ECM circulators, the company notes.
RectorSeal now offers a complete line of Dust Free indoor air quality products including air filters, UV purification systems, whole-home purification systems and media air cleaners.
Uniquely designed for the complete protection of refrigeration systems, NDL filter driers use XH11 desiccant with activated alumina and charcoal and are suitable for all refrigerants.
Rinnai’s complete line of high and low-intensity infrared heaters deliver efficient, quiet comfort with innovative gas infrared technology, the company notes.