Market Sectors

Commercial Market Outlook: Retrofit Projects Lead the Way

baylesk@bnpmedia.com (Kristen R Bayles) — Mon, 25 May 2026 09:55:49 -0400

As commercial building owners continue to navigate economic uncertainty, labor shortages and changing customer demands, retrofit and renovation work is becoming a key opportunity across the plumbing market. In this article, learn where the commercial market is headed and how manufacturers, wholesalers, and contractors can adapt.

Your Sales Team Isn’t Posting and It’s Costing You Millions

Fri, 22 May 2026 12:19:06 -0400

This isn't something to brush off or circle back to when things “slow down.” It’s not a marketing problem sitting neatly in someone else’s department.

Heat Pump Water Heater Brings Efficiency and Cost Savings to California Apartment Complex

Wed, 13 May 2026 14:30:29 -0400

Unlike traditional high efficiency models, the Voltex 120V HPWH is designed to plug into a standard electrical outlet–eliminating the need for adaptors or restructuring.

Built to Scale, Designed to Stay Local: Lessons From Winsupply at 70

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Mon, 11 May 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Seventy years in, Winsupply occupies a unique position in the PHCP-PVF distribution landscape. It is, by every measurable standard, a national player. Yet, it operates in a way that looks fundamentally different from the centralized models that have come to define much of the industry’s consolidation era.

Premier 150: The Top PHCP-PVF Distributors of 2026

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Combined revenue across this year’s Premier 150 once again underscores the immense scale of the channel, with distributors collectively generating hundreds of billions in annual sales.

Why Good Businesses Sell for Less Than They Should

Wed, 06 May 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Understanding how buyers view a business can help explain why valuations sometimes fall short of expectations.

Why Day-To-Day Firefighting Douses Distributors’ Profit

Mon, 04 May 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Ask a distributor to describe their day-to-day, and there’s an excellent chance that they’ll use the term “fighting fires.” It makes sense that this term has become so popular – the work sounds urgent and important, even heroic.

AI at work: Hide or thrive?

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

By learning to use AI wisely in our daily work, prioritizing ethical use, and nurturing essential human skills, we’ll not only get more done and spark innovation, but ultimately build a more effective and rewarding future for ourselves and our organizations.

How fast AI has changed since last year

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

One of the clearest ways to understand what has changed since last year’s Applied AI for Distributors event is this: some of the things that were being discussed as next are now showing up as current.

Are people your greatest strength?

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

With a company’s website and social media accounts being the first places candidates often look to learn about opportunities, it’s surprising how many in our industry offer little or no information about what it’s like to be an employee at the company.

How distributors are winning with business intelligence

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Strong business intelligence (BI) data has become a competitive necessity for distributors operating in increasingly complex and fast-moving markets.

ASA Advocacy update: Farm bill progress, workforce legislation, tariffs, and 2026 election developments

srossi@asa.net (Steve Rossi) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

The House Agriculture Committee reported the long-awaited Farm Bill, which incorporates provisions of the Healthy H2O Act — legislation ASA has championed that enables rural residents, particularly those relying on wells, to test their water and apply for grants to fund corrective measures, including third-party-certified end-point filtration devices.

AI Is Moving Faster Than Your Security Policies

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

AI is evolving faster than the policies, security systems, and safeguards designed to manage it. The smartest companies won’t ignore AI, they also won’t hand over the keys to their business until the technology proves it can be trusted with them.

When Rebates Help, and When They Hurt: The Hidden Tradeoffs for Distributors

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

The mechanics of rebates are not simple: Each manufacturer has its own playbook. Rules, tiers, exclusions, and volume triggers differ. On top of that, distributors add their own complexity.

The hidden gaps in your sales cycle

brian.gardner@salesprocess360.com (Brian Gardner) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:00:00 -0400

Someone must own sales excellence. Someone must act as CEO for CRM. That person should be a respected sales leader with the autonomy to make critical decisions for the company. Their role goes beyond platform selection and configuration. They are responsible for driving adoption, setting standards, training, coaching and continuous improvement.

Design partnerships in kitchen and bath: Kohler, Shea McGee and Martha Stewart

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Homeowners are walking into showrooms with inspiration boards, saved posts, and a clear point of view, and they look to plumbing pros and product experts to help translate that vision into products that perform. That’s where partnerships with trusted design voices can make a difference — they create a relatable style story, simplify decision-making, and give the trade a conﬁdent place to start the conversation.

The State of AI in Distribution

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

According to recent research from McKinsey & Company, AI adoption has surged over the past two years, with a growing share of organizations reporting measurable impact on revenue, cost reduction and customer engagement.

Preparing for the Silver Tsunami: A high‑level exit strategy guide for business owners

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Roughly 12 million U.S. businesses are owned by Baby Boomers, and with about 10,000 Americans reaching retirement age every day, the pace of ownership transitions is accelerating quickly.

Famous Supply honors Jay Blaushild’s passion for training with the opening of its 25,000-square-foot J-TEC facility

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Long before the ribbon was cut on a 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art training facility in Maple Heights, Ohio, the foundation for the Jay Blaushild Training & Education Center (J-TEC) was already firmly in place.

AI adoption in distribution starts with action, not perfect data

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from buzzword to boardroom priority across PHCP-PVF distribution, but for many companies, adoption still feels stalled before it even begins. According to Brooks Hamilton, principal at AI Strategy Advisors, that hesitation often comes down to a long-standing misconception: that AI requires perfectly clean data before companies can get started.

February 2026 MDM cohort kicks off at full capacity; May classes now open

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The February 2026 ASA Master of Distribution Management cohort is officially underway, with a class of 13 students kicking off, ready to embark on their leadership growth pathway.

Podcast: Robotics in Distribution

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Robotics has moved from trade show demonstration to boardroom discussion. For many larger distributors, the question is no longer whether automation exists; it is whether it belongs in the next phase of operational strategy.

Why conservative branding and hesitant messaging may be limiting distributor growth more than market conditions

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Being visible invites judgment. Once your company is seen, it can be critiqued, compared, misunderstood, or challenged. In industries where reputation matters and tradition runs deep, that exposure feels risky.

Blending knowledge and advancements: How to successfully adopt new HVAC technologies.

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Advancements are constantly rolling out to the PHCP and HVAC industries, and even the most seasoned professionals are fascinated by the way they help us do our jobs more efficiently while keeping our customers more comfortable.

Cybersecruity starts with awareness, not technology

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

What makes this resource especially effective is that each attack scenario is explicitly tied back to related controls in the Cybersecurity Checklist. The attacks describe what can happen. The checklist outlines the practices organizations use to reduce exposure across increasing maturity levels.

Navigating FMLA: DOL’s opinion letter clarifies travel time

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:00:00 -0400

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recently issued an opinion letter explaining an employee’s available leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may be applied toward time spent traveling to and from a medical appointment.

Navigating the new freight reality

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Few would argue that transporting cargo from one place to the next isn’t complicated. Even during the best of times, there are (literally) so many moving parts to account for, and one tiny blip in the process can produce big (read: expensive) problems. Today, ongoing commercial, environmental, and geopolitical developments are making the management and movement of fleets and freight an ever-changing affair.

Experience is the product you are actually selling: What 5,000-plus customer responses reveal

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Analysis of 5,063 customer responses from 10 MEP distributors confirms what many suspected but few have quantified — customer experience has become the primary differentiator in wholesale distribution. Companies prioritizing experience demonstrate higher retention rates, greater wallet share, and reduced cost-to-serve.

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

will@thedistributionguy.com (Will Quinn) — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Advocacy as a business strategy

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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.