ASA News

ASA University MDM Program Drives Critical Leadership Development Principles

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:56:42 -0400

Whether you’re focused on building your own leadership capability or thinking about succession planning within your organization, this ASA program is designed to prepare you for what’s next.

The State of Talent Attraction in the PHCP/PVF Industry According to ASA Members

Fri, 29 May 2026 13:30:05 -0400

ASA recently conducted a survey of its members to gauge the current condition of recruitment in the PHCP/PVF industry.

Moving Forward Together: Voices from ELEVATE 2026

Tue, 19 May 2026 16:05:34 -0400

Several attendees highlighted specific takeaways that stayed with them long after the event ended. Elainea Wiley of The Distribution Point reflected on one speaker’s reminder that it is not your manager’s job to manage your career.

ASA and PHCC Members Bring Unified Industry Voice to Capitol Hill

Tue, 12 May 2026 13:41:50 -0400

Among the primary topics discussed during congressional meetings was the need to strengthen workforce development initiatives and expand pathways into the skilled trades.

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.

Coburn Supply’s Christy Maloney named 2026 Alice A. Martin Woman of the Year

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:20:13 -0400

The Woman of the Year Award is named in honor of NIBCO’s Alice A. Martin, who served as president and cofounder of the Rex and Alice A. Martin Foundation, a charitable foundation headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana, which donates to major projects for children.

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.

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.

From Reporting to Serving

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be on my way to ASA’s headquarters to hit the ground running on this new journey. I could not be more excited for the opportunity to work for the association I have been fortunate to partner with and admire throughout my time at BNP Media. I truly believe that ASA helps distributors do their jobs better, and I am thrilled to be joining that mission.

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.

ASA’s LEAD Summit in St. Petersburg spotlights a strategic shift for the next decade

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Last month, St. Petersburg again was the site for what is now called ASA’s annual LEAD Strategic Leadership Summit. This year’s LEAD event brought together 85 volunteers to take a look at issues that will affect ASA member companies and their employees now and in the future.

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.

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.

A practical way to scale CRM readiness in distribution

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:00:00 -0500

Customer Relationship Management systems are often sold as a technology decision. In reality, CRM success or failure has far more to do with people, processes, and organizational readiness than with software features.

ASA University’s Year in Review: Most used courses, MDM milestones

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:00:00 -0500

ASA members stayed busy in 2025, taking full advantage of ASA University’s tools and training to boost employee performance and drive profitability across their businesses. This year also marked a return to some familiar training trends, with members gravitating back toward foundational product knowledge.

ASA’s Project Talent: Building momentum in workforce development

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

ASA members have consistently identified attracting talent as one of their most pressing concerns. National labor studies conducted by ASA confirm what members experience, including retirements outpacing new hires, and traditional recruiting methods alone are no longer enough. These concerns were reinforced during ASA’s 2025 LEAD Strategic Leadership Summit in early 2025, where volunteers emphasized the need for stronger outward-facing efforts to elevate the industry’s profile and attract new talent.

Everyone starts somewhere; leaders are built over time

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The Emerging Leaders Division of ASA continues to gain momentum, so much so that the Advisory Group met this past summer near O’Hare Airport in Chicago to chart its future, one that includes a pivot to year-round programming for industry up-and-comers, while still presenting the group’s annual EMERGE education, best practices, and networking forum.

Building credibility: The foundation of emerging leadership

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Emerging leaders are motivated but often struggle to understand what senior leaders want before assuming more responsibility. In plumbing distribution, credibility is crucial; senior leaders prioritize those who execute well, communicate clearly, and make sound decisions under pressure.

Women leading the way in AI adoption across the ASA community

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

AI is helping women streamline complex or time-consuming tasks, such as preparing commercial quotations, entering sales orders, managing email and calendars, and organizing large volumes of product information. It is also becoming part of daily life, supporting everything from cooking and budgeting to travel planning and quick problem solving.

The state of e-commerce in plumbing distribution

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Digital revenue penetration tiers show concentrated distribution patterns and progression across three measurement periods. Firms achieving more than 10% e-commerce revenue increased from 28% in 2023 to 33% in 2024 and 41% in 2025, representing a 13 percentage point gain over two years. The more than 20% tier grew from 13% to 19% and stabilized, while the more than 30% tier progressed from 8% to 10% before declining to 7% in 2025.

The difference between a data library and a product data standard

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Data sources, even high-quality ones, do not inherently guarantee consistency. Two sources may provide data for the same category but define attributes differently, apply different units of measure, or populate fields in inconsistent ways. Even within a single source, definitions and data quality can vary over time or across product lines. Without a shared standard, organizations must repeatedly interpret, normalize, and reconcile that variability internally.

How ASA members are harnessing key knowledge from a retiring generation

mmiazga@asa.net (Mike Miazga) — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

At the American Supply Association's recent LEAD retreat, the need to transfer industry knowledge from retiring veterans to the next generation was highlighted as a critical issue in the PHCP-PVF sector. To address this, ASA's Business Intelligence Unit has commissioned a survey among its members, in line with the objectives of its Operational Excellence and Embracing the Future councils.

ASA introduces new digitization & customer intelligence resource hub

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The Digitization & Customer Intelligence webpage provides a clear, accessible path for distributors and manufacturers looking to better understand CRM adoption, ERP integration considerations, and emerging technologies that support stronger customer relationships.

Reducing Legionella risk through comprehensive water management

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

While the risk of Legionella exists across many types of buildings, healthcare and long-term care facilities are particularly vulnerable. These buildings often have large, complex plumbing systems with extensive pipe networks, variable water usage, and numerous fixtures, all of which can create conditions conducive to bacterial growth if not properly managed. As a result, even well-designed and well-maintained systems require ongoing attention to minimize risk.

Protecting the backbone of your company: Your employees

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Lifting objects is a necessary part of many jobs, but it’s easy for employees to develop bad habits that can harm their backs and put them out of commission. According to a September OSHA report on back disorders and injuries, as one of the leading causes of disability for workers, back injuries can develop over time from long-term repetitive activity or result from a single mishap.

Cybersecurity readiness: Practical steps for distributors and manufacturers

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility across every department — from warehouse to accounting to the front counter. A phishing link clicked in one branch can disrupt dozens of locations. The good news is that building resilience doesn’t require massive budgets — just leadership commitment and steady improvement.