February

Transcription

February

FEBRUARY 2009
VOL. 64, NO. 2
News of Plumbing • Heating • Cooling • Industrial Piping Distribution
George T.
Sanders buys
Houston
Supply Co.
WhEAT riDgE, coLo. — At the end of
January 2009, george T. sanders
company acquired houston supply
company in Wyoming. The two companies signed an agreement under which
gTs acquired the assets and operations of
houston supply.
“We are excited about the opportunity
to leverage our past success in colorado
into the state of Wyoming, with the ac(Turn to Purchase, page 27.)
2009
Purchasing
Survey
Begins on page 52.
Implementing a Warehouse Management System that provides multiple functionalities can greatly streamline the overall supply
chain process by significantly improving current operating procedures and, in the long run enhancing inventory and shipping
accuracy, increasing labor productivity, reducing operating costs and boosting overall revenue. Read more about how several
companies have benefited from a WMS on page 30.
NIBCO expands
PEX operations
ELkhArT, iND. — Nibco has combined
its pEx extrusion operation and post-processing/distribution operations into a
new facility in Lebanon, ohio. The
130,000-square-foot facility has ample
room for expansion of manufacturing
and distribution operations. This location will make Nibco’s DurA-pEx manufacturing operations more efficient.
“The move was made in anticipation
(Turn to PEX plant, page 27.)
Membership urges split
ASA, ISH NA end relationship
chicAgo — in a letter dated December 15,
AsA informed Messe frankfurt that the
American supply Association board of directors had voted to withdraw support and
involvement from ish North America.
“Long and serious consideration was given
to this decision, and it included extensive
input from our manufacturer members,” said
Mike Adelizzi, AsA executive vice president.
“While the original concept of ish was to
bring the phcp and pvf industries together
under one trade show banner, the result weakened the focus on the sponsoring associations.
This loss of focus reduced the urgency to
attend among people who had traditionally
identified with a specific association.
Attendance diminished, and ish didn’t realize
the potential we all believed in when we
joined forces.”
in addition, Adelizzi said that many of AsA’s
manufacturer members clearly voiced their
desire to end the partnership with ish North
America. “With the state of the economy the
way it is today, a closer working partnership
between the manufacturer and wholesaler has
an even greater value than in years past,” continued Adelizzi. “AsA is placing a stronger
emphasis on providing manufacturers and
wholesalers a venue to fortify that working
partnership and coupling it with critical information about what the future has in store for
our industry. Those are the guiding principles
that have led to the development of the agenda for NetworkAsA 2009 and the introduction
(Turn to Split, page 27.)
Jet-Set ™
Maxi-Rooter ™
Clears Grease Clogs Fast.
The J-1450 electric water jet, a compact and portable
drain cleaning machine, uses high pressure water to
clear drain lines clogged with grease, sand and ice.
Comes through for you
The Maxi-Rooter packs maximum power
and reach with maximum reliability.
I
Slim 23" profile lets you get the machine
through just about any door.
Clears 1-1/2" to 4" lines of grease,
sand and ice.
I
I
1-1/2 hp motor drives 1500 psi,
1.7 gpm pump.
Big capacity drum holds 125 ft. of 3/4"
cable or 150 ft. of 5/8" cable.
I
I
Vibrapulse® helps the hose
around tight bends.
See-through inner drum cage
lets you see how much cable
is left in the drum.
I
Slide-out handle makes it
easier to roll to the job.
I
I
Easily removable hose reel
to make machine more compact.
Call 800-245-6200
or visit www.drainbrain.com.
A heavy-duty quiet 3/4 hp motor
drives either Flexicore® wire
rope center cable or loosewound “SP” type cable. Your Choice!
I
Call 800-245-6200
AutoCut ™
Copper Tubing Cutter
A great tool to have when you don’t have the swing
room to use a conventional tubing cutter. You can cut
copper tubing with less than one inch of clearance.
I Just
snap it on the tube, close the gate
and turn – no knobs to twist.
I Cutter wheel is spring loaded to provide
constant cutting pressure – so you won’t
accidentally crimp the tubing.
I AutoCut has long lasting hardened steel
cutting wheels.
I Ratchet turning handle available for extra
turning power in tight spaces.
I Available in 1/2", 3/4" and 1" sizes.
Call 800-245-6200 or visit
www.drainbrain.com.
Power-Vee ™
Works Great in Tight Spots!
When working under sinks or in other
awkward places, the Power-Vee is like
having a third hand. Just squeeze the
feed lever and three offset rollers in the
automatic feed grip the cable and drive
it into the line.
I
Handles 1/4" through 3/8" cables
without any need for adjustment.
I
Feeds and retrieves 3/8" cables at
16 feet per minute.
I
Dyna-Thrust™ bearing system reduces
motor wear and extends the life of
the tool.
I
Quick-change cable cartridges
make cable changing clean and easy.
I
Flexicore ® wire rope center cables
have unequalled strength and the
right amount of flexibility.
Call 800-245-6200
Mini-Rooter XP ™
Clears Clogged Drains From
Rooftop to Basement.
With 75 ft. of 3/8" cable and a 1/3 hp
motor, the Mini-Rooter XP clears
clogged kitchen, bath and
laundry drains.
I
Variable speed power
cable feed makes
feeding and retrieving
the cable much easier.
I
Machine rolls easily
to and from the job on
8" semi-pneumatic
wheels.
I
Easy-grip handle
folds down to save
space and locks as
an additional
lifting handle.
I
Roll bar protects motor when moving
machine up and down stairs.
I
Free floating inner drum cage helps
prevent cable tangling.
A
nd there’s lots more;
including an AC/DC converter so
you can operate just with truck power,
built-in voice over unit, an on-screen distance
counter, and a date and time stamp.
The Gen-Eye GL system gives you all the options you
need to inspect lines from 2" through 10", depending
on your choice of push rod and reel size. If you’re
looking for a more compact monitor to fit a smaller
space or budget, we’ve got that, too.
All this, and an honest two-year warranty as well.
For more information, see your wholesaler or call the
Drain Brains® at 800-235-6200 or 412-771-6300,
or visit www.drainbrain.com/geneye.
Call 800-245-6200
© General Wire Spring 2008
See contact information on page 70
Winning combinations.
Choose any combination of our thousands of SKU’s and you win. We are the nation’s leading supplier of codecompliant, globally sourced plumbing and PVF products for residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
Our quality plumbing and PVF products are priced right and we maintain local stocking and reps to serve you.
Simlply put, we’re the best in the game.
Global sourcing. National compliance. Local service.
Brewster NY P: 800-431-2082 F: 800-640-2252 Houston TX P: 800-935-5456 F: 800-683-4247
La Palma CA P: 866-532-8306 F: 866-532-8307 Americus GA P: 800-433-7526 F: 800-533-5134
www.matco-norca.com • mail@matco-norca.com
4•
•THE WHOLESALER® — FEBRUARY 2009
INDUSTRY NEWS
OPW Engineered Systems
acquires Hiltap Fittings
leBanon, oHio — oPW engineered Systems, a division of oPW Fluid transfer
group, announced in early January that it
has acquired privately held Hiltap Fittings,
a leading supplier of high/low pressure
and temperature fittings. the terms of the
transaction were not disclosed.
Hiltap Fittings ltd., based in Calgary,
alberta, is a strategic addition to the full
line of quick and dry disconnect couplings offered by oPW engineered
Systems and broadens its full line of
fluid transfer products. oPW will build
upon Hiltap’s reputation as a global
leader in high/low temperature and pressure sealing technologies to meet the
ever-increasing demands for safe, economical, reliable and both environmentally and operator friendly connections
and product recovery systems.
“the completion of this acquisition
represents a significant strategic step for
oPW engineered Systems to accelerate
growth in our core quick and dry disconnect business,” said tim Warning, president of oPW Fluid transfer group.
“today, we significantly increased the
depth and breadth of solutions that we
have to solve the many needs of the markets we serve. With our sales channels
around the globe, we look to significantly grow this business.
“We are now squarely focused on
quickly seizing the attractive opportunities this transaction has created for us to
increase top-line growth as well as
achieving significant cost synergies in a
number of areas. With the Hiltap acquisition now complete, oPW engineered
Systems is a stronger, more broadly
based company than ever before, with
increased capacity to reach new customers and the ability to provide current
customers with enhanced products.”
oPW engineered Systems is a leading
manufacturer of systems for the safe and
efficient loading and unloading of hazardous materials. they are part of oPW
Fluid transfer group. organized in 1998
and part of Dover Corporation, oPW Fluid
transfer group is comprised of six market-leading operating companies — each
dedicated to designing, manufacturing
and distributing world class solutions that
assist in the safe handling and transporting
of hazardous bulk products.
For more information, visit www
.opw-es.com or www.hiltap.com.
Texas A&M offers course on pricing
College Station, texaS — texas a&m
University is offering a Pricing
optimization course on may 7 and 8. the
course is intended for sales managers,
branch and regional managers, pricing
and purchasing professionals, and distribution management professionals.
Pricing is typically market-based but
pricing decisions are very complex and,
when made in an information vacuum,
will sub-optimize gross margins for the
firm. the pricing/discounting decision is
an information exercise and determines
at least half of a firm’s profitability
equation. even though most distributors
understand to some extent other external
drivers of pricing such as competition
and market structure, understanding and
implementing a holistic approach to
pricing has always been difficult. this
course will address practical methods to
set and manage prices using existing
information to maximize profitability.
among the learning objectives are:
• How to effectively classify/segment
the customer base
• elements of the “cost to serve” variable.
• How to systematically maximize
margins
• Why and how to link inventory and
customer classifications
• How to scientifically leverage on
existing and readily available information.
the cost of the course is $1,750 per
participant. Discounts are available for
two or more participants. Register online
at www.readcenter.tamu.edu or by fax at
979/845-4980. to learn more, contact
program director Dr. Barry lawrence at
979/845-1463 or by e-mail at
lawrence@entc.tamu.edu.
REHAU adds to contractor development program
leeSBURg, Va. — at the aHR expo, held
in late January in Chicago, ReHaU
announced a number of additions to its
professional contractor development
program, ReHaU eDge. this membership-based program for heating contractors, originally launched at the 2008 aHR
expo, encourages all aspects of business
and professional growth through training, design services, brand merchandise
and local, regional and national events.
expanded program options for 2009
will include a tiered bronze-, silver-, goldand platinum-level benefit redemption
system and focused team meetings with
more direct, one-on-one networking
opportunities. ReHaU also displayed a new
product and system innovations for the
heating industry, including its RaUgeo™
geothermal ground loop system.
For more information, log on to
www.rehau.com.
Baker celebrates 30 years
Pictured are Robert and Elsa Baker cutting the ribbon.
SliDell, la. — Baker Sales inc., a
wholesale steel pipe and fence supply
distributor, celebrated their 30th
anniversary with the grand opening of
a new office and warehouse in
Slidell, la. the ribbon cutting ceremony by the east St. tammany
Chamber of Commerce was held on
December 5.
“the devastation brought on by
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and gustav
brought many hardships to our company and our employees. However, the
recovery and rebuilding of the gulf
Coast area has provided an opportunity
for us to grow and expand our business. With the addition of our new
20,000-square-foot facility, we plan to
greatly increase our products and services. this is our 30th birthday celebration. We feel that we are building for a
better tomorrow ... and the best is yet
to come,” stated company president
Robert a. Baker.
.bakersalespipe.com.
Ferguson provides fire suppression
solution for Continental Airlines
neWPoRt neWS, Va. — Ferguson Fire
and Fabrication’s fire protection solutions are bringing the highest standards
of performance to a new aircraft hangar
for global airline Continental. located at
the intercontinental airport in Houston,
texas, the hangar measures 268'x250'x
94' high and has been built to house
Boeing 777 aircraft for a new inspection
regime introduced by the Federal
aviation administration.
the Hi-expansion foam system
installed in the hangar is more environmentally acceptable than many alternatives. it is biodegradable, requires less
water and, from a corrosion standpoint,
has less of an impact than low expansion
foam. all piping and equipment for the
foam systems, pre-action systems, sprinkler system and hose reel system were
fabricated and supplied by Ferguson
Fire and Fabrication. the company provided all of the piping for the manifolds
and to tie in the fire pumps and water
tanks, as well as providing pump room
piping drawings and all of the pipe spool
and support drawings.
the finished project was tested at
night with 20 to 25 knot winds. twelvefoot scaffolds were positioned beneath
the generators to gauge the height of
the foam. more than 100 Continental
employees, risk management personnel, Houston Fire officials and numerous environmental personnel witnessed
the test.
the project for Continental is just one
of Ferguson Fire and Fabrication’s abilities in the special hazards field.
“increasingly, our skills are being used
in the aircraft industry, where new regulations demand that some aspects of aircraft testing are now carried out inside
hangars instead of on the tarmac,” said
george Dimatteo, central area manager
for Ferguson Fire and Fabrication. “this
creates a need for very specialized
equipment, which Ferguson Fire and
Fabrication is able to provide.”
Ferguson Fire and Fabrication is also
active in facilities for the new fuels sector, including locations where ethanol is
stored and processed.
For details, visit www.ferguson.com.
Logical
Logistical
Solutions
We thought outside
the box to bring you
packaging that saves
space, time and money.
Packages Easily
Stack and Ship
More Efficient
Warehousing
Large, Clear Graphics
on both Inner and
Outer Boxes
Color-Coded by
Product Category
Two-sided Labels for
Easy Identification
Two-sided Barcodes for
Easier Inventory
H
ere at Smith-Cooper International, it’s hard
to put your finger on a single feature that
significantly benefits our customers; however,
we feel we have only just begun to see the
benefits of our new ProPack system. The
standardized package size among several
commodity lines makes palletizing for shipping
and storage very easy while reducing the
warehouse space wasted on ‘storing air’. We’ve
sized the box to better fit on a pallet and filled
it up with fittings instead of air.
The packaging benefit is most effectively
realized when applied to the products that we
market through our Industrial PVF & Fire
Protection Division. Everyone knows that cast
iron threaded and ductile iron threaded fittings
are heavy, however, with the ProPack system the
master carton is a more manageable size and
weight which is good news for your warehouse
staff. The master carton size is exactly right for
perfectly cubing out a pallet as demonstrated in
this photo.
We’ve also color coded the individual product
lines so that you can see what you’ve got on a
pallet from across the warehouse, which reduces
picking errors. Each carton has a comprehensive
label on two sides of a corner which makes it
convenient to read. Each label has a photograph
of the fitting inside the box, further
communicating to warehouse staff what’s inside.
For warehouses that have automated
receiving and shipping, each box has a barcode
for standard master packaging, and an industry
standard SPIN barcode which allows for fully
automated warehouses to take further advantage
of ProPack.
Our customers agree that commodity items
packaged utilizing ProPack are easier to see,
easier to find, easier to read, easier to scan,
which makes them easier to pick, pack and ship.
When time is the most valuable commodity, it’s
easy to see how these ProPack features and
benefits can work to reduce operating expense.
800-766-0076
www.smithcooper.com
When we discuss doing business with a
potential customer we refer to what we offer
them as their ‘program’. This ‘program’ refers to
their pricing, certainly, but additionally it refers
to the value added side of doing business with
Smith-Cooper International. The program might
mean special palletizing for one customer, while
it could mean special shipping requirements for
another. We don’t ask customers to conform to a
set of rigid ‘Terms & Conditions’ which are
difficult to meet. We listen to our customers and
then adapt to the way they do business. Combine
that with our new ProPack system and you’ve got
the ingredients to a successful master
distributor-wholesaler partnership. We like to
think of ourselves as more than a traditional
vendor and we foster good working relationships
with our customers.
If you’ve tried the rest and are ready for
change, give us a call and we’ll let our ‘program’
speak for itself. In other words, ‘There’s more in
the box’ when you order from Smith-Cooper.
6•
IN THIS ISSUE
The Front Page
Warehouse management
systems help users
implement highly efficient
operating procedures for
much greater shipping and
inventory accuracy.
Starting on page 30, we
profile several businesses
that have seen significant
improvements with a WMS.
In the News
Ferguson helps airline prevent
fires in hangars; Baker Sales
marks 30 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Emerson: R-22 phaseout well under
way but concerns linger; Stock
Building Supply helps veterans . . .12
Elkay builds first “green”
pressurized water cooler . . . . . . . .16
ahRi asks EPa to modify proposed
ruling on hCFC products . . . . . . .20
tri-State Distributors uses activant .24
WMS on the job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Complying with Robinson-Patman . .34
Product review . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 – 62
Beschloss Beat
Newdell Company
Morris Beschloss interviews David
Scott, CEO of Newdell Co., which markets
Smith, Diamond Gear, Ladish Valves and PK
Valves. Newdell sells all its products through the
distribution chain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Columns
RiCh SChMitt: how many trucks do your
contractor customers have? . . . . . . . . . . . .8
MORRiS BESChLOSS: PVF still on track . . . . .37
JaSON BaDER: Meeting the challenge
of setting the proper price . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
DaN hOLOhaN: Sizing boilers is an art . . . .58
PEtER SChOR: Reducing your own stress . . .51
Next Month
Morris Beschloss interviews
Rick Mousa of hD Supply.
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100% of Material Test Reports are stored
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Same Day Service Culture
99% Customer Order Shipment Accuracy
Less than 0.25% Product Return Rate
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8•
• THE WHOLESALER® — FEBRUARY 2009
SMART MANAGEMENT
Finding ways to differentiate your business
R
ight now, we should all be pretty
focused on right-sizing our companies and serving our customers.
We should also be looking for ways to
differentiate ourselves in an effort to hold
our fair share of the business and, ideally,
grab a chunk of someone else’s share.
One suggestion for an area of focus is
service contractors. Most wholesalers
tomers. This is certainly understandable.
However, I would recommend that you
give priority to the “legitimate” service
contractor where possible. By “legitimate,” I mean contractors.who are
working to operate professional service
businesses. The reason is simple, they
tend to be better short-term customers
and they tend to have a better survival
In this economy most wholesalers are being less selective
about their customers. This is certainly understandable.
However, I would recommend that you give priority to
the “legitimate” service contractor where possible.
have already determined that service contractors are still working because “stuff
happens and things break.”
Of course, even service contractors
are feeling the effects of the down economy but there is work. Over the years
we have assumed that between $50,000
and $60,000 worth of parts flows though
each service truck. This number may not
be correct in the current economy or in
your market, but you can probably
develop some “rule-of-thumb” numbers
for your situation. There are some new
construction contractors who are shifting their focus to grab some of the service work since new construction is
down. This is causing problems for
some of the legitimate service contractors since, while they share many of the
same products, the businesses are run
much differently.
In this economy most wholesalers are
being less selective about their cus-
rate than the moonlighters or guys who
will be service contractors until new
construction picks up. The simplest way
to understand service contractors is to
determine how many trucks they are
running. This is, of course, not foolproof
but it is a quick measure using readily
available information.
One- or two-truck service contractors
These guys are always struggling.
They are basically a couple techs doing
service work. I am not looking down on
these guys because all companies start
small, but some owners of these companies have already realized their dream
and will grow no more. These guys tend
to be very high cost to a wholesaler
because they depend on the wholesaler
for most of their tech support. They
never seem to have time for training and
often run their business out of their truck
with a clipboard and their cell phone.
On the flip-side, this size of contractor
has its owner in one of the trucks so
there is less price negotiation and most
are solid honorable people who don’t
cause many problems and will pay you
on-time as agreed. In addition to building a relationship with the owner, it is
good to build relationships with each
hired-hand tech since they move around
or start their own company.
Also they start to bail in their 40s and
50s when their back or knees give out.
You can find some of these senior guys
wearing orange or blue aprons or maybe
working in a supply house. (As an aside,
they can be great employees if their people skills are good but if they are arrogant or bitter, their expertise seldom offsets the bad-will that they generate.) I
had the occasion to stop at a Big Box
recently and was looking for a plumbing
part. Since it is almost impossible to find
anything, I pressed one of their magic
“Page a warm body buttons.” A guy
about my age came over in a couple of
minutes. His apron indicated that he had
real plumbing experience. This differentiated him from the others in the department who, as they were stocking the
bins, didn’t realize that ells come in different sizes. He noted that I was wearing
the standard “home-owner-honey-do”
uniform (recently washed jeans and tee
shirt with paint, grease and grass stains
from other “should-have-called-a-professional” projects) and said, “How can
I help!” in a less-than-friendly tone of
voice. I told him what I was looking for
and he said, in the same tone possibly
with a hint of ‘that’s a stupid request’,
“Now why would you want that?”
I came to the store for a simple
plumbing part and found myself in a
plumbing pop-quiz that would have
made my heartless high school history
teacher proud. Heck, I didn’t need to
come all the way to his store to have my
masculinity challenged. I could get that
kind of treatment right at home. I ended
up with the part, but this “pro” had taken
an opportunity to build lots of goodwill
and turned it into an unpleasant
encounter.
I only bring this up because that guy
could have been working at your supply
house and be applying those same
“great” people skills to your trade customers. (While I have gone back to that
store, many of your trade customers
would not tolerate that kind of attitude in
your company.)
What they want from their wholesaler:
• Normal credit terms. They are mostly involved in short service jobs and
should be paying you promptly.
• Reliable access to the parts they use
• Fair pricing
• A catalog for their trucks
• Tech support as they run into difficult situations
• Some will use their wholesaler’s
BY RICH SCHMITT
Management specialist
web site to order parts early or late in
the day.
Five-truck service contractors
At about five trucks it seems that they
either get better at running their business
or disband and go back to work for
someone else. This is where they start to
become more viable in the long term.
They might have a full-time office person and a part-time bookkeeper. They
may have a warehouse or stockroom
(Turn to Count trucks... page 00.)
Presents:
Industry events
for 2009
MARCH
17-21 — Embassy Group Meetings,
Indian Wells, Calif.,
www.embassygroupltd.com
23-27 — WIT & Co. Annual Convention, Dallas. www.wit-co.com
APRIL
1-4 — PSDA, Indian Wells, Calif.
Bob Bluth: 480/991-5703
30-May 3 — K/BIS Show, Atlanta.
www.kbis.com
MAY
6-9 — AIM/R, Dallas,www.aimr.net
17-21 — NAOHSM Show, Hershey,
Penn. www.naohsm.org
JUNE
15-16 — NCWA, Ypsilanti, Mich.
www.asa4.org
28-30 — SWA Convention, Hilton Head,
S.C.
www.southernwholesalers.org
SEPTEMBER
11 — WIT Meeting, Denver, Colo.
www.wit-co.com
OCTOBER
14-17 — ASA Convention, Washington,
DC, ww.asa.net
31-Nov. 3 — HARDI Convention,
Orlando, Fla., www.hardinet.org
NOVEMBER
1-4 — A-D North America, Dallas,
www.adhq.com
11-13 — GreenBuild, Phoenix,
www.greenbuildexpo.org
®
Formerly
Known
Gerlin,
Formerly K
nown as G
erlin,, Inc.
Inc.
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Manufactured in a variety of
configurations, Picor offers more
than just the standard commodities.
Custom fittings can be designed to
meet or exceed specific needs in
process industries such as:
Domestically produced,
Tube Line stainless and
alloy pipe flanges are
produced to exceed
industry standards.
With state-of-the-art
machining capabilities
various dimensions or
tolerances are easily
accommodated. From
standard to custom
orders, excellence is
delivered.
Domestically produced,
Tube Tec large diameter
stainless & alloy weld
fittings best serve
applications such as
wastewater, pulp and paper, bio fuels, and
grain processing.
Globally produced, Brite
Line provides customers
a value brand of stainless
and alloy weld fittings and
flanges. These products
are manufactured to Core
Pipe standards using joint
venture facilities or
approved global partners.
In the competitive global
marketplace, Brite Line
gives customers the
confidence of knowing
quality is never
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BREWERY QUALITY (BQ) –
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tolerances for wall thickness,
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10 •
INDUSTRY NEWS
RIM opens fourth location
vALLeY COTTAge, N.Y. — RIM
Plumbing & Heating Supply Inc. has
opened a fourth location in valley
Cottage, N.Y. RIM is a full-service
wholesaler and retailer selling plumbing, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration supplies. From its four locations
in Ossining, Newburgh, Hopewell
Junction and valley Cottage N.Y., RIM
services New York, New Jersey,
Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
The Ossining and Newburgh locations feature expansive and modern
kitchen and bath showrooms. Hopewell
Junction and the new valley Cottage
locations also offer kitchen and bath
showroom space.
For close to 40 years, RIM has served
their customers with what they want,
when they want it. RIM has made shopping easy and convenient, with access to
the RIM website (www.rimsupply.com)
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Zoeller Company’s
Mike Babrowski retires
LOuISvILLe, KY. — Zoeller Company
announces the retirement of Mike
Babrowski, vice
president-marketing,
effective
February 20, 2009,
after 26 years with
the company.
During his tenure,
Zoeller Pump Company became an
acknowledged
leader in the sump
and sewage market Mike Babrowski
in the u.S. He was an active member of
the vendor Member Division and the
American Supply Association, as well as
other business and professional organizations in Louisville.
Taco Inc. makes
key acquisition
and our continued focus on system selling,” he said. “This is another way in
which Taco will create value for our customers, further diversify the Taco product line and continue to move away from
the industry’s tendency of simply selling
cast iron by the pound.
“This acquisition will provide Taco
with a technology platform that will
incorporate our existing line of pumps,
CRANSTON, R.I. — Taco Inc. has
announced that the Cranston, R.I., company has acquired the assets of Innovex
Technologies, a Lewiston, Maine-based
manufacturer of Intelligent Building
Systems products. These products
include stand alone control devices and
accessories that offer a complete control
solution for both residential and commercial buildings.
Announcement of the acquisition was
made by Taco president and CeO John
Hazen White Jr. “The addition of the
Innovex Technologies product line is
consistent with Taco’s strategy to
expand its electronics product offering
hydronic controls and electronic control
products along with our unique
LoadMatch single pipe heating and
cooling system into a networked controls solution that provides comfort in an
energy efficient and environmentally
friendly manner. This is a huge opportunity for Taco, its employees and the
industry as a whole.”
.taco.com.
SHARKBITTEN.
®
INTRODUCING CASH ACME VALVES WITH SHARKBITE CONNECTORS.
as fast using the simple disconnect tool. So valves can easily
It’s an open-and-shut case for plumbing efficiency. The
be changed and reused. Valves can even be rotated after
SharkBite® Connection System now offers thermostatic,
assembly for easier installation in tight spaces.
regulator, and ball
The SharkBite Connection System, now
valves with integral
with a wide range of easy-to-install push-fit
or union type pushvalves. Just another way Cash Acme takes a
fittings, for fast and
bite out of your
easy installation in
installation costs.
copper, CPVC or PEX pipe plumbing systems.
Just insert the pipe and the stainless steel teeth
bite down and grip tight – with no soldering,
From thermostatic mixing valves
clamps, unions or glue. Disassembly is just
to pressure regulators, SharkBite
connectors make installation fast.
WK$YHQXH6:&XOOPDQ$/FDVKDFPHFRP$'LYLVLRQRI7KH5HOLDQFH:RUOGZLGH&RUSRUDWLRQ
12 •
INDUSTRY NEWS
Emerson: More survey results
ST. LOuIS — emerson Climate
Technologies announced results from
the company’s third contractor and distributor survey designed to measure
readiness for the 2010 transition away
from R-22 equipment. The number of
products that will need to be changed
over from HCFC to HFC refrigerants represents a significant challenge.
In this survey, more contractors are
ready, trained and quoting R-410A prod-
ucts, with 57% of the participants responding that their technicians and staffs are
ready to support R-410A and 14% reporting that they are exclusively quoting R410A. This is a slight 3% increase from the
survey sent six months prior.
Although the survey shows that the
industry continues to prepare for the transition, some contractors and distributors
seem to be pushing their conversions
closer to the 2010 deadline. Almost onefourth of those residential contractors and
distributors who initially planned to convert by 2008 (according to the November
2007 survey) has now pushed their transition out to 2009. Commercial contractors
and distributors have pushed their conversions out even further — to 2010.
When asked why they recommend R-22
equipment over R-410A, the predominant answer was the current cost associated with R-22 system repair versus
replacement with an R-410A system.
However, technical issues like line flush
requirements, technician inexperience,
lack of training with R-410A and retrofitting existing equipment are starting to
become a larger concern.
“This latest survey tells us that the
industry continues to embrace R-410A,
but that we need to further address contractor and distributor concerns, including technical issues and technician training, while also continuing to communicate the importance of earlier conversion,” said Brent Schroeder, president of
emerson Climate Technologies Air
Conditioning Division. “emerson
Climate Technologies provides information about HFC refrigerants — including
R-410A — on its website and has also
published several white papers to educate and address questions surrounding
the application of these refrigerants.
“This survey shows that over half of
those who said that they bought or
stocked ahead for the 13 SeeR transition
will do the same this time around, primarily for use in normal system replacements. However, 58% of those surveyed
also said that they expect to see more
repairs of R-22 systems as opposed to R410A system replacement, primarily due
to economic reasons.
“This causes us particular concern. A
significant increase in demand for R-22
during the last half of 2009 could have
an unsettling effect on the entire industry. We all remember the shortages,
inventory fluctuations and supply chain
issues that made the 13 SeeR transition a
very tumultuous time for everyone in the
industry. At emerson Climate Technologies, we are working with all of our
partners to more effectively manage
through the R-22 phase-out and ensure
that the customer gets the best long-term
solution that meets his needs.”
Although there are some similarities
between the 13 SeeR transition and the
upcoming phase-out of R-22, there are
also vast differences. Stocking up on 10
SeeR equipment was either necessary or
beneficial from a business perspective in
some cases. Stockpiling R-22 equipment
may be much less ideal because of the
expected increase in refrigerant price as
the supply diminishes over the next several years. In fact, the latest survey results
show that contractors and distributors are
definitely noticing that R-22 refrigerant is
getting more expensive, collectively
reporting an increase of 59% over the
past one to two years. Conversely,
according to those surveyed, R-410A
refrigerant has only increased an average
of 4% over the past year.
“Due to rapidly increasing R-22
refrigerant prices and issues with slowing inventory, the sooner our industry
converts to R-410A, the better off contractors and distributors will be in the
long run,” said Karl Zellmer, vice president-sales at emerson Climate
Technologies,
Air
Conditioning
Division. “Although we are a bit concerned by the latest results showing the
timeline push closer to a 2010 conversion, we are confident that, if we come
together as an industry and direct our
focus, we can ensure a smooth and successful transition for the industry as a
whole.”
Despite the showing of a potential
delay trend, many contractors are
already working aggressively toward
this transition goal, the results of which
are apparent through customer readiness. According to this latest survey, an
average of 16% of the contractors’ and
distributors’ customers is requesting R410A equipment. This trend seems to be
linked to a positive and expanded evolution of benefits and selling points.
Although contractors are still using the
economics of R-22 as a selling point
when talking to their customers, they are
now also speaking to the environmental
benefits of R-410A, new technology and
the improved comfort level.
For more information on R-410A
readiness, including emerson Climate
Technologies technical white papers,
contractor checklists and more, visit
emersonClimate.com/refrigerant/ac.
ECR donates to Morrisville State College
uTICA, N.Y. — eCR International
recently donated a boiler and a furnace
to Morrisville State College to be used
for training HvAC technicians.
“eCR strongly believes that training
for future HvAC technicians is key to
the growth and success of our industry,” said Tim Reed, executive director
of the eCR International Foundation.
“We think that Morrisville has a great
program, and we are excited to be able
to have future technicians learn the
trade on our equipment.”
Morrisville’s ReSCON course focuses
on the study of heat transfer in conventional building materials and on construction techniques for reducing energy consumption. Subjects covered also
include residential hot water, hot air
and steam heating systems, sizing of
heating and cooling systems and selection of peripheral components.
The eCR International Foundation
was established in 2007 to enable eCR
to more efficiently and effectively support philanthropic initiatives.
.ecrinternational.com.
Stock Building Supply and
Operation: Coming Home provide
accessible housing to veterans
RALeIgH, N.C. — Stock Building
Supply, a leading supplier of building
materials and construction services to
professionals in the u.S., partnered with
Operation: Coming Home to donate
materials for the construction of a new,
accessible residence for Sgt. Joey Bozik,
a triple amputee injured serving his
country in Iraq. Sgt. Bozik is the first
soldier to receive a new home at no cost
as part of the project.
Stock Building Supply, with the help
of building material manufacturers,
donated framing lumber, windows,
stairs, shingles, interior trim, exterior
doors and door hardware.
The 2,670-square-foot home is one
of many projects that they hope to construct. The home is constructed with
heated floors, wide doorways and other
features, such as wheelchair accessible
cabinets and door levers instead of
knob handles.
“Our associates recognize the
importance of giving back to the community,” said Tracey Hall, Triangle
marketing communications specialist
for Stock Building Supply. “Projects
like Habitat Blitzes, Leukemia Houses
and Operation: Coming Home enable
us to give back to the community,
while building and strengthening our
customer relationships with those
involved in community service building projects.”
For additional information, visit
www.stockbuildingsupply.com
or
www.operationcominghome.org.
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© 2008, Legend Valve & Fitting, Inc. All rights reserved. Downstream Thinking is a registered
trademark of Legend Valve. It’s All About Performance is a trademark of Legend Valve.
14 •
INDUSTRY NEWS
Matrix Total Home System is
BuildingGreen Top 10 product
BOSTON, MASS. — The Matrix Total Home System
from NY Thermal Inc. has been selected as one of
Buildinggreen’s 2008 Top 10 green Building
Products by the editors of
Environmental Building
News and GreenSpec®.
This seventh annual
award recognizes the
most innovative and
exciting green building
products added to the GreenSpec Directory during the
past year or covered in Environmental Building News.
“Our selections of the Top 10 green building products represent a wide range of product types in many
different application areas,” noted GreenSpec co-editor and Buildinggreen president Alex Wilson. “Well
represented this year are interior products, including
first FCS-certified and formaldehyde-free bamboo
flooring, doors made with wheat-straw particleboard,
a line of zero-vOC paint, a transparent finish produced
from a byproduct of cheese making and a line of
organic fabric. Three of the products this year save
energy, including a low-cost solar water heating sys-
tem; a combination heating, water heating and heat
recovery ventilation system and a system for monitoring real-time energy (and water) use in buildings.
Water saving products are represented by a line of
rainwater storage tanks — the first rainwater storage
equipment ever recognized in our Top 10 lists.”
More than 200 products were added to the
GreenSpec database during the past year. A big driver
in the development of green products continues to be
the u.S. green Building Council’s LeeD® rating system, which awards points for the use of certain product types or for the energy or water savings that certain green products can achieve. In the online version
of GreenSpec, products are organized by LeeD credits.
The Matrix Total Home System is an all-in-one system that incorporates a condensing water heater, condensing furnace, condensing boiler and heat recovery
ventilator and is pre-wired for air conditioning. All of
these functions are contained in one powerful system
that requires less energy to operate than competing
products.
For more information on The Matrix Total Home
System, call 800/688-2575 or visit www.nythermal.com.
Caroma donations protect the environment
HILLSBORO, ORe. — Caroma, a leader in dual flush
toilets, urinals and stylish bathroom sinks, has made
donations to two very worthy projects. In support of
American Forests, the company donated trees to the
McNally Reforestation Project, part of the California
Wildfire ReLeaf program. The 2002 McNally Fire
burned more than 150,000 acres in the Sequoia
National Forest, Calif.
The McNally Reforestation Project will help supply
ground cover to hold back soil from filling streams
with sediment and will also provide a shady habitat
that is important to many species in the area, including the California spotted owl, the northern goshawk
and the Pacific fisher. Caroma is supporting a portion
of the replanting of more than 123,000 pine and true
fir seedlings that have not naturally regenerated.
Caroma also donated more than 450 high efficiency
toilets, urinals and sinks to the greensburg
greenTown project, the restoration of the town of
greensburg, Kan. greensburg was devastated by an
eF5 tornado on May 4, 2007. Nearly 95% of the
town’s homes and businesses were destroyed by the
two-mile wide tornado. The donated toilets are projected to save at least 4,600 gallons of water per per-
son per year.
American Forests is a world leader in planting trees
for environmental restoration, a pioneer in the science
and practice of urban forestry and a primary communicator of the benefits of trees and forests. The nonprofit organization helps people plan and implement
local actions to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems and communities.
greensburg greenTown is a nonprofit organization
established to provide residents with resources, information and the support they need to rebuild the city as
a model green community.
According to Derek Kirkpatrick, Caroma North
America general manager, “Protecting the environment has always been important to Caroma. Our business for more than 20 years has been promoting water
conservation with high efficiency toilets and urinals.
We are extremely pleased to support the greensburg
greenTown project and to expand beyond water conservation by continuing our sponsorship of American
Forests and their environmental restoration programs.”
For more information, call 800/605-4218, e-mail
info@caromausa.com or visit www.caromausa.com.
GBG opens branch in Syracuse
See contact information
on page 70
PITTSBuRgH, PA. — gBg Inc., a distributor of HvAC
equipment, supplies and accessories to contractors in
New York and Pennsylvania, announced the opening
of their newest branch at 5823 Widewaters Parkway,
east Syracuse, N.Y.
Rick Fowler, Syracuse branch
manager, a native of utica, N.Y.,
joined gBg with 23 years experience in management, including
seven years directly related HvAC
industry management experience.
As a one-stop wholesaler, gBg
Inc. supplies everything needed
to complete any job efficiently
and effectively. gBg also offers
Rick Fowler
superior technical support and
industry-focused training classes.
To contact the Syracuse branch, phone 315/4499400. For more information, visit www
.gbgsupply.com25.
GBG Inc.’s newest branch in East Syracuse, N.Y.
ALL THE WATER STOPS YOU NEED
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each stop is manufactured from heavy-duty brass, forming a solid
body, without seams or brazed joints. Every stop provides reliable,
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WAT E R S T O P S
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16 •
INDUSTRY NEWS
Elkay pressure water cooler
supports LEED credit earnings
oAK bRooK, ill. — Elkay Commercial
continues its product innovation with the
introduction of the vRCgRn pressurized
water cooler. As the first GreenSpec listed addition to its family of innovative
drinking water solutions, vRCgRn, with
its enhanced efficiency and water conscious functionality, has been identified
as a water cooler that can assist builders
and architects in achieving credits based
on lEED rating systems.
“As a major manufacturer of pressure
water coolers and with the environment
as a driving force in our product development, Elkay has dedicated an abundance of time and resources to engineer
a water cooler that provides a drinking
water solution that satisfies the needs of
the end-users, while also minimizing its
global impact,” said Jack Krecek, vice
president and general manager of Elkay
Commercial business unit.
Equipped with a completely redesigned
If Your Customers Have Entran II Radiant Heating,
They Could be Entitled to
Cash Payments from a $324 Million Settlement
There is a $324 million settlement to pay homeowners for claims related to defective hose used
in radiant heating and snow melting systems. The hose, called Entran II, was also known as
Twintran, Nytrace, Entran II Trace, Entran II Wire, Entran 2, Entran 2 Trace, and Entran 2 Wire.
Claim payments vary depending upon the extent of the property damage and the type of
installation, for example, in-slab or staple up. The maximum amount payable to any Claimant
will be determined by multiplying the square footage of a floor area heated with a particular type
of installation by the predetermined costs per square foot of remediating the system.
v Claimants who have or had severe property damage due to leaks in their systems
could receive up to 50% or more of their maximum claim.
v Claimants who have or had less severe property damages including corrosion or
other problems could receive up to 30% or more of their maximum claim.
Homeowners who have Entran II hose but have not suffered damage may also file a claim.
Contact your customers to notify them of the benefits of this settlement
and to assist them with their remediation.
The deadline for filing claims is November 19, 2009.
Only customers who file a claim by that date can receive a cash payment.
For More Information
Visit: www.entraniisettlement.com Call: 1-800-254-9222
or Write: Entran II Claims Administrator, P.O. Box 24, Minneapolis, MN 55440-0024
refrigeration system, the vRCgRn model
utilizes a greater efficiency compressor,
optimizes heat transfer within the evaporator and uses a reduced amount of refrigerant. When tested to CsA standard C-815
Energy-Performance of Drinking-Water
Coolers requirements in a ul-recognized
test lab, results indicated that the vRCgRn
realized a 50% improvement in energy
efficiency over comparable models.
by incorporating a lower flow bubbler,
vRCgRn provides a thirst-quenching stream
of drinking water that consumes 40% less
water than comparable coolers. With the
addition of the optional 1,500-gallon,
nsF/Ansi 42- and 53-certified Watersentry®
filtration system and glass filler, the vRCgRn equates to saving 12,000, 16-ounce
plastic bottles per filter, helping to alleviate
the financial and environmental impact
associated with bottled water while delivering a clean, green alternative.
The extremely durable vRCgRn unit is
ideal for education, healthcare, office,
hotels or other public facilities.
Constructed of 60% recycled content
stainless steel and manufactured without
using voC-emitting paints/coatings, the
vRCgRn water cooler is a top-rated
drinking water solution for engineers
and architects to specify, plumbers to
install and end-users to enjoy.
“Receiving greenspec listing on the
vRCgRn is just the beginning; we are
committed to working diligently to add
even more high-performance products to
the GreenSpec Directory that can benefit
plumbing professionals and specifiers in
the ever-growing, ever-changing marketplace,” noted Krecek.
For details, visit www.elkayusa.com.
Distributors in cold
climates fuel strong
sales in October
Columbus, ohio — in its monthly
Targeted and Regional Economic News
for Distribution Strategies (TRENDS)
report, heating, Air-conditioning and
Refrigeration Distributors international
announced that national hvACR distributor sales for the month of october 2008
were down -0.8%, just slightly below
october 2007.
Among the eight hARDi regional
reports, four in colder climates reported
positive sales, while four reported sales
declines for the month. over the previous 12 months, u.s. and Canadian
wholesale sales were collectively up
+0.2%.
best performance for october was
experienced in Canada at a positive
9.4%, while the Western region reported
the poorest performance at negative
11.1%. only the midwest region reported a decline in inventory level; all others
indicated inventories were up.
For more information about hARDi’s
monthly TRENDS reports, including
access to the complete reports and quarterly TRENDS forecasts, contact hARDi’s
headquarters or visit www.hardinet.org.
18 •
INDUSTRY NEWS
Northeastern Supply selects
TCLogic for inventory optimization
inDiAnAPolis — TClogic, a leading
provider of inventory intelligence and
optimization solutions, announced today
that northeastern supply, a leader in
plumbing and hvAC distribution, has
chosen to implement TClogic’s Roi+
inventory intelligence and optimization
solution, setting the stage for improving
their inventory investment return, while
maintaining their high service levels.
northeastern supply has a strong
presence in the mid-Atlantic region, distributing hvAC, plumbing and hardware
materials through a network of 31
branches. They maintain an expansive
inventory to support a reputation for
high in-stock availability and are one of
the largest privately held distributors in
the country for their industry.
When northeastern began searching
for a software tool, they looked for a
company that would help realign their
inventory throughout their network,
while helping them maintain their critically high service levels. According to
Tony goncalves, director of supply
chain for northeastern, “During our
search, it became clear that TClogic
understood how inventory impacts business results. They took the time to
understand how we run our business.”
The financial impact of having excess
inventory during a recession cannot be
understated. “The right combination of
inventory can free up available cash,
reduce expenses and help businesses be
more successful,” said Tom uhrig, president of TClogic. “inventory intelligence
provides insights that enable companies we
work with to see reductions in inventory of
10% to 30% and to increase or maintain
their service level above 98% with a return
of investment within 6 to 12 months.”
As a software solution, Roi+ is
designed to enhance and supplement
existing ERP applications, providing a
comprehensive set of tools that build
business intelligence and create strategies to improve the performance of
inventory, helping businesses make
more informed decisions about their
inventory and purchasing practices.
During implementation, northeastern
soon discovered these benefits beyond
realigning their network. “We were immediately able to make significant reductions
to our surplus inventory by redeploying
inventory through our network. We used
to make decisions based on distribution
folklore with little or no data,” commented goncalves. “That has now all changed;
i now have a tool to measure, analyze and
create inventory stocking strategies and to
support those decisions with inventory
intelligence that i didn’t have before.”
For
more
information,
visit
www.tclogic.com or call 800/945-4877.
Meier Supply opens branch in Hanover, Pa.
Johnson CiTy, n.y. — meier supply
Company inc. has opened its 16th
branch location in hanover, Pa. The
location features more than 2,000 square
feet of showroom space and an additional 7,000 square feet of warehouse space.
Joshua summers, a hvACR industry
professional with more than 17 years of
experience, is the hanover branch manager. Pete snyder is hanover’s in-house
refrigeration specialist.
meier supply Company carries the
industry’s leading lines, such as
Tecumseh, sporlan and Copeland. They
are the region’s only authorized Ruud
distributor. “The warehouse space at our
new branch makes it possible to deliver
orders directly to customers from the
hanover, Pa., location,” said Frank A.
meier Jr., president and CEo of meier
supply. “We felt that the time was right
to offer our product line, backed by our
skilled hvAC specialists and our
‘Customer satisfaction guaranteed’
level of service to the hanovergettysburg region.”
The hanover branch is located at 290
high street. The phone number is
866/500-7083. For more information,
visit www.meiersupply.com.
Visit us at AHR Expo Booth #2070
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20 •
INDUSTRY NEWS
AHRI to EPA: modify proposed rule
ArlIngTon, VA. — The Air-Conditioning,
Heating and refrigeration Institute in early
January called on the environmental
Protection Agency to modify its proposed
rule governing the sale of equipment precharged with HCFC-based refrigerants (r22, r-142b, and their blends).
In testimony before the ePA, AHrI vice
president-regulatory policy and research
Karim Amrane stated that the proposed
rule “goes well beyond its original
intent,” which was to close a loophole
on imported products containing HCFCs,
to match the ban on domestic manufacturing of products that use virgin r-22 or
r-142b beginning January 1, 2010.
while the proposed rule would close
this loophole, it also would introduce
new problems that could have a devastating effect on U.S. manufacturers. The
proposed rule contains an unconventional definition for the “date of manufacture” — one that shifts the meaning
from the date the equipment leaves the
factory to the date it is installed. left
unchanged, this definition would ultimately accelerate the phaseout timeline
by six to 12 months because manufacturers would likely immediately stop
producing condensing units charged
with virgin HCFC refrigerants.
Amrane said industry will manufacture an estimated 2 million HCFC condensing units in 2009, and if they were
unable by law to be sold, stranded inventory costs could be in excess of $500
million, “enough to bankrupt several
manufacturers and suppliers,” he said.
on behalf of AHrI, Amrane also forcefully objected to a provision in the proposed rule that would prevent U.S.-
based manufacturers of HCFC-charged
equipment from exporting it to Article 5
countries where, he said, “it is perfectly
legal” to use those refrigerants. Keeping
that provision intact would disadvantage
and penalize U.S. manufacturers
because their foreign competitors would
face no such ban in those nations. The
net effect, said Amrane, would be “the
export of U.S. manufacturing jobs.”
Finally, Amrane called on the ePA to
modify the rule to exempt pre-charged
appliance components, such as thermostatic expansion valves, from the refrig-
PMI pushes housing recovery plan
rollIng MeADowS, Ill. — The
Plumbing Manufacturers Institute has
joined Fix Housing First, a coalition
formed to push for a housing recovery
plan that will revive the economy.
Fix Housing First, which consists of
more than 600 organizations, home
building companies and manufacturers
and continues to add new members on a
daily basis, is pressing for a major stimulus package to stem the decline in
home values, stabilize financial markets
and reignite consumer demand. To get
the economy moving again, the coalition
is urging Congress to support enhancements to the homebuyer tax credit and to
provide below-market 30-year fixed-rate
mortgages for home purchases.
A similar plan worked in 1975, when
the nation was also in the midst of a recession. Congress then passed a short-term
$2,000 tax credit for all new homes
($12,000 adjusted for today’s median
home prices), along with subsidized mortgage rates. The stimulus jump-started the
depressed economy, and the effects continued long after the measure expired.
The coalition is calling for significant
enhancements to the current $7,500 tax
credit for first-time homebuyers. Among
the improvements:
• All primary home purchases
between April 9, 2008, and Dec. 31,
2009, would be eligible.
• The credit amount would be
increased to 10% of the price of the
home, capped at 3.5% of FHA loan limits,
bringing the credit to a range of roughly
between $10,000 and $22,000.
• The current recapture provision
would be eliminated. repayment would
only be required if the home were sold
within three years.
• The credit would be available at the
time of closing, making it easier to be
used as a down payment.
The second component of the stimulus
plan would provide qualified homebuyers
with 30-year fixed-rate mortgages at
2.99% on contracts closed until June 30,
2009, and 3.99 percent on closings
between June 30 and Dec. 31, 2009. The
coalition has also announced its support
for continuing foreclosure prevention
measures to keep people in their homes.
For additional information, go to
www.fixhousingfirst.com.
CIPH bulletin available online
ToronTo — The Canadian Institute of
Plumbing and Heating, in conjunction
with provincial/territorial plumbing
inspectors, feels
that it is necessary
to provide an
industry bulletin on
the distribution and
installation of plumbing products that do
not meet applicable standards.
Uncertified products are being inappropriately sold and installed in all jurisdictions of Canada. In many cases, this
is creating health and safety issues.
The CIPH bulletin covers common ques-
®
LA-CO manufactures a wide range
of markers, heat protectants,
fluxes and thread sealants
for the industry
applications you require.
Your job demands it;
we have it.
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www.laco.com or www.markal.com
erant ban. Failure to do so, he said,
would prevent consumers from obtaining needed replacement parts for the
installed-base of HCFC equipment.
The solution, said Amrane, would be for
the ePA to modify the rule to use a more
conventional definition of the term “manufacture” to mean “when the product leaves
the manufacturer’s final assembly process,
is packaged for shipment, and placed into
initial inventory”; and to exempt products
intended solely for export and pre-charged
components from the rule.
tions and answers including the following:
• Myths and realities about uncertified products
• How to determine whether a product is certified
• The harm in stocking and selling
uncertified fixtures or fittings
• The importance of understanding
when to remove self-destructing labels
• How to verify a questionable mark
• The advantages of using certified
products.
The bulletin is available in both
French and english at www.ciph.com/
Your_Industry_Trade_Section/news/Inf
ormation_Bulletins.php.
Thomas & Betts
expands OK
to rebuy shares
MeMPHIS, Tenn. — Thomas & Betts Cor poration announced that its board of directors has expanded the company’s october
2008 authorization to repurchase shares of
Thomas & Betts common stock from
three to five million shares. The authorization, which expires in october 2010, gives
management discretion in determining
conditions under which the shares may be
purchased from time to time.
Thomas & Betts Corporation (www
.tnb.com) is a leading designer and manufacturer of electrical components used in
industrial, commercial, communications
and utility markets. The company is also a
leading producer of commercial heating
and ventilation units and highly engineered steel structures used, among other
things, for utility transmission.
Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn.,
the company has manufacturing, distribution and office facilities worldwide. In
2007, Thomas & Betts reported net sales
of $2.1 billion.
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ONE CALL GETS IT ALL
22 •
INDUSTRY NEWS
PathGuide WMS rids customers of annual inventory
sEATTlE — Pathguide Technologies, a
leading provider of warehouse management systems for wholesale and industrial
distributors, announced that its customers
have reported significant money and timesavings around their year-end inventories
as a result of Pathguide’s latitude Wms
Cycle Count Planning module.
As companies get close to the new
year, they often shut down warehouses or
have employees work on weekends to
conduct their annual physical inventory
process. This is a disruptive, expensive
and time consuming undertaking, but with
Pathguide’s Cycle Count Planning, yearend physical inventories are replaced by
routine spot checks and automation.
“instead of celebrating the new year,
we dreaded the process of calling everyone in for inventory at the end of the
year -an absolute necessity with our old
paper-based warehouse management
system,” said mike bell, executive vice
president-operations at Duncan industrial solutions. “in 2006, we upgraded to
Pathguide’s latitude Wms with Cycle
Count Planning. now our inventory
checks of more than 15,000 items are
spread out over time in an automated
fashion, making those checks more efficient and accurate. The bottom line is
that our customers receive the best possible service because they always know
what they can get and when they can get
it in real time, thanks in a large part to
Cycle Count Planning.”
Pathguide CEo Eric Allais added, “i
specifically hear from our customers
that utilize Pathguide’s Cycle Count
Planning module this time of year. They
are thankful that, as the new year
approaches, they don’t have to turn their
warehouse operation into an auditing
operation, saving them not only a huge
headache but, most importantly, cash.
That’s something everyone can relate to
in these tight economic times.”
With Cycle Count Planning, schedules are easily developed to systematically verify that all item quantities are
accounted for. by selecting subsets of
inventory and counting them on a frequent basis, operations continue as usual
and misplaced items are quickly identified. Cycle Count Planning helps satisfy
accounting and auditing requirements
for inventory control.
latitude is a software suite that automates warehousing and distribution to
provide real-time online information
about inventory. it automates all operations from receiving and order picking
to manifesting and truck route/stop management. latitude integrates seamlessly
with major ERP business systems from
such companies as microsoft, Activant,
infor, J.D. Edwards and oracle.
Customers — primarily industrial
/wholesale distributors serving manufacturers, contractors and retail stores —
rely on latitude to increase productivity,
improve service and lower labor costs.
To learn how distributors of all sizes
can benefit from improved warehouse
management, visit www.pathguide.com.
VAI presents
series of webinars
RonKonKomA, n.y. — vAi announced a
series of webinars they believe you will
find informative in relation to your business. The first webinar, “Are you prepared for the economic recovery?” took
place on January 27.
The topics and schedules for the
remaining 2009 webinar series are listed
below:
• February 24 — outsourcing, outtasking, offshoring and dumbing down
of your company
• march 31 — ERP vendors and solution providers: the caveats of not knowing who’s who
• April 28 — best practices? your
best practices, the enemy of better is best
• may 26 — With thousands of application sW solutions, how do you pick
one for you?
• June 30 — When ease of use meets
easy to do.
To register, go to www.vai.net/events
two weeks before each webinar.
Factory
Tune ups.
Tune up your business with FloPro
Factory Training.
Even the most experienced contractors tell us
that Taco FloPro Factory Training helps them
work smarter. And with today’s economy,
working smarter isn’t an option – it’s essential
for profitability. You’re sure to benefit from the
expertise and insights only to be found in a small,
personal classroom setting.
Date
Course
Description
FEB 26-27
The Compleat Boiler
Learn to design – and sell – the ultimate boiler
room using all Taco products. Lots of hands-on,
including wiring and programming Taco controls.
MAR 12-13
Strictly Radiant
Radiant theory and design; sizing, piping,
and control strategies; injection mixing options;
in-depth discussion of zoning requirements.
MAR 19-20
Hydronic Heat Loss and
Design
Our 2-day factory training programs are taught by
Taco’s own John Barba. Together, you’ll focus on
one topic and learn it cold. It’s work, but it doesn’t
feel like it.
Learn to conduct an accurate heat loss analysis
with pencil, paper, and calculator. Learn how to
use our state of the art FloPro Design software.
Plenty of hands-on. Sure to benefit any
experienced hydronics designer. Basic computer
skills required.
APR 2-3
The Compleat Boiler
See above
APR 16-17
Strictly Radiant
See above
APR 23-24
Hydronic Heat Loss/Design
See above
Sign up now!
MAY 7-8
The Compleat Boiler
See above
JUN 4-5
Strictly Radiant
See above
JUN 18-19
Hydronic Heat Loss/Design
See above
JUL 16-17
The Compleat Boiler
See above
To grow, you have to know.
Classes are small, and available to FloPro team
members only. Visit www.taco-hvac.com/flopro
for all the course information and details.
www.taco-hvac.com
24 •
USING TECHNOLOGY
Activant Prophet 21 helps HVAC
distributor better track inventory
YARDleY, PA. — What do I have on hand
in my warehouse? how much am I selling of this product, and how much am I
making on each sale? how are my
expenses stacking up against what we
budgeted for the year? For the answers
to these and thousands of other questions, distributors rely on computer technology to give them the facts.
Activant Prophet 21 took on the chal-
“We were looking at better ways
of controlling inventory...if I had
to make the decision again, I
probably would have gone with
Prophet 21 to begin with.”
— Steve Williams
lenge of helping a Royston, Ga.-based
hvAc distributor keep better track of its
inventory and books. Among the benefits Tri-State Distributors realized after
implementing Activant Prophet 21 were:
• cut month-end close time 50%
• Improved ability to track performance against budgets
• Improved ability to track gross margins and forecast sales
• Increased inventory turns by two
per year.
What had Steve Williams, chairman
and ceo of Tri-State Distributors all hot
and bothered was that his previous solution couldn’t give them to him fast
enough or in enough detail. With eight
locations, the distributor of heating,
cooling and ventilation equipment needed a solution that would allow the com-
pany to stay on top of business in a territory that spanned four states.
“We were looking at better ways of
controlling inventory,” Williams said.
The second time’s the charm
Williams had looked at Activant
Prophet 21 and another software
provider’s package several years ago. At
the time, he was sold on the other software because they were going to allow
downloading of data via the internet
overnight. But according to Williams,
the program did not work the way he
expected.
“Instead, it turned out the way the
Prophet 21 sales rep said it would — I
had to set up land lines to connect my
branches and transfer data among them,”
he said. “If I had to make that decision
again, I probably would have gone with
Prophet 21 to begin with.”
In 2005, when Tri-State’s existing
vendor told the company they were
going to a Windows-based interface and
that Tri-State would have to absorb the
costs, Williams “figured that if we were
going to have to pay that much for an
upgrade, we might as well go with a new
solution instead. I knew about Prophet
21 already, and I guess you could say I
was pre-sold on it.”
This time around, things have gone
much better. Since Tri-State went live
with Prophet 21 in 2006, Williams said,
he has noticed improvements across the
board thanks to Prophet 21’s superior
functionality.
“Prophet 21 is real-time — when we
sell something, it comes out of the
inventory immediately and all our
records are updated,” he said. “If I had to
(Turn to Inventory, page 27.)
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• 27
THE WHOLESALER® — FEBRUARY 2009•
INDUSTRY NEWS
Inventory
(Continued from page 24.)
make the decision again, I probably would have gone
with Prophet 21 to begin with.”
Fast facts at your fingertips
“I can now look at our inventory, receivables and
payables daily and get a good idea of where we are,”
Williams noted. “I can also have our cFo run a financial report every day that lets me know where we
stand against our budget. The ability to check these
things quickly gives me a good feeling.”
chief financial officer Janet Jordan feels just as
good about the solution. “We looked at several systems, and we liked this one the best,” she said. “of
course, when you implement a new system, you find
that there are things the old system had that you wish
the new one did, but Prophet 21 is so much better than
[our previous system]. Prophet 21 got all the big
things right.
“I like the drill-down ability; I never had that
before. our payables person can come in and ask me
when something was paid, and I can go back down
into the history and see it right there as opposed for
having to wait for our system to run a report.”
An out at five organization at last
Both Williams and Jordan appreciate the power
Prophet 21 gives them to know more and do more. or
less.
“Month end now takes half the time it used to,” said
Jordan. “I can now leave at 5. I used to have to stay
here and get all the statements, run everything right
then, and wait for five or six hours while the statements ran. now I can leave on Friday, and everything
Split
(Continued from ASA, page 1.)
of the Industry Interchange program.”
networkASA 2009: power will take place october
14 -17 at the J.W. Marriott hotel in Washington, D.c.
The meeting will project a renewed focus on the
impact asa has on the industry and on the individual
businesses of its members. Attendees will see semi-
Purchase
quisition of hSc,” said Gary Sanders, executive chairman of George T. Sanders. “hSc has been in business
50 plus years, and has strong customer and employee
loyalty, which are vital ingredients for success.”
hSc has two Wyoming store locations, in casper
PEX plant
of nIBco’s future growth in the Pex market,” said
Randy Doering, nIBco general manager-Pex piping
systems. “nIBco has built its success in the Pex business by leveraging the synergies between nIBco’s
strong brand recognition and commitment to high
service levels and the acquisition of a plumbing products company with strong core manufacturing capabilities.”
In May 2006, nIBco announced that it acquired the
I need is sitting here waiting for me when I get here
Monday morning to do the same processes.”
And because looking up facts in Prophet 21 is so
much faster and easier, Williams checks them more
often, to the benefit of his operation.
“We track gross margins a lot more than we used
to,” he said. “Inventory and inventory turns are the
two biggest things we track, and we get more infor-
I used to have to stay here...and wait
for five or six hours while the statements
ran. Now I can leave on Friday, and
everything I need is sitting here
waiting for me when I get here Monday
morning to do the same processes.”
mation on these with Prophet 21 than we did before.
We have probably added a couple of inventory turns a
year simply by watching our inventory turns reports.
“I can go into each of my eight locations and look
at what they’re selling in each product line. I can
adjust inventory on the fly. I can check inventory by
product group, by item, or by Sku. And I can get sales
forecast figures from the data.”
Williams is also aware that, with a little effort, his
company could probably get even more out of Prophet
21. “overall, it has performed in line with my expectations,” he said. “It has a few quirks, but some of
those exist because we should probably have someone
come in and go over the system with us. I’d say that
like most users, we’re probably using about 30% to
40% of what the system can do.”
■
To learn more, visit www.activant.com.
nars from prominent speakers co-mingled with intimate workshops that encourage a free-flow sharing of
information and best practices. At this meeting, ASA
will introduce the Industry Interchange, a distinctive
event providing an innovative way for vendors and
distributors to connect face-to-face and promote interaction between channel partners. networkASA 2009 is
ASA’s annual convention and is not being held in partnership with Phcc-nA or any other industry association. For more information, visit www.asa.net.
and cody. They service a broad region of the state
from these locations. George T. Sanders is one of the
largest independent plumbing wholesale suppliers in
colorado, with 12 locations serving the major population centers in the state.
hSc will continue to operate as houston Supply
company, a division of George T. Sanders. Present
hSc personnel will continue the Wyoming operations,
reporting to George T. Sanders management.
assets of consolidated Plumbing Industries, a manufacturer of cross-linked polyethylene tubing. The
acquisition was a strategic move in expanding nIBco’s
presence in the Pex water distribution and radiant
heating markets.
nIBco DuRA-Pex tubing had previously been manufactured at 2775 henkle Drive in lebanon, ohio,
which is directly across the street from the new facility. The tubing was then post-processed and shipped
from the Franklin, ohio, facility, which is located 15
miles from lebanon. All lebanon and Franklin associates will be relocating to the new lebanon location
at 2800 henkle Drive, lebanon, ohio 45036.
30 •
SOFTWARE IN ACTION
WMS keeps the bottom line black
BY LARRY MURPHY
Special to The WholeSaler
T
he primary goal of any warehouse operation is to ship the
right product to the right place at
the right time. Sounds simple. For most
warehouse operations however, this
process would not be possible without a
Warehouse Management System, a powerful software solution designed specifically to control the movement and storage of materials and products within a
warehouse.
It is true that not all warehouse environments require a WMS to function opti-
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Same service. Same people. New name.
As a leader in refrigerant supply, Refron, now part of Airgas Refrigerants
offers the resources of over 55 years of experience along with the expertise
of the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases.
This combination provides the industry with a total refrigerant supply and
reclamation service company. Our customers can expect the same reliable
services and quality refrigerant products they have been accustomed
to from the same reliable team. Same people, more resources.
Any Refrigerant. Any Place. Any Time.®
800-473-3766
items or pallets into one bin. This significantly slowed the inventory replenishing and cycle counting process-ultimately affecting the company’s ability to provide accurate inventory counts and on
time product delivery. Today, with vAI’s
new integrated WMS solution, BP
Industries’ warehouse employees use a
software program that allows selective
picking, cutting down on missed picks
and creating significantly fewer mistakes thanks to the real-time inventory
mally, but many do. For these companies, implementing a system that provides multiple functionalities can greatly streamline the overall supply chain
process by significantly improving current operating procedures and, in the
long run, enhancing inventory and shipping accuracy, increasing labor productivity, reducing operating costs and
boosting overall revenue.
At its basic level, a WMS
should be flexible, and have
the ability to integrate additional data collection devices
and manage warehouse traffic
protocols via defined guidelines for receiving, storing
and shipping materials.
For BP Industries, a wellknown distributor of home
goods, incorporating a WMS
into its existing warehouse
operations made a substantial
difference in staff productivi- with wmS, users often experience inventory precision
ty and shipping efficiency. levels greater than 99% so they can maintain optimal
The company, which is head- inventory levels without carrying unnecessary stock.
quartered in ontario, calif.,
selected vormittag Associates Inc.
data that S2k provides.
(www.vai.net) as its WMS solution
linda Misquitta, administration manprovider. vAI is a nationally recognized
ager at BP Industries, said, “The picking
leader in the supply chain and WMS
process is so much faster now. Accuracy
and efficiency permeate our warehouse
operations to include everything from
receiving, putting away, picking and
processing. Thanks to our comprehensive WMS, any operation we do now
takes less than a quarter of the time it
used to take prior to having the WMS system in place.”
Implementing a WMS can be an overwhelming task, but manufacturers and
industry and specializes in enterprise
distributors alike recognize that wareResource Planning solutions. vAI’s S2k
house operations run more efficiently
enterprise for WMS automates the pickwhen processes are fully automated and
ing and shipping process so that distribintegrated. In fact, a comprehensive
utors can locate and pick items efficientWMS is an important component to
attaining and preserving
profitability, while accurately monitoring inventory levels is essential to achieving
bottom line results.
Just ask Java city, which
has been using a WMS for over
11 years. This californiabased company is a large volume distributor of specialty
coffee and coffee-related
products. Before implementing a WMS, Java city used a
paper-based tracking system,
Deliveries are more accurate and timely with wmS.
which greatly slowed its overall warehouse operating
ly and accurately. After evaluating variprocesses. company executives knew
ous WMS options, BP Industries selected
that it needed an automated solution to
S2k to stabilize its warehouse environprovide greater precision.
ment, handle large volume transactions
Today, Java city’s operations are effiand remain scalable for its aggressive
cient and effective. With vAI’s S2k WMS
future growth initiatives.
keeping an electronic trail of materials
Before adding a WMS to its current
— no guesswork is involved. Since it is
operating routine, BP Industries had difcritical to know, in real-time, exactly
ficulties with its picking process, due to
where specific product is located within
the placement of too many disparate
(Turn to meet dual goals ... page 32.)
Before adding a WMS to its
current operating routine, BP
Industries had difficulties with
its picking process, due to the
placement of too many disparate
items or pallets into one bin.
Press technology...
the inside story.
Why use Press Fittings
over Sweat Fittings?
ProPress 1/2" to 2" fittings.
In the study below it took 75% less
time to install a typical restaurant
bathroom with press technology
over sweating fittings. This will allow
for jobs to be completed quicker, on
time or ahead of schedule.
EPDM seal Fitting bead
Press Fittings vs. Sweat Fittings
Sweat Fittings
Press Fittings
25.54
6.21
An unpressed
connection
with the Smart
Connect feature
allows liquids
and/or air to pass
by the sealing
element during
pressure test.
MCAA Labor Hours
ProPress fitting
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Note: MCAA labor calculators were utilized in the labor estimate
Only Viega ProPress fittings and
valves offer the Smart Connect®
feature, a quick and easy way
to identify connections that
need pressing.
During pressure testing, water or
air flows past the sealing element
indicating an unpressed fitting. The
Smart Connect feature has assured
millions of leak-free connections for
water and gas applications. ProPress
is approved for potable water, fuel gas,
marine and stainless steel applications.
Viega ProPress fittings carry a 50-year
warranty for copper.
For more information see our
white paper on back or contact
us at 1-800-976-9819.
Pressed connection is pressed in front of, on top of, and behind
the seal making a gas or water-tight seal. The Smart Connect
feature is sealed during pressing.
ProPress XL-C 2-1/2" to 4" fittings.
Stainless steel
grip ring
PBT
spacer
EPDM
seal
The stainless
steel grip ring is
pressed, forcing
the grip ring
teeth against
the tube, making
a high-strength
connection.
Fitting
bead
ProPress
XL-C fitting
Viega... The global leader in plumbing and heating systems.
W W W . V I E G A . C O M
1 - 8 0 0 - 9 7 6 - 9 8 1 9
32 •
SOFTWARE IN ACTION
Meet dual goals of picking
accuracy, processing speed with WMS
the warehouse, and to know how much
inventory remains on hand, Java City
uses radio frequency guns to update
inventory levels automatically. With
Wms software, once an item is scanned
into the system, a warehouse employee
can go directly to a computer terminal to
make sure the transaction was entered
correctly. This new process has greatly
diminished the time it takes for materials
to reach the warehouse dock. What used
to take several hours, now only requires
mere minutes.
For Java City, or any warehouse operation, shipping the correct products to
the right location are key to making customers happy. Experienced warehouse
managers understand that “miss picks,”
or picking the wrong item, is a common
occurrence that can significantly slow
the overall product movement process.
Prior to its shift to an rF system, Java
City averaged approximately 136 miss
The software helps sort materials on a conveyor system and moves them to shipping.
Orders that once required a day to fulfill are now processed in about an hour. With
VAI’s WMS several employees can work on the same order at the same time.
picks a month out of 5,000 orders. Now,
with the help of a Wms, Java City has
improved order accuracy, streamlined
operations, and increased shipping
speeds. Currently, the company processes about 6,000 orders a month with only
about eight miss picks.
With s2K, Java City has grown dramatically thanks to increased efficiency and productivity. The Wms solution
logs everything, from when it comes
out of the truck to when it reaches the
customers. The system tells users what
inventory was pulled, who picked it,
who packed it and which driver delivered it.
As mentioned before, not every warehouse requires a Wms, but many times
large warehouse facilities can greatly
benefit from the feature-rich capabilities
this type of software solution offers,
which are meant to simplify and streamline the operating processes. For example, Waytek Inc., a wiring materials supply company based in Chanhassen,
minn., uses a Wms to improve overall
efficiency, enhance inventory access and
improve shipping speeds.
Waytek uses vAI’s Wms to move
orders out to customers in shorter
amounts of time. The software helps sort
materials on a conveyor system, quickly
moving them down to shipping. Orders
that used to take more then a day to fulfill are now processed in about an hour.
The advantage of vAI’s Wms is that several employees can work on the same
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Waytek Inc., a wiring materials supply
company in Chanhassen, Minn., uses a
WMS to move orders out to customers in
shorter amounts of time.
order at the same time — greatly
improving order fulfillment speeds.
Bob Lamoreaux, president of Waytek,
said, “Our warehouse picking accuracy
runs at around 99% and our throughput
processing time has increased as well.
What used to take about five hours, now
takes a little less than an hour.”
Implementing a Wms into existing
operations is an investment in both time
and money. While these powerful solutions can require a lengthy installation
period, the return on investment is well
worth the time and cost.
Again, Wms implementations often
yield measurable improvements in
inventory control and customer order
“Our warehouse picking
accuracy runs at around 99%
and our throughput processing
time has increased as well.
What used to take about
five hours, now takes
a little less than an hour.”
— Bob Lamoreaux
fulfillment. It is not uncommon to experience inventory precision levels of
greater than 99%, enabling companies to
maintain optimal inventory levels without incurring the expenses associated
with carrying unnecessary stock. A comprehensive Wms can track customer
orders in precise detail. The availability
of such information enhances quality
control and customer service capabilities. Deliveries are more accurate and
timely as well. In fact, virtually every
aspect of a business can benefit from a
Wms implementation including accounting, production, warehousing, distribution and manufacturing. simply, a quality Wms solution can help boost the bottom line-now what business couldn’t
benefit from that?
■
For more details, visit www.vai.net.
34 •
LEGAL MATTERS
Robinson-Patman Act
What it is and how to comply
BY DANIEL BEEDERMAN
Special to The Wholesaler
T
he purpose of anti-trust laws is to
protect consumers and businesses by promoting, maintaining
and protecting competition in the marketplace. Towards these goals, anti-trust
laws generally prohibit:
• Agreements or conspiracies that
unreasonably restrain trade (section 1 of
the sherman Anti-Trust Act)
• monopolization and attempts to
monopolize markets (section 2 of the
sherman Act)
• mergers and acquisitions that have
the tendency to lessen competition
(section 7 of the Clayton Act)
• Certain forms of price discrimination or pricing control (robinsonPatman Act).
This article will briefly discuss the
robinson-Patman Act (the “Act”) as it
relates to the activities of independent
sales representatives and their principals
(manufacturers). In that regard, it should
be understood that the Act, like all antitrust laws, both on the state and federal
level, is a complex and sometimes confusing and almost always controversial
piece of legislation that was created in
the Great Depression era in an effort to
protect small businesses from large
chain-store competition.
Because of the inherent complexity of
the Act, as well as of its various exceptions and defenses, the Act often is difficult to interpret and apply, and it has
often been criticized as being “anti-competition,” because of its effect on limiting price competition. In essence, the
robinson-Patman Act requires a manu-
facturer (and its independent sales representatives) to treat equally each level of
customer with respect to prices and
price-related terms and services.
Towards that end, the Act prohibits
sales of like goods at different prices to
two or more competing resellers who
intend to resell the products or goods in
the same geographic area. In addition,
the Act prohibits discrimination between
competing customers through providing
volume discounts that are not available
to all, different rebates, promotional
allowances and other similar tactics.
The Act prohibits a seller from discriminating in price between two or more
competing buyers in the sale of commodities (products and goods) of like grade and
quality, where the effect of the discrimination — maybe substantially — to:
• Lessen competition in any line of
commerce (unfavored reseller unable to
compete against lower price)
• Tend to create a monopoly in any
line of commerce
• “Injure, destroy, or prevent competition with any person who grants or
knowingly receives the benefit of the
discrimination, or with the customers of
either of them.” [15 U.s.C. 13(a)].
To avoid inadvertently violating the
robinson-Patman Act, an independent
sales representative should be cautious
when:
• Charging or offering different prices
for “preferred” distributors or resellers
• volume discounts that are not proportionately available to all dealers/customers on equal terms
• special offers or rates to allow
resellers or distributors to establish
themselves in the market and eliminate
unfavored resellers
• Promotional allowances that are not
available, on proportionately equal
terms and conditions, to all distributors
or dealers.
Does this mean that all customers and
resellers are treated alike? The answer,
of course, is no. Certainly, not all customers are alike. For instance, some
offer more services to the consumer/customer than others.
In such instances, a manufacturer may
offer such a reseller/distributor terms
that are different than those offered to a
reseller or distributor who does not provide such service. However, while such
distinctions may offer a defense to a
claimed violation of the Act, the rep and
its manufacturer ultimately must make
certain that the differing terms offered to
different reseller/distributors can be justified. As such, it is imperative that the
sales rep understand and fully evaluate
all pricing, rebate, credit terms and discount programs offered by one of its
principals so as to make sure that the
same type of programs and benefits are
proportionately offered to competitive
dealers and distributors.
similarly, a case-by-case analysis
should be made by the rep whenever one
of its principals imposes a minimum
price at which one of its resellers or distributors can sell his products. Until last
year, such conduct was deemed automatically to be in violation of the Act.
However, as discussed in the AIM/R
Winter 2007-08 News & Views newslet-
ter, 2007, the U.s. supreme Court ruled
that the establishment of a minimum
retail price would no longer be per se
illegal. A per se violation of the anti-trust
laws means that there is no defense to
the conduct once the conduct is established. The fact that you did not do your
homework in school is a violation of the
rule that all homework must be done and
handed in when due.
A per se violation of the “must do
your homework rule” would not allow
you to explain that the dog ate it. The
supreme Court overruled legal precedent dating back to 1911, which had
strictly prohibited such conduct as being
a “per se violation” of the Act. In so
doing, the supreme Court did not hold
that minimum prices were legal, but,
instead, it eliminated the “no excuse” for
“minimum price rule” and replaced it
with a “rule of reason” analysis.
It is now possible to justify why minimum prices are essential within an industry. However, a case-by-case review is
necessary to determine if the establishment of a minimum price constitutes an
“unreasonable restraint of trade.” Just as
the Court’s review of potential violations
of the robinson-Patman Act and the other
anti-trust laws is on a case-by-case basis,
so should you, as an independent sales
The Supreme Court...
eliminated the “no excuse”
for “minimum price rule”
and replaced it with a
“rule of reason” analysis
representative, be vigilant in monitoring
the various terms offered by your principals through you to customers.
For instance, whenever one or your
principals seek to impose a minimum
pricing structure, a special rebate or promotional program or discount, you
should inquire as to the reasons and justification for doing so. You should proceed cautiously if it appears that the policy is intended to eliminate competition
or otherwise to be a restraint on trade.
Finally, as noted in AIm/r’s Winter 200708 newsletter, reps should seek to minimize the financial impact on being
involved in anti-trust litigation, by
always seeking to include an indemnification provision as part of every sales
representative agreement, whereby your
principal will indemnify, defend and
hold you and your firm harmless from
all liabilities and costs related to antitrust claims (as well as for claims for
product liability and intellectual property infringement).
■
Daniel E. Beederman is an attorney in
Chicago, and a member of Schoenberg,
Finkel, Newman & Rosenberg llC. For
almost 30 years, Beederman has handled legal matters relating to manufacturers’ sales representatives. He and his
firm serve as legal counsel to numerous
sales rep associations in various industries, including AIM/R. He also has written many articles published in trade
journals and has conducted numerous
seminars on manufacturer-rep issues.
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• 37
ON THE PVF PULSE
2009 still looks like solid year for PVF
BY MORRIS R. BESCHLOSS
PVF and economic analyst
W
ith all the early year signs
pointing to a deepening of
the global economic recession, I intensified my efforts to determine whether the pvf sector would continue to maintain its relative strength, as
opposed to other elements of the plumbing-heating-cooling-piping industry.
Although these interviews were
anecdotal rather than scientific, the
geographic breadth and the diversity of
the manufacturers and distributors contacted convinced me that there is still
plenty of momentum as the first quarter
of 2009 unfolds.
However, the economic components
that comprise the strength of this threeyear surge are changing. It’s still uncertain whether the end-use factors, comprising this panorama, will eventually
throw a monkey wrench into the ongoing boom.
As the year wears on, the question will
be answered by whether those factors
developing reduction of drilling rigs in
the Gulf of Mexico.
Also impacting the supply/demand balance will be the upcoming driving season
and the rising unemployment which may
discourage thousands from driving no
matter how low the price at the pump.
One thing is certain, the expansion of
your business
slowing down. With the discovery of the
Enron scam earlier in the decade, creating
an illusion of power surplus, projects were
either mothballed, or put on the shelf.
America is now facing a distorted
supply shortage, which could result in
blackouts and brownouts later this sum(Turn to PVF... page 38.)
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One segment relying heavily
on pipe-valve-fittings is power
generation. This sector is
red-hot and indicating no
signs of slowing down.
which continue to show strength will
overcome some aspects of pvf, which are
beginning to sputter. Overall, new projects of all types may be restricted by credit availability. But expansion and maintenance of existing facilities — whether
power generation, refining, chemical and
petrochemical, waterworks, and renewable energy — seem to be in good shape,
and show few signs of abating.
The most serious concern is the
implosion of oil prices, which is endangering new development projects as well
as ongoing production of high cost facilities that are depended on to keep crude
flowing into refineries and eventually to
the tens of thousands of gas stations
throughout the countries.
Although a glut has developed in
America’s main storage depot in
Cushing, Okla., this is primarily due to
demand destruction, which has reduced
driving by America’s 250 million cars
and trucks by 5% on a year-to-year comparison with 2007.
Since such derivatives as heating oil,
jet and diesel fuel, and production of
natural gas are also being affected, it
will be only a matter of time before a
balance between supply and demand is
reached. The wild card is the effect of
OpEC cutbacks, slowdown of oil sands
production in Canada, and the already
off-shore drilling and prospective oil
shale conversion in the Rocky
Mountains will be put on hold until the
price of oil per barrel climbs back up to
the high double digits.
One segment relying heavily on pipevalve-fittings is power generation. This
sector is red-hot and indicating no signs of
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38 •
ON THE PVF PULSE
PVF sector still hot,
should ride out recession
mer. Although nuclear power is limited
to one new generating station soon to
come on line in America, the 104 operating units are in the process of expanding their existing capacity, which will
add anywhere from 10% to 20% additional electric power to this nation’s fastincreasing demands.
Natural gas will become even more
important in the months ahead as coal
power is eschewed by the Obama
Another intriguing factor that
may benefit PVF is a massive
infrastructural component
of the trillion-dollar stimulus
bill [for] damns, bridges
and waterworks facilities.
administration, which considers this
plentiful resource out of bounds for
powering electrical utilities or the possibilities to convert coal to oil or gas. But
don’t shed a tear for the coal producers,
they’re doing just fine; getting top dollar
for all they can mine. Apparently China
and others are not that sensitive about
putrefying the air.
The repetitious answer I get from both
distributors and manufacturers when
asked where the action is, is one word,
“power.”
Fabricators are busier than ever, and
some mechanical contractors are getting
involved with industrial construction,
previously the sole purview of turnkey
constructors.
speaking of mechanical contractors and
their activity level, commercial construction is heading toward a standstill.
Developers who depend on huge loans
from financial institutions are being frozen
out by the unavailability of such monies.
simultaneously, hotels, motels, shopping malls, and multi-storied apartment
buildings are becoming less in demand as
debt deleveraging and reduced consumer
spending is puncturing the discretionary
spending balloon. The commercial subsector will be the main drag on the PvF arena.
Another intriguing factor that may
benefit PvF is a massive infrastructural
component of the trillion-dollar stimulus
bill. With damns, bridges, and waterworks facilities benefitting from this
influx of liquidity, infrastructure should
provide another “shot” in the arm to
pipe-valve-fittings. And if exports hold
up as I expect, the wide variety of products provided by PvF will, unquestionably, be beneficial.
All in all, I’m betting on another big
year for the PvF sector, even in a down
year for the global economy in general.
2009 economic predictions paint mixed picture
Although I have traditionally offered
economic predictions at the beginning of
each new year, I view 2009 as beset with
more imponderables than ever before.
But I’m ready to stick my neck out; so
here goes:
• After a first quarter 2009 low point
in U.s. gross domestic product growth
and a peak in unemployment, a slowlybuilding recovery will be in place by
midyear, worldwide.
• A trillion-dollar stimulus plan,
passed by Congress early in February,
will serve to calm the financial markets
and stabilize the gross domestic product
of goods and services. U.s. unemployment will crest at 9% during the first
three months of the new year.
• The U.s. savings rate will move into
positive territory and stay there (2% to
3% annually) as the consumer sector
shrinks. The deleveraging process will
put a further crimp into discretionary
spending, thereby impinging on the
retail sector. During the first half of
2009, a record number of stores and
shopping malls will be shutting down
nationwide.
• Investment banking activities will
reach a 10-year low, with mergers and
acquisitions few and far between. The
age of private banking institutions is
nearing an end, as most have already
(Turn to PVF pulse, page 40.)
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40 •
BESCHLOSS BEAT
Q&A with David Scott
Newdell cuts wide swath
in today’s industrial valve sector
N
ewdell was established in 1999
by valve industry veterans
Dave Scott and chuck Hulbert
as a manufacturer and wholesaler of
industrial valves used in the petrochemical, chemical, and refinery markets.
today, Scott and Hulbert work in conDaviD W. Scott, president of the
Newdell company, has a long history
in the valve industry. He began working at Zidell valve, a division of
Zidell Explorations inc., before his
1974 graduation from oregon State
University and remained with the
company until mid-1999. During his
tenure at Zidell, Scott was recognized
throughout the industry as an aggressive leader and a pioneer of international sourcing and marketing of
industrial valves. He has continued to
enhance his professional reputation at
the Newdell company, actively overseeing virtually every aspect of the
business.
PVF pulse
scrambled to become bank holding companies. this allows borrowing at the fed
discount window.
• With the dollar again weakening
versus the euro and the yen, exports will
maintain a slightly lessened surge, while
imports continue to dwindle. this will
shrink the trade deficit to its lowest point
in this decade.
• china and india, which have taken
aggressive stimulative action, will lead
One global bright spot may be
the warming of relations between
mainland China and Taiwan.
the international recovery as they
rebound from their second half 2008
fall-offs. these world’s largest developing economies will energize an overall
global economic rebound. Much of this
will come from expansion of their consumer base.
• commodity prices will be on the
comeback trail, as demand improves.
Expect oil prices per barrel to reach $75
to $80 by mid-year.
• Expect the stock market to leave the
doldrums behind and reach the 10,000
junction with two additional partners
and more than 70 employees at a 72,000
square foot facility in Houston, texas.
Smith is unquestionably the crown jewel
of Newdell’s offerings. it is a trademark
brand owned by the Newdell company.
However, Smith is just one of the product lines owned and marketed by
Newdell. other associations include:
• Diamond Gear — a manufacturer
of industrial gear boxes used for operating quarter-turn and multi-turn valves.
in addition to manufacturing, Diamond
Gear is the North american exclusive
representative of the air torque line of
pneumatic operators for quarter-turn
valves. (www.diamond-gear.com)
• Ladish Valves — a manufacturer
of stainless steel and high-alloy valves
for the pulp and paper, chemical, and
petrochemical industries. Ladish also
offers a complete line of gate, globe, and
check valves in a variety of materials
including Hastalloy c, monel and nickel. (www.ladishvalves.com)
• Pk Valve — a korean valve manufacturer with one of the most extensive
product lines available. the Newdell
company is the exclusive distributor of
pk
Dow Jones industrial mark and the
1,000 S&p 500 target by June 30.
i’m sure that my rapidly expanding
readership will hold me to account for
these predictions by mid-year 2009.
Barclays believes the current crunch
may last for as much as two more years.
one global bright spot may be the
warming of relations between mainland
china and taiwan. a top leader of
china’s communist party promised
taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou, a
member of once anti-mainland kuomintang, that Beijing will provide whatever financial aid is needed to keep taiwan
viable. this is remarkable since china,
still the world’s leading growth engine,
has experienced its first significant
slowdown in 10 years.
With the world’s major nations following the United States in severely cutting interest rates, it’s still questionable
whether easier access to money will
sever the Gordian knot of the global
credit squeeze.
Be sure to log on to my twice daily
updated economic blog, which has
become one of the most widely read
coverages of the ongoing financial and
global economic analyses for the
nation’s largest publishing company.
You can log in by accessing www.theworldreport.org, and then clicking the
yellow band marked “Morrie’s page.”
please recommend if you approve. ■
World’s leading nations face
grim economic turnaround attempts
as the 2008 economic year staggers
to an ignominious close, there are no
oases to be found in a veritable worldwide landscape of severe recession.
Western Europe seems to be the most
hard-hit, with industrial superpower
Germany leading the pack. Under the
guidance of embattled chancellor
angela Merkel, Berlin is pledging
expanded efforts to confront a financial
crisis that has toppled banks and stunted
that once mighty export nation’s growth.
a massive national stimulus package is
under consideration.
Japan, caught in the web of a decadelong economic stagnation is hoping that
an additional $100-billion cash infusion
will finally get this once dominant
nation going again.
industrialized Belgium is facing a
major political crisis as that nation’s parliamentary government has been toppled
in a botched attempt to bail out giant
multi-national financial group, fortis.
Britain’s Barclays Bank has warned
that worldwide credit conditions have
severely impacted the United kingdom.
valves in the western hemisphere
inventorying millions of dollars worth of
pk valve products for distribution in the
U.S., canada and Latin america.
(www.pkvalve.co.kr)
Smith is one of the most celebrated
brand names known to valve industry
veterans. founded in the mid-1950s by
James DeWolf Smith, it focused from
the outset on the production of forged
gate, globe and check valves for use primarily in the petrochemical industry. a
forged brass ball valve line was added
10 years later. By the mid- 1970s, Smith
was acknowledged as one of the leading
producers of industrial valves in the oil
and petrochemical industries.
With son tony taking over at that
point, exotic stainless and alloy items
were added. this greatly expanded product line was relocated to a new production facility.
Unfortunately, the early 1980s recession brought a virtual shutdown to
domestic oil production and forced
Smith to sell out to a private investment
firm. a production interlude in
Longview, texas, failed to halt the
downward trend. Smith’s assets were
Morris R. Beschloss, a 52-year veteran of the pipe, valve and fitting industry,
is pVf and economic analyst for ThE
WhOLESALER.
David Scott, CEO, Newdell Company
bought in 2000 by Newdell, and production was moved to italy.
a substantial reversal to the upside
allowed the Newdell owners to return
manufacturing to the U.S. in 2006, locating in Houston. a new manufacturing
and warehousing facility has just recently been completed. Smith’s production
rate has now reached 20,000 valves a
month and is growing rapidly.
Newdell will be celebrating its 10th
anniversary. its two key executives’
“All of our products are
sold through distribution.
We have found the distribution
community to be loyal
and supportive of our efforts.”
biographies spell out the expertise that
they bring to this fast-growing venture.
the following q&a with David Scott,
a highly respected personal valve industry associate of long-standing explores
Newdell, the contemporary valve industry, and the future of the pvf sector during these turbulent times.
Beschloss: David, let me start by congratulating you on founding Newdell as
an instrument by which to implement
your vaunted valve industry talents,
which you manifested so elegantly at
Zidell Enterprises. What prompted your
initiation of this new venture at the turn
of the century.
Scott: the Zidell family made the
decision to sell the valve group in the
late 1990s. chuck Hulbert and i had
been fairly successful at growing Zidell
valve corporation under the auspices of
a family business. However once the
company became one of many companies within a private equity group our
mutual skill sets were probably not what
they needed in order to run the business
successfully for the future. Hence we
ventured out on our own to form the
Newdell /Diamond Gear companies.
Beschloss: In Smith and pk Valves,
you certainly have under your wing two
highly-recognized brandnames. Outside
of Ladish Valves, which you own separately, and Diamond Gear, of which you
are the exclusive North American representative, are there other lines available
to you?
Scott: Smith, pk, Ladish, Diamond
Gear and air torque are our only prod(Turn to Strong product ... page 42.)
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42 •
BESCHLOSS BEAT
Strong product lines, loyalty to channel
make Newdell serious player in PVF sector
uct lines. Being a small company we
have decided not to handle any competing product lines and to focus our efforts
on penetrating the market with these
core products.
Beschloss: Since Newdell is obviously a valve specialist, with manufacturing
and marketing activities throughout the
U.S. and Canada, would you classify
Newdell as a manufacturer and master
distributor of your branded products, as
well as a marketer of AirTorque and
Diamond Gear?
Scott: Smith, Ladish and Diamond
Gear represent products for which we
maintain design, manufacturing, quality,
marketing and trademark control.
obviously for these three products lines
we are seen as the manufacture. We represent pk valve exclusively in the western hemisphere, so in this territory our
customers view us as the manufacture.
the same can be said for the air torque
product line with the exception that our
exclusive marketing rights extend only
to North america.
Beschloss: Could you describe your
inside/outside sales organization, and
the extent of its interaction with distributors nationally?
Scott: all of our products are sold
through distribution. We have found the
distribution community to be loyal and
supportive of our efforts. today we have
five outside sales people, 10 inside sales
people, and two project quotations personal.
Beschloss: Those of us who remember
the predominance of Smith Valve, especially in the qtr-turn arena, are thrilled
by the comeback that prestigious brandname is making. Could you bring us upto-date as to the success of your efforts?
Scott: We purchased the Smith product line in 2000 from Grinnell. Grinnell
had done a very good job of maintaining
the quality of the product and hence the
brand name remained strong. However,
the Smith valve line was a very small
cHarLES E. HULBErt serves as vice
president of the Newdell company.
also a graduate of oregon State
University, chuck received his J.D.
degree from the University of oregon
Law School in 1977. He worked primarily in real estate and bankruptcy
law before joining Zidell in 1983.
While at Zidell, Hulbert filled numerous roles and was responsible for the
development and construction of two
new facilities with a combined area
of more than 300,000 square feet. at
the Newdell company, Hulbert oversees major projects around the globe
and is responsible for sales and marketing in canada.
piece within Grinnell and i believe the
Grinnell management struggled with
funding allocations amongst other profitable departments. When we bought the
Smith valve line the production volume
“Our long term goal is
to continue to gain
market share via the
distribution community.”
was about 3,000 pieces per month.
today we are producing about 25,000
pieces per month and our sales continues
to grow. However, we recognize we are
a very small player in the api 602 forged
Steel valve market, but our domestic
production provides some niche positions that work to our advantage.
obviously the owners have dreams of
returning the Smith product line to its
former stature but today these are only
dreams and we have much work in front
of us before this will happen.
Beschloss: Would you please amplify
your sales/marketing coordination in
promoting Ladish Valves, as well as the
pk valve line and Diamond Gear?
Scott: Ladish valves and Diamond
Gear are operated separately from
Newdell. Ladish valves, managed by
Bill DiStefano, manufactures and sells
exclusively Ladish product and is located in a separate facility from Newdell
and Diamond Gear. Diamond Gear,
managed by kevin Hansen, focuses all
of its efforts on manual quarter and
multi-turn gear boxes as well as the airtoque product line. Newdell markets
and sells the Smith and pk valve product
lines.
Beschloss: have your efforts and successes been mainly focused in the
Greater houston area and the Southwest
in general? Are plans underfoot to
expand your intensive coverage nationally?
Scott: We have been most successful
in the Southern and Eastern U.S. and in
Western canada. We have a real need for
distribution in the Western U.S. and in
Eastern canada.
Beschloss: having experienced the
deep pVf recession of the early 1980s,
are you concerned that our sector’s
intense momentum could be endangered
in 2009?
Scott: i believe that 2009 will be
more difficult for those of us in the oil
related sectors than what we have experienced over the last few years.
Momentum will slow as major projects
are placed on hold or cancelled.
Beschloss: Based on your expert
knowledge regarding the pVf sector,
especially the valve component, are you
optimistic about the future of the product
lines which you are manufacturing
and/or marketing?
Scott: i am certainly optimistic for
our product lines. i believe that we offer
the market high quality products and
first rate services at fair prices. if i have
any areas of concern they have to do
with overall market demand prospectively and the high concentration of low
price chinese product that seems to be
flooding the market.
Beschloss: Are you being benefited by
the substantial decrease in costs of components and raw materials? Does the
cost/selling price relationship which you
anticipate allow you a reasonable profit
as we approach the major part of the
2009 business year?
Scott: it is true that the raw material
markets have cooled down and that the
prices of scrap and some materials have
dropped from their peaks, but i don’t
think these reductions in raw materials
will result in big decreases in valve
prices. there are simply too many other
costs associated with delivering finished
valves to market that play significant
rolls; and even if our costs do go down,
the user community is quite deft at making sure we pass any cost savings along.
Beschloss: To put Newdell’s future in
proper perspective, what are you and
your Company’s long-term objectives
within the framework of the pVf sector?
Scott: obviously we would like to
win a few more strong positions within
the distribution community. We have
many good competitors and fighting for
a strong distribution position is something all manufactures strive to do. our
long term goal is to continue to gain
market share via the distribution community. Hopefully our continued efforts
to bring safe, quality products and services to market at fair prices will allow us
to grow our core business.
■
Uponor sets factory training
appLE vaLLEY, MiNN. — Dates for
Uponor’s factory training in apple
valley are now available and ready for
registration. With the addition of two
new trainers and easy online registration, professionals in the Hvac, hydronic
heating and cooling, plumbing and fire
safety industries have even more reason
to take advantage of this valuable, educational learning tool.
Headed by training manager Mary
Beth Manninen, the Uponor factory
training program is now better than
ever, with the addition of industry veteran Wes Sisco as senior trainer and
Hvac, hydronic and plumbing professional Steve Swanson as customer
trainer. Sisco and Swanson will collaborate with current customer trainer,
Josh Schwaller, to offer a unique combination of solid technical information,
hands-on workshop opportunities and
plenty of entertainment for factory
training attendees.
the Uponor factory training program
currently offers the following courses:
• radiant Solutions — fundamentals
Workshop develops an understanding of
the key elements of radiant floor heating
systems, including delivery fundamentals, installation techniques, zoning, balancing and heat loss.
• radiant Solutions — fundamentals
Workshop with aDS includes all the
information above as well as education
on the advanced Design Suite™software.
• radiant Solutions — controls
Workshop focuses exclusively on controls, zoning and wiring.
• aqUaSafE® fire Safety Systems
Workshop details system components,
design and installation techniques for
the Uponor multipurpose plumbing and
fire sprinkler system.
Uponor Factory Training Schedule
(March through June 2009)
• March 9-11 — radiant Solutions -
fundamentals Workshop
• March 17 — aqUaSafE fire Safety
Systems Workshop
• March 19-21 — radiant Solutions fundamentals Workshop
• March 23-25 — radiant Solutions controls Workshop
• March 30-april 1 — radiant
Solutions - fundamentals Workshop
• april 6-8 — radiant Solutions fundamentals Workshop
• april 23-25 — radiant Solutions controls Workshop
• april 28 — aqUaSafE fire Safety
Systems Workshop
• May 5-8 — radiant Solutions -
fundamentals Workshop with aDS
• May 12 — aqUaSafE fire Safety
Systems Workshop
• May 18-20 — radiant Solutions controls Workshop
• June 11-13 – radiant Solutions fundamentals Workshop
• June 25-27 — radiant Solutions controls Workshop
• June 30 — aqUaSafE fire Safety
Systems Workshop.
for additional information about all
Uponor training programs or to register
online, visit www.uponor-usa.com/training. for questions regarding training
registration, contact Jodi Staub, training
and technical products specialist, at
800/321-4739, ext. 5333. for information about customer visits and events,
contact katie Moser, customer events
and training specialist, at 800/321-4739,
ext. 4207.
™
Built to be the Best
www.bradfordwhite.com
800.523.2931
©2009, Bradford White Corporation. All rights reserved.
##
" $!
&# !
!
$
% $!
"
&
46 •
INVENTORY COUNTS
The price is wrong!!
BY JASON BADER
Inventory management specialist
L
ast week i was working with a
client in florida. it was a typical
business review; i visited several
different departments and listened to
their questions and concerns. When i sat
down with the payables department, i
encountered one of the most common
challenges in distribution — making sure
that we have the current pricing from our
suppliers in the software system.
i am sure that the editors are shaking
their heads and thinking, “You are reaching
on this one, Bader.” for those of us who
have spent time working for a distributor,
this seemingly simple task can be a formidable challenge. i have seen distributors
that are months behind on price changes.
Even missing a week can cause a great
deal of time lost in mistakes and reconciliation. in this article, i will point out some
of the consequences of letting this task
slide. i will also give you some suggestions
on how to stay ahead of the game.
as i mentioned earlier, this problem
reared its ugly head in the accounts
payable department. this individual was
forced to spend an inordinate amount of
time tracking down discrepancies. the
invoices she was receiving from the suppliers did not match the pricing on their
internal purchase orders. rather than just
blindly pay the invoice, she would be
forced to track down the buyer and verify
that the pricing was correct. Given that the
company was cutting purchase orders to
this supplier on a daily basis, the amount
of reconciliation was getting out of hand.
Now we have two departments spending resources on this problem. first, we
added labor dollars in the payables department. they must stop the flow of work and
point out the discrepancy. then the buyer
must get involved to determine what the
correct pricing should be. More often than
not, this requires communication with the
supplier. Since most buyers don’t have a
lot of extra time on their hands, the discrepancy usually winds up in the “get to it
when i can” pile. We have just added labor
hours to the purchasing department.
the resolution of discrepancies between
purchasing and payables is rarely a oneday turnaround. Unfortunately, corrections
can often take days, or even weeks,
depending on the volume. When a
payables team is unable to process an
invoice in a timely manner, we often lose
the opportunity to take advantage of early
payment discounts offered by the supplier.
if you have read my article on the perils of
skipping cash discounts, you will realize
that our internal problems have just cost
the company a ton of money. Even worse,
we probably had the ability to pay early.
as you may have guessed, failing to
update vendor pricing can have adverse
effects on sales and profitability. When
do we get the opportunity to go back to
our customers and ask for a retroactive
price increase? Many of our salespeople
sell from cost up. they look at the gross
margin percentage, because that is how
compensation is typically determined,
and price is based on an acceptable margin. Unfortunately, the products they
just sold have a new replacement cost. if
the bump was high enough, their margin
could be chopped in half. those of us
who have been around a while have seen
this happen time and time again.
obviously, we need to put more
emphasis on getting the pricing in the
system prior to any scheduled increase.
the main reason that we tend to slack
(Turn to Bader, page 49.)
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• 49
Bader
off in this department is due to the
amount of labor associated with the task.
Imagine manually updating the pricing
on a line with 1,000 Skus. Not only do
we have to update the list price but we
also have to make sure that our net cost
is calculated correctly. Our discounts
from list may have changed. All of these
things have to be reviewed and then
entered. What is the acceptable number
of mistakes on 1,000 Skus? I am sure
that we are going to have a few of those.
All that time spent, and we still have the
potential for some costly mistakes.
In order to alleviate some of this
headache, I want you to start importing
your price adjustments electronically.
Most modern distribution software has
this feature. The most common method
of import is from a spreadsheet program
like Excel. In most applications, you
map columns from the spreadsheet to
fields in your item database. It is important to ask the supplier for multiple
columns of information. The basic
columns should be: manufacturer part
number, general description, shipping
weight, upc code, list price, our discount
multiplier and our net cost. Even if you
do not use bar coding in your operation,
the upc will often become the common
link between your database and their
spreadsheet. It is fairly common for our
part numbers to differ from the manufacturer’s part numbers.
You may also want to add additional
columns that make sense in your database: size, color, master carton and cubic
volume are some examples. I am sure
that there are several more. Once you
have determined the columns you
require, make it a standard for all suppliers. Give them a document explaining
which columns to use and why you now
require electronic price updates.
You will be surprised at how many
suppliers will have no trouble meeting
your request. We just haven’t taken the
time to ask. Make sure you ask for the
electronic document in Excel. I am not
here to make Microsoft any wealthier.
Excel has become a standard that most
people can work with. I have seen vendors send price lists in .pdf format. This
defeats the purpose. You cannot easily
import this type of electronic document.
As for the vendors who seem to have
some trouble with your request, you
need to review the relationship. Are they
a critical part of your business?
INVENTORY COUNTS
Sometimes we need to help them along
the technology path. Even if your sales
rep has no clue how to accomplish this
task, more than likely their controller
can help. Be relentless. I have often considered charging suppliers for the labor
associated with updating prices manually. You may not get them to pay, but it
would show them that you are serious.
I would be remiss in not mentioning
another option when it comes to updating pricing. In some industries, there are
services that accumulate database information from suppliers. These services
translate the vendor information into
your specified import format. You will
obviously have to maintain your own
discounts. If this sounds appealing,
check with your trade association or
software provider to see whether there is
something available out there.
In order to tackle this challenge, my
company appointed a pricing guru. It
was one of the best decisions we ever
made. Not only did this person manage
all incoming price updates but he also
set up all external pricing via a matrix.
Most software has extensive pricing and
costing functions, yet we rarely tap into
the potential. You can typically pre-load
a price increase and then let the system
know what date the new prices become
effective.
This may seem like a trivial problem
to some, but each year it costs our companies thousands of dollars in wasted
labor and missed margin opportunities.
We need to make vendor price updates a
priority before we spend a whole lot of
resources correcting the discrepancies.
Good luck.
■
Jason Bader is the managing partner
of The Distribution Team. The
Distribution Team specializes in providing inventory management training,
business operations consulting and technology utilization to the wholesale distribution industry. Bader brings more
than 20 years of experience working in
the distribution field. He can be reached
by calling 503/282-2333, at jason@distributionteam.com, or at www.thedistributionteam.com.
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TECHNOLOGY
TODAY
Terry’s top tech tips
to turbocharge your
business in 2009
“So many fail because they don’t get started. They don’t go. They don’t overcome
inertia. They don’t begin.”
— W. Clement Stone
t is time for a new beginning — in
many ways. This marks the end of
not only another year, but of an era
for many. The u.S. has elected a new
president with a new vision and a different way of doing business. Whether you
like Barack Obama or not, this is a great
time to begin anew. Here are some tools
and rules for your business that can help
you as you embark on a new year.
I
Contact management system (CMS)
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This is the most important element for
any sales-oriented entrepreneur. You
need to have a system that collects and
processes names. Your success in life
will largely be determined by the number of people who know you in a favorable way. A living, vibrant system that
reminds you of people, their wants, their
desires, their important information
(birthday, anniversaries, loved ones,
etc.) is vital.
There are many good systems available including AcT!, Outlook, Entourage,
Goldmine and others. Many today are
favoring online approaches so that you
can access the data from anywhere, you
get regular updates without installing
anything on your computer and you have
a team backing you up. I use the combination of Google Docs and Gmail to
maintain a good system of interactivity.
Zoho and Salesforce.com and a host of
others are available. Start by carefully
analyzing what you need in your unique
situation. Then examine what is available
and match those needs.
Whatever you decide, start with
what you want to do to service your
customers and bring new customers
into your sphere of influence. Nurture
that system and massage it daily to
squeeze the maximum benefit from
your investment.
Communications tools
1-800-544-6344
www.elster-perfection.com
This ties closely with your cMS. Once
you have the names, addresses, phone, email and other vital information about
contacts, you need to connect with them.
Find easy, fluid ways to connect. Also,
you don’t want your connection to only be
with one tool: You want to have a variety
of ways to connect. These include a strong
cellphone/smartphone that allows you to
connect through voice, e-mail, texting and
even audio and video.
communication preferences change
through the years. Long ago, voice comSee contact information on page 70
BY TERRY BROCK
Technology/marketing
specialist
munication was available only at the
office (no cellphones existed). Then email emerged as a quick, easy way to
stay in touch. Today, instant messaging
(IM) is vital, with a strong emphasis on
social networking, with sites such as
Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook, MySpace
and others growing in popularity. Find
the preferred communication method of
your customers and prospects and
embrace that. Lead the way, showing
them how to connect.
Audio and video are big today and getting bigger in the marketplace. You need
to have proficient knowledge of these and
how to use them to your benefit. They
give you the ability to connect in a more
human way. Text is not natural. Audio
and video are much more natural and provide a fuller dimension of the human
experience. As you embrace these and
learn how to use them, you’ll stand out in
a more favorable way.
Learn how to use audio (it really is
easy) and video (with the right equipment, it is very easy) to connect with
people. In many cases you’ll be the first
Leverage the tools to help
people. Always focus on how you
can help prospects to become
customers and help customers
to become raving fans.
to send that audio or video e-mail.
Remember that not so long ago you didn’t know how to send an e-mail, now it
is very easy for you to do. Make creating
and sending audio and video just as easy
— learn how to do it, practice it a couple
of times, and you’ll move your connection to a new level.
Office efficiency and productivity
Once you have your cMS and solid
ways to connect with people, you need
to make sure that your back office is running smoothly, like a well-oiled
machine. Have the tools in place to
process information to serve your customers easily for you and quickly for
them. Money loves speed. Today, the
fastest with the right answer is often the
winner.
The Japanese phrase, Youi-Shuutou,
means to be very careful and thoroughly
prepared. This is what you want in your
office. Think through likely scenarios
that may occur. Have systems in place
for your achievement. Yes, this takes
some serious thinking coupled with hard
work. But when you can effortlessly
(Turn to Brock ... page 66.)
• 51
SHOWROOM STYLE
Stress reduction in these
tough economic times!
I
am hoping that most of you read the
December 2008 issue of The
Wholesaler, which contained a lot of
helpful suggestions for you to consider
implementing in 2009. My showroom
column was titled “Make 2009 your best
year ever,” and numerous people
responded to me with positive feedback.
One e-mail was from the legendary Hall
of Famer Jack Hester, president of F.W.
23.2% for men). Much of the book was
taken from a 50-year statistical government study. If you want to look at a positive attitude “scientifically,” just
remember that thoughts become feelings
and feelings become behavior.
I’ve said that the most profound #1 tip
in today’s time management and stress
reduction is that “You will never, ever,
ever, get caught up.” So why stress?
“You will never, ever, ever, get caught up” ... does not
mean that you should take an attitude of “I don’t care.”
Webb, which was shared in the Letters
section of this issue.
Also in the December issue were two
Industry News pieces, one on page 14,
titled “Showroom educator, columnist
offers webinar, teleclass educational
seminars,” and the other on page 67,
“Industry consultant opens doors to
booming hotel biz.” There is plenty of
help available from me in these tough
economic times. Trust me, many people
are holding their own, doing well and
many flourishing in their business.
2009 showroom columns - I want your input!
Managing stress in tough economic times
Almost 95% of the people I ask at my
seminars have serious issues regarding
not enough time to get everything done
and having too much stress. We are all in
the same boat!
The first and most important thing in
proper time and stress management is a
positive attitude. Attitude is everything!
Even if you don’t buy into positive attitudes or being optimistic, a recent best
selling book, Learned Optimism by
Larry Seligman said that optimistic people live longer (24.1% for women and
Stress - America’s invisible killer
In the last 15 years, we have learned
more about the mind than any other time
in the last 200 years. For 100 years, it
has been known that stress can put a hole
in the stomach commonly called an
ulcer. Today, they are linking stress to
heart attacks, cancer and other diseases.
It is nice to see in recent years that
society has acknowledge that stress is
real and gone out of denial. Today, mainstream news and media is writing about
it. For example, The Parade Magazine,
which is circulated by an insert to almost
every major Sunday newspaper in the
u.S. a few years ago had a 16-page article which included 10 ways to overcome
stress.
Proven stress reduction technique
A proven stress reduction technique
has been used in Western Europe and the
Scandinavian countries for 100 years.
It is taught and used here in the u.S. in
businesses and by many people.
The technique that I am going to give
you will:
• Reduce stress
• Often remove migraine headaches
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and back pain
• Will give you in 10 to 15 minutes —
three to four hours of perceived sleep. (I
am telling you upfront; do not use this in
lieu of sleep.)
This technique of “visualization” is
used in sports. Example: Michael Jordan
and Magic Johnson have used this
process to perfect their basketball shots.
This was discussed in Michael Jordan’s
best-selling book. We have 65 million
people in the u.S. that have some form
of sleep disorders. While melatonin, a
natural product, is good, the process that
I am teaching you in the sleeping position will put you to sleep. This process is
used extensively by doctors in Western
Europe to solve sleep depravation in
patients.
The 10-15 minute stress reduction process
please start by being in the sitting
position in a quiet location. With you
eyes closed, see the colors of the rainbow in order. Red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, purple and violet.
Memorizing the colors of the rainbow in
order is the hardest part of the process. I
would recommend using colored objects
like a red (an apple), orange (an orange),
yellow (a banana), and so forth. Then
you will go into your favorite nature
(Turn to Less stress... page 66.)
Simpson Dura-Vent
What are the obstacles, challenges
and problems that keep you from producing better results for you and your
company? This is your showroom column! In 2009, I want to address the
needs, issues and topics that are most
important to you. Send me e-mails topschor@dynamicresultsinc.com. When
you send in your request, please advise
me if you want your name and company
held confidential, I will 100% do so. If
you have very specific questions to you
or your company only, I will answer it
personally. For your participation, I will
send you a copy of my book, Pillars of
Success, which has many chapters from
some of the greatest visionaries of our
times, such as Alexander Haig Jr, former
Secretary of State, pat Summitt, winningest coach in NcAA basketball history, and more.
I wanted you to ponder what that
statement means to you. Statisically, the
great majority of the people who read it
and thought it out, reduced their daily
stress 50% or more. Several people
responded asked me to give further
explanation. It means that most things
you do every day will be repeated the
next day and so forth — getting dressed
in the morning, eating, grocery shopping, making telephone calls, and other
repetitive daily tasks at the office.
Remember, prioritize, use time management tips but, most of all, take one day
at a time!
“You will never, ever, ever, get caught
up” means that you can only do what is
what is humanly possible in one day and
yes, prioritizing and time management is
imperative. It does not mean that you
should take an attitude of “I don’t care.”
BY PETER SCHOR
Showroom specialist
52 •
2009
Purchasing
Decision-makers
Survey
Ninth annual survey
Wholesalers still like the personal
touch of reps as main info source
A
fter nine years of publishing the annual purchasing
Decision Makers Survey,
we at The Wholesaler are gratified
to note that factory and independent manufacturers’ reps and trade
magazines are still the main “go to”
sources when wholesaler purchasing executives wish to make buys.
continuing a year-to-year trend,
a wide majority of respondents
selected those two categories as
their top sources of information
on new products, lines and brands
— despite maturing media such as
the internet and cD-ROM catalogs.
This year’s numbers are statistically the same as last year’s
results. This means that even
though the internet is everywhere
at the touch of an iphone — and
that manufacturers, for the most
part, publish their entire catalogs
on their websites — wholesaler
personnel still prefer the personal
contact of vendors’ representatives and trade publications’ combination of news and information
to looking elsewhere.
This year’s survey revealed some
other interesting findings as well:
• A new category is annual
sales volume. Although we don’t
publish specific individual
wholesaler dollar figures, the
numbers provide a good idea of
the breadth and scope of the
wholesalers that responded.
• When gauging suppliers’ performance, wholesalers rely on the
Manufacturer and factory reps: 75%
Trade magazines: 63%
Internet: 35%
Trade shows: 33%
Printed catalogs: 27%
Mfr. websites: 22%
Direct mail: 21%
Trade publication websites: 8%
What are your firm’s top
sources of information
about new products, lines
and brands?
Other: 4%
The internet grew somewhat in popularity, but overall manufacturers’ reps still appeal
the most to wholesalers. Trade magazines lost some ground but still are a solid choice.
More than 35: 7%
21 — 35: 3%
11 — 20: 6%
5 — 10: 11%
Including headquarters, what number of
stocking locations does your company operate?
2 — 4: 25%
What range best describes your
company’s annual sales volume?
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Less than $3 million: 27%
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$3 million to $9.9 million: 21%
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
CD-ROM catalogs: 1%
One location: 42%
tried-and-true three methods of
better margins, increased sales
and inventory reductions. Oddly
enough, more wholesalers said
they don’t measure performance;
this either means time- and personnel-strapped companies don’t
have the resources, or suppliers
have improved performance to
such a degree that wholesalers are
satisfied overall.
• curiously, more wholesalers
during the last two year increased
their number of vendors while
more deceased the number. This
seeming contradiction stems from
the result that very few saw no
change; most wholesalers actively grew or cut their vendor pools.
• The number of brands per line
wholesalers carried during the
past two years held steady for the
second year in a row, and whole-
salers plan to pick up or drop
about the same number of lines
during the next two years.
• The demographics of respondents have remained steady in
their proportions, although the
numbers are smaller for the most
part. The percentage of wholesalers stocking power tools held
steady, but with the other numbers lower, it indicates more
wholesalers stock power tools.
• Fewer wholesalers report buying from master distributors.
• The proportion of stockinglocation numbers stayed virtually
the same.
• Roughly the same number of
wholesalers are members of buying/marketing groups.
• purchases from overseas manufacturers has remained the same.
The survey continues, in an
easy-to-read graphic format, on
pages 54 and 57. We sincerely
wish to thank all of those who
participated. This survey provides
valuable insight into the methods
behind purchasing decisions of
industry wholesalers.
■
The numbers of stocking locations operated by wholesalers remained fairly steady.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$50 million plus: 16%
New for this year, this category provides an overall look at sales volumes.
During the past
2 years, did your
company increase
or decrease its number
of vendors?
Increased: 61%
Decreased: 38%
This year, does
your company intend
to increase or decrease
its number of vendors?
Increase: 28%
Decrease: 22%
No change: 48%
During the past two years there was activity in this category.
Survey continues on page 54 >
ince 1956 the
employees of Mueller
Steam Specialty have been
dedicated to the manufacture of
high quality products delivered on time and with superior
customer service. Our core line
of rugged strainers is available
in a wide range of types and
materials. Whether you require
basket strainers, Y strainers,
“ Tee” type strainers, duplex
strainers, or even temporary
strainers, Mueller will deliver
your order from stock or custom
engineer and manufacture it to
your requirements. In addition to
its strainer line, Mueller offers a
full line of check valves, butterfly valves, pump protection and
specialty products for a variety
of industries and applications.
Choose Mueller Steam Specialty
for your next project.
S
www.muellersteam.com
54 •
2009
Purchasing
Decision-makers
Survey
Continued from page 52.
Other: 14%
Automated purchasing and
supply chain processes: 20%
How are you
looking to cut
purchasing costs?
Is your company
a member of a
buying/marketing group?
• Yes: 47%
• No: 53%
Simple requests: 23%
Does your company
buy stock
Yes: 55%
from master No: 44%
distributors?
Reducing purchasing overhead activities: 28%
If yes, what are the benefits
of membership in a
buying/marketing group?
Reducing SKUs: 31%
Aggressively pursuing volume leverage with suppliers across locations: 41%
Far fewer wholesalers plan to automate their processes, and pursuing volume leverage has fallen from favor, but more are reducing SKUs to cut purchasing costs.
During the past 2 years,
have you increased or
decreased the number of
brands per line that you carry?
During the next 2 years,
do you plan to increase or
decrease the number of
brands per line that you carry?
Decrease
21%
Increase
28%
Unchanged Increased
38% 42%
20%
Decreased
No change
50%
42% Better prices
27% Networking
20% Market intelligence
14% Mgmt. education
7% Technical information
3% Sales leads
10% Other
Increased sales: 30%
Operational cost reductions: 26%
Other: 15%
Labor savings:
11%
We don’t measure it:
21%
Compared with U.S. and Canadian-made SKUs,
during the past 2 years your purchases
of foreign-made SKUs have:
Decreased
7%
Availability: 13%
Increased: 45%
A surprise here — after several years of
decline in vendor managed inventory to
the point where it had nearly disappeared, this year VMI made a big comeback with its use increasing ninefold.
Have you experienced
more frequent price increases
during the last 2 years?
Yes: 94%
No: 5%
A new category this year, and the numbers reflect overall economic conditions.
Price: 39%
Quality: 8%
Remained about
the same: 39%
✔ No: 81%
Do you see manufacturers
becoming more aggressive in
their pricing and programs?
Yes: 61%
No: 38%
On which basis do
you gauge suppliers’
performance?
This year, fewer respondents focused on increased sales as a measure of performance,
perhaps a reflection of overall reduced economic activity.
Do you have vendor
managed inventory
for some lines?
✔ Yes: 18%
1-25% — 26%
26-50% — 30%
51-75% — 34%
76-100% — 8%
The figures for this category are an
almost exact repeat of last year’s results.
Of those respondents in buying groups,
few do the bulk of their buying through
the group.
Inventory reductions: 32%
Weekly: 55%
Monthly: 36%
Quarterly: 9%
Annually: 3%
Far fewer wholesalers reported buying
stock from master distributors, however,
among those who do, more than half still
buy weekly from M/Ds.
If yes, what percentage of your
buys are done through buying
group vendors?
Far fewer respondents increased the number of brands they carry, but more appear set
to hold steady during the next two years.
Better margins: 46%
If so,
how
often?
If they have
increased, what
were the
main reasons?
Design features: 4%
Other: 5%
About the same number of respondents increased their purchases of foreign-made SKUs as last year. Also, they
cited nearly the same main reasons for buying from overseas.
In your company, who is
authorized to make general
inventory purchasing decisions?
Counter
managers
7%
Other
40%
Branch managers
53%
Ass’t branch
managers
9%
As in all past surveys, branch managers by far take
the most responsibility for purchasing decisions.
Survey continues on page 57 >
We bring the industry
online & directly to
your business
A l w a ys d y n a mi c a n d
up dated on a co nsistent,
m o n t h l y b a s i s , as a v i s i t o r
t o t h e si t e yo u ’ l l h a ve
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C o n t e n t i n c l u d es :
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• Prod ucts and mo re!
The Wholesaler has combined proven
reader and advertiser loyalty with a
powerful reach. Now we extend that
reach via a new and improved online
presence on the Web!
Log on to
www.thewholesaler.com
2009
Purchasing
Decision-makers
Survey
Continued from page 54.
Do you make more brand
recommendations to customers
than two years ago?
Industrial PVF: 34%
Plumbing: 61%
Hydronic heating: 32%
HVAC equipment: 39%
HVAC parts: 39%
Which categories
of products
does your
company stock?
Refrigeration: 18%
37% Yes
6% No
48% About the same
Respondents made about the same number of brand recommendations this year
as last; results were nearly identical.
Power tools: 29%
Percentages are down for almost all product categories, although the ratios remain
about the same with the exception of power tools. Respondents carry the same percentage of power tools as last year, which indicates that wholesalers stocked more
tools in relation to other products. This might be a growth market.
HAYWARD, MINN. — Several companies
from Albert Lea, Minn., were instrumental in the successful completion of a
recent new-home construction project
for an episode of the ABc television
Larson Contracting, based in Albert
Lea, Minn., built this eight-room, 3,200square-foot home for Dirk and Susan
DeVries in just one week.
show “Extreme Makeover: Home
Edition,” which aired on December 7.
The builder, Larson contracting, was
asked by the show’s producers to head
the monumental task of building the
eight-room, 3,200-square-foot home of
Dirk and Susan Devries in Hayward
Township, Minn., in just one week. Jim
& Dude’s, who had worked with Larson
on design/build projects for roughly 10
years, was chosen to install the plumbing and HvAc, which they did without
charge. In preparation, Jim & Dude’s
requested product donations from its
various suppliers and, according to coowner Dennis Bergstrom, most of these
vendors happily contributed.
To meet the domestic hot water needs
of the new three-and-a-half-bath home,
Electric cooperative Freeborn-Mower
cooperative Services donated a domestic water heating system. This included a
Does your company engage in
centralized purchasing?
• Exclusively: 28%
• For certain lines: 39%
• Not at all: 28%
After significant changes in last year’s
figures, this category remained fairly stable in this year’s results.
Our sincere thanks to all the
purchasing decision-makers
who responded to our
2009 questionnaire!
Other: 30%
Hayward-area companies
play key roles in TV show
• 57
INDUSTRY NEWS
105-gallon, Rheem Marathon electric
water heater, which features a lifetime
limited tank warranty. The Rheem
Marathon
has
a
non-metallic
permaGuard seamless polybutylene
inner tank and a filament-wound fiberglass outer tank. As a result, the
Marathon is impervious to rust and corrosion and warranted not to leak for as
long as the Devries own their home.
Roughing in the plumbing and HvAc for
the family’s new home began on the third
day of the weeklong project, merely one
day after the demolition of the old structure. With only seven hours scheduled for
all plumbing and HvAc work, Jim &
Dude’s installed the water heating system
and the rest of the plumbing in time for
the inspectors, who arrived at nightfall.
“Seven hours to do everything is relatively intense, but everyone had their
jobs, and we broke into teams,” said
Bergstrom. “It was quite an organized
chaos with probably 80 to 100 people
working on the house at any given
time.” Approximately 25 of those people
were plumbers, while another 20 were
HvAc technicians.
“This was an amazing project for the
family and our community,” noted
Dawn Jenson of Freeborn-Mower. “So
many people came forward to volunteer
their time, talents and home-building
materials. We were so proud to be a part
of such a wonderful, successful, oncein-a-lifetime event.”
REP RAP
Blanco appointed Pan American Sales
& Marketing, a Sunrise, Fla.-based
firm, its sales representative for Florida
east of the Appalachicola River, excluding Tallahassee, and for puerto Rico,
Bermuda and the caribbean.
Todd Talbot has joined Mega
Western Sales as a principal partner.
Talbot has spent his entire 26-year career
in the building products industry, starting in 1982 as a sales representative for
Hoyt Water Heater company. In 1988,
he began his 19-year career with Masco
corporation, where he last served as
president of Brasscraft, Alsons and
cobra products. He is a former board
member and president of the plumbing
Manufacturers Institute and also served
on the board of the vendor member division of ASA. He will be focused specifically on Mega’s operations in northern
california, with responsibilities for all
sales related duties with all factories.
Tasman Sinkware North America
has chosen Summit Sales Inc., headquartered in Olathe, kan., to represent
the Oliveri line of kitchen sinks in
kansas, Missouri and southern Illinois.
Summit Sales was founded in 1980, has
11 employees and is headed by Bill
Davenport. Summit sells a complete
line of bath and plumbing products to
wholesalers.
Wales-Darby Inc., one of A.O.
For
more
information,
www.rheem.com.
visit
Domestic hot water for the 3 1/2-bath
home are via a 105-gallon Rheem
Marathon electric water heater donated
by electric cooperative FreebornMower Cooperative Services and here
installed by techs from plumbing contractor Jim & Dude’s.
Smith’s leading representatives in the
Metro New York/Long Island/New
Jersey area, recently opened an energyefficiency showroom at their Islandia,
N.Y., location. Designed as a multipurpose facility, the Wales-Darby Energy
Room provides a setting dedicated to
the display of functional HvAc/plumbing products and systems that present
real, energy-efficient and eco-conscious alternatives to standard efficiency options. Wales-Darby represents the
entire line of A.O. Smith residential
and commercial water heaters and
high-efficiency copper tube boilers.
The Wales-Darby Energy Room will
function as an education center and
serve as a site for training opportunities provided by outside trade organizations and associations.
■
58 •
TALKIN’ RADIANT
One homeowner’s tale
I
tell you this tale because when products are not properly sized, they
usually become product problems
and your problems — even though neither the product nor you are to blame.
A homeowner had an old steam boiler, and when he looked into having it
replaced, a dozen contractors visited
him. That’s what he said — a dozen con-
If the boiler is too large,
it will short-cycle and waste
fuel. If it’s too small, it will
run for a long time, heat the
house unevenly and waste fuel.
You have to size it right to
make it work; to do that,
you have to carefully
measure the radiators and
to look closely at the piping.
tractors. He may have been exaggerating, but even if it was a half-dozen, I still
think that’s a lot, don’t you? I mean, how
many people would you invite to quote
on a big-ticket item such as a steam boiler. If you weren’t in the business, that is.
Would you call three? I think I’d call
three. Most people would. But suppose
all three contractors showed up and
looked around and that each came up
with a different size for that replacement
boiler? I’m not talking about slightly
different; I’m talking wildly different. If
that happened to you, would you call a
fourth guy, just to be sure? Would you
figure that if two of the four were close
in their sizing, then that must be the correct size? Sound good to you? But what
if the fourth guy came up with a different number from the other three guys?
Would you call a fifth guy? And a sixth?
What if a dozen contractors each came
up with a different size for that boiler?
That’s what happened here. One guy
looks at the old boiler’s label and quotes
on a new boiler, based on the size of the
old boiler, even though things in the
house have changed over the years.
Another guy does a rule-of-thumb heat
loss of the house, figuring so many Btu
per square foot of floor space. He says
he’s been doing it this way for years.
A few of the contractors measure the
radiators, which is the right way to go
when it comes to replacing a steam boiler, but each come up with a differentsized boiler for the same radiation load.
The homeowner stands back and
watches all of this, and he wonders what
to do. Then he does what most people do
nowadays — some internet research. If
you’re like me, this will probably nag at
you. I think that when a homeowner
calls a so-called heating professional for
a new boiler, that pro should be fully
confident, compelling and thoroughly
capable of explaining all the whys of
what he’s proposing. Once he’s spoken,
the homeowner should nod his head and
feel comfortable. That’s what I think.
Open clogged pipes with
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Wholesaler – General Pipe Cleaners
Typhoon 1/3 pg Ad – August 2007 Insertion
BY DAN HOLOHAN
Wet head
But that’s often not the case, especially when it comes to the old stuff. That’s
really a shame. I don’t think professionals should send homeowners running to
the internet, but this homeowner was
getting a dozen different opinions, so
what was he to do?
He found his way to HeatingHelp.
com and sent me an e-mail. He told me
about his radiators and that they all had
enclosures around them. He learned
from lurking on our bulletin board and
by reading the technical sections of the
site that a steam boiler’s ability to produce steam has to match the system’s
ability to condense steam. If the boiler is
too large, it will short-cycle and waste
fuel. If it’s too small, it will run for a
long time, heat the house unevenly and
waste fuel. You have to size it right to
make it work; to do that, you have to
carefully measure the radiators and to
look closely at the piping.
Once he learned this, and since all
the contractors were coming up with
different sizes for the radiators, the
homeowner bought a book that shows
the true ratings of old radiators. He
measured for himself, and the boiler
size he came up with was much smaller
than what any of the contractors were
proposing. This made him nervous;
that’s why he e-mailed me. What did I
think about all of this?
I asked him a few questions. He told
me that most of the contractors were
very concerned with the enclosures
around the radiators. They told the
homeowner that enclosures cut down on
the heat, and that they would have to figure that into the size of the boiler. This
may or may not be true. It all depends on
the type of enclosure. Some enclosures
actually increase a radiator’s output by
creating a chimney effect for the air as it
warms itself on the hot metal and rises.
There are charts that show this effect;
they’re easy to find on the Internet, but
they can be confusing.
The chart I’m looking at right now,
for instance, shows a freestanding, castiron radiator with a simple shelf over its
top. The caption under that drawing
reads, “Add 20%.” What that means is if
you want that radiator to put out the
same amount of heat as it would if the
shelf were not there, you would have to
increase the size of the radiator by 20%.
Look at this other radiator: It has a
different sort of enclosure, the kind
you’ll see all the time in old houses. This
enclosure has a solid, hinged top and a
metal front grill with about a million
tiny holes. It’s a classic. The chart tells
me that I would have to add 30% to the
size of that enclosed radiator to get the
same amount of heat that I would get
• 59
TALKIN’ RADIANT
from an unenclosed radiator.
But all of this concerns the person
who installed the radiators, who is now
dead. He did a heat loss on the house
back in the day, figured on using enclosures so the children wouldn’t get fried
and then sized the radiators accordingly.
He would have added the extra square
footage of EDR to the radiator back then
to compensate for what the enclosure
was blocking in the way of convection.
His work is done, and he has gone on to
his reward.
The trouble here is that the contractors who are currently alive and visiting
this homeowner are adding 30% to the
size of the boiler they’re proposing, all
because of the radiator enclosures.
That’s going to recommend a boiler
that’s far larger than the actual connected load; that boiler would short-cycle
and waste fuel.
When the homeowner got educated
about all this, some of the contractors
argued with him. What the heck did he
know? He’s a mere homeowner.
They’ve been doing it this way for years.
They’re not going to take orders from
this jerk.
I asked the homeowner if the rooms
have been warm up to this point; he said
that they have. That’s a good question to
ask, don’t you think? His answer told me
that the radiators were the right size for
the rooms they were in, even though
ly house. Oh, my.
Hey, Mr. Wholesaler! That new boiler
you sold me is using more fuel than the
old one. The homeowner is screaming.
You need to call the factory and tell
them they got a big problem.
And what are you going to do to me?■
Dan Holohan began his love affair
with heating systems in 1970 by going to
work for a New York-based manufactur-
ers representative that was deeply
involved in the steam and hot-water
heating business. He studied hard,
prowled many basements and attics with
seasoned old-timers, and paid close
attention to what they had to say. Today,
Holohan operates the popular website,
www.HeatingHelp.com. He has written
hundreds of columns for a number of
trade magazines, as well as 15 books on
subjects ranging from steam and hot
Here’s the wackiest part.
This homeowner finally
decided what size the boiler
should be. He told the
contractors to base their
quote on that size. Some
backed off right away.
They weren’t going to
let the homeowner do the
sizing, even if he agreed
to take the responsibility.
they were inside enclosures. So what
would be the point of increasing the new
boiler’s size by 30%? He hadn’t needed
that additional load during all these cold
winters gone by. So why should he suddenly need it now, especially at a time
when we’re trying to make America’s
heating systems more efficient?
Here’s the wackiest part. This homeowner finally decided what size the boiler should be. He told the contractors to
base their quote on that size. Some
backed off right away. They weren’t
going to let the homeowner do the sizing, even if he agreed to take the responsibility. Other contractors told the homeowner that if he went with a boiler of
that size, a size they considered too
small, then he would also have to have a
boiler-feed pump, which happens to be
nearly as large as the boiler itself. This is
in a single-family house. Imagine needing a boiler-feed pump in a single-fami-
water heating, to teaching technicians.
His degree is in Sociology, which
Holohan believes is the perfect preparation for a career in heating. Holohan has
taught over 200,000 people at his seminars. He is well known for his entertaining, anecdotal style of speaking.
Holohan lives on Long Island with his
wife, The Lovely Marianne. They have
four incredible daughters, all out in the
world and doing wonderful things.
60 •
PRODUCT NEWS
Pressure vacuum breakers
Pipe coilers
Automatic coiling machine coils and
straps flexible plastic pipe up to 180mm
dia. Great for large-diameter pipe coiling; fully automating a process that normally uses high labor levels to strap the
coil and remove it from the coiling
machine, automating the process from
the point the pipe leaves the extrusion
line to the removal of the completed
coil. coil packaging, quality and durability are all at a superior level and coiling speeds increase significantly. Pipe
Coil Technology Limited.
www.pipecoil.co.uk
Grommet coil enclosure
This grommet coil enclosure was
designed for Series 204 and 304 solenoid valve lines. The housing features
flexible production
option for a group of
long-lasting valves
that can operate under
maximized pressure
ratings. The 204 and
304 Series is a family
of direct-acting solenoid valves for air and
liquid (including light
oil) applications. The
class F grommet enclosure is part of a conventional coil
construction that includes a taped,
wrapped coil and 2-wire 18" leads.
Rated to withstand 155ºc, a standard
100% continuous Duty Rating. Parker
Fluid Control Division.
www.parker.com
Auger bits
New lines of Ship Auger and Auger bits
are designed for plumbers or any trade
requiring deep hole drilling in wood.
constructed of high carbon steel and
feature a new cutting head design with a
pvB 4A series of pressure vacuum breakers features a
unique modular check valve design. part of a new
backflow preventer family that includes Dc 4A double
check assemblies and Rp 4A reduced
pressure principle assemblies.
Built around a self-contained
“captured spring” check module
that is easily removable for maintenance or replacement. Allows for more
compact body design that reduces costs.
Interchangeable in the same sizes between
all three valves in the 4A Series family to
simplify repair operations and help contractors reduce parts inventory. Apollo Valves.
www.apollovalves.com
Touch-free faucet
Pipe wrench
The Aerada™ 1200 Series cS gooseneck
faucet complements the existing line of
Aerada 1200 series cS
faucets; use capacitive
sensing
technology to
provide optimal
hands-free
operation.
particularly
useful
in
healthcare and
laboratory applications
where quick access to
handwashing and water
is essential; instinctively detects a
user’s presence
from
any
angle
of
approach. All mechanical and electrical
components are concealed in a waterresistant housing. ADA compliant; can
also help earn a LEED Water Efficiency
credit with its water-conserving 1.5-gpm
laminar flow. Automatically shuts off
after a user’s hands leave the sensor
area. Bradley Corp.
The HAWk wrench features fast ratcheting action for single-handed adjusting
and tightening of pipes
and fittings up to 2"
diameter; springloaded jaw that
automatically
adjusts to
work on
different
pipe sizes;
patented
three-point jaw
design that provides an extra-strong grip
for increased torque; a trigger on the handle quickly disengages the
tool from the workpiece; and a valve
shut-off key is also molded into the handle. Available in 3 sizes: 10", 14" and
18". General Tools & Instruments.
www.generaltools.com
New faucet finish
The Bayview faucet collection now
includes a pvD brushed nickel finish that
provides a durable luster on each fixture
Solvent cements
All of this company’s WELD-ON products
are now made of environmentally
responsible low-vOc formulations. By
the end of March 2009, all WELD-ON solvent cements, primers and cleaners will
meet the most stringent vOc emission
limits in the u.S.: Rule 1168/316A,
established by ScAqMD. WELD-ON solvent cements, primers and cleaners join
pvc, cpvc and ABS pipe, valves and fittings in most applications. IPS Corp.
www.ipscorp.com
Plastic butterfly valves
These butterfly valves can replace metal
valves in a variety of industrial piping
systems. Designed for long-term performance and flexibility, BYB
Series industrial butterfly
valves feature a rugged,
one-piece plastic body
that can stand up to
high flow rates and
elevated stress conditions. Lever-operated BYB valves are
available in 2"-8"
pvc, cpvc, ppL and pvDF
bodies with cpvc, ppL and pvDF
discs. The 14"-24" sizes are available in
the same body and disc materials and
feature a high torque gear box. Options
include gear boxes on the smaller sizes,
stainless steel lugs on all sizes, and electric or pneumatic actuation. Hayward
Flow Control Systems, a division of
Hayward Industrial Products.
www.haywardflowcontrol.com
www.bradleycorp.com
Sophisticated faucets
Tahi kitchen and bath fittings are sophisticated, modern and fashion forward to
compliment the luxurious Satinjet Tahi
Fuel cylinder options
special heat treatment process to provide
optimal life when encountering nails
during cutting. Edge stays sharper
longer and reduces the need to be sharpened, leading to increased productivity
and reduced downtime. The bit flutes are
polished, then coated with an industrial
non-stick material to ensure faster chip
ejection and reduce clogging when
drilling deep holes. Bits come standard
with a 7/16" power groove quick-change
shank; available in a variety of diameters in 6" and 181/2" lengths. Milwaukee
Electric Tool.
Max power propylene is now available
in the familiar yellow Fat Boy fuel
cylinders that meet the environmental
demands of today’s consumers.
patent-pending
Green key® device,
when inserted into an
empty
cylinder,
releases all remaining fumes, effectively depressurizing the
cylinder so it can be
recycled by the consumer's local steel
recycler.
contain
20% more fuel than
standard
14.1-oz
cylinders, providing users with longer
run times. BernzOmatic.
via a plating process whereby a molecularly bonded layer of a decorative metal
is applied to the faucet, producing an
armor-like finish that is very durable and
possess exceptional resistance to corrosion, tarnishing and scratching. Included
in the line are single-handle kitchen
faucets; kitchen pull-out faucets; lav, tub
and shower faucets; towel bars, towel
rings, toilet paper holders and robe
hooks. ceramic valve delivers consistent performance and a lifetime of trouble-free operation, even in harsh hard
water environments. Premier Faucet.
Shower System. Sleek geometric look
balances urban flair with minimalist
design. Among the options are kitchen
and bath faucets or mixers, 3-hole wall
and basin mounted faucets, a shower
mixer and shower mixer with diverter,
and a bath spout. ultra-flat polished
chrome surface is laser etched with hot
and cold indicators. Methven.
www.milwaukeetool.com
www.bernzomatic.com
www.premierfaucet.com
www.methven.biz
• 61
PRODUCT NEWS
Solar collector
The new vitosol 100-F flat plate solar
collector is an economy option to flat
plate and vacuum tube solar collectors.
Features rugged, high-quality aluminum
frame construction, impact-resistant
solar glass, excellent solar energy
harvest with a
selectively coated
copper absorber.
Outstanding price/
performance ratio.
in a wide range of
solar thermal applications and is ideal
for solar domestic hot
water or pool heating
systems. Now OG-100
certified by the Solar
Rating and certification corporation;
qualifies for available u.S. state and federal incentive programs. Viessmann.
Freeze unit generates pipe plugs for easy repairs
The
SF-2500
SuperFreeze™ pipe freezing unit quickly and easily isolates sections of copper or steel pipe with ice plugs, eliminating complete system shut-downs and draining.
Forms ice plugs in as little as 5
min in steel pipes up to 2" and
copper tubing up to 21/2". One
or two plugs can be formed
with a single unit at the
same time. Operates automatically once freeze
heads attach to the pipes
and the unit is turned on.
continues to run during
repairs, ensuring the ice plugs
do not melt. Flexible rubber
hoses connect the freeze
heads to the unit; makes them
easier to handle and allows quicker
coiling and storage in its rugged stainless steel carrying case. Does not use any hazardous refrigerants,
carbon dioxide or nitrogen. RIDGID.
www.ridgid.com
www.viessmann.com
Reflective insulation
GR-8 Duct Reflective Insulation for the
HvAc market addresses new code
requirements that demand a thermal
resistance of R-8 around HvAc ducts.
Safe, flexible and easy to install; class
1/class A in accordance with ASTM E84
and uL 723 fire test standards. polyesterbased thermal insulating core sandwiched between 2 highly reflective aluminum facings can achieve an R-8
around ducts using a minimal amount of
space. Easy to work; will not cause skin
irritation. Reflects up to 96% of radiant
heat transfer, reducing heat loss from
duct work, increasing overall energy
efficienc. TVM Building Products.
www.americanstandardair.com
Adjustable speed drive
HVACR sealant
q9 adjustable speed drive is designed
for commercial variable torque applications such as fans and pumps for vAv
Sytems, cooling towers and pump systems. Offered in 460v, 1 to 100 Hp and
230v, 1 to 60 Hp. user friendly; has an
overload rating of 100% continuous and
110% for 1 minute. Damper permissive
control prevents drive from running
when dampers are closed. Low output
disable function forces the drive to zero
speed if it operates at the lower limit fre-
Expansion valve kit
The universal TR6 kit includes a full range
of thermostatic expansion valves packaged in a plastic carrying case. contains
quency for a user-defined time span.
Toshiba International.
www.toshiba.com/ind
HVAC flushing solvent
either 4 valves (for R-22) or 3 valves (R410A), giving contractors an immediate
solution to any system upgrade. can
increase the efficiency of older A/c units
and heat pumps up to 15%, and significantly reduce energy costs by as much as
40% without more expensive 13 SEER or
higher equipment. Temperature and pressure sensors open or close the diaphragm
as needed; precisely measures refrigerant
flow to maintain a 90% refrigerant gas saturation level in the coil. Danfoss.
The Opk-300EZ/E EZ-Ject™ A/c leak
detection kit is ideal for small to medium size systems. contains everything
necessary for the job: the OpTIMAx™
3000 cordless, rechargeable LED leak
detection flashlight that is 15 times
brighter than regular LED lights.
Inspection range is 20 ft or more and a
bulb life of 50,000 hours. Also included
are the EZ-Ject™ dye injector assembly,
hose assembly with check valve and
low-loss fitting, two 0.5 oz EZ-Ject universal/pOE dye cartridges, 8 oz spray
bottle of GLO-AWAY™ dye cleaner, Ac
and Dc battery chargers and fluorescence-enhancing glasses. Spectronics.
The pro-Flush™ HvAc flushing solvent
is formulated for R-410a retrofits, refrigerant conversions and compressor
burnouts.
kit includes
a reusable
tank
with
pressure-relief
safety valve; a
hose; one can of
pro-Flush; and an
injector trigger nozzle
for accurate, single-hand
operation.
Reduces
costs since
only the 16-oz refillable cans need to be
purchased. Solvents are non-vOc, conform to EpA SNAp standards and are nonhazmat. compatible with cFc and HFc
refrigerants and compressor oils.
DiversiTech Corporation.
www.envisioneering.danfoss.com
www.spectroline.com
www.diversitech.com
HVAC test instruments
www.tif.com
Super Seal Total™ is a 4-in-1 product
that combines a moisture eliminator,
acid preventer, uv
leak detector and
micro leak sealer
for the prevention,
a n d
detection of
common
c o m mercial
and residential Ac/R system
corrosion and leak problems. Total 1 for
systems up to 1.5 tons and Total 2 for
systems 5 tons or more come in a vacuum-packed can with a charging hose and
is injected into the Lp service port of an
operating system. Cliplight.
www.cliplight.com/hvacr
www.tvmi.com
New family of HvAc system performance test instruments with
infrared capabilities includes: thermocouple
thermometers
(p/N
3310/3320), a psychrometer (p/N 3110), anemometer (p/N 3220) and differential pressure meter (p/N
3420, infrared probe not
included). Enable technicians to target non-contact
surfaces and quickly take
accurate differential temperature, pressure and airflow readings. Technicians
can also store Min/Max
and AvG readings with
these tools. Large, easy-toread LcD display and rugged design for
easy grip and hold. TIF, an SPx brand.
Hybrid heating system
The Heritage® 20 heat pump is the
newest member of the Heritage
Hybrid™ comfort system with
AccuLink™. up to 20-SEER efficiency,
uses R-410a refrigerant, has 2stage cooling.
When
paired
with a Freedom®
80 or 95 communicating furnace,
offers a new continuous comfortR mode for more
precise comfort
and
humidity
control. AccuLink digitally enables the
heat pump to be automatically and properly configured to the indoor components. Easy to install; no “kits” to adapt
the controls. Only 2 wires run from the
outdoor unit to the indoor unit.
American Standard Heating & Air
Conditioning.
Leak detection kit
62 •
PRODUCT NEWS
Bathtub replacement kit speeds rennovations
Distinctive faucets
The value Series addition to this company’s line of RO faucets is available in 5
distinctive styles to coordinate with any
décor. Features include: plated zinc alloy
outer body; lead-free plastic water passages; lead-free brass gooseneck spout
that swivels 360°; 36" pre-installed 1/4"
inlet tubing; standard high-polished
chrome-plated finish; and optional satin
nickel and antique bronze finishes available. Tomlinson Industries.
www.tomlinsonind.com
Slip fit tub spout
The new Swanstone Bathtub Replacement Shower kit (Bk-326072) offers customers a way to redesign baths without
elaborate, time-consuming
renovations. customers can
purchase the Swanstone
bathtub replacement kit at
their best price as a single
item, with freight pre-paid.
The kit contains a shower
floor, bench seat, 2 soap
dishes, recessed shampoo
shelf and shower wall kit
with installation materials.
The kit replaces a standard
32"x60" bathtub. Each kit is
compression molded, ensuring superior durability.
Available in 29 colors;
meets a variety of standards
and ratings, including class
1A fire rating. The Swan
Corporation.
The new Tug Spout provides a convenient, secure method for installing slip fit
spouts. Fits the stub out tightly to the
wall, eliminating the need for unsightly
caulk. Tightening action helps compress
O-ring seal at stub out for leak free
installation. Installs directly onto 1/2"
copper stub out with only a #2 phillips
screwdriver. complimentary Dry Seal
pipe collar included in every package.
Tightens flush to the wall and requires
no caulk to finish around the spout.
Sioux Chief.
www.siouxchief.com
Mesh abrasive cloth
vISI-GRIT is a super-bright fluorescent
yellow, waterproof open mesh abrasive
cloth. Highly visible and easy to locate
in dim areas. use it for cleaning metal or
www.theswancorp.com
Mixing valves
Showermaster® 7600 thermostatic mixing valves are designed for shower and
bath applications in healthcare, educational, penal, industrial, recreational and
other commercial/institutional applications. provide dependable control of
water temperature for showers or baths.
Highly responsive copper encapsulated
thermostat. compensates for supply
temperature and pressure fluctuations.
Built-in shutoff, single-handle operation. Integral checkstops on hot and cold
inlets. Leonard Valve Company.
www.leonardvalve.com
Redsigned electric water heater
Oil detecting sump pump
Commercial electric water heaters
This line of commercial electric water
heaters has been redesigned; includes
the new Gold Series, Gold xi and
custom xi models. Innovative features
provide enhanced performance and reliability. The Gold
Series DRE incorporates several new features, including the
addition of Goldenrod® elements as a
standard
feature;
resists scale build-up
of up to 5 times that
of a standard element
for longer and more
dependable element
life in a variety of water conditions.
Redesigned control access door allows
easier access to all interior components
and elements. Specific attention was
placed on improving access to the bottom elements, which had been difficult
to reach. A.O. Smith Water Products.
New “Oil Detective”
sump systems are
job-ready and detect/alert for the
presence of oil in
various applications.
System comes complete with
cast iron or cast iron/stainless
steel pump, controller, audible
alarms, visual display lights,
preset on/off, 20' piggyback
switch cord and uL approved
switch. Flows up to 65 GpM
@5' (1/3hp) up to a high
head 1/2hp (50 GpM
@20'). Blue Angel Pumps.
The Sandblaster® cSB series units are
available with a surface mount thermostat
(cSB-S) or an immersion mount thermostat (cSB-I) and are used
for standard commercial
applications.
The
Sandblaster® cSB and
the Statesman™ SSE
series units are for
heavy-duty commercial
applications. 24k gold
plated elements standard. The SSE’s heavyduty incoloy elements
provide top protection
against oxidation, scaling. corrosion-resistant
tanks have commercial
quality glass lining, heavy-duty anode
rods. State Water Heaters.
www.blueangelpumps.com
Compact root cutter
Economical Metro-Rooter® holds 75 ft
of 5/8" Flexicore® wire rope center cable;
handles roots and other tough stoppages
www.stateind.com
Internationally styled faucets
The Avanti collection blends European
design elements with california individualism. Only available to wholesalers,
www.hotwater.com
New butterfly valve series
plastic pipe or fittings and most hard
surfaces. Open mesh resists clogging
and can be used wet or dry. Doublesided abrasive can be rinsed with water
and reused. Made of tough and effective
180-grit aluminum oxide particle abrasive. UTILITY.
Three new butterfly valves have been
added to the propress product line. The
new valves are semi-lug bodies with
EpDM
liners,
stainless steel
disc and stem,
with a 10-position handle;
available in
21/2", 3" and
4" sizes. The
valve addition
compliments
the existing 550 bronze and copper
propress fittings offered in the line.
compatible with propress Adapter
Flanges used in copper joining systems
for heating and potable water applications. Viega.
in 3" through 6" lines. Or switch to 100
ft of 1/2" cable for smaller jobs. Light
and compact, its narrow profile facilitates handling in tight places, on stairs
and loading onto trucks. Features a folddown handle, truck-loading wheel, and
tough, lightweight frame on 10" semipneumatic wheels for easy transport.
General Pipe Cleaners, a division of
General Wire Spring Co.
the collection features 4 new international families of products: kenzo,
Lago, Aria and Isola. Represents an
avant-garde, functional, energetic,
sophisticated, fun and memeorable style.
All of the new Avanti products feature
the European valving system, which
meets the strictest noise standards to
ensure quiet and effective performance
in multi-family or commercial settings.
Black & Decker Hardware and Home
Improvement Group.
www.utilitychemicals.com
www.viega.net
www.drainbrain.com
www.bdhhi.com
2•
• THE WHOLESALER® — MARCH 2007
Manufacturer
Spotlight
US Strainer Co. sells
exclusively to distributors
A Master Distributor of Pipeline Strainers
Sales to Distributors Only
Stocking all major brands including Hayward,
Mueller, Titan, Spence, SSI and others!
Products Include:
• Y-Strainers
• Basket Strainers
• Duplex Strainers
• UL- and FM-Approved Strainers
• Custom Screens
• We stock Bronze, Iron, Cast Steel,
Stainless and now Alloy 20
• Grooved-End Strainers
Services We Offer:
• We ship 95% of your orders the same day, including special screens!
• Credit Cards Accepted
• No Minimum Order
• Blind Shipments Using Your Packing List
All New, No Surplus, Factory Pricing
We make screens for anyone’s strainers!
Contact us…
We have what you’re looking for in stock! We will ship today!
1431 East Algonquin Rd.,
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
847-434-0766
fax: 847-434-0686
Toll-free: 866-440-1894
Please visit our website:
www.usstrainer.com
e-mail: info@usstrainer.com
See
contact
information
on page
Circle
000 on
Reader Reply
Card70
64 •
MOVING UP
CONGRATS!
Blue Angel Pumps appointed Drew
Dempsey West coast regional sales
manager. He will oversee the rep agencies, training and new product placement to lead growth and expansion in
that region. Dempsey originally joined
the company as a sales associate.
Bradford White promoted Robert G.
McKenney to regional sales manager,
overseeing the company’s sales efforts
throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
During his seven years with the company, he has held positions of increasing
responsibility including product analyst,
assistant regional sales manager and district sales manager.
California Faucets made the following announcements:
• Frederick Desborough was named
vice president-commercial business.
Desborough joined the company in 2000
as chief operating officer, with more
than 30 years experience in the plumb-
ing industry. He began his career in the
U.K. as a plumbing and heating engineer
and systems design engineer.
• Noah Taft was promoted to senior
vice president-marketing & sales. He
joined the company in 2002 as director
of marketing and quickly rose to director
of marketing & sales and then vice president-marketing & sales. In addition to
his marketing and sales achievements,
Taft refined the company’s marketing
materials, tactically enhanced the website and played a crucial role in developing the Virtual Faucet creator®, a revolutionary online customization tool.
Chicago Tube & Iron Co. welcomed
Mike Ralph to the Indianapolis Division
as the outside sales representative for
Kentucky. He had spent 10 years working for Quality containment co. as an
assistant plant manager and an estimator.
Eastway Supplies Inc. named Scott
Plinke director of its PVF Division. He
served as inside district sales manager
for Michigan, Delaware and Maryland
wtih Integrity Supplies Inc. from 19921996 before joining Eastway’s residential sales team. He later handled commercial/industrial sales at Eastway.
Ronald C. Katz, executive chairman
of Elkay Manufacturing Company,
announced that Timothy Jahnke, Elkay’s
president and cEo, has been elected to
serve on the Board of Directors. Jahnke
joined Elkay in December 2007 and
under his leadership, Elkay has inititated
plant modernization, the deployment of
cutting edge technology and the development of innovative, high-quality
products. “Even in these challenging
economic times, Mr. Jahnke has made
significant contributions to our organization and demonstrates exceptional
skill in leading Elkay in the right direction for the future,” said Katz.
Prior to joining Elkay, Jahnke had a
successful
career
with
Newell
Rubbermaid, where he had an exceptional 21-year track record of accomplishments as the president and group
executive of several consumer business
units, as the top human resource executive and as a corporate officer.
Engineered Software announced
several personnel appointments:
• Michael Blondin was named chief
operating officer. Blondin will focus on
developing new service and product
offerings, new market development and
organizational refocusing. He will also
be responsible for the sales and marketing management direction. Blondin has
more than 10 years of business and management experience.
• Christy Bermensolo is now vice
president-engineering. Bermensolo will
lead the growing team of engineers on
staff. She has more than 10 years of
engineering experience, including more
than two years within the engineering
department.
• Former vice president-engineering
Ray Hardee will now operate solely as
the company’s chief executive officer.
Fire-Lite Alarms has expanded its
U.S. sales force with the hiring of two
new representatives:
• 65
MOVING UP
• Dan Lajoie will serve as sales manager for the northern Mid-Atlantic
region, including Maryland, Delaware,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania. lajoie
previously worked with ADI and
Honeywell Security Group’s sales team.
• Leon Parks will cover the
Northwest, comprised of Alaska,
Washington, Idaho, Montana, North and
South Dakota, oregon, Utah, colorado,
Wyoming and Nebraska. Parks had managed the sales, installation and operations of Smith Fire Systems and
Mountain Alarm for nearly 10 years.
William O’Keefe was appointed
Haws’ corporate marketing manager.
o’Keefe will take responsibility for all
aspects of market definition, customer
acquisition, new product launch support,
marketing communications and evaluation of both traditional and electronic
media. He has more than 12 years experience in a corporate sales and marketing
environment.
Heat Transfer Products named Rod
Hyatt to the newly created post of solar
product manager. He brings 16 years of
solar product experience, including the
launch of two highly successful start-ups
in the field: Sun Hydronics and In Hot
Water. He has been involved in the sale,
installation and coordination of hundreds of solar hot water and power systems in the West.
InSinkErator® announced the following honors:
• Michael Keleman, senior environmental engineer, was honored with the
Wylie W. Mitchell Award for his presentation at the American Society of
Sanitary Engineering annual meeting in
orlando, Fla., November 19-23.
Each year, the Wylie W. Mitchell
Award is presented to the individual
speaker presenting the most outstanding
paper at the E.J. Zimmer technical seminar, held during the organization’s
annual meeting. Keleman, an environmental specialist, spoke to ASSE delegates about the role food waste disposers
play in a holistic approach to food waste
management and how these widely used
kitchen appliances are surprisingly overlooked and misunderstood. He provided
research and technical information to
support the fact that disposers are an
environmentally responsible alternative
to transporting food waste to landfills.
• InSinkErator president Jerry Ryder
hosted a surprise reception to honor
Dave Weiner, cEo of Marketing
Support Inc., an integrated marketing
agency, for 50 years of service to the
company. Weiner has worked with
InSinkErator and its various business
groups on advertising and public relations programs since 1958. Ryder said
that Weiner’s contribution has been
essential to InSinkErator’s success:
“Dave has been a valuable business partner and friend of InSinkErator for a very
long time. We honor his many contributions to our success as well as his enduring loyalty.” Weiner recalled establishing MSI in 1961 with InSinkErator as its
first and only client.
Marcone Supply president and coo
Jim Souers was named a member of the
St. louis chapter of the Ronald
McDonald House charities board of
directors. Souers was chosen out of 30
or so other applicants to serve on the
board in 2009. “I am humbled to have
been chosen. Ronald McDonald House
charities is an organization that I believe
in and am honored to be a part of,”
Souers said. Marcone Supply has helped
to support RMHc by getting involved in
their dinner auctions and sporting events
and by preparing and serving meals to
the families staying at Ronald
McDonald Houses across the country.
George T. Sanders promoted sales
manager Derek Bell to vice president-sales
and marketing. Bell will also be a member
of the company’s board of directors. He
joined GTS in 1992, serving in various
positions before he became sales manager.
His role of supervising inside and outside
sales personnel, quotations and purchasing departments will now be expanded to
include broadening the company’s sales
base, profitability and profile.
After an extensive search, Uponor
Corporation’s board of directors has
appointed cFo and deputy cEo Jyri
Luomakoski president and cEo of the
Uponor Group and its parent company.
luomakoski has acted as cEo on an
interim basis since october 27. He has
served Uponor since 1996 and, for more
than four years, has been responsible for
the company’s municipal business in
North and South America as well as in
the United Kingdom and Ireland. Jari
Paasikivi, chairman of the board said,
“Jyri’s international management experience spans over a period of 20 years.
He has served Uponor during the past
two cEos, and has gained versatile experience from the company’s business during its different phases. luomakoski has
a broad network of contacts in the different stakeholder groups of the company, and he has firm support within the
board, as well as among his colleagues,
which allows him a good platform to
bring the company forward during these
challenging times.”
Vormittag Associates Inc. appointed
Joseph DeBella director of IBM
Independent Software Vendor Alliance.
DeBella will lead VAI’s expanding international sales efforts and drive new software and services through IBM as a VAI
channel partner in the highly competi-
tive mid-market Enterprise Resource
Planning space. DeBella has more than
30 years of business-to-business international information technology consulting experience. While at IBM, he served
in various executive positions.
Wolseley North America appointed
Frank Durham business manager, overseeing the power sector of the industrial
business group. Durham’s new position
furthers the company’s expansion into
the power sector of the North American
industrial market. Durham began his
career with Ferguson in 2006, as a
branch manager in Evansville, Ind. He
was most recently a business development manager for the central region. “I
am excited about the opportunity to
work in the hottest industrial market
segment in North America,” said
Durham. “My goal is to work with customers at all levels — power producers,
engineers, procurement and construction
firms, as well as fabricators and contractors — to provide industrial business
and product solutions.”
■
OBITUARY
Jim Seamon, manufacturers’ rep 1932-2009
NEW AlBANy, IND. — A manufacturers’
Gerber from $280,000 in business to
rep from the late 1960s until retirement in
over $5 million in his area. Seamon
2002, Jim Seamon covered Kentucky and
leaves that statement along with many
Indiana. He is remembered as
others. Wayne/Blue Angel
“one of the good guys” throughpump has been with this
out the states he covered.
founder of Seamon &
Seamon kept his rep firm in
Associates, operating today as
multiple trades while being recSeamon Sales Associates Inc.,
ognized with numerous sales
for more than 40 years.
performance awards. Plumbing
Seamon was a charter memwholesale was first but Seamon
ber of AIM/R and promoted all
had great success with
active PHccs in Indiana and
Belknap, S&T, HWI and other
Kentucky. He enjoyed golf with
hardware outlets during his
his buddies and his family. He
career. He took what was
Jim Seamon
will be missed but not forgotten.
66 •
COLUMNS
Less stress, more serenity in ’09
scene in your mind. This is someplace in
your life, where you felt safe and
relaxed. It may be last week on vacation
on the beaches of hawaii or when you
were five years old and fishing with
your dad or mom.
The more clearly you see the objects
and colors, the more relaxed you will get
and the more value you will get from the
exercise. See the palm trees swaying and
the blue ocean waves. For perfectionists,
do not make the scene perfect. Spend
time in your favorite nature scene. Next
in the process, you will leave the nature
scene and you will go thru the reverse of
the colors of the rainbow — violet, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.
Remember to see the colors (objects) for
it is where the deep; value is located.
The visualization process should take
between 10 and 15 minutes. Yes, it will
take practice to get the real value from
this process. It took me personally three
times to get the process working. Today,
I do the process in eight to 10 minutes
and my wife, Samantha, will tell you
that I am locked into only requiring five
to six hours of sleep — whether working
or on vacation. My many industry and
personal friends would say that I am
mostly a “high energy” person. The
same stress reduction technique process
can be used effectively when we have
major “upsets.”
Another great technique of reducing a
high level of stress it taking three very
deep and quick breathes of air. This will
dissolve stress levels down a few notches. Both visualization and breathing
techniques are found in numerous books
at your favorite bookstore.
My favorite tips from
volumes of stress reduction information
My personal top four tips on the war
against stress reduction:
• Stop worrying about situations you
can’t control. do we get any intrinsic
value what so ever? Like frequent flyer
airline miles?
• At the end of each business day,
acknowledge three wins in writing
(short) so you have closure. Even if it
might be the day from hell!
• Written goals. You can’t hit the target if you can’t see it. Failing to plan is
planning to fail. Written goals in all
areas of your life will cut down on your
stress.
Remember: “You will never ever ever
get caught up!” Life is a journey, not a
destination! Enjoy and have fun along
the journey of your work and personal
lives!
Out of 200 different things you can do
to reduce stress, here are my favorites
from the volumes of great information:
• prioritize each day events
• prepare for meetings in advance
• Say no to excessive commitments
• program leisure time
• Tidiness will make you feel in control
• have fun and learn to laugh
This technique of
“visualization” is used
in sports. Example: Michael
Jordan and Magic Johnson
have used this process to
perfect their basketball shots.
• Find time for prayer and reflection
• develop good listening skills
• Accept fair criticism.
• Concentrate on valued relationships
• Keep your life balanced in all
aspects.
■
Peter Schor, president of Dynamic
Results Inc., is an educator, motivational speaker, consultant, coach and writer
Count trucks when dealing with contractors
where they keep common, fast-moving
products. They are probably using a
computer system for their accounting
and billing.
• Credit
• Fair pricing
...Your objective will be
to become the primary,
and almost exclusive, supplier
to the good service
contractors in your market.
• MSdS documents for their trucks
• Tech support as they run into really
difficult situations
• product training for their techs
• Business training for the owner
• Support for their software (some
will need pricing data to load into their
computer software to allow quotations)
• Some will use their wholesaler’s
web site to order parts early or late in the
day
• Stockroom and possibly truck
replenishment support.
Ten-truck service contractors
At 10 trucks they have enough going
that they use robust computer systems,
have marketing programs, have some
full-time office staff and operate like a
real business. Their computer systems
will be more sophisticated and include:
dispatching, buying, accounting,
billing, flat-rate pricing and productivity tracking.
• Credit — on some big jobs they may
need special exceptions but probably
don’t deserve extended credit on all jobs
• preferred pricing
• MSdS documents for their trucks
• Tech support as they run into really
difficult situations.
• Customized product training
• Business training
• Support for their software (some
will need pricing data to load into their
computer software to allow quotations)
• Some will use their wholesaler’s web
site to order parts early or late in the day
• Stockroom and possibly truck
replenishment support
• Consignment inventory (try to avoid
this if you can but some contractors are
demanding it)
• Service truck management (replenishment and billing) software support.
Of course the service contractor’s
profile and needs vary widely, but you
can create profiles for your market and
your customers to help your team to better understand service contractors. With
this understanding, your objective will
be to become the primary, and almost
exclusive, supplier to the good service
contractors in your market.
If your company’s strategic focus
does not include service contractors, this
might not be the proper course for you.
As always, any strategic refocusing must
be approached carefully and thoughtfully. As I have said before, new markets or
types of customers always seem to
involve paying your dues.
I think the battle for the service contractor will be won by the wholesalers
who can provide those customers with
the items on these lists. You earn the
right to be the service contractor’s primary, almost exclusive, supplier by
showing him that:
• You have what he needs now
• You have what he will need as he
grows
• You will provide products and services that will help him to grow.
■
For information about service contractor support tools, e-mail me at
rich@go-spi.com
Rich Schmitt is president of Schmitt
Consulting Group Inc., a management consulting firm focused on
improving the profitability of distribution and manufacturing clients.
www.go-scg.com
Rich is also the co-owner of Schmitt
ProfitTools Inc. (SPI), a business
producing print, CD-ROM, web and
palm-based catalogs as well as pricing management and analysis software for wholesalers.
www.go-spi.com
in our industry and many diverse others.
For the past 17 years, he has conducted
100 educational programs yearly,
including 34 industry conventions.
Schor has great expertise in the field of
showrooms and has won many industry
awards. He also works with manufacturers in the field of sales, marketing and
public relations. Schor can be reached
at 1491 Ivy Arbor, Lincoln, CA 95648,
phone 916/408-5346, fax 916/408-5899,
by e-mailing pschor@dynamicresultsinc.com or on his website www
.dynamicresultsonline.com.
Brock
implement practical, positive solutions
for your customers and prospects it will
all be worth it.
Tools I like include a scanner (I’m
using two, the NeatReceipts sheet-fed
scanner and a desktop scanner from hp
for more automated scanning). Turn
paper into useful information by having
it available when needed. I also use the
Mophie for my iphone to add a boost to
battery power (about eight extra hours).
A digital voice recorder (dvR) gives me
the ability to grab thoughts and ideas
quickly, as well as to capture phrases
from the languages I’m studying.
There are many tools you can use. In
fact, I’m preparing a special report for
my coaching program that will detail
these and many other useful tools that
will help generate more sales and productivity. drop me an e-mail for more
information.
Leverage the tools to help people.
Always focus on how you can help
prospects to become customers and help
customers to become raving fans. This
strategy will work in a New Year and
any time in the future.
Bonus Tip: I just discovered a great
tool for listening on my iphone and
ipod. It is called BudFits. It makes listening more comfortable and helps keep
your earbuds in place when you are
active and mobile. This device is covered more in-depth on my website in
video (You’ll love it!) at www.terrybrock.com/2008/12/budfits, where you
will see exactly how it works. If you use
an ipod for learning, education or enjoying music, you need to check these out
— $8.95 retail for the pair, and they
make great gifts!
It is a time for renewal. Make this a
time to get started again in your business
and your personal life. Make the commitment to get the necessary knowledge
and resources that will propel you to the
goals you want to achieve. Make 2009
the year for your success -whatever the
outside world is doing.
■
Terry Brock is a marketing coach who
helps business owners market more
effectively, leveraging technology. He
shows busy professionals how to squeeze
more out of their busy days using the
right rules and tools. Brock can be
reached at 407/363-0505, by e-mail at
terry@terrybrock.com or through his
website at www.terrybrock.com.
• 67
MGS, ALNO form
strategic marketing,
sales partnership
BOSTON — ALNO and MgS recently
announced a new, strategic sales and
marketing partnership. MgS faucets —
composed of 100% solid stainless steel
— are now one of the preferred fixtures
for ALNO kitchen environments. MgS
will provide a variety of their modern
and minimalist faucets and fixtures to
showrooms.
“Each MgS product is crafted with the
utmost attention to detail and precision,
incorporating the finest stainless steel
materials in the world,” said MgS uSA
president Eric goldman. “They work
well with ALNO cabinetry because of
their progressive design and European
craftsmanship. Each part is seamless and
smooth. After the mechanical fabrication, the final touch is given by expert
ALNO uSA
Beschloss
not nearly as dilapidated as the media
makes it out to be. The World Economic
Forum ranks the u.S. among the world’s
best in this category.
We could go on — but the point has
been made. America has had a severe
setback in the past year. But this nation
is posed and resilient enough to get
back on track, once we get over the
hump in 2009.
■
Morris R. Beschloss, a 52-year veteran
of the pipe, valve and fitting industry, is PvF
and economc analyst for THe WHoLeSALeR.
polishers who hand finish every single
part to an impeccable shine or soft luster
of natural brushed stainless steel.”
The companies will support each
other through co-marketing and event
sponsorships. MgS products will be
included in ALNO’s multi-unit project
specifications and bids and both companies will feature each other’s products in
trade show displays.
For details, visit www.alnousa.com/pr
or www.mgsdesigns.com.
CLASSIFIED ADS
Anco leads with
great safety record
ELKhART, INd. — Anco products Inc.
has not had a single recordable accident
since May 5, 2007 — that’s more than
600 days and 215,483 hours worked.
Even more impressive is Anco’s record
for no lost time accidents, which stands
at 1,233 days as of January 1, 2009 —
that’s more than three years and 588,233
hours worked!
There was a time when Anco products
Inc. was notorious in Elkhart for plant
fires, as well as for accidents. Within the
last three years, however, Anco has
worked hard to foster a culture of safety.
According to Anco compliance manager
Leah Thwing, “Many new initiatives
have added to the success of our safety
program. Our world class manufacturing
practices, 6S empowerment initiatives
and a corporate led STEpS (Striving
Towards Excellence and professionalism in Safety) program all stress
safety, quality and productivity.”
The involvement of Anco products
employees has helped develop the new
culture of safety and continuous
improvement. Anco credits a majority of
their drastic safety improvements to
Lean and 6S initiatives, increased supervisor level accountability and empowered employees, who are involved in
many improvement processes. Anco
looks to continue with these initiatives
that have helped their performance.
“A lot of our manufacturing processes
are inherently dangerous, so we are really excited about the improvement in our
safety record,” said Anco president and
CEO Andy McCleery. “We are proud of
our employees, and we are focused on
finding ways to get even better in 2009.”
Additional information is available at
www.ancoproductsinc.com or by calling
800/837-ANCO.
INDUSTRY NEWS
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
(More classified ads on page 68.)
INVOICING SERVICE
Smart Invoicing Services Group provides a
fully automated document delivery service of
invoices, monthly statements and past due
letters; all sent first class at "presort" rates 10
to 20% less than standard mail. Alternatively,
documents can be faxed or emailed to your
customers who accept them in this manner!
• Let us do the work for YOU!
• No more stuffing envelopes
• No more trips to the post office
• No more address labels
• No more hassle!
All of this while REDUCING your current
cost outlay for document delivery and saving
valuable manpower expenses! Call today for a
quote or simply email us at info@smartinvoicing.com.
www.smartinvoicing.com
office (913) 362-8994
fax
(913) 362-0609
WANT TO BUY
WANTED TO BUY
Manufacturer seeks acquisition of
commercial plumbing products
manufacturer. Respond to:
TMB Publishing 02-01
1838 Techny Court
Northbrook IL 60062
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
GENERAL MANAGER
SALES MANAGER
Long-established, very profitable plumbing
distributor. Multiple location chain in northeastern Ohio. Company is pursuing aggressive expansion program. Individual must
have strong operating management background and solid executive credentials.
Candidates should view this as a long-term
position. Attractive compensation package.
seniorexecsrch@yahoo.com
A strong, successful Midwest HVAC company has an immediate opening for a Sales
Manager. This successful candidate must
have a minimum of 5 years experience.
Must have a proven track record in developing new markets, managing existing
accounts and generating sales revenue.
1838 Techny Ct.
Northbrook, IL 60062
WANTED TO BUY
We are a growing plumbing supply company on the east cost looking to continue our
expansion mode. If you are a plumbing supply company with annual sales of 5 million
or more and are interested in selling, we are
interested in meeting you.
Contact us via email at:
flhfinancial@aol.com
ANY WHOLESALERS
WILLING TO SELL???
SALES REPS NEEDED
50 year old Fastener Manufacturer and
Distributor serving the HVAC and Plumbing
Marketplace looking for sales representation in the following states: Florida, Georgia,
North/South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland,
Delaware, New York City, and Long Island.
Commission is 7.5%
We have much more than
fasteners to offer in line
We are a plumbing wholesale company on
the West Coast looking to expand. If you
are a wholesale company and are interested in selling we are interested in meeting
with you.
1838 Techny Ct.
1838 Techny Ct.
REPS
DISTRIBUTORS WANTED
SEEKING DISTRIBUTORS
Universal Specialties, a supplier of plumbing
and hardware products to facilities which
have a maintenance staff, is seeking to
expand its markets in the following states:
CO, UT, WA, OR, & AZ. We offer various
plans, including direct sales or stocking and
non-stocking distributors, which are great
business opportunities. Let us hear from you
at univplumbing@aol.com. Check out our
website at universalspecialties.com.
Responsibilities and Qualifications:
•
Must have business and management
skills to manage Residential and Service
Operations
• Must have understanding of Financial
Statements and the ability to create, monitor and manage budgets
• Must complete demand forecasting
requirements, prepare and submit monthly
“field reports”
• Complete knowledge of HVAC terminology, ratings, and meanings
• Directs staffing, training and performance
evaluations to develop and control sales
programs
• Excellent interpersonal verbal/written
communication skills, possess assertive/
aggressive skills to exceed sales goals
• Will be meeting with clients, assisting
sales by managing relationships and negotiating and closing deals
• Monitor and evaluate the activities and
products of the competition
— Travel required in local area
— Drug free work environment
— Pre-Employment drug screening and
background investigations required.
— EEO Employer
Please forward your resume with salary
requirements to:
hvacohiovally@yahoo.com
"
)(*!- ( #
,%+$
))(&&+('
ADVERTISERS!
A display advertisement in
The Wholesaler is
your best ad buy! See
page 69 and contact
your advertising sales
representative now!
68 •
CLASSIFIED ADS
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER
SVF Flow Controls, Inc. a leading ball
valve manufacturer headquartered in Santa
Fe Springs, California is seeking TWO talented, career-minded Regional Sales
Managers, one for the Midwestern states
and one for the Western states.
Responsibilities:
Continued growth in the territory by management of an existing distribution channel,
calling on specifying engineering firms, end
users and large OEM accounts.
Key responsibilities include:
• Liaison between the customer, distributor
and SVF home office.
• Identify new opportunities and aggressive
pursuit plans to win the business.
• Train distributors.
• Pursue business in new markets/industries.
• Accompany distributors on sales calls.
• Guide the efforts of the region toward
achieving/exceeding revenue goals.
• Identity potential new product opportunities.
• Integrate activities in a team oriented
environment.
Requirements and qualifications:
• Bachelors Degree. (Engineering or
Business background preferred)
• 8 + years in a similar technical environment with a minimum of 5 years managing
distributors.
• Verifiable track record of above plan performance.
• Able to operate a computer and appropriate associated software including
Microsoft office and customer management
databases.
• Be a team player.
• TQM/ISO/Six Sigma exposure desirable.
• Qualified to work in the US.
• Travel will vary between 40% to 60%.
Please submit resumé with salary requirements to Margie Mueller:
mmueller@svf.net.
EOE
WESTERN REGIONAL
SALES MANAGER
A leading manufacturer of plumbing fixtures
is looking for a Western Regional Sales
Manager. Candidate would oversee and
support the sales efforts of independent
manufacturer sales representative organizations as well as be required to make sales
calls independently throughout the territory.
Candidate must reside in the territory and
plan on 75% of time spent on the road making sales calls. Candidate’s call pattern
would include daily sales calls on end users,
architects, mechanical engineers, construction managers, general contractors,
mechanical contractors and plumbing
wholesalers. Candidate should feel comfortable consistently negotiating 6-figure sales.
Compensation is base plus commission. 3
years of plumbing industry related sales
experience required. Interested candidates
should submit a resumé and salary history
to jptr44@yahoo.com
TERRITORY SALES
MANAGER-VARIOUS REGIONS
A growing, successful radiant heating company is looking for a territory sales manager with a strong radiant/hydronic heating
background for various regions. The right
candidate is success-driven, self-motivated,
organized with high interpersonal skills and
experience in sales and managing
accounts. Please send cover letter and
resumé to radiantHR@aol.com
(Classified ads begin on page 67.)
SALESPEOPLE WANTED
Move to beautiful Arkansas and have fun
selling. Sanders Supply is growing and
looking for a hvac outside salesperson and
looking for a plumbing salesperson. Please
e-mail resume to:
ed.sanderssupply1@sbcglobal.net
REPS WANTED
PROFESSIONAL MANUFACTURE AGENTS WANTED!!!!
Does representing one of the most recognized, world class basic manufactures, having your own exclusive territory and a six-figure commission earning potential appeal to you?
With over 40 years of experience, we are looking for independent agents to
grow our successful plumbing wholesale and water well distribution channels
in North America.
Since 1968, WaterGroup has manufactured and distributed water conditioning and pump
products across the US and Canada. Our commitment to providing our customers with
quality, leading-edge products, backed by unparalleled service and support, has earned us
our reputation as the leader in the industry.
WaterGroup provides a complete line of residential and commercial products including:
MIDWEST REGIONAL
SALES MANAGER
Opportunity available with a fifty year old,
leading manufacturing company in the
plumbing, mechanical and waterworks
industries.
The position requires a minimum of 3-5
years of experience in plumbing related
sales. Candidate should reside in the central or mountain time zone.
Water Softeners
Whole House Water Filters
Point of Use Cartridge Filters
Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Units
Ultraviolet Disinfection Systems
Water Well Pumps
Sump / Wastewater Pumps
Visit www.watergroup.com for additional information.
Excellent benefit package.
Send resumé and salary requirements to:
e mail cholt@mcpind.com
fax 951-549-8280
For immediate consideration, email your agent resume to:
melanie.stevens@watergroup.com or call 847-430-1434.
REPS WANTED
INVENTORY LIQUIDATORS
MANUFACTURER
REPS WANTED
Manufacturer is seeking professional manufacturer reps within the plumbing wholesale,
hospitality and retail markets to represent a
new brand of grab bars and decorative bath
hardware. This is a great opportunity to join
an established manufacturer in creating and
vselling a new brand of grab bars and bath
accessories in the North American market.
Many territories are still available!
Please contact:
tomhalbert@comcast.net
616-881-6953
REPS WANTED
INVENTORY LIQUIDATION
Cash paid for your inventory. Plumbing,
AC, furnace, appliances and/or??? Call
Sam 925-256-8700 or email:
aeco1971@yahoo.com.
The Wholesaler classified
advertisements are your marketplace
for buying and selling, finding
employees or finding a new postition!
Importer and Distributor of fine quality
plumbing and HVAC products. Seeking professional representatives in several US territories. Products include Gas Valves, Gas
Connections, PEX Fittings and Valves,
Quarter Turn Supply Stops, Copper Water
Heater Connectors, Braided Stainless Steel
Supply Lines, Stainless Steel Water
Heater/Softener Connectors, Sump Pumps
and Grab Bars.
Please fax or email resumé and line card to:
562-946-0886
laraydoyle@crown-ind.com
Major Manufacturer of ABS and Cast Iron
Pipe and Fittings is in search of professional representatives in protected U.S. territories. Products include Cast Iron Pipe and
Fittings, ABS Pipe and fittings, plumbing
repair tool, and other related products.
Call David Vazquez at (909) 465-0033 or
fax your resumés to (909) 465-9600.
POWER ON DEMAND
• 69
CLASSIFIED ADS
SUPPLIERS
JUST FAUCETS
AS SEEN ON WILD CHICAGO
• ALL BRANDS •
☞
TOILET TANK LIDS
BACK TO THE 1920’s
☞
—BRING SAMPLE PARTS—
• FAUCET PARTS • TOILET PARTS •
VISIT OUR SHOWROOM
Mon - Fri: 9:00-5:30 • Saturday: 9:30-3:00
Showroom: 1-847-255-0421 • 1-800-331-0421
Fax:1-847-255-7850
540 S. Arthur Ave.
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
www.justfaucets.com
Managing Editor
James Schaible
www.thewholesaler.com
Associate Editor
Publisher
Editorial Director
John Mesenbrink
Tom M. Brown Jr.
Mary Jo Martin
Administrative Assistant
Production Manager PVF & Economic Analyst
Morris R. Beschloss
Debbie Newberg
cate c. Brown
Editorial Offices: 1838 Techny court, Northbrook, Il 60062
Phone: 847/564-1127, Fax: 847/564-1264, e-mail: editor@thewholesaler.com
Direct subscription inquiries to: cynthia lewis, creative Data Services;
519 E. Briarcliff Road, Bolingbrook, Il 60440; clewis@cds1976.com;
Phone: 630-739-0900 ext 203, Fax: 630-739-7648
Sales Offices
Midwest, Southeast, E. Canada
David Schulte
1838 Techny court
Northbrook, Il 60062
847/564-1127
Fax: 847/564-1264
East (Indiana; W. Mich.)
Brad Burnside
1838 Techny court
Northbrook, Il 60062
847/564-1127
Fax: 847/564-1264
West, Texas
Diane Spangler
P.o. Box 9802
Fountain Valley, cA 92728
714/839-6700
Fax:714/839-6777
dave@tmbpublishing.com
brad@tmbpublishing.com
diane@tmbpublishing.com
Classified ad sales
Jenny Stringer: 847-564-1127
®
TMB Publications, Inc.
Tom M. Brown Jr., President
The Wholesaler
(publication number USPS 351-650 ISSN 0032-1680) is a trademark of TMB Publications, Inc. The
®
Wholesaler is published monthly by TMB Publications, Inc., 1838 Techny Ct. Northbrook, IL 60062; tel. 847/564-1127; fax
847/564-1264. Copyright 2009 by TMB Publications, Inc. All rights reserved under the United States, International and PanAmerican Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any
means, mechanical,®photocopying, electronic recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of TMB Publications,
Inc. The Wholesaler is delivered free of charge to qualified subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. Others: U.S., U.S. Poss. and
Canada, $100/yr.; two-year annual subscription rate U.S. and Canada, $155; other countries, $200/yr. or $300 for two year
(U.S. funds) plus $20 surface postage. Single copies, $15.
Second class postage paid at Northbrook, IL and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Wholesaler, Creative Data Services, 519 E. Briarcliff Road, Bolingbrook, IL
60440. clewis@cds1976.com
Publications mail agreement No. 41499518: Return undeliverable Canadian adresses to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver
Creek, Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6
70 •
VIEWPOINT
Heartfelt gratitude from the publisher
BY TOM M. BROWN JR.
Publisher
A
s we closed out on a successful year in
December 2008, I couldn’t help but to be humbled and very thankful to you — our loyal
readers and advertisers — for your continued support
of TMB Publishing. It is because of your support that
The Wholesaler has been placed into the #1 position for
ad sales for 2008 in the PHcP industry, including all of
the distribution, contractor and engineering publications. This good fortune is due in large part to the tireless efforts of our staff, who share my commitment to this industry as our foremost responsibility.
our sales team, consisting of Dave Schulte, Brad Burnside and Diane Spangler,
strive to be customer-service driven and are easy to work with. All three are dedicated to listening to our customers in order to better serve their needs by providing personalized service that is unmatched in this industry.
Editorial director Mary Jo Martin and managing editor Jim Schaible — whose
sole interest as editors of The Wholesaler is to provide timely, accurate and valuable information to our specific readership — have tirelessly spearheaded our
efforts in bringing the magazine to its top position within the industry. As publisher, I couldn’t ask for a better editorial director, as Mary Jo’s ability to bring
readers and manufacturers together is in a class of its own.
Helping her in this task are the efforts of our highly respected columnists, each
of whom are truly experts in their respective fields. People like Morrie Beschloss,
Dan Holohan, Rich Schmitt, Peter Schor, Jason Bader and Terry Brock only come
by once in a lifetime and we are extremely lucky to have them on this journey with
us. Morrie’s experience as a 50+ year veteran of the PVF industry and spearhead of
a major PVF conglomerate lends him editorial interpretations on industry trends
and world events that are extremely valuable to our readers, not to mention
insightful and prescient.
Dan Holohan — the most recent addition to our team — has been a blessing to
The Wholesaler. our collaboration with him has allowed us to stay on task and
focused solely on providing strong, independent editorial coverage, which will
ensure the magazine’s continued high readership and market coverage.
on behalf of everyone at TMB Publishing and The Wholesaler, thank you for the
overwhelming support you have shown us in 2008. We look forward to serving
you all in the years to come.
■
Tom M. Brown is publisher of THe WHOLeSALeR. He can be reached at
847/564-1127.
Despite gloom, U.S. is poised to lead the world again
A
fter months of communicating all aspects of the everdeepening recession, I thought it appropriate to accentuate the positives of this greatest nation on Earth.
Quantitatively speaking, the U.S. has it all over secondplace Japan (which has one-third of America’s $14-trillion gross domestic product
of goods and services). china and Germany are batting for third place with each
having a $3.5-trillion gross domestic product. Even America’s industrial sector,
long ago given up for lost, generated $1.7 trillion in 2006. Japan, with $950 billion and china with $780 billion, battled for the runner-up spot in generating
industrial goods. At the same time, the U.S. rose to the top in exports last year,
coming close to $2 trillion annualized.
When it comes to industrial machinery, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas
extraction equipment, military, hardware and communications equipment,
America is still the envy of the world.
Even in energy production, Uncle Sam ranks sixth in the world. And don’t forget agriculture, in which the U.S. leads the globe in worldwide exports.
Despite an overdose of self-criticism, American workers’ productivity growth
has averaged 2% a year since 1995, putting American labor, supported by superior technology, near the top of the global heap.
Even our national infrastructure of roads, bridges, railroads, ports, dams etc., is
(Turn forward to Beschloss, page 67.)
ADVERTISERS INDEX / CONTACT INFORMATION
Acorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
www.acornaqua.com
Airgas Specialty Products . . . . . . . . 30
www.airgas.com
Anderson Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.andersonmetals.com
Bavco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
www.bavco.com
Bradford White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
www.bradfordwhite.com
Brasscraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
www.brasscraft.com
cash Acme. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
www.cashacme.com
c & c Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
www.candcvalve.com
cD Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
www.centraldistributionsales.com
ceco-commercial Enameling . . . . . 30
www.cecosinks.com
central components . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
www.centralcomponents.com
core Pipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
www.corepipe.com
DDI Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
www.ddisys.com
Elster Perfection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
www.perfectioncorp.com
Entran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
www.entraniisettlement.com
Forgings, Flanges
and Fittings, llc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
www.fffinc.net
General Pipe cleaners, a div.
of General Wire Spring . . . . . . 2, 58
www.drainbrain.com
Global Stainless Supply . . . . . . . . . 29
www.globalstainlesssupply.com
Heatinghelp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
www.heatinghelp.com
John Guest co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
www.johnguest.com
J & M Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
www.smartinvoicing.com
JMF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
www.jmfcompany.com
Kessler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
www.ksdusa.com
la-co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
www.laco.com
laars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
www.laars.com
lavelle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
www.lavelle.com
legend Valve. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
www.legendvalve.com
Matco Norca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
www.matco-norca.com
Mueller Steam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
www.muellersteam.com
Navien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
www.navienamerica.com
North American Safety Valve . . . . . 33
www.nasvi.com
Qc Valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
www.qcvalve.com
Robert-James Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
www.rjsales.com
Schmitt Profitools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
www.go-spi.com
Service Metal Products . . . . . . . . . . 21
www.servicemetals.net
Sharpe Valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
www.sharpevalves.com
Simpson Dura-Vent . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
www.duravent.com
Smith cooper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
www.smithcooper.com
Stanley VIRAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
www.stanleyvirax.com
Summit Stainless Steel . . . . . . . . . . 61
www.summitstainless.com
Ta chen Intl corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
www.tachen.com
Taco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
www.taco-hvac.com
Tapco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 27, 48, 56
www.tapcogenuinepartscenter.com
Tyco Fire Suppression
& Building Products . . . . . . . . . . 22
www.tyco-fire.com
US Strainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
www.usstrainer.com
Valfit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
www.valfit.com
Viega . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
www.viega.com
Wal-Rich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
www.wal-rich.com
Warren Alloy Valve & Fitting co. . . 7
www.warrenalloy.com
Webstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.webstonevalves.com
Weldbend. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, 45
www.weldbend.com
Westbrook Mfg.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
www.westbrookmfg.com

February

Transcription

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