News of Plumbing • Heating • Cooling • Industrial Piping Distribution APRIL 2010 VOL 65, NO. 4 BRooKSHIRe, TexAS — Despite the challenges of the global economic downturn, Danish pump manufac- turer Grundfos Pumps continued its commitment to the North American market with the grand opening of the new Peerless engineered Systems (PeS) building. The 45,000-square- foot facility was built outside Hous- ton in Brookshire, Texas. The building shares land with Grundfos Commer- (Turn to Grundfos... page 72.) KITZ acquires PerrinGmbH HouSToN — KITZ Corporation of Japan and the parent of KITZ Corpo- ration of America, has completed the acquisition of PerrinGmbH. Founded in 1900 and headquar- tered in Nidderau, Germany, near Frankfurt, Perrin manufactures a wide range of metal seated ball valves in sizes 1 /2" to 24" and Class 150 – 2500 with temperature ranges from -320°F to +1470°F. Materials of To offer large stocks of radiant equipment New LeNox, ILL. — Munch’s Supply Co. Inc. recently opened a new branch on the north side of Chicago. Munch Chicago, which is located at the corner of Addison and Talman at the Chicago River, is the first branch that Munch’s Supply has opened in the city of Chicago. The new 55,000-square-foot location is only 1 mile away from the Kennedy expressway. The branch offers on-site parking and is easily accessible from any part of the city. Munch Chicago is a pre- mier, state-of-the-art distribu- tion facility that will further the company’s abilities to provide its customers with the excel- lent service that Munch’s is known for. “Munch’s Supply is doing something unheard of in these current economic conditions — we are expanding and hiring,” said Robert Munch Jr., president of Munch’s. “It feels great to be able to offer our customers a location close to them that will save them both time and gas money.” Munch’s will be hosting a grand opening vendor day celebration on April 21. The dis- counts, specials and door prizes offered this day will make it a “can’t miss” event. As with Munch’s six other locations throughout the Chicagoland area, the new branch is fully stocked and staffed to meet any (Turn to First Windy City... page 72.) Grundfos opens U.S. Engineered Systems facility Munch opens new location in Chicago (Turn to Perrin, page 72.) The always-innovative Alan Vinturella from Southland Plumbing Supply in New Orleans believes that diversi- fying into the lighting market will help the company grow its volume and profitability. Southland’s Lighting Di- vision launched in December, with a stunning showroom that is adjacent to their Kohler Premier Showroom in Metairie. Vinturella has been joined in the business by his wife Mona and two of their children, Chad and Loni. A special section honoring distributors starts on pg. 20! Story begins on page 10.
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Transcript
News of Plumbing • Heating • Cooling • Industrial Piping Distribution
APRIL 2010VOL 65, NO. 4
BRooKSHIRe, TexAS — Despite the
challenges of the global economic
downturn, Danish pump manufac-
turer Grundfos Pumps continued its
commitment to the North American
market with the grand opening of the
new Peerless engineered Systems
(PeS) building. The 45,000-square-
foot facility was built outside Hous-
ton in Brookshire, Texas. The build ing
shares land with Grundfos Commer-
(Turn to Grundfos... page 72.)
KITZ acquiresPerrinGmbHHouSToN — KITZ Corporation of
Japan and the parent of KITZ Corpo-
ration of America, has completed the
acquisition of PerrinGmbH.
Founded in 1900 and headquar-
tered in Nidderau, Germany, near
Frankfurt, Perrin manufactures a
wide range of metal seated ball
valves in sizes 1/2" to 24" and Class
150 – 2500 with temperature ranges
from -320°F to +1470°F. Materials of
To offer large stocks of radiant equipment
New LeNox, ILL. — Munch’s Supply Co. Inc.
recently opened a new branch on the north side
of Chicago. Munch Chicago, which is located
at the corner of Addison and Talman at the
Chicago River, is the first
branch that Munch’s Supply
has opened in the city of
Chicago.
The new 55,000-square-foot location is only
1 mile away from the Kennedy expressway.
The branch offers on-site parking and is easily
accessible from any part of the
city. Munch Chicago is a pre-
mier, state-of-the-art distribu-
tion facility that will further the
company’s abilities to provide
its customers with the excel-
lent service that Munch’s is
known for.
“Munch’s Supply is doing
something unheard of in these
current economic conditions
— we are expanding and hiring,” said Robert
Munch Jr., president of Munch’s. “It feels great
to be able to offer our customers a location
close to them that will save them both time and
gas money.”
Munch’s will be hosting a grand opening
vendor day celebration on April 21. The dis-
counts, specials and door prizes offered this
day will make it a “can’t miss” event.
As with Munch’s six other locations
throughout the Chicagoland area, the new
branch is fully stocked and staffed to meet any(Turn to First Windy City... page 72.)
Grundfos opensU.S. EngineeredSystems facility
Munch opens new location in Chicago
(Turn to Perrin, page 72.)
The always-innovative Alan Vinturella from Southland Plumbing Supply in New Orleans believes that diversi-
fying into the lighting market will help the company grow its volume and profitability. Southland’s Lighting Di-
vision launched in December, with a stunning showroom that is adjacent to their Kohler Premier Showroom in
Metairie. Vinturella has been joined in the business by his wife Mona and two of their children, Chad and Loni.
A special section honoring distributors
starts on pg. 20!
Story begins on page 10.
6 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010
See contact information on page 82
See contact information on page 82
IN THIS ISSUE
The Front PageSouthland Plumbing Supply in newOrleans kept its doors open followingthe devastation of hurricane Katrina,proving to be a valuable partner to itscontractors and vendors. in DecemberSouthland opened its latest venture —a stunning lighting Division that willkeep the distributor on the road toprofitability and further growth. thefeature story begins on page 10.
from trade shows; a K/BiS preview....................71
DAn hOlOhAn: Circulator pumps –
a brief history .....................................................73
Editor’s Q&AEemaxMary Jo Martin interviews Eemax
CEO Kevin Ruppelt, vice president-
sales Aaron Siegel and marketing manager
Kevin Dokla to gain insight as to how the
company is finding its stride in the electric
tankless water heating market .......................14
Next Month
8 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010SMART MANAGEMENT
Think strategically to improve your oddsY
ears ago, as people thought about
our industry, it wasn’t considered
flashy, but it was filled with good
people and the odds of success were pretty
good. There were opportunities for all
styles and sizes of companies. If you, as
they used to say, kept your nose clean and
to the grindstone, you could make a darn
good living. When the economy was “rock-
ing and rolling,” some wholesalers thrived,
some wholesalers got by and some limped
along but very few folded. One could at-
tribute this to the brilliant people we have
in our industry or that the industry itself
was a better-than-average bet — that the
odds of success in our industry were better
than average. (Personally, I think we have
the same mix of brilliant and not-so-
brilliant people as other industries.)
While the mix of people has not
changed, I think the industry’s odds have
changed and unfortunately the change has
not been for the better. This is largely due
to the economy and, in some part, that we
have lost our focus. So our challenge is to
get a laser-beam focus on the activities
that improve your odds and continue to
make wholesaling the great bet that it has
been for many, many decades.
In this article, I will share my punch-
list of things that will improve your odds:
Good peopleThis has been our mantra for more
than 25 years and, as they say, “we’re
stickin’ to it.” Good people are the reason
that small independents can prevail when
faced with bigger, better funded regional
and national wholesalers. Often these
small guys cannot match the bigger guys
on any front except people. And, in my
opinion, good people are the trump card
in wholesaling. I don’t mean to imply that
the larger wholesalers don’t have good
people because they absolutely do, but
often big companies don’t seem to value,
encourage and appreciate people who
excel — there is often a push toward con-
formity which can push out the superstars
and stifle the good people. Further,
smaller companies seem more willing to
take the time to find really, really good
people. While the formula is pretty simple
— hire great people — this is only possi-
ble over the long term if you have a
process for identifying, attracting, hiring,
developing, retaining and rewarding great
people. Some tips:
• The “Vacancy Light” is always
“ON” for a great person — If you man-
age a baseball team with a full roster and
Albert Pujols knocks on your door look-
ing for a job, your response had better be,
“Let me show you to your locker.” This
can be a tough-minded process since cost
control may demand that you move out
one or two other employees to create the
necessary budget.
• You need a strict process for eval-
uating every person before you hire
them — This process should include test-
ing (minimally intellect and drug, a phys-
ical if appropriate and possibly
psychological too), extensive reference
checks, in-depth interviews and, ideally,
a probationary period at the start of their
employment. Since most wholesalers pro-
mote from within, it is critical that you
apply a rigorous process to every hire to
ensure they are promotable. (As always,
these activities are subject to a myriad of
legal guidelines and thus must be re-
viewed by your labor attorney.) For a
reprint on hiring, e-mail me at Rich@go-
spi.com
• Leading and coaching good people
is critical in order to ensure that they
perform to their full potential — One of
the stupid tricks that a surprising number
of wholesalers commit is to take bright,
sharp, energetic new-hires and put them
under a terrible supervisor who will take
very little time to beat all the enthusiasm
out of them. In this tough business cli-
mate, good people are even more impor-
tant than they were in the past. And there
are good people available out there.
Solid proceduresGood standard procedures and
processes that drive the everyday activi-
ties in the business can really improve
your odds.
• Have it your way — First, you don’t
want everyone on the team improvising
and “making their job up” to suit their
personal inclinations or opinion of how it
should be done. For all important and
many unimportant tasks there should be
a “company way” for doing it.
• Delegate to the worthy — Delega-
tion is important as you grow. It allows
good managers and leaders to multiply
their skills and extend their reach. The
mistake that many leaders make is extrap-
olating good performance in one area into
skills in another. In many cases, good per-
formance in one area only proves that the
individual can excel in that single area.
Moving that person into another area
must involve training and the develop-
ment of skills in the new area. Plus you
must be willing to pull the plug when it is
not working.
• Written procedures — Good poli-
cies and procedures are not like the stories
handed down from generation to genera-
tion by the tribal elders. That might have
worked in the past when you were willing
to take three years to train a warehouse
person. With the advent of written lan-
guage, we can operate better and more
consistently. A surprising number of com-
panies still have not discovered the magic
of deter mining/ developing a “company
best practice”, writing it down, training
people to use it and then insisting that
everyone use that best practice. If someone
finds a “better way,” the procedure is re-
vised and the whole team gets better.
• Procedures must make sense —
Sadly, when poorly crafted, the systems
and procedures that are intended to make
wholesalers more efficient can instead
suck the life and commitment out of many
of these great people along the way. As an
aside, in a past life, I remember dealing
with a corporate resource accounting per-
son (we affectionately called them the
“corporate pukes”) who was single-hand-
edly causing our division to have inaccu-
rate project accounting. She had directed
everyone to complete their timesheet with
40 hours regardless of the hours worked
because any nonstandard timesheets cre-
ated extra work for her. So all project ac-
counting and planning was thereafter
based upon flawed historical numbers. It
took hours of arguing to get this corporate
prima-donna to do it correctly and then
years to gather the data needed to evaluate
and improve our internal processes.
• Not optional — Always value ideas
to improve procedures but be clear that
until a new procedure is in place the ex-
isting procedure is to be followed.
Get really good at managing your biggest assets
For most wholesalers, these are peo-
ple, inventory and receivables. Since I
covered people above, I will focus on in-
ventory and A/R.
• The goal is to have the right amount
of the right products in your inventory.
1. Consider adding inventory —
Some companies may need to add inven-
tory if their inventory cuts have trashed
service levels and are causing a
“QOH=0” based erosion in sales even as
their market is slowly recovering. This
must be done carefully, but some compa-
nies have cut beyond the fat into muscle,
tendons and bone. (I have heard stories
where companies have entered what, in
aviation, they call the death spiral. Sales
are down so turns are down. To get turns
in line, inventories are cut even more.
These inventory cuts hurt product avail-
ability so sales go down more. (You can’t
sell what you don’t have.) Since sales are
down, turns are down. To get turns in line,
inventories are cut further. I think you get
the picture. When you become known as
the “out house,” it can take a long time to
earn back the customers’ trust.)
2. Spend time now to get your inven-
tory and purchasing people at the top of
their game — Most software vendors
focus their training on using their software
but don’t spend time on the broad basics of
inventory management. This basic inven-
tory training is fundamental to understand-
ing the theory of inventory management. In
some companies, people assume that the
computer is programmed correctly, is con-
figured properly for their company and that
the numbers are absolute. This is not a for-
mula for top-notch inventory management.
(Turn to Get focused... page 73.)
• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
BY RICH SCHMITT
Management specialist
Adopt an NBOO [Never be out of] philosophy for thecritical 200-300 products and make it a corporate sin
to ever be out of those products in any location.
Good people are the reason thatsmall independents can prevailwhen faced with bigger, betterfunded regional and national
wholesalers. Often these smallguys cannot match the bigger guyson any front except people. And, inmy opinion, good people are the
trump card in wholesaling.
Building a legacy
New Lighting Divisionsignals even brighterfuture for SouthlandBY MARY JO MARTIN
Editorial director
When Hurricane Katrina deliv-
ered its devastating blow to
New Orleans in 2005, there
were those who thought the city would
never be the same. In some ways, it is not.
But like the mythical Phoenix, a vibrant
New Orleans has re-emerged — a city
with a new energy and enthusiasm, so ev-
ident as the city’s beloved Saints captured
the hearts of the nation on their way to a
Super Bowl victory.
Like so many New Orleanians, Alan
and Mona Vinturella of Southland Plumb-
ing Supply were over the moon with the
Saints’ performance and believe that it is
a great sign of the city’s recovery. Al-
though the population is still significantly
lower than it was prior to Katrina — and
with some areas of the city that have yet
to be rebuilt — those who call New Or-
leans home are devoted to their city and
its future direction.
From the ashes of the storm…Like so many in New Orleans and the
Gulf Coast, Southland Plumbing Supply
was hit hard by Katrina. Just three months
prior to “The Storm” — as locals refer to
it — Southland had opened a new Kohler
Premier Showroom in Metairie, across
the street from their headquarters opera-
tion. The hurricane left a foot and a half
of standing water in the showroom, ruin-
ing virtually everything.
Despite that, the Vinturellas and their
loyal employees who remained behind
barely missed a beat. Although about half
of the company’s 50 employees had fled
the city, those who stayed worked long
hours in difficult conditions to ensure that
Southland was able to serve customers
(Turn to Plumbing... page 12.)
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10 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010A New Niche Market
Southland Plumbing Supply has built a stellar reputation in the New Orleans area for its
reliable service. But the slowdown in construction over the last few years led owner Alan
Vinturella to consider new opportunities. They opened a Lighting Division in December
2009, and its showroom features this stunning Swarovski crystal display.
Plumbing distributor finds gold in lightingduring this very trying time. With no computers, very
little product on hand and only a concrete floor and a
few folding chairs in the showroom, Southland re-
opened for business just days after the hurricane. Each
morning customers lined up for blocks down the street
— many having been there all night — just trying to
get product. Each had their own heart-wrenching story
to tell.
“People would park and sleep overnight with ice
chests because we were operating on a first-come,
first-served basis,” said Alan. “Every one’s nerves were
on edge and we had to try to keep people calm. Their
worlds had just crashed and they were desperate.
“The situation taught us a lot. The relationships we
had built with our vendors and through Omni helped us
tremendously. After The Storm, they all really came
through. Our vendors stepped up and broke tradition on
dating, displays, etc., to get our showroom back up and
running with products and displays in 30 days, rather
than the usual 120. And I am proud to say that we hon-
ored all of our commitments to them down to the letter.”
Business was exceptionally strong during the re-
building push following Katrina, but began to flounder
in 2007 as the recession set in. Once again, Southland
Plumbing Supply emerged from a challenging situation
with an exciting new venture and hope for the future.
“I was starting to consider what possible direction
we should take Southland in, because it was going to
be very important for us to recoup some of the volume
that was lost during the recession,” Alan explained.
“Around the same time, some of our competitors were
going through layoffs and I was fortunate to hire three
very well-respected showroom professionals, all of
whom mentioned an interest in lighting. I had never
thought about getting into lighting, but as we looked
at the numbers and potential margins we knew it was
worth a try. And me being a guy who isn’t going to
just dabble in a venture, I went into this full force —
and with a determination to do it very, very well.”
One step at a timeAlan’s wife, Mona, who has an extensive design
background and is a key asset to the company’s show-
rooms, began looking into other lighting stores around
the city. The more she saw, the more confident she was
that Southland could be extremely successful in this
new product category.
“We felt there was a great opportunity to put in a true
lighting showroom in New Orleans,” she said. “Many
of stores had a gift shop atmosphere and lighting seemed
like more of an afterthought to other aspects of their
business. Then we went to market in Dallas, and seeing
the displays made us realize that lighting was big busi-
ness. It’s a very progressive industry.”
They literally transformed the former warehouse for
the Metairie showroom into a sophisticated lighting
showplace in a matter of months. The Southland
Plumbing Supply Lighting Division officially opened
on December 3.
Mona described the philosophy that Southland has
when it comes to getting their new Lighting Division
off the ground.
“We found that starting out with a simple lightbulb
was a way to get in the door with many commercial
and hospitality customers,” she said. “Our outside
salespeople already have connections built with all the
hotels and casinos in the area, so it’s an easy progres-
sion for them to also market Southland as a lighbulb
supplier. The amount of bulbs used by these customers
is incredible. So if we can get in the door with hotels
like that as their lightbulb supplier, we believe they
will think of us when they need fixture replacements.
We’ve been very pleased at how quickly these cus-
tomers were willing to discuss lighting with us.”
Alan went on to explain what he felt the new Light-
ing Division could bring to Southland’s business. “The
two things that enticed me most were: First, there
seemed to be a natural synergy between plumbing and
lighting, and a great opportunity to sell additional prod-
uct to the customers who come into our plumbing show-
room. And second, there are a finite number of
bathrooms in a house, but the entire interior and exterior
of a home or business needs lighting. And at this stage
of the game, the margins are very compelling, compared
to the eroding margins on the plumbing side.”
Alan also said he is hopeful that Omni’s Luxury
Products Group will look into adding lighting to its
product selection.
Blending established practices with a new endeavor
Southland Plumbing Supply’s flagship location is in
Metairie, La., a suburb of New Orleans, where they have
a 35,000-square-foot headquarters, 6,000-square-foot
Kohler Premier showroom across the street and an ad-
ditional 15,000-square-foot warehouse a short distance
12 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010A New Niche Market
(Continued from page 10.)
See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
In front of the Swarovski crystal display are (front)
Mona Vinturella, Lacey Christina, Loni Vinturella and
(back) Chad Vinturella and Alan Vinturella.
Southland’s plumbing showroom is light and bright in
contrast to its Lighting Division with black walls and
ceilings and dark carpeting that provide a perfect back-
drop for the 500+ light fixtures on display and a
Swarovski display at the entrance.
THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010• • 13A New Niche Marketaway. In addition, in 2003, Southland
opened a showroom on the North Shore (of
Lake Pontchartrain).
“I turned 52 in 2003 — the same age
as my dad was when he founded South-
land —and I looked at my dad’s picture
one day and thought to myself that since
he started this business at 52, I should
also do something profound,” Alan said.
“So I decided that it was time to open a
second showroom.
“Our son Chad had been working in
management with PF Chang’s in Memphis
and we really wanted him to come back
and join us at Southland. I called him and
told him the only way I would open this
new showroom was if he would come back
to run it. Fortunately, Chad agreed, and we
opened our 4,000-square-foot Kohler Pre-
mier Show room on the North Shore that is
supported by 8,000 square feet of ware-
house space. Chad has really taken the
reins with that operation. He’s a natural in
the business and his 10 years in the service
industry has proven very helpful when it
comes to customer service.”
A stark contrastThe Lighting Division is located adja-
cent to the company’s Kohler Premier
Showroom in Metairie, but its appearance
is as different as day and night. The
plumbing showroom is light and bright,
with white walls, light flooring and lot of
white products natural lighting. An arch-
way in the back wall of the plumbing
showroom leads directly into the Lighting
Division. Black walls and ceilings and
dark carpeting provide the perfect back-
drop for the 500+ stunning light fixtures
on display. Spectacular is the first word
that comes to mind — especially when
you cast your eyes upon the Swarovski
display at the entrance. It truly is jewelry
for the home.
Loni Vinturella (Alan and Mona’s
daughter), who joined the business in
2008, has found her niche in the Light-
ing Division. She said that in many
ways, lighting and plumbing are similar
to manage, but there are some distinct
differences.
“We are a Kichler Diamond show-
room,” Loni said. “As part of that agree-
ment, they give us a dollar amount we
need to spend on showroom displays, and
then we select what we want to show,
based on what we think will sell in our
market. Freight is an issue because of the
large scale of special order items.”
In addition to Kichler and Swarovski,
among the other major lines that South-
land’s Lighting Division stocks are WAC,
Epiphany, Mariana, Flambeau, Currey &
Co. and Emerson fans. And they go far
beyond just traditional lighting to include
all types of indoor and outdoor fans,
smoke alarms, exit signs, doorbells, car-
bon monoxide, landscape lighting and
mailboxes.
On the plumbing side, Southland’s
primary vendors are Kohler, Grohe,
Aquatic, Rheem, Moen, Delta, Elkay,
Danze, Gerber, Basco, Dornbracht, Kin-
dred and Julien; they also carry door and
cabinet hardware. The showrooms are
open from 8 to 4 weekdays and half days
on Saturdays.
Southland puts a great emphasis on
marketing and building relationships
among the trade, design community and
consumers. Throughout the years, Alan
has worked very hard to develop strong
relationships with customers through en-
tertaining and special events like BBQs,
crawfish boils, golf tournaments, NBA
Hornets games and hosting local home-
builders association meetings. A favorite
marketing program of Alan’s is the com-
mercials he records for a local radio sta-
tion that are all about LSU Athletics. A
graduate of LSU with a degree in chemi-
cal engineering, Alan is a die-hard Tigers
fan and really enjoys giving his commen-
tary on each week’s game.
“I am totally involved in every aspect
of this business; I like writing every
check and seeing every single invoice and
purchase order that comes through,” Alan
said. “I want Southland to be a snapshot
of Alan Vinturella. I’m very active with
my customers and my door is always
open. I like to write handwritten notes on
statements to our customers. In fact, if
you ask my customers, they’ll usually say
they buy from ‘Alan,’ not ‘Southland.’
There’s not a minute that goes by that I
don’t think about Southland.”
And knowing Alan, Mona and their
children, there is no doubt that Southland
will be well prepared to capitalize on fu-
ture growth opportunities in New Or-
leans. As they shared with me, there are
still parts of the city that need to be re-
built. In addition, the Super Bowl is slated
for New Orleans in 2013, and the down-
town area is expected to boom. In fact,
the Hyatt across from Superdome has
been shuttered since Katrina, but is ex-
pected to be entirely redone in the next
few years.
“I believe that by branching into addi-
tional areas, we are charting a new course
of growth for Southland,” Alan said. “We
(Turn to Southland, page 75.)
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Filling a niche
Eemax electric tankless unitssave energy, water and spaceBY MARY JO MARTIN
Editorial director
Whether it’s a minor design change or com-
plete overhaul, homeowners remodel their
kitchens and baths frequently and busi-
nesses renovate restrooms and cafeterias to make them
more efficient. Yet during these renovations, they
sometimes forget to replace one of the single most im-
portant energy and water consuming item – the water
heater. Eemax believes that they have an affordable
solution that is easy to install and provides a better way
to heat water.
Traditional tank style heaters store and heat hot water
constantly – even when there is no demand for it. The
Eemax inventors and engineers believe it’s no longer
acceptable to waste precious valuable resources that the
earth provided us with. Eemax is in the market to save
the earth, one drop of water at a time, and has developed
a full line of “green” water heating products that save
energy, water, money and space. You can achieve ulti-
mate “greenness” by using newer technology like elec-
tric tankless water heaters available from Eemax.
Since 1988, the Eemax product line has been engi-
neered and assembled out of their headquarters in Ox-
ford, Conn. Over the years, Eemax has developed
“green” electric tankless water heaters that are 99%
efficient, even more efficient than other technologies
on the market such as gas tankless water heaters. Due
to product awareness, some of these gas units on the
market today have received Energy Star certification,
yet they do not carry a 99% efficient rating like the
Eemax electric tankless water heaters (ETWH). Their
patented line of “green” ETWH were designed with
highly flexible technology that allows them to work
optimally with varying climates or temperatures of the
groundwater or municipal water supplies.
In addition to residential homes, Eemax ETWH can
be utilized in a wide range of commercial applications
such as offices, stadiums, manufacturing facilities, lab-
oratories, restaurants, hotels, schools, and shopping
malls. To best meet the needs of this wide variety of
applications, Eemax developed the products de-
manded by these segments. Among those products was
a 9.5-kilowatt Flow Control heater for hand-washing
applications. This simple on/off device paved the way
for units with thermostats, adjustable flow and up to
480-volt capacities.
Eemax has seen tremendous growth since its found-
ing, but it all can be traced back to a simple idea. “We
started with a single engineer and a single idea about
how to save energy, water and space,” said president
and CEO Kevin Ruppelt. “By remaining a U.S.-based
company, being customer centric and exceeding ex-
pectations, we’ve been growing ever since.”
Ruppelt, along with vice president-sales and 20-
year Eemax veteran Aaron Siegel and marketing man-
ager Kevin Dokla, recently spoke with editorial
director Mary Jo Martin about the direction Eemax is
taking in product development, marketing and busi-
ness strategies.
MJM: The demand for tankless water heaters has
steadily been climbing in the U.S. Why do you think
tankless technology is finally catching on?
Ruppelt: When people think about tankless water
heaters, they are often referring to gas-fired models. It’s
interesting to note that according to numbers we have
gathered, electric tankless water heaters have actually
outpaced the growth of gas tankless units over the last
few years. People are realizing the benefits of ETWH
— they require no venting, no T&P valve, no drain, no
mixing valves, and can be installed virtually anywhere
due to their small stature. Our heaters are only about a
cubic foot in size, weigh less than 20 pounds and only
require cold water lines and electricity.
MJM: I know you put tremendous effort into R&D
to develop and launch new products. Could you give
us a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into your
product development?
Siegel: Eemax is involved with all types of appli-
cations. If we discover an application we cannot meet,
we immediately deploy our technical team to develop
the needed products. That is how our HomeAdvantage
line was developed. After completing extensive mar-
14 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010Tankless Tech
(Turn to Electric tankless... page 76.)See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
Kevin Ruppelt Kevin Dokla Aaron Siegel
Eemax water heaters are manufactured in Connecticut
to meticulous standards using top-quality components.
Eemax offers water heaters for most applications, and
designs new products to meet customers’ needs.
“Eemax focuses on the wholesalechannel and does not sell direct
to consumers or to Big Box retailers.Rather, we prefer to partner with the
local experts — wholesalers. We supportour wholesalers by shipping orders within
two to three days of order receipt.”
16 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010
Spanning a CenturyAt 114 years old...
Wayne Pipe & Supplycontinues to evolveBY MARY JO MARTIN
Editorial director
On the heels of the Industrial Rev-
olution, the U.S. was teaming
with factories, mills and other in-
dustry. It provided the perfect backdrop
for new businesses to spring up that
would supply these facilities. One such
business, Fort Wayne Oil & Supply Com-
pany, founded in 1896 by Mr. Hayne of
the Atlantic Refining Co., is still in busi-
ness today and now known as Wayne
Pipe & Supply.
The company originally sold oils, lubri-
cation and belting for steam engines that
were used in saw mills, feed mills, knitting
mills, electric power plants and pumping
stations. Deliveries by horse and wagon
from Fort Wayne Oil Supply, located in
downtown Fort Wayne, Ind., ensured that
the equipment and machinery in these mills
and plants continued to run smoothly.
The company later moved to a larger
multi-story building to make room for
PVF, plumbing fixtures and equipment
that would help build the booming econ-
omy and industries. But as times changed,
oil and grease were not as widely used in
these facilities, so in 1925 the company
dropped the word “Oil” from its name.
In 1956 they moved to a modern dis-
tribution facility all on one floor — mean-
ing no more lugging product up and down
stairs and freight elevator. The location
was also closer to their growing customer
base of industrial manufacturers like In-
ternational Harvester, General Electric
and the first gasoline pump manufactur-
ers. Wayne Pipe became the largest steel
pipe supplier in Northern Indiana and one
of the first to use overhead cranes to un-
load out of rail cars from the center of
their pipe shop.
One unique piece of trivia regarding
Wayne Pipe is that from the 1970s to early
1990s, they sold more 11/2" unions than
any other U.S. company — thanks to a
supply agreement with the world’s largest
gas pump manufacturer who, unfortu-
nately has since gone out of business.
Modern new facilityRecently, Wayne Pipe moved into a
50,000-square-foot facility in Fort
Wayne. With 46 employees, they cover
approximately a 100-mile radius territory.
The new facility allowed Wayne Pipe to
more than double the size of its Wayne
Kitchen & Bath Works showroom —
2,500 square feet — to include vignettes,
stand-up displays and several working
displays and a shower head/body spray
display. The warehouse, which holds
about $3 million in inventory, uses the
most modern warehouse equipment along
with 16-feet-high bins and 28-foot rack-
ing to make the most of its space. All
product is stored inside to protect it from
the sometimes-inclement Midwest
weather. One thing has remained constant
in the warehouse however — they still
pick pipe with the overhead crane from
the center of the pipe shop.
Among the major lines that Wayne
Pipe carries now are American Standard,
TOTO and Gerber china and faucets,
along with Delta, Danze and other faucet
lines. They are a full-line distributor of
PVF, plumbing and engineered equip-
ment (pumping systems, regulating air,
steam and various fluids).
Approximately half of their business is
with mechanical contractors, plumbers
and builders, while the other
50% is with industrial manufac-
turers, steel mills and OEMs.
And about 85% of sales are to
the commercial market, with
residential comprising the re-
maining 15%.
Setting themselves apartThe company is shareholder
owned and directed by a board
of industry leaders. Jim Wilson
serves as president, and other
members of the executive man-
agement team include vice
presidents Rick Bada and
Arden Boocher, and treasurer
Janice Foltz.
Over the past few years, con-
struction in the Midwest has
been considerably down, but
(Turn to page 18.)See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
Mules helped deliver the load in the early 20th century
when Fort Wayne Oil & Supply Company sold oils, lu-
bricants and belting for the steam engines that powered
most of American industry.
18 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010Spanning a CenturyCommunication, training key to114-year-old distributor’s successWayne Pipe’s diversified offering has
helped the business weather the storm.
“Unfortunately, we had to have our first
layoff in our company’s history,” said
Bada. “This downturn in the economy has
affected all phases of business — not just
residential or commercial. Factories are
off also. But thanks to our diversification
over the years, some of the parts of our
business have remained strong. That has
kept us from being as affected by the lack
of construction as we might have been
otherwise.”
It is especially important for compa-
nies like Wayne Pipe to strengthen their
customer relationships strong and em-
power their customers as best they can.
“Training is still one of the most im-
portant assets we can give our customers
and our people,” Bada explained. “In our
new facility we have both small and large
training areas that we can use, depending
on the size of the group. Our customers
have high expectations and can be de-
manding. They are the ones who drive us
to change. Communication is still key in
making sure their needs are taken care of.
We pride ourselves on listening to the
customers, communicating with them and
working to be more efficient in all areas
of their businesses.”
Part of that communication comes
from the personal relationships developed
during the monthly customer appreciation
cookouts Wayne Pipe puts on from spring
through fall. They also host an open
house during the summer, during which
vendors put on a tabletop display of their
wares.
The Wayne Pipe team is exceptionally
proud of the fact that they have remained
an independent wholesaler after 114 years
in business, especially when many of
their counterparts around the country
have been acquired or closed.
“The future for companies like ours is
going to be tough, but there are some very
good groups out there to help independent
distributors,” Bada explained. “We are
very proud to be associated with the best
through our membership in Affiliated
Dis tributors, which gives us a more level
playing field against the large national
firms. The vendors involved are a great
asset to all members and the members
themselves are very informative and
helpful.
“We really have built strong customer
loyalty over the years. I believe our peo-
ple are still the biggest asset we have and
it is our management team’s responsibil-
ity to make sure all of our employees are
on the same page when it comes to our
customers. Our 46 employees have a
combined 750 years of service with this
company, so not only are they highly ex-
perienced, but they are very loyal to
Wayne Pipe. It all boils down to treating
customers right, fairly and with honesty
— and that is from the top on down in our
organization.” n
To learn more, visit www .waynepipe.com.
(Continued from page 16)
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In 1956 Wayne opened a single-level facil-
ity, which relieved the burden of hauling
product up and down stairs. Recently they
dedicated a modern warehouse featuring
16-foot-high bins and 28-foot racking.
20 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010
April 2010
Greetings to our Readers, Advertisers and Loyal Friends,
As The Wholesaler celebrates our 65th anniversary this year, we felt it only appropriate to put the focus back whereit belongs — on the wholesalers who are the backbone of our PHCP/PVF industry. It has been the privilege of The
Wholesaler to cover these stalwart companies over the past 65 years, and so in the Special Section that follows, weprofile 42 wholesaling firms from around the country that have reached that 65-year milestone and beyond.
The Wholesaler has its roots with Scott Periodicals and was a respected name under the direction of longtime publisherEd Scott. As is the case sometimes, after being acquired by Reed-Elsevier, attention to the magazine was neglectedand The Wholesaler lost significant market share. I had been working as an advertising salesman in the industry formany years and had built strong relationships. Many out there encouraged me to form my own venture and they firmlybelieved that The Wholesaler could be a viable publication again.
So, 20 years ago I established TMB Publishing with the purchase of Plumbing Engineer and this November will mark18 years since I acquired The Wholesaler. My story is much the same as many of yours. What started as a leap of faithhas turned into a labor of love. Over the years, I have assembled what I believe to be the best team in the business.Editorially, The Wholesaler is led by editorial director Mary Jo Martin and managing editor Jim Schaible. We are for-tunate to have the expertise of such well-respected monthly columnists as Rich Schmitt, Morris Beschloss, Dan Holo-han, Peter Schor, John Martin, Jason Bader and Terry Brock, along with other industry analysts that providecommentary throughout the year.
In addition, our sales team — comprised of David Schulte, Brad Burnside and Diane Spangler — has built solid rela-tionships with their clients and work diligently each and every day to provide top-level service. You know, it is easyto be successful when times are good, but this team has really proven themselves during the difficult market conditionswe’ve all experienced the last few years.
Through perseverance, the loyalty of our readers and advertisers, and the hard work of everyone on our team, duringthe past 18 years The Wholesaler has grown from holding less than 30% market share to now 65%. Our goals todayremain the same as they always have been: To ensure that The Wholesaler is the most valuable, relevant publicationand information source for all members of the PHCP/PVF distribution channel.
As with so many of our readers, TMB Publishing continues to be a family business, with my daughter Cate Brownserving as vice president-operations and my son-in-law David Schulte the sales manager for The Wholesaler and pub-lisher of PHC News. We continue to believe it is important to remain committed solely on this niche market becausethat is where our strength is, and that is how we can best serve all of you.
And we’re not resting on our laurels. While nothing will ever replace the printed page and the value of a trade publi-cation, we have chosen to enhance The Wholesaler through new methods of communication. We hope that you arefinding increased value through these new offerings, which include Wholesaler Radio, Mary Jo’s “On The Road”video interview segments and her weekly video blog, daily news updates on our website and regular e-newsletters.
On behalf of everyone at The Wholesaler, I congratulate the companies profiled in this Special Section, as well as allof the long-standing wholesalers, manufacturers and rep firms spread from coast to coast. With a nod to our past andour eyes set firmly on the future, we are committed to continue serving all of you for years to come.
Sincerely,
For 113 years, First Supply® has served the Midwest
as a leading distributor of plumbing, HVAC,
builder, waterworks, pump/well & septic and indus-
trial supplies. We focus on maintaining strong inventories
of the very best product lines and provide the services
needed to support our contractor and industrial partners.
First Supply, originally La Crosse Plumbing Supply
Company, started in 1897 in La Crosse, Wis. Three local
tradesmen pooled their resources and began with the dis-
tribution of wrought iron pipe, plumbing supplies, wind-
mills, pumps and gasoline engines. This aggressive young
company covered the upper Midwest and now has 25 lo-
cations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois.
First Supply was the first company to debut the show-
room concept in the 1940s and named it after Gerhard
Poehling, President from 1940–1980. Gerhards® Show-
rooms provide contractors, builders, remodelers and
homeowners with the opportunity to visualize and create
their own unique home environment.
Our fifth-generation family owned tradition extends
to our customers. Long-term relationships with our cus-
tomers allow us to provide service specifically tailored
to their businesses. Whether a professional contractor,
builder or industrial account, a courteous and knowl-
edgeable team is available to answer questions, offer ex-
pertise and provide unique business solutions.
Although the company has grown and changed over the
years, our driving philosophy at First Supply remains the
same — the customer relationship comes first. As we look
forward to another
century of growth,
we ensure our cus-
tomers will receive
creative first-rate
service. We are es-
pecially proud of
the many multi-
generational families that have served First Supply cus-
tomers, creating a very special environment that allows
our customers to thrive and grow their businesses.
First Supply continues to grow and change to meet
the demands of our customers and the industry. We pride
ourselves on being in tune and ahead of industry trends
to fully meet our customers’ new and growing needs. A
significant reason for this is our strong relationships
with our manufacturer partners and their local represen-
tatives, and we owe much of our success to them.
The market for “green” products has exploded in the
past few years and First Supply has taken steps to be sure
it remains in the forefront of this movement. Throughout
the commercial and residential market, engineers, archi-
tects, designers, builders and contractors are asking for
these products, and First Supply is proud to be a leader
in their education, marketing and distribution.
Another innovative initiative is our proprietary e-
commerce website, eSupply™, which is an important
distribution channel for the company. eSupply has been
designed with our customers in mind. It provides more
convenient access to resources, such as inventory avail-
ability, ordering and account status, including increased
flexibility and efficiency.
It’s not all work. Our World of Opportunity™ incen-
tives is an award-winning program that develops and
strengthens our relationships among First Supply, our
manufacturers’ representatives and our customer partners.
First Supply has a long tradition of excellence, but we are
just getting started and congratulate The Wholesaler on 65
years of amazing service to the industry. l
THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010• • 21
division to a new facility in Pottstown, Pa. That relocation
was completed in August 2007. The move allows all di-
visions of Cooney Brothers room to grow and prosper.
Cooney Brothers, Inc. celebrated its 73rd birthday in Jan-
uary 2010.
Cooney Brothers has been managed for the past 18
First Supply – Since 1897
Cooney Brothers, Inc.
Cooney Brothers, Inc., founded by brothers Fran-
cis and James Cooney, began operations in 1937
as a piping and plumbing wholesaler, geared to-
ward the many textile, food manufacturing and other
mills scattered throughout North Philadelphia. As the
business quickly grew, the customer base also expanded
to include railroads, paper mills, mechanical contractors,
colleges and hospitals, and customers from the marine
industry. The geographical coverage territory also grew
rapidly, as Cooney Brothers began servicing customers
in New Jersey, Delaware and points throughout Eastern
Pennsylvania. In the 1970s, Cooney Brothers began de-
veloping an important new base of business within the
fast-growing pharmaceutical industry throughout the
Delaware Valley.
In the mid 1980s, with its distribution business going
strong, Cooney Brothers began blazing a new trail that
would broaden
the company’s
horizons signifi-
cantly. Inspired
by the success of
its in-house metal
hose fabrication
shop, Cooney en-
deavored to develop a manufacturing arm that would
further distinguish the company from its distribution
peers. The Cooney Hose Station product line was intro-
duced in 1983, with the manufacturing operation housed
in the North Philadelphia distribution warehouse.
Around this time, Cooney Brothers further expanded
its manufacturing operations with the introduction of a
fitting, valve and pipe nipple “accessory packaging de-
partment” which custom packages accessory kits for
large Original Equipment Manufacturers. Capabilities
in the packaging department have since been expanded
to include the production of piping sub-assemblies for
the OEM market. As a result of the growth brought
about by these varied endeavors, it became necessary
for the company to move to a larger modern facility in
Plymouth Meeting, Pa. The move was completed in
September 1996.
The Cooney Brothers, Inc. of the 21st Century is a
unique combination of innovative distribution, custom
manufacturing and “jump through hoops service,” all de-
signed to make us an indispensable resource to our ever-
growing customer base. Our range of distributed products
includes: pipe, valves and fittings in all materials of con-
See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
Coburn Supply Company was
founded in 1934 in Beaumont,
Texas, by Albert J. Coburn, a New
Orleans native who saw opportunity and went after it
with nerve, imagination and persuasiveness.
Nicknamed “Tiny” in spite of his 6'5" stature, Albert
began his career as a plumbing and heating contractor,
following the installation of municipal water systems
along Highway 90.
In 1936, Albert Coburn’s nephew, Arthur J. Maloney,
moved from New Orleans to Beaumont to work for
Coburn Supply.
In the 1930s, Coburn Supply Company opened a sec-
ond store in Lafayette, La. When World War II broke
out, the Lafayette store closed. Meanwhile, business in
Southeast Texas was booming and the home office in
Beaumont needed more space. Seizing the opportunity
to turn a negative into a positive, Coburn dismantled the
Lafayette store piece by piece, shipped the materials via
rail car, and built a new store in Beaumont.
A second Lafayette store was opened in 1946 and in
1947 a store was opened in Lake Charles, La. As a grow-
ing company, the importance of central purchasing be-
came apparent. In 1953, a Service Office was created in
Beaumont to provide purchasing, credit management, ad-
vertising and disbursements. In an effort to help plumbing
Miss.; and Jasper, Texas.
In 1990 Coburn’s became a founding member of Em-
bassy Group, Ltd., which quickly became one of the
largest and most respected wholesale buying groups in
the industry. By the end of the 1990s, Coburn Supply
Company had opened six more stores.
In 2003, James Maloney, chairman of Coburn Supply
Company, Inc., passed away. In this decade, the third gen-
eration of Albert’s “Boys” took leadership responsibilities.
Don Maloney, Albert Coburn’s great nephew and James
Maloney’s son, and AJ Maloney, also a great nephew to
Albert and Arthur J. Maloney’s son, took over leadership.
The 2000s saw the greatest expansion to date for Coburn
Supply Company with the opening of 22 new stores
throughout Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
As we look back on 75 years of history, we are thank-
ful for the talent, loyalty and commitment of the
Coburn’s family. We consider each employee to be a
member of the Coburn’s family. l
Coburn Supply Company
Our sincere thanksto all the distributors who
helped celebrate our 65thanniversary with us!
60 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010
• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
ON THE PVF PULSE
The convergence of the pipe-valve-
fittings sector will reach its apex
in Houston at the H.E.S.S. Club on
May 18.
For the first time ever, the quarter-an-
nual PVF Roundtable will host the gov-
erning council of the ASA’s Industrial
Piping Division, which will be holding its
own periodic meeting in Houston the fol-
lowing day. Another salient feature of this
event will be the annual induction cere-
mony of The Wholesaler’s PVF Hall of
Fame. This year’s inductee is Eastern In-
dustrial Supplies Inc. (EISI), which has liter-
ally exploded its business in a substantial
segment of the Southeast, where this
multi-branch group has become a fast-
growing factor in pipe-valve-fittings.
This grand gathering also presents me
the opportunity of generating my analysis
of current PVF trends forecast for the
U.S. economy in general. This summa-
tion was aptly named “The Beschloss
Moment” by PVF Roundtable president
Ron Merrick.
With the general U.S. economy still re-
gaining its footing, mid-May is a superb
time to focus on current happenings, as
well as the growing role of PVF in this
turbulent era. It would behoove everyone
in the PVF sector to notify Roundtable
executive director Danny Westbrook of
their intention to attend. Please visit
www.PVF.org to register.
If February record attendance is any
indication, look for “standing room only”
to be filled in short order.
Houston University professor debunks Obama energy initiatives
Before a record, rapt audience of over
225 in Houston at the February gathering
of the PVF Roundtable, economics pro-
fessor Michael J. Economides debunked
the Obama energy objectives as farcical.
He commented sarcastically on the
President’s call for a return to nuclear de-
velopment, which his Administration had
recently rejected along with coal, oil and
even natural gas in favor of solar, wind and
geo thermal power. This is despite the fact
that overwhelming evidence shows those
Admin istration-rejected re sources provide
87% of needs for transportation, power
generation, and an increasing amount of
derivatives, such as plastics and chemicals.
Economides noted this proportion won’t
change during the next 50 years.
He stressed that China, India, Brazil
and other developing nations are not pro-
fessing the “fallacious global warming
theories” propounded by Western Europe
and the current U.S. Administration. In
fact, he feared such predisposition will in-
denture the U.S. even further into depend-
ence on foreign oil, and castigated the
Environmental Protection Agency for its
arbitrary antagonism toward fossil fuels,(Turn to Job market... page 66.)
See contact information on page 82
BY MORRIS R. BESCHLOSS
PVF and economic analyst emeritus
America’s small businesssector...is still reducing its
inventory positions despite anupward thrust in sales throughoutmost sectors in December. Much
of the continued inventoryshrinkage has been driven by the
fear of illiquidity, as smallbusinesses continue to face
concerns with credit availabilityand slow demand growth.
Pipe-valve-fitting sector togather in Houston on May 18
THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010• • 65
66 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010ON THE PVF PULSEJob market must recover beforedemand spurs business growthand hydrocarbons generally.
With the breakthrough of shale frack-
ing for natural gas, due to the unlimited
availability of this resource in the U.S.
and Canada, Economides called for a
much greater exploitation of this resource
for power generation, as well as eventual
conversion for transportation usage, if an
infrastructure for that resource can even-
tually be built.
He also accused Russia of using oil
and natural gas to reignite its imperialism
over its former satellites and even West-
ern Europe, which is heavily dependent
on Russia for fossil fuels. Russia, in turn,
is totally dependent on these natural re-
sources for its financial liquidity.
Economides’ prediction is that the
price per barrel of oil for 2010, now near
$80, will be close to $100. He also cau-
tioned that any outbreak of hostilities
with Iran could double that price, if and
when such an altercation takes place.
Small business sector continues paringinventories as jobless claims stagnate
Most recent statistics validate the con-
clusion that the bulk of America’s small
business sector, which employs 65% of
the overall U.S. worker potential, is still
reducing its inventory positions despite
an upward thrust in sales throughout
most sectors in December. This is sup-
ported by an inventory to sales ratio of
1.12, well below December 2008’s 1.32,
and even last November’s 1.14. A ratio
of 1.12, for instance, means that it would
take 1.12 months to clear the shelves of
existing inventory.
This is the lowest point reached since
mid-year 2008, when the worldwide busi-
ness boom had reached the highest point
in recent history. Much of the continued
inventory shrinkage has been driven by
the fear of illiquidity, as small businesses
continue to face concerns with credit
availability and slow demand growth.
Despite the more propitious outlook in
stemming the Obama Admin istration’s
perceived anti-business initiatives, busi-
ness in general continues to concentrate
on maximum productivity. Generally
speaking, based on my continued com-
munications contacts, the industrial man-
ufacturing and distribution sectors are
becoming more incensed at the growth of
the national debt and the runaway deficit,
with little to show for it.
The historical evidences of expanded
demand, job creation and innovative op-
portunities are conspicuous by their ab-
sence. “The lack of understanding by the
Federal Government as to what makes
business tick has taken its expenditures
into areas of non-productivity,” according
to many influential business decision
makers.
At this stage, it looks as if demand
must first assert itself before the produc-
tive sectors will extend risk capital for fu-
ture growth.
To stay up to date with my twice-daily
blogging, be sure to log on to my hyper-
link at www.theworldreport.org and then
click on ‘Morrie’s page,” announced in
the middle of the World Report website.
Your recommendation for my blog, as
well as the individual columns will be
much appreciated. n
Morris R. Beschloss, a 54-year veteran
of the pipe, valve and fitting industry, is
PVF and economic analyst emeritus for
The WholesaleR.
(Continued from page 65.)
See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
Economides’ prediction is that the price per barrel of oil for 2010, now near $80, will be close to $100. He also cautioned that any outbreak of hostilities with Iran could
double that price, if and when such an altercation takes place.
Industry associations
What’s the value? Why go there?T
hanks for checking in again readers. It’s a good
feeling to have all you folks coming back to the
“Corner” to see what is on my mind each
month! I have really truly enjoyed getting to address
a few issues with you that I care about. Just like in my
house here in Colorado, I never have the final — and
I mean final — word on hardly anything, but I do get
to state my opinions on issues that have an effect on
our family stability in everyday life. Being able to state
my opinions here in the “Corner” on issues that have
an effect on our industry stability is a pure pleasure!
Having said the above, I want to go right into an
issue that has been burning in the depths of work life
and thoughts for many moons (that’s cowboy for “a
long time!”) — industry associations.
American Supply AssociationAnyone reading The Wholesaler should certainly
be familiar with the American Supply Association.
ASA was officially founded in December 1969 via the
merger of two existing groups at the time (Central
Supply Assoc iation, founded in 1894, and American
Institute of Supply Assoc iation, founded in 1940). The
historical membership of CSA stretched from Penn-
sylvania to the Rockies, and from the Canadian border
to Tennessee. They had quite a void on the map for
representation, and hooking up with a group like AI
sure seemed like a good idea.
The merger was not easy to orchestrate. During
early talks in the fall of 1964, the groups decided there
was just no way, but in 1967, two new leaders came
on the scene — Robert Taylor of Taylor Engineering
from Detroit was made president of CSA, and Glen
Turbeville of Morrison Supply Co. in Fort Worth,
Texas, became president of AI. Both had a high degree
of prestige, were members of their own group associ-
ations, had well served the industry, and had a high de-
gree of positive thoughts about a single organization
to serve the industry. Their vision for a national asso-
ciation and the need for unification never wavered.
ASA started with a base of approximately 1,100
member companies (along with all their branches). This
number made the new association the second-largest as-
sociation of wholesalers in the nation — second only to
the auto parts jobbers at that time. This truly was the first
national organization for plumbing, heating, cooling and
piping wholesalers in our country.
Now fast forward to recent history and current
times. WOW! What a difference. With the growth of
the economy, the great never-ending positive attitude
of the U.S. business folks, and the advent of roll ups,
mergers and buy outs causing huge changes in most
every aspect of our industry, everyone could see hav-
ing associations ran with a “business as usual” kind of
attitude going by the wayside. To that point, the whole-
sale distributor (all classes) membership within ASA
today has fallen to 253 member companies.
What did they see 40-plus years ago that we as an
industry can/ should
try to ignite again, or
is it a lost cause? I
don’t believe it is. I
would be the first to
agree (as a manufac-
turer), that when two
or more wholesalers
are assembled to-
gether, we should be
there to look for op-
portunities to service
or be part of an indus-
try function. Having
said that, in today’s
world, there are so
many one-on-one
meetings available to us today via the buying groups
and other association meetings, that it becomes a real
thought process as to “how many” we can support.
Today’s economic hassle we are in makes it even
tougher to justify expense dollars for meetings that
may be seen by some as “redundant” and with no
meaning. If any of you feel that way, I’d ask only that
you step back and think it over for a moment. Not for
me or about me, but about your company and yourself.
Do I have my ASA hat on right now? Yes, but I also
wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to breaking
tradition, giving back/paying back, industry support,
expectations and being involved at all levels possible.
These issues should concern you no matter if you are
a manufacturer or a wholesaler. I know there is dupli-
cation today in the work and agenda of the mar -
keting/buying groups v/s that of the ASA. I also am
comfortable in my belief that ASA as a national asso-
ciation does more good — daily good — at the polit-
ical level and the efforts at our industry education (just
to name a couple) than any independent manufacturer
or wholesaler could or can ever do. That’s not being
critical; it is just being truthful. Please look at the fol-
lowing facts as I have had explained to me. Did you
know the following:
• Political support — This past year, ASA alone
was responsible for having gotten the W.A.T.E.R. Act
sponsored in the House and Senate. Then the coalition
was formed with all the other partners! If I read the
current ASA annual dues chart correctly, it says a $1-
million single independent wholesaler pays annual
dues in the amount of $625.00. A $50-million whole-
saler pays an annual dues total of $3,100.00.
It is my opinion that any wholesaler fitting into any
range of related dues on this matrix based on size, etc.
would get their dues back in spades with new sales of
water efficient/water saving products as a result of
stimulus that comes by the way of rebates from this
legislation, know what I mean?
• Education commitment — If you are an individ-
ual or a company (wholesaler or manufacturer) that
gave from the start and/or ongoing to this Education
Foundation, I thank you, and I know you have seen
benefits from your investment. From learning mod-
ules, to essentials on Profitable Warehousing, to on
line training, to turn-key packages of education needs
to fit your needs, to really great 3-D visuals solutions,
to packaged product training, to an overview of
Wholesale Distribution, you can get it all from ASA.
So here is my summary on this association called
ASA: To me their effort has always been to support
the industry manufacturer and the wholesale distribu-
tion channel (even before it was called that). You see,
I subscribe to the fact that if belonging to an associa-
68 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010MARTIN’SCORNER
See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
BY JOHN MARTIN
PVF industry veteran
ASA started with a base of approximately1,100 member companies [along withall their branches]. This number madethe new association the second-largest
association of wholesalers in the nation —second only to the auto parts jobbers at
that time. This truly was the first nationalorganization for plumbing, heating, cooling
and piping wholesalers in our country.
THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010• • 69MARTIN’S CORNERtion was good for you (your company)
and the industry in the “old days,” it
should still be good for your company
today. They have progressed, they have
had to address shrinking membership
(which means shrinking dues revenue,
etc.) due to large and strong independent
wholesalers (one by one) becoming part
of the larger national chain companies.
These firms don’t go away, they just stop
paying dues and are included at the cor-
porate national structure. No ax to grind
here, just stating fact. Having to deal with
that is a real bummer, winding down if
you will with structure instead of building
staff, yet having to produce an agenda to
suit all. Not easy!
If you are not a supporting member or
if you are only a member and wondering
if you should be or not, pick up the phone
and call the ASA office in Chicago (312-
464-0090) and ask for Mike Adelizzi. Tell
him “Martin’s Corner” sent ya! He will
blow you away with true confidence in
what the ASA Board has charged him to
do — and he is good at it. He believes in
the future of the association and is driving
changes in actions and thinking to carry
on what Mr. Turbeville and Mr. Taylor
started some 40+ years ago. The industry
needs you and ASA needs you.
Mechanical Contractors Association of AmericaFrom the union contractor point of
view — a substantial portion of all full-
range wholesaler’s customer base volume
— they look to the MCAA (Mech anical
Contractors Association of America) as
their sustaining “front office” if you will,
in all governing matters across the U.S.
reference union contract labor, education,
training and national representation. As
an association, they have been active for
this market segment some 115-plus years.
I have been deeply involved in MCAA a
long time for our company, and continue
to be impressed at how the mem bership sup-
ports this association.
While these are contractors, and their
needs may be different and deeper into
industry segments than the typical
wholesaler, their desire and need to be a
part of the group are the same as a
wholesaler’s are with ASA. Things like
being able to read the monthly alerts on
the latest in industry events, getting of-
fered the best in education and training,
being treated as equals in meeting round-
tables, etc., and having another chance
to see leading industry manufacturers
along with competitors in a product/ed-
ucation setting are really great. Drawing
from $10-million plus endowment edu-
cation funds is really something. Having
a voice that speaks for all size companies
in Washington is priceless!
I may be the last guy left out there that
thinks like this, but if I was setting up a
company today of any kind, I’d make a
super-human effort to budget into my cost
of doing business the dues structure
needed for all national associations that
can have a positive affect on my business.
Then, I’d get involved to be sure I get
what I am paying for. You can and will
get more out of them than you put into
them if you get involved. It is easy to
complain about cost or structure from the
sideline. Getting involved and lending a
helping hand is very gratifying and pro-
duces good results — no matter how
many buying groups you belong to.
Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors Association
The PHCC (The Plumbing, Heating,
Cooling Contractors Association) —
mostly non-union contractors — has been
around and active since 1883! Their story
is like that of the MCAA (in my honest
opinion) from a “reason for being” point
of view. Their membership base has
strong needs for structure, education and
meaningful get together meetings to learn
from industry and one another. That
means manufacturers and contractors as
well. Their membership is some 3,600
open shop with some union contractors as
well. Their goals and priorities for 2010
cover three key areas:
• They will work with state and local
chapters, their education foundation, their
service groups to expand and diversify
education and training programs to new
markets and emerging technologies.
• They will work with Wash ington to
promote job creation, push the impor-
tance of the field impact their members
can have on water and energy efficiency,
and support continued lic ensing protec-
tion and education laws.
• Continued work in the service and
(Turn to Trade associations... page 70.)
See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
If I was setting up acompany today of any kind,
I’d...budget into my cost of doing business the dues
structure needed for allnational associations
that can have a positive affect on my business.
70 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010MARTIN’S CORNERTrade associations: Your priceless resourcerepair sector to ensure quality and quan-
tity in their membership.
I’ve keyed today on ASA, MCAA and
PHCC because they relate so closely to
each others’ success in the plumbing and
mechanical markets, and they are the
ones I have had the longest and most suc-
cessful working relationship with. Some-
times I say to myself, “I get it. Why don’t
they?” At any given moment, they can be
a wholesale distributor that does not sup-
port ASA or just sometimes supports
them, or a contractor that doesn’t support
or use MCAA or PHCC like I think they
should. Why is that? Hold on, here I go
again believing in my opinion as I stated
earlier. Please remember that everyone is
entitled to an opinion when stated hon-
estly after a review of the available facts.
So note the following:
• The member wholesalers and all as-
sociated members of ASA have many
things in common, but a key “common
ground issue” is that a major part of their
customer base is the membership of
MCAA & PHCC.
• Now, wouldn’t ya know most manu-
facturers (commodity pro ducers for sure)
channel to all the contractors in MCAA
& PHCC through the wholesale distribu-
tor — meaning we all need each other to
simply get along and keep the supply
chain healthy.
• All three have very large and dynamic
Education Foundations. I was personally
involved in the grass roots efforts of the
start up work and “sweat equity” that was
put into the Karl Neupert Endowment
Fund (ASA), and the Mechanical Con-
tracting Education & Research Foundation
(MCERF) — both founded with $10 mil-
lion as the base fund. The Education Foun-
dation of the PHCC is just as solid and
focused on industry needs and grew to a
$10-million base fund as well. The key
point here is that these are funds raised at
the time by industry associations with your
interests in mind.
• Times have changed, but the founda-
tions’ intent and focus have not changed
over the years. They belong to us — all
of us, and are to be used to advance our
business culture, our people, and our mar-
ket place savvy, know what I mean?
So in summary, I’d like to say that at the
end of the day my friends, I can not fault
anyone for business decisions that are
made from the heart and for whatever you
believe is the best for your companies.
In addition, I believe strongly that we
all have a duty and an obligation to the
folks we work for first of all to support
and grow market share! I also believe
strongly that being in our industry is spe-
cial, and being part of our industry’s lead-
ing and legendary association groups is
simply a must. Paying dues to “be a part
of” is normal. Paying dues in good times
and bad times is important as far as I’m
concerned. Full participation and atten-
dance to shows and conventions is a call
shot from year to year depending on con-
ditions.
Even for me, there is a point where I
have to pull back with my recommenda-
tions so as not to give our management
reason to think that I’m totally nuts —
and when I think it is a good idea to say
enough is enough for now! We did not cut
our booth space or our commitment to
support the show, but we did cut the num-
ber of registrations, extra sponsorships,
etc., and were there with three less peo-
ple. lots of work, in deed, but the key cus-
tomer visits and dinners we had were
worth the trip. We took the same action
for this year’s MCAA convention in San
Francisco. We’ve done the same at all
buying group meetings, and other associ-
ations — but we have not changed our
membership support.
So, if this all sounded like an open
commercial for the ASA, MCAA or the
PHCC, it was! If you think I was or am
promoting membership in all of them,
you’d be right! The market will turn, the
need for up-to-date, state-of-the-art edu-
cation and electronic industry efforts will
once again take center stage — along
with just plain good ol’ management
practices and people management sys-
tems being needed. The national whole-
sale companies are no more exempt from
the need for formal training/education to
stay up to speed on market needs and
product specifications than the independ-
ent. People really make the difference at
the end of the day, don’t ya think? The
people rule applies to all companies, man-
ufacturers and associations.
(Continued from page 69.)
See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
Please, as I close, give some fresh
thought to your current position with your
important industry associations today. I’d
be glad to discuss any of them with you
and talk one on one with you if you’d
like. I’m a phone call away.
Finally, I want to say Happy Birthday
to The Wholesaler! Turning 65 is a mile-
stone and something to be proud of for
sure! Tom, to you and all the folks work-
ing at and supporting this magazine, I say
great industry work. Keep it up as we all
turn the corner together!
That’s it for now...see ya next time. n
Born Johnney e Martin in Venus,
Texas in 1944, he is one of nine children
raised 100% on a cotton and grain farm
that his father share-cropped. after high
school, Martin went into the army and
then Reserves. From there he joined what
was then Grinnell Co. in 1968 and has
been with them every day of his life since
then through four different owners, now
anvil Inter national, a Unit of Mueller
Water Products. he currently serves as
vice president of national account sales
for the anvil Mechanical Unit. holding
various sales and management positions
for the company over the years, Martin
has received numerous industry and as-
sociation awards and has been involved
with industry education foundation
boards, and the Board of Directors of
both asa and MCaa. Martin currently
resides in Castle Rock, Colo., with his
wife Kathy of 27 years; they have a
daughter Kayla who is 25 years old. he
is committed to staying involved in the
plumbing and PVF industry (which he
loves) for many years to come.
COMMERCE, CAlIF. — Pioneer Industries
Inc., which provides quality products to
the plumbing industry, has completed re-
structuring its company. In a move to
offer more value-engineered products and
customer service coverage, Pioneer has
spun off its highly popular kitchen and
bath fixtures for the residential builder
market to its recently established
Olympia Faucets Inc. headquartered in
Antioch, Tenn.
Under the Pioneer and Estate by Pio-
neer brand names, Pioneer Industries will
offer more decorative kitchen and bath fix-
tures with new proprietary designs, all-
brass construction, PVD finishes, and
ceramic disc technology allowing the com-
pany to grow its showroom business.
In anticipation of the restructure and the
many new and improved products, all man-
ufacturing was changed to comply with the
new lead-free regulations in California and
Vermont. All products under all Pioneer
companies and brands have been shipping
lead-free since the end of 2009.
Pioneer Industries Inc. has been provid-
ing quality products to the plumbing in-
dustry for nearly 30 years. Pioneer
Industries designs and manufactures dec-
orative kitchen and bath fixtures under its
Pioneer and Estate by Pioneer brands. The
Olympia Faucets subsidiary offers value-
engineered kitchen and bath fixtures.
Commercial-grade plumbing fixtures and
fittings are sold through its Central Brass
division in Brecksville, Ohio.
Visit www.pioneerind.com or www
.olympiafaucets.com or call 800/338-
9468.
Pioneer Industries completesrestructuring of company
MISSISSAUGA, ONT. — American Stan-
dard Brands Canada has relocated its
head office and consolidated major prod-
uct lines into one state-of-the-art 400,000-
square-foot distribution center.
The new corporate headquarters are lo-
cated at 5900 Avebury Ave. in Missis-
sauga. The main phone number is
905/949-4800; all phone numbers for all
departments remain the same. All exten-
sions remain the same but now include
the prefix #152, e.g.: Ext.#234 is now
Ext.#152234. In addition, all fax numbers
remain the same.
Visit www.americanstandard.com.
Am Std Canada moves to new HQ/Distribution Center
In addition, I believe strongly that we all have a duty andan obligation to the folks we work for first of all to supportand grow market share! I also believe strongly that being in
our industry is special, and being part of our industry’sleading and legendary association groups is simply a must.
THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010• • 71SHOWROOM STYLENavigating K/BIS 2010
A deeper look at gettingbetter show resultsT
here is no doubt that 2010 is a
challenging year for all of us in the
showroom industry. It will con-
tinue to require more focus, creativity and
going back to the basics of what works in
our showrooms.
Slim pickin’s require smart choicesThe Kitchen and Bath Industry Show
(www.kbis.com) April 16-18 in Chicago
is expected to draw about 30,000 people.
Show hours are Friday and Saturday,
10:00 am to 5:00 pm; and Sunday 10:00
am to 3:00 pm. About 500 exhibitors will
be housed in 300,000 square feet of ex-
hibit space in two halls.
Educational Venue at K/BIS 2010The Opening Ceremony will be held
April 16 from 8:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. and
is called “Disregard All Previous Instruc-
tions.” Author/consultant Sergio Zyman
will discuss “How today requires a com-
pletely new set of rules, competitive fac-
tors and unique propositions. Previous
practices or instructions are obsolete in
today’s marketplace and economy.” I read
the first 30 pages on my Kindle and it will
be a good event!
The educational venue operated by the
NKBA at K/BIS has always been held for
the K & B dealers excluding the
bath/plumbing and decorative hardware
dealers and distributors. Due to losing DPH
manufacturers and decreased attendee mar-
ket share, the exceptional efforts of Ken
Rohl, Hall of Famer, from Rohl llC, has
sponsored two great programs for product-
selling showrooms this years. On April 15
from 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., a pre-show
seminar called “Decorative Plumb ing: A
Systems Approach” will be hosted by Paul
Greenspan, who comes from 25 years of
decorative plumbing showroom experi-
ence. On April 16 from 12:00 p.m.–1:45
p.m., there will be a “Trends and Insights”
program hosted by Robert Tietze from The
Portland Group, who owns SPlASH and
four SPRITZO showroom locations in
New England. Their showroom mantra is:
“Use our showrooms like they were your
own! let our partnership save you money
and make you money!”
David Kohler, president and COO of
Kohler Company, will give a “State of the
Industry” address on April 17 from
12:15p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Called “The Road
Ahead for the Industry”, it surely will
have some steak n’sizzle!
Other NKBA programs, paid by man-
ufacturer sponsors, will have subjects that
should hold your interest such as green,
lighting, air quality, design trends, and
others that you should check out.
The NKBA Book Store is a great place
to find visual books that are exceptional
for your showroom. These books help
visitors determine the look and products
that they desire. The “Best of K/BIS
2010” Product Showcases is always a fun
place to see new products. Who will re-
place the crown of “The Best of Baths”
award for 2009, which was Quick Drain
USA (www.quickdrainusa.com). The
New ZOW Pavilion will showcase Euro-
pean products and design trends.
LUXE Home at The Merchandise MartOn the first floor of The Mer chandise
Mart is 110,000 square feet of kitchen, bath
and building products.
Magazines and associations have
booths at K/BIS 2010 and are of great
value! This Mart is a visual extravaganza
of 40 showrooms including Kohler,
Urban Arch aeology, Hastings, TOTO
USA, and a myriad of decorative show-
rooms for both bath, plumbing, kitchen
and much more! On April 16th is one of
the best kept secrets, with a giant celebra-
tion of Open House showrooms. If you
want to get great showroom merchandis-
ing ideas and see many of your lines dis-
played elegantly, take a quick cab ride to
The Merchandise Mart.
Trade and consumer magazinesOne of the greatest perks of K/BIS are
that the magazines and free subscriptions
are included in the “business to business
category.” Most of the magazines are not
assigned a booth until the middle of April
or at show time. I would suggest going on
www.kbis.com and clicking on “Ex hibitor
list” and then “Publi cations–Business to
Business” and “Publications–Consumer.”
last year I counted more than 21 magazine
booths. If you come to their booth with a
typed list of your other showrooms, you can
subscribe as a group. The “business to busi-
ness” magazines are free to anyone attend-
ing K/BIS who has been pre-qualified.
Make sure that you stop by the TMB Pub-
lications Booth; where The Wholesaler,
PhC News and Plumbing engineer maga-
zines are located! Also, make sure that you
register your staff to get The Wholesaler
magazine with my monthly showroom col-
umn. Did you know there are kiosks of free
industry magazines outside the show floor?
International ReceptionAttention Manufacturers: There are
many industry people from all over the
world at K/BIS 2010 looking for new lines.
A few years ago when the U.S. Chamber
of Commerce was involved in K/BIS, there
were bulletin boards from every continent
with “looking For lines” and “lines
Available.” I told my manufacturer clients
to have pre-printed 3” x 5” index cards with
all of your information, if you are looking
for global representation. Then you can
post them on each continent that you have
interest in. If you are really serious about
this subject, I’ve been involved “globally”
for many years, quietly, and have detailed
information on exceptional bath/ plumbing
and kitchen representation (reps, buy/sell
stocking, and distribution channels),
around the world!
China Manufacturers – Update for 2010There are much larger number of man-
ufacturers coming from China this year
along with newer American companies im-
porting products from China under Ameri-
can names. The Chinese manufacturers are
now interspersed throughout the show.
look for manufacturers from China that
have the “ISO Quality Certi fication.” There
are exceptional finds at K/BIS 2010.
What’s new and hotDue to the date of the K/BIS 2010 Show
and a slower pace in new bath and plumb-
ing products, I will be writing about this
subject in the May, June and July monthly
columns of The Wholesaler. Don’t forget
to review the New Product Showcase in
this month’s magazine to see some very in-
teresting and innovative products. I am sure
you remember the “Fish N’ Flush” Fish
Tank Toilet Tank showcased some years
ago. This year, we got The “WOW Toilet”
(Booth S-4464), a clear universal reusable
poster design toilet tank that fits most two-
piece toilets. There are a wide variety of
posters that can be ordered and it is ideal
for commercial, restaurants and other ap-
plications. This product comes complete
with a certified dual flush system for water
savings as well. You will have to read the
June 2010 edition of The Wholesaler to
find out what was “really hot” at K/BIS
2010 and “what was not”! n
Peter schor, president of Dynamic Re-
sults Inc, is a bath/plumbing industry
speaker, educator, author, columnist and
consultant in the many segments of our in-
dustry. For the past 20 years, he conducted
seminars and speaks at numerous conven-
tions. schor has great expertise in the field
of showrooms and hotel bathrooms and
has won many industry awards. he also
consults manufacturers in taking their
products to market in the areas of sales,
marketing and public relations. schor can
be reached at 1302 longhorn lane, lin-
coln, Ca. 95648, phone 916/408-5346,
fax: 916/408-5899. e-mail pschor@dy-
namicresultsinc.com or visit his website:
www.dynamicresultsonline.com.
• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
BY PETER SCHOR
Showroom specialist
The “WoW Toilet” has a clear, universal, reusable poster design toilet tank that fits most
two-piece toilets and is just the thing for commercial, restaurant or institutional applica-
tions. a wide variety of posters are available for most whims.
Green Restaurant Assn endorses Bradford White water heatersAMBlER, PA. – Bradford White® has
earned the endorsement of the Green
Restaurant Association for both the Ultra-
Efficient eF Series® of commercial water
heaters and Energy-Saving line of Ever-
Hot® tankless water Heaters. The eF Se-
ries utilizes exclusive designs and
technologies for unsurpassed efficiency,
installation flexibility and quiet operation.
These products have thermal efficiencies
as high as 99.1%. The new EverHot® tan-
kless water heaters offer energy effi-
ciency in a compact but powerful
package. The water is heated on demand
at flow rates up to 9.4 gallons per minute.
The Green Restaurant Association en-
dorses products that exemplify environ-
mental leadership in their category and
meet the GRA Product Endorsement
Standards. GRA’s environmental consult-
ants work hand in hand with manufactur-
ers to assess their products and give them
GRA’s endorsement stamp of approval.
Since 1990, the GRA has been helping
restaurants cut energy, water and waste
costs. The GRA has been instrumental in
helping restaurants realize that environ-
mental responsibility can equal fiscal
gain. Some Certified Green Restaurants®
save thousands of dollars each year, and
through the help of GRA consultants, are
able to access rebates, incentives and
other money saving programs.
Bradford White is a full line manufac-
turer of residential, commercial and in-
dustrial products for water heating, space
heating, combination heating and storage
applications.
Visit www.bradfordwhite.com.
First Windy City facility for Munch’s Supply
72 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010INDUSTRY NEWS
(Continued from Munch, page 1.)
customer’s needs. “At Munch’s Supply,
we are committed to the success of the in-
dependent HVAC contractor. We demon-
strate that commitment every day by
giving them the convenient locations
needed to operate efficiently and the tools
they need to make their business a suc-
cess. This new Chicago facility is just an-
other concrete example of this commit-
ment,” said Munch. “Many contractors
are struggling to compete with big box
appliance retailers who are venturing into
the HVAC industry. These retailers repre-
sent the biggest threat to today’s inde-
pendent contractor. We stand on the side
of the contractor and are resolved to fight
this new threat.”
Munch Chicago will offer one of the
largest stocks of radiant equipment and
supplies in Chicago. “We carry several
different brands of boilers ranging from
extremely cost effective to super-efficient
and environmentally friendly systems. If
you need pumps, we have over 2,000
pumps in stock. Our stock is unbeatable,”
said Munch.
Munch Chicago also has a large on-
site education center. This will allow
the company to offer hands-on training
by the leaders of our industry on the
most cutting edge and energy efficient
products.
The Chicago branch can be reached di-
rectly by phone at 773/ 360-5959 or by
fax at 773/248-0131.
See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
Munch Chicago’s new 55,000-square-foot location has a large on-site education center
and one of the city’s largest stocks of radiant equipment and supplies.
Grundfos solidifies commitmentto U.S. market with Texas facility
(Continued from Grundfos, page 1.)
cial Building Services (formally PACO
Pumps), and will be home to the PES di-
vision of Peerless Pump Company.
“With the acquisition of PACO Pumps
in 2006, Peerless Pumps in 2007 and the
most recent acquisition of Yeomans
Chicago Corporation in 2008, we bought
these businesses as a sign of our commit-
ment to the North America market and
now, the Grundfos North American busi-
ness has grown both organically and
through these acquisitions, by a factor of
three,” Jes Munk Hansen, managing di-
rector of North America for Grundfos,
told team members and VIPs at the grand
opening. “We also made a commitment to
investing in the businesses we acquire; in-
vestments in people, machinery and the
buildings. I am proud to see the most re-
cent of these investments, this wonderful
new building. I am pleased to stand here
amongst you with the excellent examples
of the highly engineered systems that are
made here.”
The PES facility will continue its focus
upon the design and manufacture of pre-
packaged fire pump systems. “A near
50% gain in square footage will definitely
aid in our growth ambitions,” said Arron
Phillips, PES general manager. “Our
proximity to the Grundfos facility will not
only support with our integration activi-
ties, but allow us to take full advantage of
the synergy that exists within our prod-
ucts and our talented group of employees.
And Andrew Warrington, president of
Peerless, added, “It says a great deal about
Grundfos, Peerless and our people that we
can move a facility nearly 30 miles and re-
tain virtually every employee.”
The nearly $4-million facility will be
home to 32 highly skilled workers includ-
ing engineers, machinists, welders and
electrical professionals.
Visit www.grundfos.us and www
.peerlesspump.com.
Perrin(Continued from KITZ, page 1.)
construction include WCB, titanium,
hastelloy, and various stainless and other
special alloys.
KITZ intends to expand Perrin’s sales
and marketing globally not only in its tra-
ditional HPI markets but also in other
markets currently served by Perrin includ-
ing the iron, steel, aluminum and cement
industries, power plants, offshore plat-
forms, and LNG.
KITZ Corp. of America will be respon-
sible for sales and marketing of Perrin
products throughout North and South
America.
“It says a great dealabout Grundfos, Peerlessand our people, that wecan move a facility nearly
30 miles and retainvirtually every employee.”
THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010• •73
SMART MANAGEMENT
(Continued from page 8.)
3. Most wholesalers only use a small
percentage of the inventory manage-
ment tools in their computer system —
Admittedly, in some instances this is
proper but, in most situations wholesalers
can do a better job using some of the
analysis, inventory management and pur-
chasing tools that they already license.
As I consult with wholesalers, very
few of the inventory and purchasing sys-
tems’ settings have been changed signifi-
cantly since the system was first installed.
While it is statistically possible that the
system was configured perfectly upon in-
stallation, it is more likely that no one has
reviewed the settings since installation.
Possibly because they do not understand
how the system works and how to get it
tuned up to run well. Getting your inven-
tory management system “dialed-in” can
allow you to run with leaner inventory
and less manpower.
4. Adopt an NBOO (Never be out of)
philosophy for the critical 200-300
products and make it a corporate sin to
ever be out of those products in any lo-
cation — Never ever. This is one of the
key components in proving to your cus-
tomers that you really know how to run a
supply house. Many of the computer sys-
tems in our industry have the ability to
denote these special products and to add
safety stock to prevent the horrible disas-
ter of running out of the basics like PVC
cement or 40-gallon water heaters.
• Go after your money. That’s the
money that you lent to your customers so
they could complete their jobs but didn’t
pay you after they collected for those jobs.
1. Many wholesalers treat the good
honorable customers the same as the
scoundrels — Be respectful of the honor-
able guys because they are your future —
Be stern with the guys who need a wake-
up call because some of them are your fu-
ture. Play hardball with the bad guys to get
your money and convince them to be part
of another wholesaler’s future.
2. Face-to-face meetings are an im-
portant part of good credit management
— I am not the fan of the “call-the-
customer-to-the-principals-office” style
credit managers. They make the customer
come in and grovel over their past-due ac-
count. These are expedient but often leave
a bitter taste in the customer’s mouth.
(Note: I think you even treat the scoundrels
with respect when there is a choice.)
3. The best meetings involve visits to
your customers’ shops — Both to get
commitments and also take the opportu-
nity to see, first-hand, how the shops look.
These have the side benefit of treating the
customer with respect. And while you
may be upset with the customer, in the end
you may want them to remain a customer
for the long term. The idea is to, when
possible, have the customer wanting to
continue buying from you even though
you may ultimately decide to end the re-
lationship.
4. While this may sound old-fash-
ioned, I do not think the e-mail-only
credit managers that have become the
norm in wholesaling are the best — I
do think e-mail confirmations and com-
munications are great, but they are not the
substitute for customer phone calls, office
meetings and shop visits.
5. The very best credit managers de-
velop a relationship wherein they can
coach the customers — The goal it to
help them adopt better practices and to
become better business risks.
• Take the opportunity to get better
credit agreements in place. I know your
customers like the old one where you fi-
nance their business, have no say in how it
is run, sell them product at low margins and
end up holding the bag if there are prob-
lems. I used to say that no banker would
offer those terms, but as we have all come
to know, there were a whole bunch of stu-
pid bankers who did much dumber things.
One last thought — As I write this, I
am attending the P21 World Wide User
Group meeting in Washington. (Thanks to
Don Preston and the WWUG team for a
great meeting.) Their guest speaker was
Colonel Oliver North who provided the
following disappointing information:
While the unemployment rate for our
country is just under 10%, the unemploy-
ment rate for returning military personnel
is around 25%. These are volunteer men
and women who have spent more time in
combat situations than any other group in
the history of our military. That our coun-
try seems to reject them as they return
from service is appalling. So as your com-
pany recovers and begins to hire, please
consider these men and women for your
team. While you may not need the spe-
cific skill they used in the military, their
organizational skills, work ethic and lead-
ership experience do translate very di-
rectly into the needs of our industry.
As I said at the start, the odds have cer-
tainly changed in our industry and that
means success is no longer as assured.
There are things you can do to improve
your odds so pick a couple from the list
above or a couple from your own list and
get going. n
• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
Get focused, form a solidstrategy and stick with it
Rich Schmitt is president of SchmittConsulting Group Inc., a manage-ment consulting firm focused on im-proving the profitability ofdistribution and manufacturingclients.www.go-scg.com
Rich is also the co-owner of SchmittProfitTools Inc. (SPI), a business pro-ducing print, CD-ROM, web andpalm-based catalogs as well as pric-ing management and analysis soft-ware for wholesalers.www.go-spi.com
We have this grand tradition of
heating here in the U.S. of A.
that goes back to the days when
heating was new and people didn’t use
pumps to move hot water because, well,
they had not yet been invented. We used
gravity instead, and gravity is wonderful
because it is so dependable. Heavy things,
such as cold water, sink, so when the hot
water rose from the boiler, it would shove
the cold water that was inside the radiators
out of the way, and before long, we had a
lovely circulation set up — hot water ris-
ing, cold water sinking, and continuous cir-
culation to warm the people. Nice.
To make this happen, we needed to
have pipes of a large size because friction
is the enemy of flowing water, so those
old systems had hefty pipes into which
you could yodel, should the spirit so
move you. The big pipes on the supply
side matched the big pipes on the return
side, and all of this made for a lot of
work, a lot of money and a lot of water.
The pumps finally arrived, and at
about the same time as the Great Depres-
sion. People realized they could make the
water move faster (thereby saving money
on coal) if they used a pump, so onto the
systems the pumps went, and the place
they seemed to work best was on the re-
turn side of the system piping, down there
where the water was coolest. Don’t want
to be burning up that new pump with red-
hot boiler water. So down at the bottom
they went, and down there they stayed.
And these were big pumps, with packing
glands that dribbled water into drains, and
manly motors that sucked up oil and elec-
tricity like beer at a ballgame.
The 1970s showed up, and with the
new decade came small pumps that ran
on high speed and needed no oil because
the system water lubricated the bearings.
We loved these little pumps because they
got the job done well and they cost much
less than their big, beefy, old uncles. They
needed no drains and they were as quiet
as can be, and when we changed them
out, we placed them in the same spot as
the old beasts — down at the bottom of
the piping, even though water tempera-
ture was no longer a factor.
And that led to some interesting prob-
lems because of the greater pressure dif-
ferential of the new pumps. Radiators that
never had a problem before suddenly
began to bind with air, and pipes that
were once quiet were now gurgling. Air
was causing all of this, but where was it
coming from?
It took a while to figure out, but we fi-
nally got it through our thick skulls that it
was the location of the pump that was
giving us grief. We were all pumping to-
ward the compression tank, and not away
from it, and that was allowing the pump’s
now-greater differential pressure to play
with the dissolved air in the water. Here’s
what it’s all about.
Consider the closed-loop, hot-water
heating system. We fill the pipes, boiler
and radiators with cold water, leaving no
space at all, other than the space inside
the compression tank, on the other side of
the bladder. That bladder gives the water
a place to expand when we heat it. We
need the tank because we can’t compress
water; we can only compress air. Now
when we fill any system, we use a defi-
nite amount of water, so let’s take a case
where we fill a certain system using pre-
cisely 40 quarts of water.
Okay, here’s the question: When the
pump first starts, does it shove any water
into the compression-tank?
If you say yes, I’m going to have to ask
you where it got the water that it’s shov-
ing. And if you tell me the pump got the
water from inside the pipes, I’m going to
have to ask you what took the place of the
water that used to be in the pipe, but is
now supposedly inside the tank. If you
tell me that air has taken the place of the
now-missing water inside the pipe, we’re
both going to have to wonder from
whence the air came. Keep in mind that
this is a closed system.
Truth is, it’s impossible, within a closed
system, for the pump to add water to the
tank, and since it can’t do that, it can’t
change the pressure inside the tank (be-
cause of Boyle’s Law). Nor can the pump
remove any water from the tank because
there’s simply no place to put it. The pipes
and the radiators are already completely
full, and we can’t compress water.
A pump in a closed system can neither
add nor remove a drop of water from the
compression tank, and since it can’t do
this, it can’t affect the pressure inside the
tank. Old Boyle’s Law at work here.
That’s why we call the tank “the point of
no pressure change.” Whatever pressure
you use to maintain the system in a filled
and operating condition, that pressure will
be a constant at the point where the tank
is, and in the pipe that connects the take
to the distribution system.
Now a centrifugal pump in a closed
system is nothing more than a differen-
HEATING HELP
Whither thepumps?BY DAN
HOLOHAN
Wet head
(Turn to Holohan, page 74.)
We do have our share ofknuckleheads [who] persist inpiping the pumps on the returnside so that they pump right atthe compression tank, in spiteof the air problems this causes.
74 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010
tial-pressure machine. It must produce a
difference in pressure across itself, but it
doesn’t particularly care how it does this.
It can raise the pressure on its discharge,
or lower the pressure at its suction, or
split the difference between the two; it re-
ally doesn’t care. However, since the
compression tank is the one point in the
system where the pressure can never
change, when we pump away from the
tank, we will add the pump’s differential
pressure to the system’s fill pressure. This
is splendid because Henry’s Law kicks in
to help us get rid of the air that comes
from the heated water (Henry’s Law
states that gases dissolve in liquids in di-
rect proportion to pressure). We use the
pump’s differential pressure to pulverize
the air bubbles and move them out of the
radiators and pipes and into the air vent
on start-up. Whoosh! They’re gone.
But pipe the pump on the return side,
pumping directly toward the compression
tank’s point of no pressure change, and
the opposite happens. The pump can’t
raise its discharge pressure because the
tank is the point of no pressure change, so
the pump creates its differential pressure
by lowering the pressure at its suction
side. Once again, Henry’s Law kicks in,
but not in a nice way this time. Henry
lowers the pressure on the water, releas-
ing all the dissolved gases, and turning
tiny bubbles into balloons, and all in an
instant. Suddenly the pipes are noisy and
the radiators are bound with air.
And this is what we lived with for
years in the U.S. of A. Nowadays, smart
installers know to pipe pumps on the sup-
ply side of the boiler, pumping away from
the compression tank. However, we do
have our share of knuckleheads, and these
proud people persist in piping the pumps
on the return side so that they pump right
at the compression tank, in spite of the air
problems this causes. And do you know
why they do this? It’s because this is the
way their grandfathers did it. And they
will try anything new — as long as he
tried it first. n
Dan Holohan began his love affair with
heating systems in 1970 by going to work
for a New York-based manufacturers rep-
resentative 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 web-
site, www.HeatingHelp.com. He has writ-
ten hundreds of columns for a number of
trade magazines, as well as 15 books on
subjects ranging from steam and hot water
heating, to teaching technicians. His de-
gree is in Sociology, which Holohan be-
lieves 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.
See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
(Continued from page 73.)
Circulator pumps: More than meets the eye
Caroma products available for Autodesk RevitHILLSBORO, ORE. – Caroma has intro-
duced a new section of the website with
AutoDesk Revit files available (.RFA) for
all Caroma products.
Revit is a building information mod-
eling tool enabling architects to design
and document projects, visualize the ap-
pearance, and simulate real-world per-
formance. Architects can review the
specifications of Caroma products and
place them in a project to ensure the pa-
rameters meet the project requirement
and the design is appropriate. Revit also
makes it easy to try several products in
a project by simply removing one prod-
uct and replacing it with another prod-
uct. The entire project can be updated at
one time.
“As much of the architectural world
turns to using Revit as the modeling sys-
tem of choice, Caroma is aiding this tran-
sition,” explained John Karas, Caroma
product manager. “Caroma provides ar-
chitects with comprehensive Revit models
of their fixtures so they can easily be
added to entire building models. This
helps architects gain a more comprehen-
sive graphical and functional understand-
ing of all the elements of their project.”
Visit www.caromausa.com.
HEATING HELP
THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010• •75
Southland(Continued from page 13.)
continue to try our best to increase our
market penetration and deal with the
competitive pricing situation that has be-
come the norm these days. I’m confident
we can weather this downturn. I’ve seen
four or five cycles during my years in
business, and I know it’s going to cycle
back again. With my family backing me
up and taking an active part in the busi-
ness, and having the same dreams and
ideals that I have, I’m confident in the
future of the company.” n
To learn more, visit www.southland-
plumbingsupply.com.
John Vinturella founded Southland
Plumbing Supply in 1967 at the un-
likely age of 52. A plumber by trade, he
had a difficult time early on getting lines
to support him. Many of the factories
and some of his local competition were
skeptical if he was truly dedicated to
being a plumbing wholesaler, or still a
plumber just trying to buy at wholesale
prices. Initially, many of his purchases
were made from friendly competitors.
“At the time, my dad was one of the
more successful plumbers in town and
had two partners,” Alan Vinturella said.
“I think in the back of his head he felt
like the opportunity was much better for
his three sons in the wholesale business.
I think he believed if he could get a busi-
ness going it would be something that he
could hand down to his children.”
When Alan joined the business in
1972, the company had five employees
and operated out of a 2,000-square-foot
building. Kilgore was their first fixture
line and Price Pfister was Southland’s
first faucet vendor. Alan’s younger
brother, Gary, came into the business full
time in 1974, and his older brother John
joined them in 1975, although neither is
in the business anymore.
Alan graduated from LSU with a de-
gree in chemical engineering, and during
his senior year had already accepted a
job with Monsanto in Pensacola, Fla.
“Over the Easter holiday that year, my
father offered me a job,” Alan noted. “I
was all set to go to Monsanto. They had
offered me a great starting salary and I
knew there would be numerous oppor-
tunities for future growth. But my dad
was very persuasive, so I asked Mon-
santo to give me six months to decide if
I wanted to sell toilets for a living. I’m
still here, so needless to say, the six
months came and went, and I decided to
build this business with my dad.”
Shortly after Alan came on board,
Southland was named a Kohler distrib-
utor, and they moved into a 10,000-
square-foot facility that included a
Kohler showroom.
“We took an 800-square-foot storage
room on the second floor of a dilapi-
dated old roller skating rink and turned
that into our showroom,” Alan laughed.
“You had to take your life into your
hands by climbing an iron staircase on
the outside of the building to get to the
showroom. We had a couple of tubs and
toilets and maybe all of $10,000 in fix-
tures on display. That building served as
our headquarters and showroom until
1979 when we moved to our current fa-
cility in Metairie.”
Mona Vinturella — who grew up next
door to Alan and has been married to
him since 1973 — holds a design degree
from LSU and had her own interior de-
sign business. In recent years, she has
become indispensable at Southland, not
only with the showroom but throughout
the company. Her calm presence and in-
sightful ideas have earned her great re-
spect from all the employees, and high
praise from her husband.
They are now joined by two of their
three children in the business — the
third is a student at the College of
Charleston, and although Robb may be
interested in a career at Southland in the
future, Alan and Mona believe it is im-
portant for him to gain experience else-
where first.
Chad Vinturella had been in the restau-
rant industry for about 10 years and was
starting to consider some other options
when his father called in 2003 and sug-
gested he might want to come back and
join Southland. “It was perfect timing,”
Chad said. “I only had to think about it for
20 minutes. I never thought Southland
would be my future; I had spent summers
working in the warehouse during school
and hated it. But I’m so glad that I chose
to come back because it really does feel
like the right fit for me.”
Loni Vinturella joined Southland in
2008. She had previously worked for
Enterprise and came with a good re-
sume. But when her parents sensed that
she wasn’t enjoying her career, they felt
the time was right to find the right posi-
tion for her at Southland and have her
join them in the business as well.
“It’s been wonderful to have our chil-
dren join us here at the business,” Mona
noted. “I want them to be part of South-
land and its future — and to be happy
here. I want to protect them from the pit-
falls of the family business. We’re all here
for one reason and that is to keep this
company running, be profitable and work
together with all of our employees.”
Alan agreed: “It’s very rewarding to
have our children come back to the com-
pany. Prior to Chad coming to work
here, I had no exit strategy because I
would just do everything myself. There
was literally no doubt in my mind that if
something happened to me there would
be no more Southland. I was the only
point of contact with our factories and
the bank; I had never trained anybody to
do that part of the business.
“Now that Mona has gotten so in-
volved and with Chad and Loni here it’s
much more of a comfortable feeling.
However, our children realize they are
employees, they are not owners. We are
all a team; there is no entitlement here. I
can now sense that there is a legacy and
a future here without me. Now I am con-
fident that Southland will prosper long
into the future.” n
• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
It all started with a dream…
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIF. — Noritz
Americax Corporation has partnered up
with Energy Star to offer a nationwide re-
bate of up to $400, according to Yoshi
Asano, Noritz America senior marketing
manager.
The Energy Star Appliance Rebate is a
program that offers homeowners the abil-
ity to earn additional savings of $150 to
$400 (dollar amount determined on the
state in which they live in), by simply re-
placing and recycling their old tank water
heater after purchasing a Noritz Energy
Star-rated model.
“With the existing Stimulus Tax Cred-
its that can amount to $1,500 on the pur-
chase of a new Noritz unit, the Energy
Star Rebate only adds to the savings when
you recycle your old water heater,” said
Asano. “In total, consumers can save up-
wards of $2,000 in addition to cutting
their energy bills by up to 40%. We are
proud to partner with Energy Star on this
important rebate.”
The federal tax credit for tankless
water heaters was modified as of Febru-
ary 17 by the Stimulus Package. The tax
credit is now 30% of the price of the
equipment by itself (it was formerly a flat
$300) and 30% of the total installation
costs, and is available to consumers
through the end of 2010.
Call 877/986-6748 or visit
www.noritz.com.
Noritz models qualifyfor Energy Star rebate
Steam goes greenwith Holohan’s new book
INDUSTRY NEWS
LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — Dan Holohan’s
new book, Greening Steam: How to
Bring 19th-Century Heating Systems into
the 21st Century (and save lots of green!),
is helping heating professionals and
homeowners save energy — and money.
According to Holohan, author and presi-
dent of HeatingHelp.com, “When it
comes to saving money on heating, old
steam systems are delicious low-hanging
fruit. There is so much you can do to
make them better, and most of what you
do won?t cost a fortune.”
There are many steam systems in serv-
ice today, and they’ll be around for some
time to come. It’s not that easy (or inex-
pensive) to rip out a steam system and
start anew, and that’s why so many of
them are still around. Holohan’s book
walks you through your old steam heating
system and shows you how to get the
most out of it without putting a lot of
money into it. It’s an entertaining and in-
formative book that will have you looking
at steam heating in a whole new light.
You’ll be amazed at how small changes
can make a big difference when it comes
to efficiency and savings. Read this book
and start greening your steam heating sys-
tem (and your wallet) today!
Readers have given this book a consis-
tent five out of five stars in reviews on
HeatingHelp.com. Daniel G. of Abilene
Inc. says the book “is packed with all of
the information any heating professional
or steam heat homeowner will ever need
to get a steam system operating at peak
efficiency.” After applying knowledge
gained from Greening Steam to a recent
job, Bob L. of Guardian Heating said,
“We have been in business for 57 years
and I guarantee you we as a company
were never prouder of a job.”?
To purchase the book for just $30 a
copy, visit www.heatinghelp.com or call
800/853-8882.
Refrigerant Services Inc.acquired by Polar TechnologyNASHVILLE, TENN. — Polar Technology,
known as the “Refrigerant Authority,” has
purchased Missouri-based Refrigerant
Services Inc. RSI provides recovery serv-
ices in a specialized section of the indus-
try, tailored toward large industrial
refrigeration accounts, such as chemical
plants and process cooling facilities. The
acquisition is seen as a strategic comple-
ment to Polar Technology’s strength as a
refrigerant sales and reclamation and re-
cycling company.
Polar has one of the largest refrigerant
recovery cylinder exchange programs in
the industry. In addition, Polar markets a
complete line of virgin and recertified re-
frigerants, refrigerant and oil analysis
programs, provides recovery and rental
services as well as conducts oil and sol-
vent reclamation.
“Polar made this investment as we
strive to grow our business and enter the
field of direct refrigerant recovery sup-
port,” said Ted Atwood, president/
founder of Polar Technology. “We feel
that this purchase will not only broaden
our customer base and focus our re-
sources, but will further allow us to
broaden our environmental stewardship
programs, of which we are extremely
proud.”
Refrigerant Services has been instru-
mental in developing a special sector of
the industry, large industrial refrigeration
accounts. They have developed an exclu-
sive position in this area, due to the chal-
lenges and technical expertise required to
perform such work. The specialized tech-
nology will now be transferred to Polar
Technology’s new facility in California.
Polar Technology will continue to support
the needs and requirements of the Refrig-
erant Services customers. Shannon Arthur
will remain involved as the account man-
ager for Refrigerant Services clients.
Visit www.refrigerantauthority.com.
76 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010
See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
ket research, we discovered a void within
the residential market segment and set
about developing this new line that in-
cludes stainless steel features and digital
temperature controls.
HomeAdvantage products adjust the
power applied to their heating modules to
maximize energy savings by sensing inlet
water temperature and flow rate. In addi-
tion, these units make it easy to adjust your
exact comfort setting with a finger-tip con-
trol pad and temperature LED display. Se-
lectable operating range can be set from
100°F to 140°F. The HomeAdvantage
product line features simple installation
with “quick connect” water fittings without
soldering. To match today’s appliance
trend, the units come standard in a modern
stainless steel enclosure.
MJM: Has Eemax rolled out any
other new products recently?
Siegel: Eemax has begun producing
heaters for safety shower applications
used in production applications. With tra-
ditional water heaters, the water for safety
showers is constantly heated, even though
they’re only used in emergencies. You
can take our product and place it next to
the safety equipment, so when you need
water at a precise temperature in an un-
likely event of an emergency, it turns on
and heats the water instantly, instead of
heating the water all the time with a tra-
ditional tank style heater. The Eemax unit
used in this application will create
tremendous energy and cost savings.
MJM: Could you please share what
you think are the most significant benefits
and capabilities of the Eemax ETWH?
Ruppelt: We’re all familiar with the
process. When in need of hot water,
faucets usually have to be turned on and
run for quite some time before warming
up – with valuable water and energy
going down the drain. Estimates show
20% of the country’s hot water goes down
the drain unused.
Eemax wants to revolutionize the water
heater industry with products that heat
water instantly. Our ETWH save users
more than just water and energy — they
save our customers money. The unique
thing about our product is that they are
able to be located close to the point of use.
So instead of having a tank-style water
heater in the basement or utility room,
customers can put ours close to where the
hot water is used – showers, bathtubs,
vanities, washing machines, dishwashers,
and kitchen sinks. With our ETWH at the
point of use, water can be heated at a des-
ignated location or they will boost hot
water until it arrives from and existing tra-
ditional water tank heater.
MJM: So how exactly do your ETWH
work?
Ruppelt: Water is heated directly with-
out the use of a traditional storage tank that
is commonly found in the basement or util-
ity rooms. Traditional storage tank water
heaters will run and reheat water even
when not in use – costing users money and
consuming energy. At the same time, water
temperature is lost while sitting and trav-
eling through the pipes.
With the Eemax line, when a hot water
tap is turned on, cold water travels
through a pipe into the unit. An electric
element heats the water immediately with
minimal wait time to the desired temper-
ature. As a result, the Eemax ETWH de-
livers a constant supply of hot water
while being “green” at the same time. You
never run out of hot water.
MJM: How important are your rela-
tionships with wholesalers?
Dokla: Eemax focuses on the whole-
sale channel and does not sell direct to
consumers or to Big Box retailers. Rather,
we prefer to partner with the local experts
— wholesalers. We support our whole-
salers by shipping order within two to
three days of order receipt. We have just
launched a new marketing campaign to
assist our wholesalers get the word out on
Eemax ETWH models. We’ve developed
a turn-key program utilizing Personalized
URLs where Eemax manages all of the
creative and delivery; all the wholesaler
has to do is say “yes” and the program is
launched. It’s that simple.
MJM: Do you use factory salespeople
or have independent manufacturers’
reps?
Siegel: Eemax utilizes both a direct
sales team and manufacturers’ reps. The
direct sales team focuses on the larger cus-
tomers and provides support to the manu-
facturers’ reps. We use manufacturers’ reps
because of their local knowledge of the in-
dustry and customers. They know where
the jobs are! Also, we have a vibrant export
business where we ship products to 30
counties outside the U.S., thus creating
green collar jobs within the U.S.
MJM: What steps are you taking to
achieve Energy Star certification and
educate the public on your high effi-
ciency levels?
Dokla: While Eemax heaters are one
of the most efficient ways to heat water –
99% efficient – they’re not widely known
yet. And while we’ve seen sales grow for
a number of years, we must continue to
keep working on getting the word out.
Our products are currently not Energy
Star certified, primarily because the
heaters are not well-known. Once people
realize the advantages of such heaters
they wonder why they are not Energy Star
certified. But our team is dedicated to ed-
ucating the public on the benefits of
ETWH. Our partners are motivated and
dedicated to selling and marketing our
products. Our products are available at
plumbing wholesalers across the nation,
so we have excellent distribution and cus-
tomers who have experienced growth by
selling our products.
We are also putting our competitive
spirit aside to join forces with competitors
to educate potential customers on the
heaters’ value. The Coalition of Efficient
Electric Tankless Water Heaters is work-
ing with the Environmental Protection
Agency, U.S. Department of Energy, non-
government organizations, and the Air-
Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration
Institute to spread the word. The goal of
the Coalition is to convey the savings po-
tential of ETWH. Eemax believes the
Coalition will help the company’s prod-
ucts receive Energy Star certification.
The Coalition was formed by well-
known industry-leading companies. Its
leadership team consists of our very own
Kevin Ruppelt, Coalition chairman and
Salo Zelermyer, Coalition director and
associate with Bracewell & Guiliani.
The Coalition is represented by
Bracewell & Guiliani, a highly success-
ful Washington, D.C., firm with out-
standing credentials and expertise in the
energy industry.
MJM: Can you share any information
going forward on your strategic long-range
planning? What are the key focus areas of
the plan?
Ruppelt: Despite the recession,
Eemax has experienced growth in recent
years, and has a strategic plan to keep
growing the company. Our goal is to
triple the company’s size.
In addition to developing new innova-
tive products, Eemax’s growth was bol-
stered by an investment in September
2008 from Riverside Company, a private
equity company. Riverside invests in
strong companies primed to excel, with a
plan that will leave them substantially
larger and more profitable. With Eemax,
Riverside saw an opportunity to invest in
a company with great products and great
people. From that investment, we are
reinvesting in our company. We’re invest-
ing in new products, new leadership, as-
sembly lines automation, and enhanced
sales and marketing techniques. n
For additional information, visit www
.eemaxinc.com.
Electric tankless waterheaters a growing market
(Continued from page 14.)
Our partners are motivated and dedicated to selling and marketingour products. Our products are available at plumbing wholesalers
across the nation, so we have excellent distribution and customers who have experienced growth by selling our products.
Tankless Tech
THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010• •77WATER HEATING
See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
Electric hybridThe VOLTEX™ Hy-
brid electric water
heater integrates a
new heat pump tech-
nology that makes it
more than twice as
efficient as a stan-
dard electric water
heater. Rated at 2.3
EF, it’s the only elec-
tric water heater that
is ENERGY STAR
rated and eligible for
a federal tax credit
up to $1,500. One of
four new families of
residential water
heaters. A.O. Smith.
www.aosmith.com
On demand domestic hot waterThe new ODW is available in 4 capacities
from 99,000 Btuh to 199,000 Btuh, for
performance and effi-
ciency plus the com-
fort of on-demand
domestic water. Users
will never run out of
hot water again. Ben-
efits include energy
savings and space
savings because all of
the units are wall
hung. With revolu-
tionary S line Heat exchangers, units can
reach efficiency levels over 92%, which
qualify for the 30% federal tax rebate. Be-
cause this unit is condensing, it can be
vented with schedule 40 PVC. Quietside.
www.quietside.com
Hybrid water heatersThe Condensing Hybrid improves the technological advance-
ments of the original hybrid water heater but in a smaller, more
efficient and every bit as powerful unit. Patented full-flow de-
sign and stainless steel heat exchanger with a built-in 2-gal re-
serve. Can be wall mounted or floor standing with water
connections on unit’s top. Vented with 2" or 3" PVC up to 100
ft. Eternal Hybrid Water Heaters.
www.eternalwaterheater.com
New tankless technologyAs a leader in tankless water heating technology, this manu-
facturer popularized the combination of tankless technology
and safe, reliable concentric venting in North America. They
now introduce a new line of Concentric Venting with a
polypropylene (PP) inner pipe exclusively for their ultra-effi-
cient condensing products. The condensing PP concentric vent-
ing offers superior safety and a more cost effective choice for
venting condensing appliances. Rinnai.
www.rinnai.us.
Electric tankless water heatersThe HomeAdvantage Series is a full line
of whole house electric tankless water
heaters with thermostatic control. With
“Quick-Connect” fittings, these space-
saving devices are
easy to install, ac-
tivate instantly
and deliver an
endless supply
of hot water to
any point of use.
HomeAdvantage products are 99% en-
ergy efficient – an ideal eco-conscious so-
lution for new construction and green
home renovations. Made in the USA,
lead-free and feature stainless-steel con-
struction. Eemax.
www.eemax.com
New tankless lineEverHot® tankless water heaters offer en-
ergy efficiency in a
compact but powerful
package, with flow
rates up to 9.4 gpm. 6
models available (3
interior and 3 exte-
rior) in natural or LP
gas with maximum
input ranges of
150,000 – 199,900
Btuh. Can be con-
verted from residen-
tial to commercial. Control
monitors and displays 17 diagnostic
codes for trouble-shooting. Small foot-
print, wall mounting. Bradford White.
www.bradfordwhite.com
78 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010
Extended Release Corrosion ControlThis complete treatment solution defends against scale and corrosion. Each Poly Guard
System contains 1 refillable cartridge with 24 oz of extended release crystals that will
treat 30,000 gal of water or up to 6 months. Also in-
cludes a clear 10" filter housing with a pressure release
button, housing wrench and filter replacement reminder
sticker. Crystals prevent hard water scale, corrosion and
iron build-up in water systems, equipment and appli-
ances by forming a protective coating on metal and
plastic surfaces. Also prevent hard water build-up and
iron staining by holding hard water minerals in solution
before they can cause discoloration on appliances and
plumbing fixtures. Pro Products LLC.
www.proproducts.com
See contact information on page 82• Be sure to visit www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
WATER HEATING
Prevent hard water scalingThe Heater Treater was specifically de-
veloped for the protection of tankless
water heaters from the effects of hard
water scaling. The
blending of a time-
tested water treat-
ment process with
current housing and
filter technology
created a simple,
economical, reliable
and environmen-
tally friendly way to extend the life of
tankless water heater installation in hard
water areas. Falsken Water Systems.
www.theHeaterTreater.com
On-demand electric heatersThe next-generation Tempra® and new
Commercial tanklessThis system is the most precise and en-
ergy efficient method of heating water for
any commercial
applications. The
NC380 is ASME
certified with
max flow rate of
13.2 gpm, it is
equipped with a
durable commer-
cial grade heat
exchanger, a full
m o d u l a t i n g
burner, and housed in a heavy duty stain-
less steel casing. Up to 24 units can be
linked on a single intelligent modular sys-
tem providing 316 gpm with a superior
545:1 turndown ratio. Noritz.
www.Noritz.com/commercial
80 • •THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010CLASSIFIED ADSEMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT
REPS WANTED
REPS WANTEDManufacturer is seeking professionalrepresentation in several US territories.Products include solar storage tanks,indirect water heaters, hot water stor-age tanks, and other hydronic, solar,and water heating products. Please faxresumé and line card to 508-422-9881or email:
As a leading master whls. dist., we’reseeking an energetic ind. or co. to serveas an exclusive sales rep. Position in-volves calling on wtr dists, health depts.,contractors, and related sources. Appli-cants must have background in back-flow, plbg, HVAC, or related sales exp.Please email resumé /line card to:
Get more BANG for youradvertising buck with adisplay advertisement in
TheWholesaler!
See opposite for yournearest advertising sales
representative!
Reps! Be sure to call847-564-1127 to be included in the Listing of Manufacturers’
Reps, appearing in the August issue of The Wholesaler!
POWER ON DEMAND
INSIDE SALES POSITIONMaster Distributor of Pipe Fittings andValves looking for an experienced InsideSales Person.
This position will be responsible for thedevelopment and expansion of our prod-ucts lines within the PVF, Fire and Wa-terworks markets located in the UnitedStates and Canada. All resumés will beheld in strict confidence.
Wholesale plumbing distributor is look-ing for an aggressive, self-confident, andresults oriented outside sales represen-tative to call on contractors in the North-ern Illinois and Southern Chicago Illinoisterritories. Will maintain current ac-counts and penetrate new markets. Theideal candidate must have at least 5years proven plumbing industry outsidesales experience.
We offer a competitive salary, excellentbenefits package and company car.
Qualified candidates may send their re-sume via e- mail to:[email protected]
Visit our web-site:www.auburnsupply.com
Auburn Supply Company3850 W. 167th StreetMarkham, IL 60428Fax: 708-596-0981
EOE
AREA SALES MANAGERBonney Forge Corporation, an Interna-tional Manufacturer in the PVF Market-place, is looking for an energetic AreaSales Manager with knowledge of theWest Coast Region. Re sponsibilities in-clude experience in the Chemical andOil Industry, calling on distributors,E&C’s and end users. Previous salesexperience and excellent interpersonalskills a must. Advanced PC abilities es-sential. Forecasting territorial responsi-bilities required. Bachelor’s Degreepreferred. Unlimited potential for moti-vated professionals, great compensa-tion, and full benefits packagecompliments this exceptional career op-portunity. Bonney Forge supports Affir-mative Action and is an EqualOpportunity Employer.
REPS WANTEDWe are looking for aggresive sales Repsfor a well established product. It servesthe plumbing, HVAC, roofing and elec-trical industry. We pay top commissions.Please visit our website for more prod-uct information. Our website is:
www.quickpipeblock.com
MANUFACTURERS REPS WANTEDNational Fitting & Valve Company look-ing for PVF, Plumbing & WaterworksReps In various states. Reply to:[email protected] /800-807-2215
REPS WANTEDManufacturer of quality test plugs & testcaps for over 30 years is seeking repre-sentation. High commission paid.
Please fax resumé to:626-792-0956
NEWS
NEWINGTON, CONN. — An industry veteran
in the New England market, James “Jimmy
D.” D’Entremont Jr. passed away suddenly
on Tuesday, February 16 at the age of 59.
Jimmy worked for AKR Associates
Inc. for the past seven years. Previous to
that, he spent 20 years at Eljer and several
years prior to that at Riverside Pipe and
Supply Company.
Jimmy was a pillar of his community
and parish. He was a gentleman with a
big heart, a great sense of humor, and an
avid Boston sports fan. He is survived by
his two children; James H. D’Entremont
III and Katie Lee D’Entremont of Mel-
rose, Mass.
Contributions can be made to the
D’Entremont Family Fund, in care of
Melrose Cooperative Bank, 638 Main
Street, Melrose, MA 02176
OBITUARYJames D’Entremont Jr.,
industry veteran
THE WHOLESALER® — APRIL 2010• •81CLASSIFIED ADS
The Wholesaler® (publication number USPS 351-650 ISSN 0032-1680) is a trademark of TMB Publications, Inc. TheWholesaler® is published monthly by TMB Publications, Inc., 1838 Techny Ct. Northbrook, IL 60062; tel. 847/564-1127;fax 847/564-1264. Copyright 2010 by TMB Publications, Inc. All rights reserved under the United States, Internationaland Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted inany form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, electronic recording or otherwise, without the prior written per-mission of TMB Publications, Inc. The Wholesaler® is delivered free of charge to qualified subscribers in the U.S. andCanada. 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. [email protected]• Publications mail agreement No. 41499518: Return undeliverable Canadian adresses to PO Box 503, RPO WestBeaver Creek, Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6
PublisherTom M. Brown Jr.Administrative AssistantSadie Bechtold
Editorial DirectorMary Jo MartinProduction ManagerCate C. Brown
Managing Editor
James Schaible
Associate Editor
John Mesenbrink
PVF, Industry and
Economic Analyst Emeritus
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