Supply House Times articles from August 2003

Supply House Times archives from August 2003

Holohan's warehouse memories impress reader.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... I always read Dan Holohan's column each month in SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES. His article in the June issue (page 46) struck home. My father, too, can add up numbers manually faster than I can do them on a calculator, and his figures are correct! ...

Olsztynski's Collins pipe story worth sharing.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... Just wanted to say what a great story Jim Olsztynski's "Collins Pipe & Supply: How They Saved $339,000" is (June SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES, page 28). It caught my eye when I first saw the magazine and I immediately went online to forward the Web...

Update and thank you from Brad Sell.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... It all began about five years ago with a man I still think of and miss each day--a wonderful friend, ally, and mentor, Alan Urell of Urell, Inc. One day I was talking to Alan about some minor physical symptoms I was experiencing. Alan told...

Wholesale distributors gain remodeling sales.(News: companies ... associations ... people ... government ... trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... In a study conducted by the Casey Group for the Home Improvement Research Institute, 13% of general remodeling contractors said they prefer to shop at wholesale distributors, up from 10% in 2001 and 4% in 1999. Specialty supply houses, which...

Correction.(News: companies ... associations ... people ... government ... trends)(Correction Notice)
August 1, 2003... The American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE), based in Westlake, Ohio, has agreed to become an endorser of the 2003 ISH North America show Oct. 1-3 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Convention Center in Las Vegas. Its membership is...

Residential building permit activity regional & local market survey.(A Supply House Times Exclusive)
August 1, 2003... Residential Building Permit Activity Regional & Local Market Survey May 2003 Region Residential Permits Local Markets +/- ...

Noland Co.(People On The Move ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Noland Co. (Newport News, Va.) named Roger E. "Eddie" Gibbs director of sourcing. He succeeds William G. Overman, who retired July 1 after 44 years with the company. Overman has headed the purchasing division since 1987. Gibbs joined Noland in...

Hughes Supply.(People On The Move ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Hughes Supply (Orlando, Fla.) promoted Bob Webber to branch manager in Atlanta. Most recently he had been branch manager for Hughes Marietta, Ga., branch. He has been with the company for five years.

Ferguson.(People On The Move ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Ferguson named Rob Braig to the newly created position of regional manager commercial-industrial, where he will work with corporate business development. Initially he will oversee Sierra Craft (including Pacific Fire and Safety); Energy and...

M.W. "Bud" Meyer, 80, co-founder of plumbing supply firm William E. Meyer Co., Aurora, Ill., died July 6.(Obituaries)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
August 1, 2003... M.W. "Bud" Meyer, 80, co-founder of plumbing supply firm William E. Meyer Co., Aurora, Ill., died July 6. He served as president of the company until 1987. He was active in various industry organizations including the American Supply...

Harrison A. "Hap" Pollets, 77, a retired owner and formerly vice president and president of Orange County Plumbing Supply, Middletown, N.Y., died July 17 at Mount Vernon Hospital, Mount Vernon, N.Y.(Obituaries)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
August 1, 2003... Harrison A. "Hap" Pollets, 77, a retired owner and formerly vice president and president of Orange County Plumbing Supply, Middletown, N.Y., died July 17 at Mount Vernon Hospital, Mount Vernon, N.Y. He was the father of Paul Pollets of Seattle,...

Gary Buffington, 57, executive vice president of the Industrial Distribution Association, died July 11 after a battle with cancer.(Obituaries)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
August 1, 2003... Gary Buffington, 57, executive vice president of the Industrial Distribution Association, died July 11 after a battle with cancer. He served as administrative assistant and executive vice president of the Southern Wholesalers Association and...

The Haws Corp.(People On The Move ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Haws Corp. promoted Margo Mee to sales manager, reporting to Ray Doane, vice president/sales and marketing. Since joining Haws in 1997, Mee has served as sales coordinator and administrative manager. In other news, John Guhin, Haws'...

Home depot targeting pros with worksite CD.(News: companies ... associations ... people ... government ... trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Home Depot is offering a free "Worksite CD" to qualified professional customers including contractors, purchasing agents, government agencies, school districts and architects, available at the PRO desk in its stores nationwide. The new...

Inaugural PWDA convention earns high marks.(News: companies ... associations ... people ... government ... trends)(Pacific Western Distributors Association)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... A post-convention questionnaire sent to distributors and vendors who attended the first Pacific Western Distributors Association annual meeting revealed that of those responding, 79% of distributors and 91% of vendors rated the utility and...

Prier Products.(People On The Move ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Prier Products named Dale Gilbreath manufacturing manager of its Grandview, Mo. facility. He had been production operations manager at House of Lloyd, a specialty manufacturer, and he has experience with ISO 9000 certifications, MRP and...

LA-CO Industries/Markal Co.(People On The Move ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... LA-CO Industries/Markal Co. hired David Mannerino as product marketing specialist for its plumbing business unit. He has 15 years of experience in the plumbing products industry and has held various sales and marketing positions with NIBCO.

Rheem-Ruud Commercial Water Heater Institute.(Kudos To ...)
August 1, 2003... Rheem-Ruud Commercial Water Heater Institute presented a plaque to Rick Penn, an outside sales representative for Hughes Supply in Fort Myers, Fla., as the 500th student to complete its three-day training.

Indian River Consulting Group and Texas A&M University.(Mark Your Calendars ...)
August 1, 2003... Indian River Consulting Group and Texas A&M University will hold their first quarterly Executive Management Conference for an exclusive group of 15 to 20 distribution presidents and CEOs at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Fla., on Oct. 2-4. ...

ASA Education Foundation.(Mark Your Calendars ...)
August 1, 2003... ASA Education Foundation is sponsoring one-day "Top Gun Survival Schools" for distributors' sales forces, led by consultant Dave Kahle. The classes are scheduled for Oct. 8 in Atlanta, Oct. 15 in Chicago, Oct. 27 in Sturbridge, Mass., Nov. 17...

Mid-City Supply Co.(Expansion ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Mid-City Supply Co. (Elkhart, Ind.) acquired certain assets of R.P. Lambert Distribution, doing business as From's Supply Co. From's Supply, a plumbing, heating and PVF supply house based in Michigan City, Ind., has branches in Valparaiso,...

Wolseley plc.(Expansion ...)
August 1, 2003... Wolseley plc completed the acquisition (by one of its wholly owned subsidiaries) of Pinault Bols & Materiaux on July 7. For more information, visit www.wolseley.com.

Lochinvar Corp. (Good Deeds ...).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Lochinvar Corp. donated more than $4,000 to Cumberland University in support of the local community and the Cumberland University Business School.

Apex Supply Co.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Apex Supply Co. (Atlanta)hired Virginia Cannon as showroom supervisor for its new Nashville showroom. She has more than 20 years of experience in the design industry.

Mansfield Plumbing Products.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Mansfield Plumbing Products named Newbold Warden vice president/marketing. He formerly was with TOTO for 12 years, most recently serving as director of marketing since November 2000.

Moen.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Moen promoted Gary Pember to director of bath marketing. He joined the company in July 1999 as group product manager of bath.

Coastal Industries.
August 1, 2003... Coastal Industries named Ray Adams president, succeeding William M. Cobb, founder and chairman, who has assumed the title of CEO. Adams joined the company in 2000 as vice president/sales and marketing.

Hamat.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Hamat, a brass faucet manufacturer based in Israel, appointed Kenneth J. Hans national sales manager. For the past year, Hans was architectural project representative for Dornbracht USA, and from 1999-2002, he was a regional sales manager for...

Bath Design Contest.
August 1, 2003... Bath Design Contest: The Bathroom Fittings Show by Fiera Milano International, and independent "e-zine" publisher Designboom, are launching an international online competition "Inside the Bathroom," targeted at both professionals and students....

Delta Faucet Co's Eric R. Boes.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Delta Faucet Co.'s Eric R. Boes, corporate quality engineer, recently received a 2003 ASTM Award of Merit for his work on the standardization of copper and copper alloy products. He was also named a "Fellow," the highest recognition for...

Bath gallery web site offered by wholesaler.(Bath & Kitchen)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Century Group, based in Valparaiso, Ind., announced a new Web site for the plumbing supply business: www.thecenturygroup.com or www.thebathgallery.com. The new site, designed, developed and being maintained by Catalyst Marketing Innovations...

Celesta's installation training earns kudos.(Bath & Kitchen)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Wholesalers and manufacturers representatives as well as professional installers are attending Celesta Installation Training (CIT) offered by Basco Manufacturing Co. The two-day hands-on class teaches how to install the company's new line of...

ISH NA will host Design Plus exhibit.(Bath & Kitchen)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... ISH North America will host the Design Plus exhibit featuring European products recognized for their outstanding and innovative design by a panel of industry experts from 139 entries. These products, from three categories--The Bathroom...

Spirax Sarco, Inc.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Spirax Sarco, Inc. has named Mark Vernon the new president and general manager. He succeeds Tony Scrivin, who has returned to parent company Spirax-Sarco Engineering in the U.K. as the product director for controls and meters.

Crane Valves North America.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Crane Valves North America has realigned its sales organization, reports director of sales Tony Favilla. Bruce Lyons joins CVNA as national sales manager of commercial products/U.S. Bruce came to CVNA after 13 years with NIBCO. Bill Bixler,...

Grice Engineering.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Grice Engineering has appointed Anna Joos to the position of A/E specification sales. She will be responsible for introducing the Soffi-Steel[TM] system to architects and engineers nationwide.

Pipe-Valves, Inc.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Pipe-Valves, Inc. of Columbus, OH, is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year. The company has been serving central Ohio since 1963 as a specialist in industrial PVF supplies, actuation and controls.

Supply House Times and ASA's IPD.
August 1, 2003... SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES and ASA's IPD have mailed a comprehensive PVF purchasing habits survey to select distributors. If you are one of the recipients, please take a few moments to fill out this survey form and return it to us as soon as possible....

IPD's mid-year assessment shows no surprises.(Pipe-Valves-Fittings)
August 1, 2003... The bad news is nobody can really see a recovery on the horizon for the industrial PVF market, what with worldwide over-capacity for most industrial goods. The good news is, well, there's at least some hope the bottom has been reached, and most...

Armstrong International. Inc.(People On The Move ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Armstrong International, Inc. promoted David M. Armstrong (below) to president and chief executive officer. Armstrong replaces his father, Merrill "Gus" Armstrong, who will maintain his position as chairman of the board. The company is a...

York International Corp.(People On The Move ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... York International Corp. named C. David Myers as president and David Kornblatt as vice president and chief financial officer. Myers, who has been executive vice president and chief financial officer, will have direct responsibility for all of...

Institute closes HVAC/R training program.(Hydronics/HVACR)(Universal Technical Institute Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Phoenix-based Universal Technical Institute, Inc. will close its heating/ventilation/air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) program, phasing out the program over the next 12-15 months. Officials at the school cited challenges with...

Emerson-Swan sets the standard: it's the biggest rep firm around, and by almost universal acclaim, among the best.(2003 Rep of the Year)
August 1, 2003... This magazine's staff constantly asks people around the industry to tell us who they think are the best wholesalers and reps around. That's how we identify suitable story subjects. Talk to a bunch of people in a given market, and you'll usually...

Dynamic: Godwin and Schultz Sales, 2003 Rep of the Year: Godwin and Schultz Sales Co. runs its rep firm as a carefully organized business, dedicated to serving wholesalers.(Equilibrium)
August 1, 2003... Bill Godwin and John Schultz, the principals of Godwin & Schultz Sales Co. based in Salt Lake City, have embraced the concept of dynamic equilibrium. Godwin explains: "Dynamic means you never stop moving and equilibrium means you maintain a...

Why Elkay insists its reps get CPMRed: reps often go in kicking and screaming, but they end up better business owners.
August 1, 2003... In 1997, Elkay Manufacturing Co.'s management met to discuss new ways to increase the training of its sales representatives. After much deliberation, the company chose to use the Manufacturers Representative Educational Research Foundation...

Convention promo can save you $565!(Calling All Reps!)
August 1, 2003... Independent manufacturers' representatives can earn free registration to the full 2003 ASA Convention in a special new promotion just introduced. Reps who recruit just one non ASA-member wholesaler to register for the full convention will not...

AIM/R: our industry partners.(Calling All Reps!)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... ASA and AIM/R enjoy a great relationship, which started many years ago. Back in 1990, the AIM/R leadership turned to ASA for management services, which formed the basis for an excellent working partnership. In the late '90s, AIM/R branched out...

Reps join "ISH Ambassadors" group.(Calling All Reps!)
August 1, 2003... In a move to help boost attendance to this year's ISH North America in Las Vegas (October 1-3), several area members of AIM/R have volunteered their services. This team of "Ambassadors" will help to disseminate promotional materials to their...

Industry Summit: "Strengthening our Channel".(Calendar)
August 1, 2003... ANNUAL CONVENTION September 29-October 2 Mandalay Bay Resort Las Vegas, NV MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29 9:30am-1:00pm ASA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING 1:30pm-3:00pm COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL MEETINGS 3:30pm-5:00pm CONVENTION BEGINS!...

DWV pipe & fittings.(College of Product Knowledge)
August 1, 2003... This is an updated version of the product training course introduced by SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES in 1979, authored by Don Arnold. Unlike supply piping, drainage piping does not have a dynamic force behind it, and it is always open to the...

Learning to be a marketeer: it's important to have a game plan when advertising.(Darlington on Showrooms)
August 1, 2003... Okay, listen up! This is a first from the pen of this old showroom guru. Wholesalers are starting to get the showroom message! They really are! Their numbers are increasing and they're significantly better showrooms. They're finally starting to...

History has a way of repeating itself, for better or worse! It's good to anticipate the next phase of the cycle.(Markovsky on Adding Value)
August 1, 2003... Many people believe that distribution channel preferences are cyclical and that we can maximize our performance by anticipating the next phase of the cycle. In the post-World War II industrialized world, demand was fueled by tremendous...

LONWORKS[R]--a controls opportunity for supply houses: will this Standard-protocol succeed over the long run?(Wheeler on HVACR)
August 1, 2003... Many of my friends have been asking where I've disappeared to over the past couple of years, since I've been absent at many major industry event. Well, I've been on the road writing and teaching about what I believe will be the commercial...

Ferguson parent previews results.(News: companies ... associations ... people ... government .. trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... In its regular trading statement prior to entering its close period, Wolseley PLC (Reading, U.K.) offered a preview of the preliminary results for the year ended July 31, 2003, due to be announced Sept. 23. On a constant currency basis,...

Robert Bosch Tool Corp.(New Address ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Robert Bosch Tool Corp. has relocated its headquarters to 1800 W. Central Road, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056. For more information, visit www.BoschTools.com. Distributor Marketing Campaign...

Bensur Advertising and Maritz Inc.(New Address ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Bensur Advertising and Maritz Inc., an advertising agency and international travel company, respectively, have collaborated on a program offering incentive travel and merchandise promotions to wholesale distributors. For information, call...

Dellon Sales Co.(New Address ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Dellon Sales Co. recently relocated to Albertson, Long Island, just outside the city limits. Dellon's new warehouse is 45,000 sq. ft. and features 25-foot high ceilings and nine loading bays. A 2,000-sq.-ft. "state-of-the-art" training and...

Battersby Danielson & Associates.(Appointments ...)(Elkay Sales)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Battersby Dannielson & Associates of Westfield, Ind., was named by Elkay Sales to represent Elkay products in Indiana, excluding northwest Indiana and the very southern counties in the state.

Prier Products.(Appointments ...)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Prier Products announced the following manufacturers rep appointments: Strategic Sales & Marketing of Maplewood, N.J., for northern New Jersey ProLine Sales of Glenside, Pa., for eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey Budco...

George F. Carr, 96, founder of two manufacturers rep firms: the George F. Carr Co. based in Cincinnati and the Carr Co. of Florida, died May 23.(Obituaries)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
August 1, 2003... George F. Carr, 96, founder of two manufacturers rep firms: the George F. Carr Co. based in Cincinnati and the Carr Co. of Florida, died May 23. He entered the plumbing industry in 1941 as a salesman for his wife Edith's family business, the...

Stephen L. Seamon, 49, died July 17 after a long battle with cancer. He was co-owner of Seamon/Sales Associates, a manufacturers rep firm in Indiana.(Obituaries)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
August 1, 2003... Stephen L. Seamon, 49, died July 17 after a long battle with cancer. He was co-owner of Seamon/Sales Associates, a manufacturers rep firm in Indiana. He spent 30 years in the industry. He was a member of AIM/R, served un the Rep Council for...

The changing rep business: agencies are getting bigger and less specialized than in days of old.(Editorial)
August 1, 2003... Someone asked why we chose two companies for our "Reps of the Year" honors. Answering that question requires delving into some profound changes taking place among industry rep firms. Two years ago when SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES resurrected the...