Ferguson recently announced the opening of two new showrooms and one new branch location.
Ferguson’s new showroom in Tampa, Fla., is a two-story venue in a historic area of the city. Located at 302 N. Willow Avenue, the location boasts 16,000 square feet of the latest products in the high-end plumbing and building industry, including appliances, lighting and cabinetry.
“This is the first destination showroom in the Tampa area,” said Steve Freund, manager for the location. “We offer the finest products in the industry and provide an unparalleled shopping experience that is warm, friendly and informative. I am pleased to have the opportunity to introduce Ferguson to the South Tampa area and to enhance our relationships with contractors and homeowners in the high-end builder market.”
Appointments are encouraged, and customers can contact the Tampa branch directly by calling 813/251-1690.
Ferguson opened a showroom in Cranberry Township, Pa., on March 10, allowing customers to choose from an array of high-end products. Attached to the company’s current location at 1214 Freedom Road, the 4,500-square-foot showroom features a first-class gallery showcasing plumbing, appliances and lighting.
“We are excited to enhance our current location by providing our customers with a state-of-the-art facility for their clients to select products for their home,” said Jim Battista, manager for the showroom. “This new site features a large selection of top-of-the-line products under one roof, providing a level of convenience never before available to our customers in this market.”
Highly trained consultants are available to help customers create a personalized, custom look in their home. The Cranberry Township showroom can be reached at 724/742-2330.
In addition, Ferguson opened its newest branch location in Indianapolis on March 3, providing a new venue for contractors to choose from a variety of quality HDPE products. Located at 2702 North Tibbs Avenue, the 35,000-square-foot facility features an 8-acre pipe yard and a vast inventory of the latest in HDPE pipe and fittings as well as fabrication capabilities and fusion machine rentals and repair.
“We offer the finest products in the industry and provide unparalleled service that is warm, friendly and informative,” said Tim Brizzolara, manager for the Indianapolis location. “I am pleased to have the opportunity to introduce this facility to the Indianapolis area and to enhance our relationships with contractors and customers.”
Customers can contact the new Indianapolis branch directly by calling 866-620-hdpe.
For additional information, visit www.ferguson.com.
Grundfos offers HVAC/hydronics training
Grundfos Technical Institute will conduct several North American Technician Excellence (NATE)-certified HVAC product and system training sessions in 2008. These 2 1/2-day programs are designed specifically for HVAC and hydronic distributors and dealers. New this year is the NATE certification, permitting Grundfos to offer CEUS for the coursework.
The course is tailored to equip industry professionals with product and technology knowledge about the application and sales of Grundfos’s broad line of wet rotor circulators, hot water recirculation technology and domestic water pressure-boosting systems. Topics will focus on sizing and selection, real world application theory, sales strategy, and key features and benefits. Training will also include the following sessions:
- Pump Basics -- open and closed systems, wet runner and dry runner units, pump and system curves, motor basics, product and technical guides
- Open Systems -- definitions, system examples, hot water recirculation solutions for residential, commercial and retrofit applications
- Closed Systems -- definitions, hydronic heating, system examples, components, single and multi loop layouts, zoning, primary/secondary and boiler/system protection.
The training schedule is as follows:
- April 15-17, Olathe, Kan. -- Domestic Water Supply
- April 29-May 1, Fresno, Calif. -- Domestic Water Supply
- June 4-6, Allentown, Pa. -- Domestic Heating
- June 11-13, Allentown, Pa. --Domestic Heating
- August 5-7, Olathe, Kan. -- Domestic Heating.
All participants will gain valuable instruction and hands-on experience through interaction with live pumping systems. Tuition is $150. Applicants can register online at www.us.grundfos.com/training, by calling 913/227-3400, ext. 3436, or via e-mail at training@us.grundfos.com.
Johnstone Supply opens new Ohio store
More than five decades of growth and prosperity have positioned Johnstone Supply as one of the premier HVACR wholesale distribution companies in the U.S. From its modest beginnings in a 600-square-foot store in 1953, the company has grown to more than 340 stores nationwide, supported by five regional distribution centers located in Allentown, Pa.; Portland, Ore.; Memphis, Tenn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Las Vegas, Nev.
The company’s new Mentor, Ohio, store, located at 7249 Commerce Parkway in the Mentor Industrial Parkway, is scheduled to open in May and will be one of the largest showrooms in the U.S. The showroom will feature a large selection of electric motors, pumps and VFDS, in addition to an in-house motor and pump repair shop.
For more information, visit www.johnstonesupply77.com.
Microcad introduces new kitchen design software
The future is now with Autokitchen 8 by Microcad Software. Powered by the Autocad OEM 2008 engine and loaded with an extensive array of advanced features, Autokitchen 8 raises photorealistic renderings to unprecedented heights and brings kitchen designs to life.
Autokitchen 8 is highly sophisticated, yet simple to use, and offers an amazingly realistic 3D environment. Whether a design is contemporary, traditional or country-themed, users can easily create crisp architectural plans and perspectives that will impress even the most discriminating clientele.
A true design workhorse, Autokitchen 8 has all the bells and whistles that a professional demands. Customize existing templates or create new designs from scratch. Tweak the smallest design details until each element is just right. The end result is a superb, picture-perfect presentation that will excite customers and capture the true spirit of your vision.
Autokitchen 8 frees users from proprietary file formats to join the mainstream with dwg files. These files are intelligent, flexible and accessible for free. Users also enjoy the versatility of flexible reports. They can automatically create lists of all the items that were placed in a design. Export them to Excel and manipulate them as needed. Autokitchen 8 reports are also readily available in xml format. This format makes the interchange of data with manufacturers easy and convenient.
For additional information, visit www.microcadsoftware.com.
Survey: Rheem tankless is top choice for large regional builders
Rheem finished a strong first in a recent reader survey conducted by Home Builder Executive magazine this past fall. The research sought to assess “builders’ partnership” levels with key vendors in various major product categories, including tankless water heaters.
Purchasing executives at the nation’s leading regional home builders responded to the question, “Which suppliers/ brands do you currently use in your homes this year?”
In the “Tankless Water Heaters” category, 43% of the respondents indicated Rheem, with the nearest competitor attracting 34%, followed by a third at 15% and several others in single digits. According to the magazine, responses were weighted, based on the purchasing power of participating builders.
In their announcement of the survey’s results, the magazine’s editors pointed out that “a survey is not a market-share analysis; rather, it gauges builders’ partnerships in each [product] category.”
For more information, visit www.rheem.com.
TOTO opens manufacturing facility in Mexico
TOTO USA formally launched TOTO Sanitarios de Mexico S.A. DE C.V., its new major manufacturing facility located in Ciénega de Flores, Nuevo León, Mexico, with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Operating as part of TOTO USA Holdings Inc., the new plant joins TOTO USA’s existing family of production facilities in the Americas and significantly increases its production capacity, allowing TOTO to meet the rapidly expanding North and South American consumer demand for its high-end luxury toilets and lavatories.
Attendees at the ribbon-cutting ceremony included such noted dignitaries as Mexico’s economic development secretary, Japan’s Ambassador to Mexico, and TOTO’s global group president and members of its board of directors.
TOTO USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of TOTO Ltd., invested upwards of $37 million in its beautiful new facility, which broke ground in June 2006. The 105,130-square-foot operation provides 260 new manufacturing jobs to the local economy. It devotes more than 25,000 square feet to manufacturing space that is equipped with innovative equipment for the production of toto’s technologically advanced, high-performance, luxury toilets and lavatories. The new facility produces 500,000 pieces per year to help meet TOTO’s rapidly expanding demand in North and South America.
For more information, visit www.totousa.com or call 888/295-8134.
Uponor to promote commercial radiant uses
Uponor is setting its sights on educating the commercial market to the benefits of this increasingly popular technology with the help of the Green Mechanical Council, or GreenMech. Uponor has joined GreenMech as a Founding Member.
“Our expertise is in radiant. We’re combining that with GreenMech’s expertise in training and education to reach out to architects, specifying engineers and mechanical contractors in the commercial field and educate them on the sustainability of radiant heating and cooling,” said Aaron Smith, director of commercial sales-U.S.
“Our heating and cooling solutions help preserve our natural resources, and are the dominant form of indoor comfort in most European markets. That widespread acceptance is what we aspire to in the U.S., and it all begins with teaching the commercial construction market how to incorporate these sustainable solutions into their projects.”
Uponor’s success has long been rooted in customer education and training, according to Smith. “Our predecessor company, Wirsbo, introduced radiant to the domestic residential market, and now we are focused on extending the trend into the commercial market. With GreenMech’s help, we’ll be able to bring education and training to the commercial segments of the market that we haven’t addressed to date.”
For more information, visit www.greenmech.org, call 800/321-4739 or visit www.uponor-usa.com.
WinWholesale opens new Florida location
WinWholesale, one of the nation’s largest wholesale distributors, has opened Gulf Coast Winnelson Company in Port Charlotte, Fla., to provide plumbing contractors in five counties with a complete line of equipment, parts and accessories. The counties are from Bradenton south to Marco Island and include Charlotte, Collier, Lee, Manatee and Sarasota.
Gulf Coast is the second Winnelson company to open in 2008 in Florida. Tampa Winnelson opened in January and serves the Tampa Bay area. The Gulf Coast Winnelson president is Philip Ross, a 21-year veteran of the plumbing wholesale industry.
“Our companies are agile, make decisions locally, focus like a laser on what our customers want, and then deliver. That’s how Gulf Coast Winnelson operates,” said Monte Salsman, WinWholesale chief operating officer.
There are more than 460 WinWholesale locations across the U.S., in addition to more than 100 Noland Company branches, mainly in the southeast U.S. Noland Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of WinWholesale.
For additional information, visit www.winwholesale.com.
Zy-Tech Global Industries changes name to Global Flow Technologies
Zy-Tech Global Industries has changed its company name to Global Flow Technologies. The name change is effective immediately as a series of new product and service offerings is being launched that demonstrate the company’s growth from its oil and gas roots to a position as a global provider of industrial valve solutions.
In addition to the name change, dsi and pbv are being separated from the legacy Zy-Tech business as individual operating companies, while a Corporate Engineering and Sourcing Services group has been established to deliver on Global Flow Technologies’ commitment to continue to deliver unmatched reliability and operational performance for its customers.
“We’ve been evolving and growing over the last few years, and it’s time to update our corporate identity,” said Steve Twellman, president and CEO of Global Flow Technologies. “Many of our customers rely on our well-known dsi and pbv brands, and we want them to realize we have greatly expanded our engineering, delivery and support capabilities by acquiring two fine companies -- ABZ Valves and Controls, and Quadrant Valve & Actuator -- to complement our offerings.”
Global Flow Technologies is bringing these established product companies into its family of four manufacturing and three international distribution companies. These changes will enable GFT to advise and service large companies on a global scale. On a local scale, the individual companies will be tightly focused on offering customized products and services to end users and distributors.
Global Flow Technologies provides valves, actuators and related services worldwide to the oil and gas, petrochemical, power, mining, biofuels and several other industries. The firm recently reorganized to improve its domestic and international sales, service and support network, and launched a new website (www.globalflowtech.com) to improve communications with customers.
AIM/R encourages participation in annual conference
BY MIKE PARHAM
2008 AIM/R Conference Chair
Winning Together is much more than the theme for AIM/R’s 36th Annual Management Conference. Those two words serve as the very foundation for the four-day meeting scheduled for May 14-17, at the Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Fla.
A full complement of industry veterans, speakers and consultants will combine their knowledge and talent to bring attendees up to date on industry trends and developments while offering answers to questions and solutions to problems. Bottom line: It’s a meeting not be to be missed!
Among the highlights of this year’s conference are:
- A panel of six manufacturer and buying group executives will participate in a question and answer session with aim/r members as they address the question, “What do you see as the rep’s function?” Executives from the following companies are scheduled to participate: Nomaco, Bradford White, Morrison Supply, Mid-City Supply, Lion Supply and ac Supply.
- The critical importance of giving your best every day will be stressed during Rosalene Glickman’s keynote address entitled “Optimal Thinking.” Honored as Australia’s businesswoman of the year, Glickman will describe “the mental software for personal and professional optimization.”
- Presentations devoted to anticipating and avoiding human resource errors, managing activities through wireless call reports, effective use of rep training centers, and maximizing the effectiveness of builder and contractor sales calls.
- For the first time, associate manufacturers will be in attendance and our new Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) program will be introduced.
Let’s face it -- we’re all very busy people. But that’s the very reason why we should all get away from daily activities to network with business friends and learn what’s going on in the industry. I’ve learned that lesson. Every year all of us in our company look forward to the annual aim/r conference. Sure, it’s an investment: in yourself and in your people. But, what could make more sense? You and your people are your company’s greatest assets.
Give it a shot this year. We are having our conference at a first-class location and I know you will not be disappointed.
I urge you to put aside any self-limiting beliefs and show up! Aim/r is a strong group and we want you to make us even stronger. Visit www.aimr.net for the conference program and registration form. You are also welcome to contact AIM/R with any additional questions by calling 866/729-0975, or contact me directly at 469/877-5684 or e-mail mparham@pepcosales.com.
The PSDA Convention -- 40 years and going strong
In good times and in not-so-good times over the years, the annual meeting of the Pacific Southwest Distributors Association has provided an accessible forum for bringing together industry “buyers and sellers” to conduct good business and to enjoy each other’s company in a relaxed environment.
The 41st Annual PSDA Convention is set for May 1-4 at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, Calif. -- historically the annual meeting’s most popular host site, research shows.
Friday morning’s business and education program features Jeff Thredgold of Thredgold Economic Associates of Salt Lake City. Much of his presentation is expected to focus on the residential and commercial building markets in the West, and his prognosis for the near future and long-term. In addition, there will be an industry panel discussion of trends and changes on the horizon tht are expected to impact the manufacturing, sales and distribution sectors to a lesser or greater degree.
The “City of Hope” silent auction fundraiser returns to the convention this year, and will be conducted Thursday evening, May 1, at the Opening Reception. Added this year is a special reception Friday evening in honor of this year’s Vendor Sponsors and “Friends of psda Fund” distributor contributors.
To attend this year’s convention, contact Bob Bluth at 480/991-5703 or e-mail him at iguana55@cox.net.