APR Supply named one of Pa.’s fastest-growing businesses
Lebanon, Pa. -- Apr Supply Co. was honored as one of the top 50 businesses that made significant contributions to the growth, strength and success of the Central Pennsylvania region during the 10th Anniversary Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies awards.
Companies eligible for nomination must show revenue of at least $500,000 in each of the fiscal years ending 2003, 2004 and 2005, and show revenue growth in 2005, as compared to 2003 (a three-year period). Eligible companies were to be for-profit entities headquartered in Pennsylvania’s Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry or York counties.
The nominations were calculated and ranked according to revenue growth during the three-year period. Both dollar and percentage increases were taken into consideration. This ranking formula led to recognition of the 2006 Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies, both large and small. APR Supply was ranked 37th on the list for revenue growth of 38% between 2003 and 2005.
Founded in 1922, APR Supply is a leading wholesale distributor of HVAC and plumbing products and supplies. Learn more at www.aprsupply.com.
Coastal Industries opens facility in Texas
Jacksonville, Fla. -- On the heels of its 35-year anniversary, Coastal Industries is opening a 10,000-square-foot Texas facility, serving the Houston, Austin and San Antonio metro areas. The new plant will offer reduced lead times and freight costs for customers, and is slated to open this month.
“With our continued success in Jacksonville and Atlanta, we are looking forward to expanding our services in new areas,” said Ray Adams, president of Coastal Industries, one of the leading custom shower door enclosure manufacturers in the U.S. “This location will better serve our customers in the south central region and beyond.”
Mike Hinson, long-time Coastal employee and current Jacksonville customer service manager, will now serve as the general manager of the Houston distribution center.
In addition, Steve Turner, Coastal’s Western regional manager, will also be relocating to the Houston area, where his responsibilities will include handling outside sales.
For details, visit www.coastalind.com or call 800/874-8601.
Crane announces new market-focused organization
Stamford, Conn. -- Crane Co.’s Fluid Handling Group, comprised of the Crane Valve Group, Crane Supply and Crane Pumps & Systems, with sales of more than $1 billion globally, is well recognized as a leader in providing industrial fluid control solutions for critical performance applications, where engineered solutions matter.
To better serve customers and more closely align to key target industries, Crane Co. has announced a realignment of many of its existing Valve Group brands into market-focused businesses concentrating on the Chemical & Pharmaceutical and Oil, Gas & Power industries. Crane will use the new customer-focused structure to leverage its global position and drive growth of its key brands into these focused industry segments:
- Crane ChemPharma Flow Solutions brings together the Xomox, Resistoflex, Saunders, Revo, Depa and Elro brands. Under these brand names, Crane designs, manufactures and sells highly engineered fluid handling products including sleeved plug valves, lined valves, high-performance butterfly valves, aseptic and industrial diaphragm valves, actuation, lined pipe, fittings and hoses, and diaphragm and peristaltic pumps. Aligning these strong brands allows Crane to offer its customers fluid handling solutions for the most demanding, corrosive, erosive and high-purity applications within the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and in applications where chemical processes are used.
- Crane Energy Flow Solutions brings together Crane Gate, Globe & Check, Flowseal, Center Line, Pacific, Stockham, Duo-chek and Noz-chek brand names along with Crane’s Australia manufacturing and distribution business. These brands are globally recognized for providing solutions to difficult applications and driving lifelong low cost of ownership. Key products include high-performance butterfly valves, resilient seated butterfly valves, wedgeplug valves, pressure seal valves, hf acid valves and engineered check valves. The combination of these products aligns some of the most widely used and specified products for the oil, gas & power industries.
Crane ChemPharma Flow Solutions and Crane Energy Flow Solutions will continue to support targeted marketing and distribution channels to supply these focus markets in addition to the other key markets in which they do business including building services, bio-fuels, mining, marine and others.
Crane Valve Services and Crane Fluid Systems (Crane Ltd.), also part of the Crane Valve Group, will not be impacted by the realignment and will continue to bring top-quality services and products to the market. Crane Valve Services will continue to focus on nuclear power, valve testing technology products, and monitoring solutions and services, and will continue to have responsibility for all Crane brands in the nuclear power market. Crane Fluid Systems (Crane Ltd.) is a recognized leader in supplying innovative valves, water couplings and fittings to the utility and building services industries in the U.K. and Middle East. Crane Co. is a diversified manufacturer of highly engineered industrial products.
Dornbracht USA changes name, announces restructuring
Duluth, Ga. -- Dornbracht is heading into its third decade in the U.S. and Canadian markets with some exciting changes as it prepares for further growth and new opportunities across North and South America.
Topping the list is the company’s decision to change its name to Dornbracht Americas from Dornbracht USA. The new name reflects the company’s expansion beyond the U.S. and Canada into Mexico, Central America and South America. Its goal is to respond more quickly to growing demand in these regions. Jon Spector, CEO of Dornbracht Americas, explained, “This is an exciting phase and it will enable us to forge new paths in countries where our products are well known, but with limited representation and distribution.”
With its new name in place, Dornbracht is redefining the way it sells and markets its luxury design faucets and fittings. The company will now distinguish between bath and kitchen markets by creating sales divisions. Dornbracht has also launched a new division for projects, which will exclusively handle sales of all categories of products to commercial properties.
According to Spector, the restructuring was made possible through the additions of Patrick Jarvis, who heads up bath sales; Adam Rabinowitz, who oversees project sales; and the transition of four-year Dornbracht veteran Mike Mozzicato, who now leads the kitchen division.
In announcing the realignment of the sales team, Spector said, “It’s a coming of age for us as we acknowledge the changing landscape of how bath and kitchen products are being distributed and sold. This reorganization, under the able direction of Patrick, Adam and Mike, will sharpen our focus and enable us to expand our sales and track leads more effectively.” Spector further noted that the realignment in the U.S. also reflects a global initiative by Dornbracht to invigorate the kitchen collections.
Jarvis, national sales manager, bath division, brings 12 years of experience in the plumbing industry to his new position. Previously he was at Kohler Co., where he supervised regional and national sales accounts at the senior management level.
Rabinowitz comes to Dornbracht from Chicago Faucets, where he was manager of Eastern regional sales. In his new position as national sales manager, projects, he brings nearly 10 years of experience in the building materials industry.
Mozzicato is now national sales manager-kitchen division, and his 22-plus years of experience in sales management for major appliance companies will serve him well. Prior to joining Dornbracht, he was employed by Marvel Industries, producer of luxury refrigeration products, as well as Waste King, leading manufacturer of home and commercial appliances.
For information, visit www.dornbracht.com or phone 800/774-1181.
Master Group acquires distribution division of Bousquet Frères
Boucherville, Ont. -- Master Group L.P. has acquired the assets of the distribution division of Bousquet Frères Ltée, property of Groupe bfl Inc. The transaction took effect on March 12 and covers the distribution of the full A.O. Smith, Space-Ray and Reznor product lines.
This represents the fourth acquisition by the Master Group in the heating industry throughout the last two years and this latest transaction is in keeping with the group’s development plan for the heating market.
With the increased volume generated by these three new product lines, the Master Group will consolidate its position as a major player in this industry segment. Also noteworthy is that this transaction makes Master a quasi-exclusive distributor of Reznor products in Eastern Canada.
McJunkin broadens energy upstream position
BY MORRIS R. BESCHLOSS
PVF and economic analyst
McJunkin chairman H.B. Wehrle III has announced the acquisition of the stock of Midway-Tristate Corporation, a major upstream product distributor headquartered in Jackson, Mich. The transaction was to be completed at the end of April.
Certain operations of Midway, including the Lannis Fence, Stevens Steel and Contract/Utility businesses, will not be part of the transaction with McJunkin. A separate transaction that will occur prior to the closing of the McJunkin-Midway transaction will enable these businesses to continue as a distinct entity.
Founded in 1931, Midway is a leading distributor of oilfield supplies in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain markets. Current president Mike Cetro will stay with the business after the transaction has completed. These branches will operate as Midway-McJunkin Appalachian, a division of McJunkin Appalachian Oilfield Supply Company. Midway has locations in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. Midway’s migration to focus should be complete by approximately mid-June.
“We feel that Midway is in the forefront of oilfield supply firms in its market areas because of its longstanding customer attention and service,” said Wehrle. “We share this customer focus and feel that it is one of the many reasons that the partnership with Midway is ideal for both companies. We are very pleased to be able to add Midway, its 21 locations, approximately 120 employees, and reputation and customer following to McJunkin Appalachian.”
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Fralo Plastech Manufacturing LLC, an industry leader in onsite waste treatment products and accessories, announced the acquisition of all its assets by Roth Global Plastics Inc., a 100% subsidiary of Roth Industries North America Inc. and sister company of Roth Industries Inc. The transition is planned to go very smooth with little to no disruptions.
Fralo Plastech is owner-operator of one of the world’s largest blow-mold machines and an industry leader in innovative blow-mold technology for the onsite waste treatment industry. Products include polyethylene septic, holding, potable water tanks, risers and other onsite treatment accessories. Fralo’s process utilizes a patented multi-layer co-extrusion technology offering superior design characteristics, seamless construction, performance and longevity.
Roth Industries is known for its double-wall oil storage tanks, radiant heating and pex-c plumbing systems. It is a leader in innovation, focusing on environmentally friendly technologies. Having been in the North American market for over 10 years, Roth invested in a production facility with a blow molder in Watertown, N.Y., in 2006, which uses the same techniques as Fralo. Since 2007 all of the company’s double-wall oil storage tanks have been made in the U.S. Parent company Roth Industries Inc. is headquartered in Germany, and has over 40 years of septic tank experience, making this move in line with Roth’s overall international strategy.
“This acquisition is in line with the Roth Group’s overall strategic planning of concentrating more toward environmentally friendly and energy saving technologies and products” said Manfred Roth, owner of the Roth Group. Jochen Drewniok, the CEO of Roth Industries Inc. and now also of Roth Global Plastics Inc., added that Fralo does produce some of the best septic tanks in the North American market and, since Roth Industries uses the same advanced technologies producing the double-wall oil storage tanks, many sales, distribution and product development synergies surface.
The management of Fralo Plastech Manufacturing is very excited about the new ownership of the company. “This acquisition brings a strong complement of skilled, knowledgeable and talented employees with exceptional manufacturing and technology capabilities,” said Joseph Brown, vice president-sales and marketing for Fralo Plastech. “The current manufacturing and administrative facilities will remain in Syracuse, N.Y., as this will be the main headquarters of Roth Global Plastics Inc.”
In addition, Roth will retain all Fralo sales management and manufacturer reps in the field and will continue business as usual producing tanks and accessories.
“Our wholesale distributors should not experience any changes in the way they do business with Fralo, as this acquisition will lead to even more product portfolio opportunities,” said Brown.
Supply New England offers new business resource tool
Attleboro, Mass. -- Supply New England has established an online business resource center for its plumbing and heating contractor customers called ProZone.
ProZone offers registered contractors expedited bid and order status search, product search and specifications, inventory searching, quotations and ordering, and invoicing directly through the Supply New England website. Contractors can also obtain estimated times of delivery to their businesses or jobsites.
“Experienced contractors, whether they have one truck or 20, understand that there’s a lot involved these days in running a successful business,” said Kevin Brown, Supply New England’s sales manager. “There are tools available today to help them run their businesses more efficiently and profitably that don’t come in a toolbox. We created ProZone to deliver those tools to our loyal customers so they can work faster and smarter.”
Information on the ProZone program can be obtained through Supply New England’s website at www.supplynewengland.com. Registration is fast and easy, and there is no charge for the service.
Supply New England, headquartered in Attleboro, Mass., is one of the largest plumbing and heating distributors in New England, with 15 locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The company also operates seven Kitchen & Bath Galleries for retail customers.
Viega breaks ground on new facility
McPherson, Kan. -- Since its North American introduction in 1999, and the acquisition of Vanguard Piping Systems in 2005, Viega has grown to become one of the largest PEX plumbing systems manufacturers in North America. On March 14, Viega LLC continued to expand by breaking ground on its new 439,000-square-foot production, logistics and office complex.
Before a turnout of city and state officials, business leaders and Viega executive staff, Viega owner Walter Viegener, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Viega CEO Dan Schmierer, McPherson Mayor Bill Goering and president of the McPherson Industrial Development company Brett Reber, praised all who were involved in making this project possible.
Located along Interstate I-35, the complex is nearly three times as large as the current manufacturing and logistics facility, will occupy more than 100 acres of land. Equipped with world-class extrusion and molding technologies, the new plant is scheduled to open in 2008.
For more information, call 877/ 843-4262 or visit www.viega-na.com.