Basco updates product line; extends warranty
Mason, Ohio -- Basco Shower Enclosures introduces the following updates to its family of shower doors and enclosures:
- Celesta sliding enclosures -- The Celesta family of heavy swing glass doors and enclosures is expanding to include a new line of sliding glass doors for tubs and showers, with the addition of Basco’s 3/8-inch frameless sliding enclosures. Called Celesta sliding enclosures, these units feature metal towel bars and are offered in clear, symmetry, rain, Venetian, cobblestone and Arctic frost glass.
- New warranty -- Basco is extending the warranty on the metal door hardware for Celesta enclosures an additional two years. The new warranty covers up to five years. The glass for these units carries a limited lifetime warranty.
- New frameless size options --To help customers stay current with the trend of frameless shower doors, Basco is now offering its popular 3500 sliding door series and 3600 swing door series in several new frameless sizes. Joining the 3600 frameless pivot door series will be the 3600-6 for openings of 31 3/4-inches to 33 1/4 inches and the 3600-7 for openings of 32 3/4 inches to 34 1/4 inches. Additionally, the 3500 frameless sliding shower enclosure series is now available in a shorter, “T” height of 68 inches.
For additional information, visit www.bascoshowerdoor.com.
Pioneer Industries acquires Central Brass
Commerce, Calif. -- Pioneer Industries Inc., a leading manufacturer of faucets and plumbing products for the multi-family/residential market headquartered here, recently announced the acquisition of the assets of the Central Brass Company of Cleveland, Ohio.
Founded in 1895, Central Brass has been producing solid cast brass faucets and fixture fittings for residential, commercial, institutional and industrial applications.
“This acquisition will enable us to expand into the commercial market by utilizing and expanding on Central Brass’ long-standing reputation of manufacturing quality products,” said Paul Chasse, Pioneer’s vice president-sales and marketing. “The same principles that have enabled Pioneer to make a large presence in the multi-family/residential market, are the same principles that will apply to Central Brass, produce quality products, ship on time and offer exceptional customer service.”
Pioneer Industries products are internationally recognized as some of the most available and highest-quality goods in the market today.
Pioneer Industries president Frank Chen noted, “This acquisition is a great undertaking for us. It not only will enable us to grow as a company, but it also demonstrates our long-term commitment to the industry.”
Ed Felten pens book on supervising, motivating
Chicago -- The Art of Supervising and Motivating People, written by distribution industry icon Edward J. Felten, is now available. Felten is the former chairman of First Supply in the upper Midwest and former president of the American Supply Association.
Distilling the wisdom of decades of management and leadership experience, Felten wrote The Art of Supervising and Motivating People in a down-to-earth, readable style.
The book addresses four main topics:
- Section One details the characteristics of a good supervisor and the increased skill requirements of the twenty first century.
- Section Two provides keys to the necessary skills of listening, time management, coaching, counseling, communications, discipline and several others
- Section Three guides the reader through the human resource challenges of recruiting, interviewing, performance appraisals and terminations
- Section Four explains the critical aspects of motivation and the skills of the supervisor as a motivator.
For information, call asa at 312/464-0090 or visit www.asa.net.
Ferguson brings Xpress store to San Fernando
Newport News, Va. -- Ferguson Enterprises has brought its fast-service Xpress store to San Fernando, Calif. -- the first of its kind in that city. The 3,600-square-foot store opened in July.
Xpress locations are a significant part of Ferguson’s continued growth. The stand-alone plumbing/heating Xpress stores are conveniently located within a three- to five-mile geographical area, just minutes from a customer’s job site. Typical Xpress customers are local plumbers, remodelers and repair/service trade professionals. The stores are stocked with more than 3,000 items, so customers can walk in, select and purchase their items and return to the job, with minimal interruption to their workday. If they prefer, customers can also get expert help from the Xpress store staff.
The store manager is Miguel Gutierrez. Customers are invited to visit the store at 1431 Truman Street, Suite A, or to call 818/365-3038.
‘Night at the Races’ hosted by First Supply
La Crosse, Wis. -- First Supply, a regional wholesale distributor and single source provider of plumbing, heating, cooling, municipal, waterworks, fluid handling, builder and industrial supplies, hosted more than 300 customers at its “Night at the Races,” held at the La Crosse Interstate Speedway in West Salem, Wis., on August 19. Attendees enjoyed an evening of food, drinks and great racing.
“Customer and vendor support for this event is phenomenal, and its popularity continues to grow each year,” said general manager Russ Lee.
Customers earned tickets to “Night at the Races” by purchasing products from sponsoring vendors.
For details, visit www.1supply.com.
HomePortfolio enters partnership with Weinstein Supply
Newton, Mass. -- HomePortfolio has announced that Weinstein Supply of eastern Pennsylvania, a division of Hajoca Corporation, has joined the HomePortfolio network of dealers.
HomePortfolio, a leading consumer internet company with the largest database of premium home design products in the industry, makes it easy for consumers and design professionals to find the right products for their new homes, additions and renovation projects. They can use design specifications to get ideas or to search for specific product information by style, brand and/or category. A key feature of theHomePortfolio website is “Where to Buy It,” a helpful tool that directs users to retailers, manufacturers and distributors close to where they live.
“We are making significant investments in our showrooms because we believe that is critical to our future success,” said Paul Weinstein of Weinstein Supply. “Consumers want to be able to see and touch products before they purchase them. We feel that HomePortfolio has the premier website for consumers to both research products and locate the nearest showroom displaying the product. We are excited about our new partnership with HomePortfolio and look forward to the increased traffic in our showrooms that it will generate.”
According to Maggie Wells, CEO of HomePortfolio, “Searching is all about finding the products you want quickly and identifying the nearest showroom where you can touch and feel them. We are marketing HomePortfolio to plumbing distributors across the country through an alliance with the American Supply Association’s Center for Advancing Technology. Many distributors are members of asa and look to the technology center for new ideas like HomePortfolio.”
Distributors interested in finding out more about HomePortfolio can contact John Cornetta at 617/559-1188, jcornetta@homeportfolio.com, or Kevin Price at 508/655-5833 or kprice@asa.net.
Johnson Controls acquires Environmental Technologies
Milwaukee, Wis. -- Johnson Controls Inc. has acquired substantially all of the assets of Environmental Technologies Inc., headquartered in Largo, Fla. Environmental Technologies designs, manufactures and supplies hvac terminal products, including premium variable air volume terminals, low-pressure air handling units, and fan and blower coil units under the enviro-tec brand name. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
This acquisition further strengthens Johnson Controls’ market leadership and commitment to provide end-to-end integrated products, resulting in technology that enables more effective air handling. Customers will experience greater product selection and single-source solutions for their facilities.
Johnson Controls also acquired rights to the name enviro-tec and will market products under the enviro-tec brand name through the existing rep channels. No changes are planned in the existing distribution strategy for the enviro-tec product line; products will continue to be offered through its existing sales channels, and manufacturing will remain in Largo.
For additional information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com.
New online training available for industry professionals
Hackettstown, N.J. -- The National Kitchen and Bath Association has announced a new online training program for kitchen and bath design professionals. In partnership with Century College, the nkba is sponsoring a six-course program that began in August 2006. This series of courses is designed to help attendees gain or upgrade their professional skills, prepare for nkba certification and better serve their clients. Attendees earn nkba educational hours that can be applied towards their next certification level or as ceu credits for maintaining their certification.
Curriculum for the online program is based on the specifications encouraged by the nkba and is supported by the use of nkba reference and resource materials, including the nkba Kitchen and Bath Planning Guidelines. All courses will use the new nkba Professional Resource Library.
Courses, which began August 21 and run through March 2007, may be taken individually or as a full curriculum. Pre-requisites may apply. Individual courses last eight to nine weeks each. Register early to avoid disappointment; the courses have a limited number of admissions.
The curriculum has been successfully implemented by Century College in both classroom and online environments as part of its Kitchen and Bath Design certificate program, created to prepare individuals for entry level and advanced careers in the industry. Courses, which include the following, are instructor-led by nkba-certified kitchen educators/designers:
- Presentation Standards -- Attendees will develop hand-drafting skills in accordance with nkba standards for architectural drafting and will produce visual presentations of design solutions.
- Construction and Mechanical Systems for Kitchen and Bath Design --Attendees will learn how to interpret blueprint drawings, including understanding construction basics and mechanical systems for plumbing, hvac, electric and lighting.
- Basic Kitchen and Bath Design -- This course will introduce the fundamentals of good kitchen and bath design and features an overview of the ergonomic principles of these spaces, as well as focusing on building codes, safety considerations and material specification.
- Lighting for Kitchen and Bath Design -- Attendees will learn lighting design and application, including incorporating both natural and artificial light sources.
- Business Practices for Kitchen and Bath Design -- Attendees will gain a solid foundation in business practices for managing and/or owning a kitchen and bath design business. The course will cover financing, pricing, marketing and human resources.
- Advanced Kitchen and Bath Design -- This course covers Universal Design and theme or historical design for kitchen and bath projects, with an emphasis on ergonomics and ada considerations.
These courses are offered as a non-college-credit option. Students interested in taking the courses for credit must apply directly with Century College, a community and technical college based in Minneapolis, Minn. that has been endorsed by the nkba since 2003.
For more information, call 800/the-nkba or visit www.nkba.org.
Three central Pa. dist. introduce new business model
Chambersburg, Pa. -- Three prominent independent wholesale distributors in the central Pennsylvania market are teaming up to bring a unique concept to their customers in the Chambersburg area.
APR Supply (plumbing and hvac), Industrial Piping Systems (pipe, valves and fittings) and Schaedler Yesco Distribution (electrical) are opening a new location for all three companies under one roof in Chambersburg.
Customers of the three locally owned companies will be able to find all of the products they need in one place. The business model, the first of its kind in central Pennsylvania, will provide an extremely level of service.
A spokesperson for the three companies said to look for the store to be open and fully operational in November 2006.
Red-White Valve opens new DC facility
Hermitage, Pa. -- On September 1, Red-White Valve unveiled its new Eastern distribution center in Hermitage, Pa. This state-of-the-art warehouse will mirror Red-White Valves’ distribution center in Southern California.
The distribution center will supply Red-White Valve products in the upper Midwest and Northeastern areas of the U.S. Managed by Preferred Sales Inc., the distribution center was built in support of Red-White Valve sales growth in the Northeast and Atlantic Seaboard.
The Eastern distribution center will help reduce lead time on products shipped out of California to the East Coast of the U.S. Red-White Valve will continue to maintain seven additional warehouses in the U.S. The Eastern distribution center will allow Red-White Valve to ship containers of valves out of Italy direct to the East Coast.
With the support of Preferred Sales Inc., the new distribution center will significantly improve lead times to customers in the Eastern U.S.