Industry News
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PH&I acquired by First Supply
First Supply LLC has acquired the assets of PH&I Supply Co. With the addition of the PH&I location in Kenosha, Wis., the First Supply family of locations grows to 24.
PH&I Supply Co., also a Wisconsin-based plumbing distribution company, has been in business for more than 60 years. Joining with First Supply, which is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year, ensures PH&I’s Southeastern Wisconsin customers continued years of outstanding service.
Joe Poehling, chairman and Dick Adix, president, of First Supply, recently met with PH&I employees and welcomed them to the First Supply family. “I am very excited about our future as one company and I am personally looking forward to working with each of you,” Poehling told them.
As a member of First Supply, Michael (Mick) Medvecz, former president of PH&I, will stay on in the new role as director of sales for the Kenosha area.
First Supply now offers Southeastern Wisconsin eight convenient locations to better serve its customers. The Kenosha facility will be under the direction of Kevin Miller, general manager of the Southeastern Wisconsin locations.
This is First Supply’s second acquisition in recent months. First Supply acquired H.W. Theis Co. in May.
First Supply llc is a regional wholesale distributor that started in La Crosse, Wis., in 1897 as La Crosse Plumbing Supply. Now with 24 locations in the Upper Midwest and employing more than 500 people, First Supply is a family owned, single source provider of plumbing, heating, cooling, municipal, waterworks, pump/well & septic, builder and industrial supplies.
WinWholesale to power credit and collections with eCredit
eCredit, a leading provider of online solutions for credit and collections professionals, has announced that the WinWholesale group of companies has selected eCredit Enterprise Edition to manage its commercial credit and collections operations. Replacing an in-house system, eCredit will drive revenue by speeding credit approval and optimizing collections processes.
The WinWholesale group of companies includes more than 550 locations across the U.S. and goes to market under the Winnelson, Windustrial, Winlectric, Winair, Winsupply, Wintronic, Winwater and Noland brands.
eCredit will offer a number of key advantages, allowing for smooth and efficient commercial credit processing. The use of eCredit’s market-leading credit scoring and industry-specific payment information will enable speedy approvals for WinWholesale companies. In addition, through the use of eCredit’s automated collections strategies, credit managers can easily determine which processes are most effective.
“eCredit will streamline our work by bringing together disparate systems and data sources, giving our department the tools and answers we need to best serve our customers,” said Ward Allen, WinWholesale vice president-finance.
For additional information, visit www.winwholesale.com or www.ecredit.com.
REHAU opens second Alabama plant
REHAU is pleased to announce the grand opening of its second manufacturing plant in Cullman, Ala. Located adjacent to the company’s existing automotive production plant, the new Plant Cullman Construction more than doubles capacity for the production of cross-linked polyethylene piping (PEX) and will create up to 100 additional jobs over the next four years.
To accommodate the increased production, REHAU has invested more than $20 million in construction and equipment for the new 200,000-square-foot facility. The expansion provides space for PEX production, warehousing and shipping.
“With the start-up of the new lines, Plant Cullman Construction will be able to keep up with growing demand and produce nearly all of REHAU’s North American PEX requirements,” said Dr. Kitty Saylor, REHAU North America chief executive officer.
Plant Cullman began manufacturing for the construction industry in 2003. PEX produced at the plant is used in radiant heating, snow and ice melting, fire protection and plumbing applications.
“When we realized that our demand justified a dedicated PEX production facility, Plant Cullman was the obvious choice,” explained Niklas Braun, REHAU vice president-operations and technology. “It is our newest North American plant, making it the best equipped to take on more complex processes such as the cross-linking of PEX. Cullman also has the best logistics expertise based on the sequenced and just-in-time delivery requirements of the plant’s automotive customers.”
The transfer of production has made German plant production lines readily available for increased European business, while also saving on shipping costs of product to fulfill North American market demands.
As a key component to this expansion, the new distribution facility will be equipped with sap les (Logistics Execution System), an advanced warehouse management system. The system includes sap-Console functionality to enable wireless data collection transfers via bar code scanning of each box of product. This completely paperless system will lead to increased productivity and reduced order cycle time.
For additional information, call 800/247-9445 or visit www.rehau.com.
Julien opens new distribution facilities
With the inception of Julien Home Refinements three years ago in addition to the company’s already booming commercial sector, Julien has announced that it opened a new distribution facility in Boston and will open sister facilities in Los Angeles and Denver in the near future. Lloyd Leblanc, vice president of Julien Home Refinements, said that distribution hubs will also open in Miami and Chicago in 2008.
While Julien’s production department will remain in Quebec City, the distribution centers in key U.S. cities will ensure lightning-quick delivery of its 25 different product lines.
“We are looking to get Julien products into the hands of consumers and dealers faster,” said Leblanc. “Opening facilities in Los Angeles, Boston and Denver has allowed us to stock items closer to their destinations, and we are seeing tremendous response.”
With more than 350 dealers nationwide, Leblanc said that orders can be shipped within a 24-hour window.
For more information, visit www.julien.ca or call 866/901-5624.
New Products
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Job-ready crawlspace pump system The job-ready Crawlspace Pump System is now part of the manufacturer’s full system line offering. Its powerful 1/3hp pump removes groundwater from crawlspace openings and helps eliminate insect and moisture issues below and within the home. The system includes a 1/3hp cast iron pump with a performance of 45gpm @ 10', check valve, heavy duty polystructural foam basin with lid and 24' of 11/2" discharge hose. Blue Angel Pumps. |
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Counter mat Wholesaler stocking items for the light commercial and design-build markets offers a counter display mat featuring the a products group photo and sports background. Heavy duty with scratch resistant vinyl cover. JRS Products. |
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Adapters Installing an appliance or accessory requiring a 3/8" od or 1/4" od water supply connection? Add-A-Tee adapters make the job easy. Instead of adding a new water line or installing a 3-way valve, Add-A-Tees thread easily onto an existing valve with a quick-connect captured nut. Constructed of heavy-duty brass, Add-A-Tees can be used for both hot and cold water connections and meet NSF-61 Sec. 9 requirements. Six different size configurations are available to meet the needs of any application. Keeney Manufacturing. |
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Grinder pumps New progressing cavity grinder pumps are designed to solve pressure sewer system needs. With flows up to 15 gpm and heads to 240' tdh, the 810 (1 hp) and 815 (2 hp) Series are ideal for new or retrofit sewer applications and new housing developments. Product benefits include unique-to-the-industry heat dispersing fins, a star cutter with scissor action to reduce clogging and jamming. Zoeller Pump Company. |
Movers & Shakers
Emco Corporation appointed Sian E. Smith vice president-procurement, plumbing & heating. Smith succeeds Bob Johnston, who is retiring on December 31. She joined Emco in 1999 as corporate development associate and most recently was director-is development, as part of Emco’s leadership team. |
Terrence Mullen was named president/CEO of Bock Water Heaters Inc. Mullen joined Bock in 2003 as its chief operating officer. He succeeds Donna Sheehan who, in her 40-year career at Bock, was instrumental in the company's transition from privately held to esop ownership. Sheehan assumes the role of director-customer relations. |
John Sperino was promoted to vice president, general counsel and secretary of Emerson Climate Technologies. Sperino will provide counsel and oversee all legal affairs for the company. He previously served as senior counsel, focusing on international trade and antitrust for Emerson Corporate, and as a senior attorney for Emerson Process Management. |