The Granite Group educates contractors at Connecticut trade show.

Continuing a tradition started in the late 1980s, Concord, N.H.-based plumbing and heating wholesale distributor The Granite Group held its third 2015 trade show Oct. 8 at the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa in Groton, Conn. The Grantite Group reports 605 people representing 219 contracting firms attended the show, which highlighted products and services from 58 vendors.

Four pre-trade show seminars covered IBC Boilers’ good-better-best product selection choices for high-efficiency gas boilers; a training course for Mitsubishi Electric M & P Series heat pump system applications; an update of Symmons’ Temptrol S-96 shower valve series; and The Granite Group’s new E-Store.

Greg Glovach, senior vice president of information services at The Granite Group, and Coburn Flannery, the company’s director of information services, were on hand at the trade show to demonstrate the capabilities of the new online store. It includes a more sophisticated product classification system to make navigation of the store easier and an option to share product information via email. Customers also have easy access to account information, such as order history, customer-specific pricing, wish lists and the ability to save shopping cart information.

The company’s The Ultimate Bath Store bath and kitchen showrooms had a booth to showcase the services of the showrooms, as well as its partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project. For every $10 contractors donate to the charity, which provides programs and aid to injured service members and their families, The Granite Group/The Ultimate Bath Store will match the donation, said Chris Ploss, vice president of branch sales and operations/COO of The Granite Group.

Contractors had opportunities to win door prizes from the vendors, he added, but were only eligible if they went to each vendor and got a card stamped. In addition to the vendor booths inside, live firing stations were set up outside to showcase boiler and water heater demonstrations.

For contractors interested in the company’s travel incentive program, a booth was set up to provide information on two trips for 2016: Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Customers have to make a minimum dollar amount of purchases to qualify for the trips.

Previous 2015 trade shows were held Sept. 10 in Killington, Vt. (357 people representing 115 contracting firms) and Sept. 24 in Manchester, N.H., which brought in a record crowd of 625 people representing 310 companies.

The Granite Group was named sister publication Plumbing & Mechanical’s 2013 Supply House of the Year.

This article was originally titled “School is in session” in the November 2015 Supply House Times.