I have been fortunate this past year to have traveled the country as ASA president and was able to speak to many different groups. Each time, I talked about what I call the base case for what ASA delivers to its members, which is impressive on its own.

When looking back on the history of InSinkErator®, it’s clear there are two keys that have contributed to this company’s 90-year run of success: technology and industry partnerships.

In an industry where mergers and acquisitions often get a bad reputation, it’s important to recognize the cases where the merging of two companies is of the best interest of each party and their respective customer bases. This was on full display in 2019 when two longstanding PVF product suppliers decided to merge into one powerhouse.

There is an old wives tale that bumblebees should not be able to fly. According to aerodynamics, their wings are much too small in relation to their body size to move them through the air. Bees, ignorant to these laws of science, manage to defy the odds and fly every single day.

While it may feel like the other side of the world, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have lasting effects — including sparking the European Union’s hasty transition to energy independence. In May, the EU announced a $300 billion roadmap to ditch Russian energy — mainly oil and gas. The EU said it would slash consumption of Russian gas by 66% by the end of the year, and break its dependence completely by 2027 by saving energy, finding alternate sources and speeding up the transition to renewables, according to ABC News.

MA’s Chairman of the Board for the 2022-2023 year is Matt Thiel, president of AUMA Actuators.

The 2022 PHCP Spirit of Independence Awards on October 18 celebrated AD members and suppliers in the PHCP business unit who achieved excellence in sales growth and conversion, employee engagement, marketing and giving back.

The Southwest Pacific Distributors, a region of ASA, held its annual SWPD Awards Dinner in Long Beach, California on Oct. 6.

Uponor North America’s new hot potable pipe and fittings help meet the demand for commercial domestic water systems, the company says.

ASA recently attended the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Technical Membership Meeting as part of IAPMO’s annual conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.