Market Sectors

RSS

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.

To demonstrate just how popular these outdoor home additions have become, Saniflo USA explored the internet, surveying search and social media metrics. The company found that the outdoor kitchen trend inspires over 49,500 monthly Google searches of the keyword 'outdoor kitchen' in the United States alone. In addition, 558,000 posts use #outdoorkitchen on Instagram. Outdoor bathroom receives 2,900 monthly Google searches in the United States, and 11,000 posts use #outdoorkitchen on Instagram.

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

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.

Over the years, there have been plenty of occasions where I have been overwhelmed/flooded with material provided to me on subjects I have written about.

This is a good thing because it tends to reinforce that person’s already known prominence/level of reverence in their particular vocation/walk of life.

The company’s newest BRG is VALOR, which stands for Veterans and Allies Leading Organization Results, and was launched last year. The group is comprised of more than 800 associates who are former military service members, active-duty service members, military spouses and partners, and allies.

Just before the October recess, ASA Government Affairs Director Steve Rossi headed to Capitol Hill for discussions focused on water quality, as well as supply chain and small business issues.

Knowledge is power. And knowledge is powered by data. Access to real, actionable data is one of the most important tools for any leader in today’s rapidly changing business environment. The ability to analyze, manipulate and act upon real-time information is not only a need but increasingly a requirement for success in business today.

As always, to hear first-hand from reps on the state of the market, challenges and the evolving role of manufacturers’ reps, Supply House Times held its annual Rep Council roundtable discussion where five engaged AIM/R members gather to discuss the hot-topics.

As an owner or manager, your laser focus is on each vendor’s profit and, mistakenly, assume that your salespeople share your bottom-line focus. I suggest you are focusing on the deliverables, and they are involved in the process, the sales process. In most cases, you will not be able to move your salespeople to your side of this question by simply showing them the money. The way to move them is to show them how these HVVs will fuel their desire to be a great showroom salesperson.