At last year’s ASA Strategic Planning Retreat, volunteers discussed the idea of a “product data library” that could be the sole source of manufacturer product data to help enable distributors to compete against online-first, big-box retailers, and other nontraditional competitors.
I have participated in both U.S. and international codes and standards development for over 40 years and, although the process can be cumbersome, and, yes, a bit frustrating, I believe in the basic principles of consensus and due process which are the foundation of all valid standards and codes development processes.
The Granite Group announced the opening of its newest branch in Manchester, VT. Located in the Manchester Valley Industrial Park at 152 Manchester Valley Road, this branch will be run by long-time Granite Group team member and customer favorite Derek Potter.
With distributors now offering same and next-day delivery, online ordering and more value-add services than ever before, it’s sometimes hard to picture the humble beginnings many independent distribution businesses started from. For Craig Norlin, co-owner of Wautoma, Wisconsin-based Mid-State Supply, it’s not difficult to recall at all; he remembers his father — Austin Norlin — delivering product out of the family’s station wagon with a four-wheel farm wagon towing behind in the 1960s.
Founded in 1963, Deacon is headquartered in Harleysville, a suburb of Philadelphia, with additional branches located in Marcus Hook and Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
In the 1980s, homeowners, builders and designers would walk into these new-fangled decorative plumbing showrooms and be wowed by all the sparkle and style. And as pretty as it all looked, these design leaders had no idea exactly what they were looking at. Sure, they saw fancy faucets but they had no idea how to layout, buy and install a “decorative bathroom”. Prior to decorative showrooms all that was only handled by the plumber. Who was going to help them navigate this new world.
Company training leaders and trainers come from many backgrounds with varying levels of learning and development experience. While not all have degrees in L&D, they most certainly have a passion for helping others to grow.
With the unemployment rate at its lowest level in decades, employers across the nation continue to struggle staffing their companies with high-quality talent.