The 2023 ASA annual Operating Performance Report reported a 14.9% after-tax return on assets and a 28% after-tax return on net worth, compared to 15.6% and 26.4% respectively in the previous years.

During this last quarter, I have had the opportunity to be part of an aggressive development project related to revisions to existing Product Category Rules (PCRs) for the following plumbing fixtures: electronic bidet seats, residential toilets, commercial lavatory faucets, commercial toilets, and commercial urinals.

Whether we are manufacturers, reps, distributors or contractors, our industry has quietly been performing essential work for centuries. How do we double down on bringing the best people to the best companies in the best industry?

Last year it came to light that the PHCC National Association had negotiated a discount program for its contractor members with one of its supplier members, Home Depot/HD Supply. Since then, ASA and HARDI members have worked closely with the PHCC chapter and national leadership to express the wholesale distributor community’s concerns and issues with any national trade association prioritizing one supplier member over others. 

F.W. Webb was named one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Job Starters 2023” by Newsweek for offering essential training and mentorship programs, plus ongoing learning and growth opportunities, for team members who are starting out in their careers. F.W. Webb was awarded four and a half stars out of five on their score as a result of an employer survey.

The Collins Companies announced an agreement to acquire Washburn- Garfield Corporation, a supplier of industrial and commercial pipe, valves, and fittings in Worcester, Massachusetts, as well as their subsidiary, Waites Co., a distributor of abrasives and cutting tools in that market.

In the first two seasons, We Supply America executive producer and host Dirk Beveridge traveled over 31,000 miles getting to know 59 distributors, their frontline employees and the history of their businesses along the way.

One of the major highlights of the 2023 ASA Emerging Leaders EMERGE conference in Savannah, Georgia was the annual best practices roundtable sessions where attendees gathered to share best practices and generate solutions to common problems seen within their businesses.

The Emerging Leaders EMERGE conference in Savannah opened to record-setting attendance (seems to be a theme at ASA events this year!) and nearly half the attendees were experiencing EMERGE for the first time.

Earlier this year, the Winsupply Board of Directors announced that it elected Jeffrey M. Dice as the new President of Winsupply Inc. Dice replaced former President John McKenzie who retired on Feb.28. Dice joined Winsupply in 2004 as a regional financial officer for Winsupply Group Services — Dayton. Soon, he moved into internal audit and then into leadership roles: first for electronic data integration, and then for acquisitions as a due diligence specialist.