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Situated at 3413 Truax Court, Eau Claire, the new 30,000-square-foot facility boasts a strategic location with convenient access from Hwy 312/North Crossing and Hwy 12/North Clairemont Ave, with plans to open in the Fall of 2023.

Bartle & Gibson Co., a Western Canada-based premier plumbing, heating and electrical distributor, announced a new regional partnership to distribute Bradford White.

 For 90 years, four generations of the Blaushild family have worked to build a purpose-driven business whose family culture extends to over 1,200 associates, thousands of loyal customers, and many valued suppliers.

 The official Grand Opening was celebrated on May 11, 2023, with special guests representing South Sioux City were Lance Hedquist, Oscar Gomez, Michael Schmiedt; DSG's construction partners Perkins Critser Construction, Jeff Kovar and Dave Critser, along with other members of the DSG leadership team.

MacArthur Company, a 110-year-old employee-owned leader in the distribution of building supplies, this week completed its acquisition of American Metals Supply, a leading wholesale distributor of sheet and coil steel, prefabricated duct and fittings, and a complete line of HVAC products. 

Late last year, LIXIL made headlines when it announced the acquisition of Basco, a U.S.-based shower door manufacturing company. The acquisition represents an important step in LIXIL’s growth strategy in the Americas region, the company said. Recently at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke had a chance to sit down with Trey Northrup, leader of LIXIL Americas, to discuss the company’s outlook following the acquisition, the current labor shortage, and the pitfalls of sanitation access and LIXIL’s LPP program, a global initiative aimed at tackling America’s sanitation challenges through public and private sector partnerships.

Respondents to ASA’s monthly sales report reported a median sales increase of 1.7% for March 2023 vs. 2022. This represents the lowest this figure has been since February 2021. Year-to-date sales through March 2023 were up 8.9% vs. 2022.

The plumbing supply industry and our showrooms, as well as many re-distribution businesses, are run ERP systems that are based on the IBM AS/400 or DOS. Both originated in the 1980s. We are an industry that looks to shave pennies to scale and limit our operational invest. We live by “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and so we have gone for a millennia. But, the possibility of having a knowledgable consultant in our pocket might just change the way we employ computers in all facets of business.

In writing this column month after month, I recognize that while marketing insights and tips are helpful for many, a handful of folks don’t have the desire (or the time) to join in on their business’ marketing efforts. With this in mind, I wanted to think and “write outside the box” to focus on a topic applicable and relevant to all industry professionals and marketers alike. This topic is CREATIVITY.

While I’m not the first woman to be president of the American Supply Association, I am the first woman with the honor of attending the ASA Women in Industry ELEVATE conference as the ASA president —being the first woman to hold the role since the founding of the group in 2014.