Once upon a time — 2006 to be exact — in a not far away land, Home Depot sold MRO products to the industrial and commercial markets. Top executives at Home Depot determined their strategy should be to focus on homeowners and home contractors, so they spun off MRO products into an entity dubbed HD Supply.

Many plumbing distributors have been in business for more than 50 years — and they have always found opportunities to thrive regardless of Congress and presidential executive orders.

The Keltech acquisition will also begin a new partnership between Bradford White and Bradley.

The list, which can be found in the winter issue of Inc. (on newsstands Dec. 29), recognizes small- and medium-size privately held American businesses that have had a superlative impact on their communities, their industries, the environment or society. 

In January 2021 American Underground Supply (AUS) will open its fourth branch in De Soto, IA. This facility sits on 1.5 acres with an 8000 square foot warehouse. De Soto is the first AUS location in the state of Iowa.

IMARK Plumbing and Luxury Products Group (LPG) have launched a partnership with Fitbit to promote health and wellness for its members, and encourage networking through the platform with the help of key sponsors.

Oatey Co. announced the acquisition of Contact Industries, S.A. de C.V., based in Guadalajara, Mexico. Contact is a leading manufacturer and distributor of products serving the plumbing markets in Mexico.

Victaulic announced the appointment of Rick Bucher as chief executive officer, succeeding John F. Malloy, effective January 31, 2021. Dr. Bucher was named President of Victaulic in April of 2020, following a June 2019 appointment as chief operating officer.

RectorSeal announced its acquisition of TRUaire to provide residential and commercial grilles, registers and diffusers to its expanding product line designed for professional contractors.

Johnson Controls has opened its new, state-of-the-art Ducted Systems Academy in Oklahoma City, OK, offering commercial and residential HVAC training. The 30,000 square-foot training facility features two large classrooms and two extensive training labs, offering remote and hands-on classes, including virtual reality training.