California Assembly Bill 1953, which calls for the reduction of lead content in plumbing pipes, fittings and fixtures to no more than 0.25%, passed the state House by one vote on May 31.
The entire industry has undergone dramatic changes since I first began my career with SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES 29 years ago. Consolidation is the biggest factor, although not the only one.
Some educational conferences are better than others. The one put on each year by the AIM/R organization of PHCP industry independent manufacturers reps consistently ranks among the industry's best.
If misery loves company, PHCP distributors can take solace knowing that they're most certainly not wallowing alone. In 2005, overall U.S. employer health insurance premiums increased by 9.2% - nearly three times the rate of inflation.
The business world isn't all that complicated, according to incoming SWA President Joe Lawrence. He's been around the industry for close to four decades, seen good times and bad, but in the end it boils down to the Golden Rule.
“More sales calls, on more customers, more often,” is the mantra of Mega Western Sales. Based in Gardena, CA, the company employs around 100 people covering a sprawling territory that includes virtually all of California, Nevada and Arizona.
When it comes to plumbing and heating, China has big problems. A quickening pace of urbanization has left China with 661 cities that are home to about 42% of its 1.3 billion people. Yet, much of China's vast land mass is arid. Its per capita water resources are equal to only about a quarter of the world average.
We've all witnessed the consequences of China's dramatic economic growth. That nation's burgeoning demand is responsible more than anything else for the global oil and commodity price run-ups of the last few years. Plus, there is the yin and yang of China's cheap imports that have destroyed many of our industries yet at the same time help keep our economy humming with inflation tamed.
Product proliferation adds complexity for sellers and confusion for buyers.
Recently, my wife and I contemplated replacing our kitchen faucet and decided to investigate options. Hooray for showrooms, but we didn't feel like wasting hours shopping given that we had our sights set on something pretty specific - a pull-out adjustable spray faucet. So I Googled.