advocate the plumbing€¦ · $19,155 typically invested in a kitchen remodel and 42.3 percent more...

NEW TRENDS EMERGE AS HOME REMODELING SURGES

FALL 2016 | VOL. 2, NO. 4

Millennials Outspend Others on Remodels

Email Marketing Continues to Provide Excellent ROI

Annual Meeting Receives Rave Reviews

Member Profile: J&J Wholesale Distributors

Supplier Profile: Franklin Electric

MSP Profile: DDI System

A PUBLICATION OF EQUITY PLUMBING

THE PLUMBING

ADVOCATE

EQUITY PLUMBING STAFF

President Matt Roos Executive Vice President Steve Perencevich

Vice President, Marketing and Supplier Relations Ted Havel

Marketing Coordinator Dan Potter

Operations Manager Pradeep Lodha

Customer Service Kay Williams

equityplumbing.com 3EQUITY

THE PLUMBING

ADVOCATE

We’re pleased to report the 2016 Annual Meeting was rated highly valuable by a vast majority of attending members and suppliers. A full review of the meeting can be found on page 31.

All attending members received their $250 bonus for the Gold/Platinum Pro-gram and are now in position to achieve Gold status ($500 bonus) or Platinum status ($1,500 bonus). Further financial benefits were gained by utilizing “Show Specials” promotional offers, which are exclusively for attending members. “Show Specials” are always rated as extremely valuable as they provide significant cost savings and often more than offset all costs associated with attending the meeting. As of press time, the “Show Specials” order tally was still being counted. However, the number of orders

placed and the total order volume was on pace to exceed record levels.

The Equity management team introduced two new marketing initiatives during the meeting:

Equity First: Equity member company owners considering the sale of their business are encouraged to consider the Equity First program. The program confidentially matches members wishing to acquire businesses with those desiring to sell.

While family considerations are of para-mount importance during the company sales process, many member owners of independent distributors often feel that the best thing they can do for their employees and their customers is to sell their companies to fellow independent distributors.

Equity to the MAXX: This is an annual purchasing survey to help gauge the membership’s purchases from non-approved suppliers. This information is used to:

• Determine market share for Equity suppliers.

• Guide Equity suppliers on new business opportunities by converting purchases from non-Equity suppliers to approved Equity suppliers.

• Set conversion targets for Equity members and provide a rebate earnings estimation for members who convert purchases from non-Equity suppliers to approved Equity suppliers.

Visit www.equityplumbing.com for complete details on Equity First and Equity to the MAXX.

The 2017 meeting will be held Dec. 5–7, 2017 at the Hilton Riverside New Orleans in Louisiana.

EQUITY ANNUAL MEETING BUILDS ON SUCCESS

FALL 2016 VOLUME 2, NO. 4

FALL 2016 VOLUME 2, NO. 4

4 The Plumbing Advocate | FALL 2016

EQUITY

FEATURES

7 Email Marketing Continues to Provide Excellent ROI Email keeps you connected to the people who mean the most to your business—your customers. Great email marketing campaigns can create repeat customers, website traffic and new sales.

17 NKBA Study: Millennials Outspend Others on Kitchen and Bath Remodels Millennials spend an average of 17.7 percent more than the $19,155 typically invested in a kitchen remodel and 42.3 percent more than the $11,364 normally allocated to remodel a bathroom.

31 Annual Meeting Receives Rave Reviews Reviews of Equity’s Annual Meeting confirm gained value. Plus, members and suppliers receive recognition.

10 Cover story: Trends Emerge as Home Remodeling Surges As more homeowners are enticed to list their properties, expect increased remodeling and repair in preparation for sales, coupled with spending by the new owners who are looking to customize their homes to fit their needs.

NEWS

40 Supplier News

40 New Product News

45 Member News

45 Industry News

PROFILES

20 Supplier Profile: Franklin Electric, Fort Wayne, Indiana

25 Member Profile: J&J Wholesale Distributors, Dunn, North Carolina

29 MSP Profile: DDI System, Sandy Hook, Connecticut

17 | Millennials Outspending Others 31 | Annual Meeting Wrap-Up

© 2016 Equity Plumbing. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Please direct all correspondence and written requests for permission to reprint articles to Erin Klebaur at [email protected] Printed in U.S.A.

20 | Franklin Electric 25 | J&J Wholesale Distributors

EDITORIAL STAFF The Plumbing Advocate is published

quarterly, for plumbing distributor members

and suppliers of Equity Plumbing by Creative

Marketing Alliance.

Executive Editor Ted Havel [email protected]

Publisher Jeffrey Barnhart [email protected]

Editor Erin Klebaur [email protected]

Advertising Manager Jude [email protected]

Managing Director Kenneth Hitchner [email protected]

Managing Editor Jennifer Kohlhepp [email protected]

Staff Writers Greta [email protected]

Jen [email protected]

Creative Director Dave Sherwood [email protected]

Production Manager Scott Elgart [email protected]

EMAIL MARKETING CONTINUES TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT ROI

Developing an email marketing plan may sound intimidating, but it’s not as difficult as you may think.

Consider these tips when creating a company email marketing campaign:

Define Your Audience

Before you start designing an email newsletter, you should decide who should receive it. Will you segment your audience by market or industry? Will you target current or prospective customers? Or will you address a wide range of readers, such as clients, busi-ness leaders and hiring prospects?

There are pros and cons to targeting a focused audience just as there are pros and cons to targeting a broad audience. While you may achieve better

overall e-newsletter performance, subscriber satisfaction and advancement toward meeting your goals if you send your e-newsletter to a focused audience,

it takes almost as much time as develop-ing one for a broad audience. And while targeting a broader audience is more cost-effective, you achieve lower overall e-newsletter performance, subscriber satisfaction and response to your calls-to-action, as you lose the opportunity to make a more personal connection with your readers.

By considering your audience, you will achieve better engagement and results from your email marketing campaign.

Determine the Frequency

Once you have decided on your audi-ence, think about how often you plan to send out your e-newsletter. If your email newsletter is news-driven or deadline-driven, you should consider

MARKETING BY JEFFREY BARNHART


EMAIL MARKETING CONTINUES TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT ROI

continued on page 8

Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective and efficient ways for companies to reach their

target audience.

Email’s reputation for generating return on investment (ROI) remains undiminished in 2016, accord-

ing to the 10th annual Email Marketing Industry Census, produced by Econsultancy in partnership

with Adestra.

In the census, which surveyed 1,100 respondents, mainly in-house marketers, email comes out on top

for ROI (ahead of SEO), with three-quarters (73 percent, up from 66 percent) of companies agreeing

that email marketing still offers “good” to “excellent” ROI.

Email keeps you connected to the people who mean the most to your business—your customers. Great

email marketing campaigns can create repeat customers, website traffic and new sales.


sending it out weekly. Consider sending it out biweekly, monthly, quarterly or biannually if your news has a longer shelf life. Before you commit to any frequency, make sure you have enough time, people and resources to keep your promise. Consistency helps you earn the trust of your readers and es-tablish the long-term viability of your e-newsletter.

Develop Valuable Content

The content is the most important part of an e-newsletter. Successful email newsletters provide quality content, look great and engage the audience. Content should get to the point and provide a strong call to action, keeping in mind why the targeted audience signed up for the emails in the first place. Try to delight readers by letting them be the first to know about new products or sales or by giving them ac-cess to special benefits as subscribers.

Visuals can make your email newsletter more memorable. Think about what your brand looks like and incorporate logos, colors and fonts into the e-blast so it provides a consistent brand expe-rience that your customers will recog-nize. It is also a good idea to balance the text in an e-newsletter with sup-porting images, as well as white space.

Content should also serve as a springboard for further conver-sation with readers. Include an email address and ask readers to contact you with questions or for more information. Include online polls or surveys to inspire additional audience feedback. No matter which

response mechanism you choose, be sure to analyze and use the information you’re receiving.

Measure Your Results

Your email newsletter campaign is not over once you hit the send button. Measuring your e-newsletter results, and whether you met your goals with its distribution, is critical. If you sent out an e-blast to boost website traffic or new product sales and you did, that’s great! If you didn’t, analyze what should be incorporated and make changes.

There’s data you should review to help you make positive adjustments to your e-blasts. Review how many people clicked links in your email, which links they clicked the most, as well as the subscribe and unsubscribe rates after each campaign. Some more common

e-newsletter metrics you can retrieve from your email

distribution program are the open rate,

spam reports and bounce-backs.

Act On Your Findings

After each campaign, do you get lots of new subscribers? That could mean your readers are forwarding your emails to friends. Don’t see any distribution list growth at all? Maybe you need to make your content more interesting or relevant to your customers.

Acting on your findings will require preparation, such as creating a report that is easy to understand, even for people who might not have been directly involved with the email newsletter campaign. You may also want to sched-ule a debriefing meeting with your stakeholders to discuss the performance report, what went well, what didn’t work and what you can do differently next time. Finally, create a task list based on the outcomes of that meeting and assign tasks to team members to incorporate in the creation of your next e-newsletter.

Still Have Questions?

These are some tips that will help you create a successful email marketing campaign for your company.

Still need help? Call my firm, Creative Marketing Alliance, today at 609-297-2235 or email us for more in-formation at [email protected].

About the Author: Jeffrey Barnhart

is president and CEO of Creative

Marketing Alliance (www.GoToCMA.

com), a full-service marketing firm

in Princeton Junction, New Jersey. For

more information, email JBarnhart@

CMASolutions.com or call him at

609-297-2222.

MARKETING continued from page 7


NEW TRENDS EMERGE AS HOME REMODELING SURGESA healthier housing market, with rising house prices and increased sales activity, should translate into

bigger gains for remodeling the rest of this year and next.

Homeowner remodeling activity is expected to ramp up, keeping the rate of growth above its long-term

trend, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released by the Remodeling Futures

Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

The LIRA anticipates growth in home improvement and repair expenditures will reach 8 percent by the start of 2017, well in excess of its 4.9 percent historical average.

“As more homeowners are enticed to list their properties, we can expect increased remodeling and repair in preparation for sales, coupled with spending by the new owners who are looking to customize their homes to fit their needs,” said Chris Herbert, managing director of the Joint Center.

“By the middle of next year, the national remodeling market should be very close to a full recovery from its worst down-turn on record,” said Abbe Will, research analyst in the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center. “Annual spending is set to reach $321 billion by then, which after adjusting for inflation is just shy of the previous peak set in 2006 before the housing crash.”

According to this created data series, national improvement spending was $83 billion in 1994 in nominal dollars, annual spending peaked during the previous cycle in 2006 at $233 billion and by 2013 improvements had recov-

ered to $198 billion. The annual rate of change in improvement spending over the past two decades ranged from a high of +30.6 percent in 2004 during the housing and remodeling boom to a low of -13.5 percent in 2009 during the worst of the market downturn.

A strong housing market means good business, according to Adriana Miller, product manager at Mansfield Plumbing in Perrysville, Ohio.

“People buying a home generally will do a great deal of their remodeling in the first year, and the bathroom and kitchen are prime areas of the home for remodeling,” Miller said. “In addition, people looking to sell their homes often decide to upgrade these two key rooms to make them seem more appealing to buyers. Either way, it’s a win-win for us.”

Delta Faucet Co. in Indianapolis, Indiana has already been feeling the effects of a surge in renovations, according to Carol Anne Kemper, product marketing manager.

“Delta understands that housing renova-tions make up a large part of overall sales and works diligently to ensure consumers’ needs are fully supported,” Kemper said. “Delta has a full range of options to support kitchen and bath renovations and continues to invest in the product portfolio year over year.”

Delta continues to invest in various product expansions to address the boost in housing renovations.

“There are a wide variety of product and finish solutions to support customers regardless of the project size or budget,” Kemper said. “Whether it’s a simple fau-cet swap or a complete renovation, Delta offers a myriad of innovative options.”

Freestanding tub fillers are definitely making a mark in the market. By the end of 2016, Delta will offer six unique freestanding tub fillers; each with a dif-ferent style option for users, according

to Clinton Cardinal, product manager, Delta Faucet Co.

“While transitional design is still number one, contemporary is becoming more mainstream,” Cardinal said. “Delta continues to invest in its contemporary designs, such as the new Zura Bath Collection. As interest in contemporary styling increases, Delta is quick to ensure the needs of the market are met with its expanding assortment of stylish and affordable products.”

Mansfield watches the industry trends and listens to what people are asking for and then responds with new products.

“Currently, the market is asking for high-performance toilets, products that are cleaner and those that are more water efficient,” Miller said. “We’ve responded this year with the introduction of our PuraClean glaze on our Summit toilets and the launch of the Denali Power Flush toilet and the Protector No-Over-flow toilet.”

Transitional, traditional and contem-porary styles are leading in sales at Mansfield.

“That said, the Denali toilet that was just introduced is a great example of transitional style,” Miller said. “The Brentwood toilet, and the Brentwood Affordable Suite collection, reflects the traditional style. Our Enso Affordable Suite collection perfectly fits the desire for contemporary style.”

Delta’s also seeing trends when it comes to remodeling.

“We see trends in small, modest spaces, as well as over-the-top opulent spaces

continued on page 13

COVER STORY BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP


and are proud to offer renovation solutions for both,” Kemper said. “Consumers seeking products for smaller spaces are pleased to see our extensive offering of lavatory and tub faucets with minimal footprints, while the larger spaces are well accommodated with custom shower systems and freestanding tub fillers.”

Miller said people are looking for more quality in their bathroom products.

“They’re seeking long-term use with no problems,” Miller said. “Style and cleanliness, water conservation and remodel-ing bathrooms to accommodate people as they begin aging are also big trends.

“As for style and colors, neutrals are very big right now,” Miller added. “Neutral colors and neutral styles. People don’t want their baths, toilets and sinks to dominate their bathroom...they want them to accent it. So, while they may invest in unique tiling or even a splashy shower fixture, they want their bathroom components to be more neutral.”

As for tub trends, Miller said, luxury and cleanliness are in.

“We believe that’s why we’re seeing success with our newest tub offering, the MicroDerm Therapeutic Bath,” Miller said. “This bathing experience is equivalent to an at-home spa treatment.”

Other trends Delta’s seeing include aging-in-place and universal design to accommodate the needs of a multi-generational home.

“Retrofitting the space for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accessibility are important so we must ensure various solutions are offered,” Cardinal said. “Decorative grab bars, hand showers and bath safety items such as Delta’s Décor Assist are growing categories for the company. In some cases, we offer low-budget options to address the needs of this segment. For instance, our In2ition product line allows the user to install a hand shower easily without any updates to plumbing behind the wall.”

The goal for suppliers is to consistently keep a finger on the pulse of remodeling activity.

“Delta understands consumer needs are ever-evolving and each renovation is unique,” Kemper said. “Therefore, Delta reaches out to consumers and influencers directly when renovation activity increases to better understand what is working and what may be needed. We also see growth in other segments when residential renovation and remodel activity increases. For example, commercial updates (e.g. ho-tels) often increase so it’s important to ensure the needs of all segments are met from a product and innovation standpoint.”

COVER STORY continued from page 11




When the residential renovation market is high in the United States, Mansfield always carefully evaluates demand in order to increase its capacity, according to Miller.

“As a ‘Made in America’ operation, we can respond quickly, with fast lead times, to increased product demand,” Miller said. “This makes it easier for plumb-ers, remodelers and builders to meet their schedules quickly with quality ‘Made in America’ products.”

Overall, beautiful styling, cleanliness (clean looks, clean glazes, clean lines and clean bathing experiences with spa-like tubs) and reliable, quality performance are all the factors leading the charge during the current remodeling surge.

COVER STORY continued from page 13

FEATURE

Millennials are outspending other age groups when remodeling their kitchens and bathrooms, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA).

Millennials spend an average of 17.7 percent more than the $19,155 typically invested in a kitchen remodel and 42.3 percent more than the $11,364 normally allocated to remodel a bathroom, according to the new research by the Hackettstown, New Jersey-based association.

The report “Understanding Millennial Kitchen and Bath Consum-ers” compares the behavior and attitudes of those ages 18-37 to other generations when planning kitchen and bath remodeling projects. The study, conducted by The Farnsworth Group, also found that more than half of the millennial generation has purchased a home in the last five years.

Other findings include:

• When purchasing kitchen and bathroom products, younger generations value internet searches and information from friends and family members more than other age groups.

• Customer reviews are more important to millennials when selecting kitchen products compared to other age brackets.

• In the bathroom, the cost of a product is paramount for millennial buyers when compared to other generational groups.

“Our market research helps our members stay ahead of important trends and changes in the $31 billion kitchen and bath marketplace,” said NKBA CEO Bill Darcy. “Our market intelligence and research studies interpret current trends, and predict what we can expect in the near future.”

The executive summary of the study is available to NKBA members free of charge at www.slideshare.net/NationalKitchen-BathA/understanding-millennial-kitchen-bath-consumers. The complete study is available to members for $99 and to nonmembers for $499 at nkba.org/research.

The NKBA is the nonprofit trade association that owns the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. With nearly 14,000 member companies representing tens of thousands of members in segments of the kitchen and bath industry, the NKBA has educated and led the industry since its founding in 1963. The mission of the NKBA is to enhance member success and excellence, promote profes-sionalism and ethical business practices and provide leadership and direction for the kitchen and bath industry worldwide. For more information, visit NKBA.org or call 1-800-843-6522.


NKBA STUDY: MILLENNIALS OUTSPEND OTHERS ON KITCHEN AND BATH REMODELS

Equity members enjoy the benefits of suppliers around the

world offering the best products possible featuring the

hottest and most reliable technology to service the plumbing

industry.

“For 75 years, Franklin Electric’s Little Giant brand has

focused on providing service and products available to our

customers no matter their size, serving everyone the same,”

said Scott Stayton, director of portfolio management at

Franklin Electric, the parent company of the brand Little

Giant.

“For Equity members, as with all of our customers for

the past 75 years, Little Giant is focused on our quality,

availability and service,” Stayton said.

Based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Franklin Electric is a global

leader in the production and marketing of systems and com-

ponents for the movement of water and fuel. Recognized as

a technical leader in its products and services, the company,

with annual sales revenue of $1 billion, serves customers

around the world in residential, commercial, agricultural,

industrial, municipal and fueling applications.

The Little Giant brand specializes in the water transfer

market with products including wastewater, sump, sewage,

effluent, dewatering, condensate, magnetic drive and utility

pumps. It also manufactures low-pressure sewer systems

and water garden pumps and products.

Recently, Franklin Electric announced the 75th anniversary of

its Little Giant brand.

According to company history, Little Giant originated in

1941 when a plumber named R.M. “Doc” Wolfe found

a solution to the quality challenges he faced with evapora-

tive cooling pumps. The Little Giant Vaporizer was born

and was considered the first electric motor-driven submers-

ible pump of its kind on the market. Shortly thereafter,

the Little Giant Vaporizer Co. was created in Oklahoma

City, Oklahoma, where 15 employees manufactured sub-

mersible vaporizers for evaporative coolers.

Franklin Electric purchased Little Giant in 2006. Since

then, through engineering and manufacturing fortitude,

the Little Giant brand has continued to excel at providing

innovative products that solve contractor challenges in the

pumping industry.

Today, the Little Giant brand offers 6,500 products featuring

1,000 different models and stock options. In addition to low-

pressure sewer systems, its wastewater products include

sump, sewage, effluent, dewatering, condensate, magnetic

drive and utility pump products.

The Little Giant Outdoor Living product line features a

diverse array of pumps and accessories for decorative water,

hydroponics, aquarium, pool and marine applications.

“Little Giant’s main customer base is in the United States


SUPPLIER PROFILE BY JEN SAMUEL

WITH FRANKLIN ELECTRIC AT THE HELM, A MIGHTY FORCE STANDS BEHIND LITTLE GIANT

Caption????


Above: Based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Franklin Electric is a global leader in the production and marketing of systems and components for the movement of water and fuel.

Left: For 75 years, Franklin Electric’s Little Giant brand has focused on providing service and products available to customers no matter their size, serving everyone the same.

SUPPLIER PROFILE continued from page 18


A technical leader in its products and services, the company showcases its Engineering Testing and Development Lab.

Scott Stayton, director of portfolio management at Franklin Electric

and Canada,” Stayton said, “and we have a strong pres-

ence in Europe and around the globe.” He noted that

Franklin Electric’s “engineers focus on a robust product

design, which has held throughout the years regarding

quality, and that translates into exceptional service.”

Stayton added that company engineers are seeking product

enhancements to ensure the Little Giant brand offers cus-

tomers the most innovative products on the marketplace.

“We’re very vertically integrated with our engineering

department, which includes a strong focus on communi-

cations and electronics,” Stayton stated.

“We’re always developing new products for our customer

base and contractors to provide solutions to improve

serviceability for their applications,” Stayton said. “This

includes developing larger products in the wastewater in-

dustry and specialized products in many other industries.”

“Little Giant products and people have been an important

addition to the Franklin family,” said DeLancey Davis,

Franklin Electric vice president and president of North

America Water Systems during the recent anniversary

announcement. “The Little Giant brand was built on dedi-

cation to quality and availability and is a testament to our

loyal employees who put their craftsmanship into every

Little Giant product to support our customers’ craft.”

Davis added, “We are truly grateful to our ideal collection

of employees, customers and business partners who have

teamed together for 75 years to make Little Giant the

leader it is today.”

For more information, visit www.littlegiant.com.



J&J Wholesale Distributors of Dunn, North Carolina prides itself on not having an endless supply of product options.

“A lot of big-box stores have hundreds of options, but we don’t have to sell the world,” said Jason Carpenter, company president and CEO and second generation of the family-owned business. “Everything we sell, we know it inside and out. I will not sell anything out of this store that I wouldn’t put into my own house.”

The company sells kitchen and bath products and fixtures, lighting, tankless water heaters and more.

“I know it sounds cliché, but we’re really friendly and the customers always come first,” Carpenter said. “We care enough and we know enough so that when someone comes in with a problem, we’re going to come up with a solution before they walk out the door.

“Brick-and-mortar stores have to compete tooth and nail with big-box stores and we’re not going to win on price every time,” he said. “But someone who really knows what they’re selling, inside and out, is invaluable. You can’t put a price on what we offer at J&J.”

J&J Wholesale was founded by Carpenter’s parents, Jim and Janet Carpenter, on May 1, 1977, after his father spent time working for W. L. Smith, a regional plumbing supply company.

“My parents liked to say they launched the business with ‘a vision, a prayer, hope, faith and very little money,’” Carpenter said. Today, J&J Wholesale is a thriving business, but there have been significant challenges along the way, including a devastating fire.

“I’ll never forget it,” Carpenter said. “I was 10 years old, it was a Thursday morning and I was in fifth grade, getting ready to go to school when someone woke me up and said J&J is on fire. When I went outside, I saw my father collapsed on the ground and he’s a big man, 6 feet 2 inches and 300 pounds. The business was something my parents had worked their whole lives for.

“The offices were in the wood frame building that burned as a result of old wiring and attached to that was the metal warehouse, which wasn’t damaged,” he said. “With help from local friends, J&J was open for business on Monday with a makeshift counter in the metal warehouse. That warehouse is still in use today and you can still see black smoke from the fire on the outside.”

The company continued to persevere, surviving Hurricane Fran in 1986 and Hurricane Hugo in 1989, both of which blew out windows and damaged the roof. But the hardest loss was the death of Janet Carpenter, who lost her battle with cancer in August 1984.

MEMBER PROFILE BY GRETA CUYLER

J&J WHOLESALE HAS JUST ENOUGH CHOICES, MORE THAN ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE

Jason Carpenter, president and CEO, J&J Wholesale Distributors


MEMBER PROFILE continued from page 23

Carpenter began working at the company as a kid, albeit infor-mally. “I was unloading trucks at 8, 10, 12 years old,” he said. Later, he worked part time to support his music while his band played weekly in local clubs. He’s been working at J&J full time for the past 26 years. Married to wife Terra, the couple has two daughters, Abby, 11, and Maggy, 8. He hopes that someday one of his daughters or their spouses may be interested in assuming the reins of the business.

His father has retired. The company currently has 10 employ-ees, who boast more than 100 years of combined experience in plumbing parts and fixtures. J&J opened its second store in Clinton, North Carolina—about 30 miles from Dunn—in 1991. Frankie Jackson is the Clinton store manager and Ray Butts manages the Dunn location.

Some companies have one employee who handles all showroom sales, but that’s not how it works at J&J. “The assistant manager and I do both the counter business and the showroom, because we know what we’re selling, how it works and how to explain it,” Carpenter said. “Earning the trust of our customers is a big deal for us. We like to cater to their needs and wants, not our company’s needs and wants. We’re all about repeat business.”

J&J Wholesale remodeled its 1,000-square-foot showroom two years ago and has plans to double the showroom’s size in the next couple of years, including adding several higher-end product lines. And the company plans to begin selling online within the next year or two.

The buying power of Equity Plumbing has helped J&J tremen-dously, along with the networking opportunities, Carpenter said. “With a small company like ours, larger vendors don’t always give you the time of day,” he said. “But because we’re both members of Equity, they have to at least give you an audience.

“When we get together with other Equity members, it’s not only nice to get feedback from other parts of the country, but to be reassured that we’re not the only ones facing certain problems,” he added. “We also brainstorm with each other, which helps a lot.”

J&J Wholesale remodeled its 1,000-square-foot showroom two years ago and has plans to double the showroom’s size in the next couple of years, including adding several higher-end product lines.


MSP PROFILE BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP

DDI System is in the business of helping plumbing; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and pipe, valve and fittings (PVF) wholesale distributors automate their purchasing processes to create lean inventory, streamline operations and better connections with customers.

Although DDI provides technology solutions, the company actually began with founder Adam Waller’s hands-on experi-ence at his family’s wholesale supply business. While working in the warehouse in the 1980s, Waller and his partners devel-oped the beginnings of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for plumbing wholesale distributors. Over the next 30 years, the software evolved into DDI’s Inform Distribution Software, which manages all aspects of a distributor’s busi-ness from the warehouse to the showroom to the counter.

The software is now the backbone for nearly 800 distributors, many of whom are Equity Plumbing members, throughout North America.

“It is a business software that creates lean end-to-end opera-tions,” said DDI Sales Director Dan Banks. “It provides an excellent combination of tools that all distributors need in a hi-tech environment—customer relationship management (CRM), inventory management, as well as financial reporting and ana-lytics that are used for quick and accurate decision making.”

Inform ERP is a single-source system that also helps with sales and order management, purchasing, strategic pricing, business reporting, performance analysis, e-commerce and warehouse automation without the need for complex add-ons.

Ideal for both single and multi-location distributors, the business software can operate from on-site servers or cloud-hosted environments, in-house or in the field (think award-winning mobile apps).

“With our implementation, one of the things that we still do that’s different from other companies is that we handle the

transition of software from beginning to end, putting our own people in there to collect your data so you don’t lose anything in the transition,” Chief Operating Officer Barbara Jagoe said. “We make sure all of your historical data is placed carefully inside of our system and that it does not get lost in transition.”

New users receive a seven-phase transition plan including data migration, with consultation and on-site training.

“We have a strong staff of developers and our developers are all U.S.-based and continuously looking for enhancement tools for distributors to run their business more efficiently,” Jagoe said.

DDI System is based in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, but its highly-trained industry experts operate from two more loca-tions (New Jersey and Oregon) on the east and west coasts.

Inform can improve inventory return on investment (ROI) and fill rates, reduce dead stock and automate purchasing decisions on out-of-season product lines. The software also allows users to easily track and process special pricing allowance rebates, generating precise rebate reports to back up rebate claims.

Users can also nurture better customer relationships with Inform’s embedded CRM tools. Users can also increase loyalty and reduce price sensitivity through contact management, activity history and notes, one-click selling and opportunity analysis, price and stock check and order/quote inquiry.

“Customers are more loyal if a distributor has the tools to connect with them,” Jagoe said.

To learn more about DDI System’s Inform business software, participate in a no-obligation demonstration.

For more information about the software and/or a dem-onstration, visit www.ddisystem.com, call 877-599-4334 or email [email protected].

DDI System’s Software Helps Solve Wholesalers’ Unique Challenges

Inform ERP is a single-source system that also helps with sales and order management, purchasing, strategic pricing, business report-ing, performance analysis, e-commerce and warehouse automation.


FEATURE BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP

McWane Plumbing Group’s Thad Hicks (left to right), Dave Jones, Greg Simmons, Sterling Bowman and Patrick Leonard cut the ribbon on the company’s new distribution warehouse in South Plainfield, New Jersey.

The new warehouse has approximately 65,000 square feet of indoor storage, as well as 6 acres of outdoor storage.

McWane Plumbing Group, based in

Birmingham, Alabama, has opened a

new distribution warehouse facility in

South Plainfield, New Jersey.

This new warehouse distribution facility

will allow McWane Plumbing Group

to better serve east coast customers

by providing shorter shipping times,

as well as increasing inventory and

product availability for customers.

The facility has approximately 65,000

square feet of indoor warehouse storage,

which will increase efficiency in stocking

and distributing products. There are also

6 acres of outdoor storage.

The facility will operate from 6 a.m. to

4:30 p.m. (EST) Monday through Friday

and will be managed by New Jersey-

native Jerry Kosloski, a 25-year shipping

and logistics professional. Pre-arranged

pick-ups are available as early as 4 a.m.

The new distribution warehouse stocks

multiple brands including Tyler Pipe and

Coupling, Wade Drains, Anaco-Husky

and AB&I Foundry plumbing products.

“This new facility represents our con-

tinued focus on providing our plumbing

products to customers as quickly and

efficiently as possible,” said Kurt Winter,

executive vice president of McWane

Plumbing Group. “The northeast region

of the country is booming with com-

mercial development and that’s why we

chose this strategically located region

where we can reach New York City in

just 30 minutes. We will continue to

invest in infrastructure and logistics

support to maximize our capability to

perform as a leading supplier of storm

and sanitary plumbing products.”

To celebrate the launch of the new

warehouse, McWane Plumbing Group

hosted an open house barbecue event

on Sept. 27 at 111 Somogyi Court, South

Plainfield, New Jersey.

Check with your local distributor or sales

representative for more information.

McWANE PLUMBING GROUP OPENS NEW DISTRIBUTION WAREHOUSE IN NEW JERSEY

2017 Annual Meeting Set for New Orleans



FEATURE

2017 Annual Meeting Set for New Orleans

Equity Plumbing will hold the 2017 Annual Meeting on Dec. 5-7, 2017 at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside. Plan

on arriving the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017 to attend a welcome reception that evening for all

members and suppliers. The 2017 meeting will conclude at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017.

Equity Plumbing’s 2016 Annual Meeting: Reviews Confirm Gained Value

Equity Plumbing’s recent Annual Meeting, which was held

in Atlanta on Sept. 26 -28, received impressive reviews from

attending members.

Creating and developing relationships with fellow Equity members

and suppliers are principal values gained that become long-term

beneficial relationships.

Attendees offered feedback regarding several aspects of the meeting:

Member Networking Meetings—Peer networking is one of the most

valuable aspects of the meeting, allowing members to share ideas,

best practices and build lasting friendships:

• Tim Willburn, vice president, Hi Valley Supply, Buena Vista,

Colorado: “To be able to ask specific questions of business owners

like myself and receive feedback was wonderful. Really to find

other businesses that are similar to mine and have similar issues

with different approaches on solving those issues is great.”

• Rick Porter, president, Porter Metal Co., Mogadore, Ohio: “It was

and will continue to be a great way of sounding out your new

ideas and hearing others and then combining them to work for

your marketing direction and strategy.”

Member/Supplier One-On-One Meetings—Prescheduled meetings

provide members with an opportunity to establish and enhance

relationships with key supplier executives, discuss new business

opportunities or review open issues:

• Neal King, president, Maryland Pipe and Supply Co., Hancock,

Maryland: “Getting face-to-face time with suppliers can

accomplish so much more in just a span of 15 minutes than

an entire month’s worth of phone calls and emails could.”

• Eileen Terry, president, Mechanical Electric Wholesale Supply

Inc., Athens, Alabama: “I learned of new products being

introduced, set up employee training, counter days and created

relationships with the regional and national managers.”

Keynote Speaker—Cmdr.

Kirk Lippold received high

praise from both members

and suppliers:

Cmdr. Kirk Lippold served as

the honorary keynote speaker

during Equity Plumbing’s

2016 Annual Meeting. He is

an authority on leadership and crisis management and former com-

mander of the USS Cole.

• “Cmdr. Lippold knows what it takes to create the foundation for

successful leadership that prepares teams to rise to any challenge

they may face. In 2000, when the USS Cole was attacked by

al-Qaeda terrorists, Cmdr. Lippold and his crew distinguished

themselves by saving the USS Cole from sinking.”

• “Cmdr. Lippold spoke how the difference between team success

and failure lies in the instinctive principles that are ingrained

through training and guide people to action. Based on the leader-

ship standards he instilled in his crew leading up to that historic

day, Cmdr. Lippold has developed the ‘Five Pillars of Leadership’

that construct a framework for getting the most from your work-

force: integrity, vision, personal responsibility and accountability,

trust and professional competence.”



Member Performance Awards

Member Performance Awards are awarded to members who excel in increasing the total they purchase from Equity sup-pliers, the number of Equity suppliers’ lines that they support, the number of Equity suppliers that have generated positive growth, as well as conversions, which are the number of new business relationships established with Equity suppliers.

Jason Pepe, merchandising manager, accepts the Member Performance Award for Central Wholesalers in Laurel, Maryland.

Owner Alex Federico accepts the Member Performance Award for Coastal Supply Group of Staten Island.

President Jay Katz accepts the Member Performance Award for H2O Supply in Lewisville, Texas.

Mike Maslanik, vice president, and Joe Peralta, director of the heating department, accept the Member Performance Award for McMillan Sales Corp. in Denver.

Vice President Joel Lefkowitz accepts the Member Performance Award for World Wide Plumbing Supply of Brooklyn.

FEATURE continued from page 31



Supplier Performance Awards

Equity members nominated the best-performing suppliers in the following categories:

• Delivery • Marketing • Merchandising

Control Supply Corp. earned the delivery award for ex-celling in providing supe-rior order-fill rate, accurate shipments and invoices and quick completion in filling back-order products. Sal Bochicchio, sales manager, and Lewis Finn, sales man-ager, accepted the award for Control Supply Corp.

Delta Faucet earned the marketing award for excelling in promoting its company and products in the distribution channel; educating member personnel on product attributes and customer applications; providing effective promotions, literature and merchandising; offering co-op/marketing funds

in a clear and beneficial manner and providing superior sales tools for outside, inside and counter sales personnel. Tim Kritzer, senior regional sales, accepted the award for Delta Faucet.

Jones Stephens earned the mer-chandising award for excelling in offering the best and most effective merchandising display and signage, as well as educating member personnel on at-tributes and customer applications of merchandised products. Christopher Rohling (left to right), vice president of field sales; Alana Hawk, channel marketing manager; Jon Wickersham, regional sales manager and Dmitriy Mintsin, regional sales manager accepted the award for Jones Stephens.

• Product • Promotion



InSinkErator earned the product award for excelling in offering superior and consistent product quality, providing

effective packing and labeling and providing information necessary to launch new products ef-fectively. Brian Marincov, regional sales manager, accepted the award for InSinkErator.

Mansfield Plumbing Products earned the promotion award for excelling in providing

consistent and effective promotions, offering promotions that feature new and/or high-impact products and offering

the most effective Equity “exclusive” promotions throughout the year. Bill Halsted (left to right), regional sales, and Ken Kraynak, regional sales, accepted the award for Mansfield Plumbing Products.



SUPPLIER & PRODUCT UPDATE

PRIER Products Appoints New Associates

Julie Henry has been appointed as general and administrative assistant and Angie Wharton as customer service representative at PRIER Products.

Henry will be responsible for accounts receivable. It is her job to apply cash timely, insuring accurate cus-tomer records. Accurate customer records provide PRIER’s sales team with a clear picture of a customer’s standing and allow for effective cash management.

“We are very excited to have Julie round out our staff. She hopes to put her MBA from Rockhurst University to work at PRIER and we hope that PRIER can pro-vide her with the career path to achieve that goal,” said Controller Cindy Coats.

Wharton, PRIER’s new customer service representative, will work in the customer service and sales department entering orders while assisting manufacturers’ representatives and customers over the phone.

“Angie came to PRIER with a great customer service background. She has a positive attitude and really cares about each person she is working with over

the phone,” said National Sales Manager Scott Livingston. “We are delighted to have her on our team.”

Matco-Norca Announces Two New Hires

Matco-Norca has appointed two individuals to its management staff.

Gary Skeber has joined Matco-Norca as its new vice president of industrial sales. With past experience working for SVF Flow Controls and Smith Cooper

LASCO NEW MATERIAL COMING?

Julie Henry

Angie Wharton



International, he brings a valuable background in the industrial PVF market to his new position. He will be based out of Matco-Norca’s La Palma, California Distribu-tion Center.

Melissa Coolidge is Matco-Norca’s new eastern regional sales manager, responsible for sales in the northeast. She joins Matco-Norca from Ward Manu-facturing where she

served as product and marketing manager. She is based in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.

“We are pleased to welcome these two experienced individuals to the Matco-Norca family,” said John C. McDonald, president and CEO of the Brewster, New York-based company.

“Gary Skeber will be instrumental in expanding our PVF product line and customer base. Melissa Coolidge has a rich marketing and business strategy background. Both of them will bring a great deal of energy and enthusiasm that will help move Matco-Norca forward in the years ahead.”

In other news, Matco-Norca recently an-nounced the opening of a fourth regional distribution center in Glendale, Illinois to serve the Midwest region. Matco-Norca now operates a total of eight regional warehouses in addition to four national distribution centers.

Blue Monster Power-Deuce Cleans Fittings and Tubing Fast

Blue Monster now offers the Power-Deuce, a new multi-function power-fitting brush and outside diameter (OD) tube-cleaning brush.

The Power-Deuce cleans fittings and tubing fast and is ideal for large plumb-ing and refrigeration projects. The specialty brush converts from an OD

tube-cleaning brush to a fitting brush by retracting the impact-resistant acryloni-trile butadiene styrene (ABS) housing to expose the inside diameter (ID)- fitting brush. This can be done with one hand and is easily converted back to an OD tube-cleaning brush by reversing the procedure.

The Power-Deuce is a self-cleaning brush with rustproof, stainless steel bristles. The brush removes copper residual and any buildup when converted from a fitting brush to the OD tube-cleaning brush. ABS housing is impact-resistant and protects bris-tles so they retain their shape and prolongs brush life. The brush can also be used as a hand tool to clean fittings and tubing if power is not available.

Available at leading wholesale and sup-ply houses, the Power-Deuce is offered in sizes from 1/2-inch ID (5/8-inch OD),

Gary Skeber

Melissa Coolidge


SUPPLIER & PRODUCT UPDATE continued from page 39

3/4-inch ID (7/8-inch OD) and 1-inch ID (1-1/8-inch OD). Blue Monster is the exclusive brand of Clean-Fit Products, a division of The Mill-Rose Company.

For more information, visit BlueMonster-Products.com or call 800-321-3598.

Little Giant Launches Aeration System

Franklin Electric has launched the Little Giant Aeration System. This multi-functional aeration and fountain system is capable of moving up to 500 gallons per minute (gpm) for bodies of water up to half an acre in size. With the instal-lation of a fountain nozzle, the aerator is transformed into a fountain display. Whether the primary goal is aesthetics or biological pond health, Little Giant of-fers this easy-to-use, reliable, all-in-one solution to keep bodies of water clean and healthy.

For more information, call the Little Giant Technical Service Hotline at 888-956-0000.

Mill-Rose Appoints National Sales Manager of Clean-Fit Products Division

Greg Miller, general manager of Clean-Fit Products, has announced the appointment of John Kirkland as national sales manager for the Clean-Fit Products division of The Mill-Rose Co.

In his new position, Kirkland will supervise sales and support for Clean-Fit Products, including the Blue Monster line of professional-grade brushes, abrasives, sealants and hand tools.

Kirkland brings to his new position 20-plus years of sales and management experience in the plumbing/heating/cooling industry.

“John is a widely-respected and talented individual and we are extremely fortunate to now have him on our management team,” said Miller. “His wealth of experi-ence and familiarity with the industry

will be a big benefit for our customers.”

“I have always been impressed with The Mill-Rose Co. as a forward-thinking organization with great products,” Kirkland said.

“Clean-Fit Products has all the right pieces in place for tremendous growth by continually introducing new products while focusing on customer support.”

Watts Unveils Dial Set Boiler Fill Valves

Watts recently announced the BD1156 dial set boiler fill valve, which provides boiler installers and end users a faster, easier and safer way to fill hydronic heating systems.

The BD911 is a combina-tion of the BD1156 dial set boiler fill valve and a backflow preventer. With


John Kirkland


Ace Apparel & Promotions ......................... 33

Anderson Metals Corp, Inc......................... 24

Barry E. Walter, Sr. Company ..................... 35

Boshart Industries, Inc. .............................. 21

Brass Craft Manufacturers ......................... 16

Camco Manufacturing , Inc. ....................... 42

Control Supply Corp. .................................. 34

DDI System LLC ......................................... 13

Delta Faucet Company ............................... 12

Flexicon Industries ..................................... 14

Franklin Electric .......................................... 20

Goss, Inc. ..................................................... 3

InSinkErator ................................................ 32

IPS Corporation ............................................ 2

John Guest USA, Inc. ................................. 22

LASCO Fittings, Inc. ................................... 38

Legend Valve & Fitting, Inc. .......................... 9

Liberty Pumps, Inc. .................................... 25

Matco-Norca .............................................. 37

McWane Plumbing Group AB&I Foundry ... 26

McWane Plumbing Group Anaco-Husky ... 29

McWane Plumbing Group-Tyler Pipe &

Coupling ..................................................... 6

Midland Metal MFG .................................... 44

NDS, Inc. .................................................... 15

Rothenberger USA ..................................... 19

Smith-Cooper International .......................... 5

Snyder Travel Group ................................... 43

Stiebel Eltron, Inc. ...................................... 40

Taco, Inc. .................................................... 30

Watts Water Technologies .......................... 36

Wheeler Rex ............................................... 39

Zoeller Pump Company ............................. 41

index of advertisers

© 2016 Equity Plumbing. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Printed in U.S.A.

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

MEMBER NEWS

a simple-to-use push-button fast fill, the BD1156 provides a fill rate of 25 gallons per minute (gpm), which speeds system start-up and saves installers time. A built-in auto-stop feature prevents the fast fill from over-pressurizing the system above 25 pounds per square inch (psi). Using the BD1156 or BD911 eliminates the need for a pressure gauge downstream. An easy-to-adjust 8- to 21-psi dial is visible from the top or front, offering installation flexibility. A stainless steel strainer protects the valve disc from fouling. Multiple connection options are available.

For more information, visit watts.com.

New Members Join Growing Ranks of Equity

Long Island Plumbing and Climate Control Distributors Inc., Centereach, New York

Everhot Inc., Brooklyn, New York

ASA Launches Campaign to Attract Students to PHCP-PVF Industry

Highly motivated by last year’s national labor study that predicted the stag-gering loss of 50,000 current industry employees over the next 10 years, the American Supply Association (ASA) has launched an aggressive national campaign to attract the nation’s second-ary and post-secondary students to the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling-Piping (PHCP) and industrial Pipe-Valve-Fitting (PVF) industry.

Through monthly e-marketing, adver-tising and personal contact to 40,000 educators and career counselors, the leadership of ASA is seeking to create a pipeline for the future that will over-come the projected loss of the labor force retiring over the next 10 years.

“Creating consistent outreach to guid-ance counselors and other influential educators can invoke great interest about lifelong career opportunities for our nation’s emerging labor force” said Bill Erfort, ASA staff liaison spearhead-ing this effort.

Reaching out to schools to create demand is only one facet of the campaign. The next step in the process is to engage ASA members to reach out to local schools in their markets to seek oppor-tunities to connect with students.

“We are creating an impressive push-pull effort that we believe will create demand for career opportunities in our industry,” said Erfort.

Over the past year, ASA has built a foundation to attract students. A portal from ASA to its membership has been created that connects job seekers to career openings on member websites. Every member of ASA has been encour-aged to establish a “Career Button” on their website, so as ASA directs job seekers to members’ homepages, a student can easily connect. In addition, first-class marketing materials have been developed for use at career events in the form of the Career Day Kit. The kit contains everything needed to success-fully attend a career day and engage students. Materials included in the kit are a pop-up promotional banner, informational brochures for job seekers, a how-to-guide and giveaways to create interest long after an event is complete.

For more information or to order the Ca-reer Day Kit, visit www.asa.net/Careers or contact Bill Erfort at 630-467-0000.

INDUSTRY NEWS


SUPPLIER & PRODUCT UPDATE continued from page 41

advocate the plumbing€¦ · $19,155 typically invested in a kitchen remodel and 42.3 percent more...

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