Featured Stories - Articles - Page 31

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Show Us Your Truck 2025

Here’s this year’s lineup of service vehicles that keep the industry moving.

October 1, 2025

Steve Smith

This year’s batch of 18 service vehicles do much more than get a tech from Point A to Point B.

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Q&A with Jim Cain, 80-year-old Counter Associate at F.W. Webb

On the job since 1969, Cain’s expertise helping contractors got him a front-page article in The Boston Globe.

October 1, 2025

Steve Smith

At 80 years old, Jim “Caino” Cain still shows up daily to solve plumbing puzzles with a smile, proving that passion, people, and decades of know-how never go out of style.

Contractor Profit Advantage

Removing Price Phobia

By understanding true operational costs and confidently setting prices above those costs, contractors can ensure their businesses remain profitable and sustainable.

October 1, 2025

Richard DiToma

If you’re afraid your prices are too high, the real danger may be that they’re too low to keep your business profitable and sustainable.

Contractor Stories

Combustion Analysis: Why Skipping It Costs You Customers

Performing this service is essential for ensuring safety, maximizing efficiency and extending the lifespan of heating systems, while building trust and professionalism.

October 1, 2025

Tom Soukup

If your heating pro doesn’t own a combustion analyzer, they’re not just cutting corners — they’re risking your comfort, safety, and money.

Distribution Strategy

Entitlement Comes Here to Die: How One VP’s Kid Grew Up in My Warehouse

I may have read Jimmy accurately from the start, but I misread his dad. He knew Jimmy needed a ‘boot camp’ job to help him grow up — and it worked.

October 1, 2025

Ian Heller

When a VP’s son arrived expecting an easy summer job, it took a no-nonsense veteran’s tough love to teach him the true value of hard work — changing his life forever.

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Distributors Benefit from Committing to the Digital Supply Chain

Working with legacy supply chains lowers companies’ competitive edge each year they don’t digitize their respective supply chains.

October 1, 2025

As supply chains evolve from linear to interconnected, PDI’s COO Fielding Alderman urges distributors to embrace AI and digital transformation — not as a future goal, but as today’s competitive necessity. With the right mindset, data strategy, and focus on people, technology becomes a powerful ally in delivering better outcomes across the board.

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All in the Family

Celebrating Liberty Pumps’ history and member owners.

October 1, 2025

Ruth Mitchell

From a one-man operation in a Buffalo garage to a 330-member, industry-leading manufacturer, Liberty Pumps celebrates 60 years of innovation, resilience, and employee ownership — with a legacy built on family values, customer focus, and forward-thinking leadership.

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AI in Wholesale Distribution

How leadership change and the right partner shape the future.

October 1, 2025

As distributors face rising pressure to do more with less, many are turning to AI not as a buzzword, but as a practical tool — transforming quoting, accelerating sales, and empowering teams through the right leadership and the right partner.

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The Bottom Line of Mental Health in the Workplace

By fostering a supportive environment and providing resources, employers can improve mental health, reduce costs and enhance overall workplace performance.

October 1, 2025

Mental health and well-being have become topics of increased focus in workplaces, from both employee and management perspectives.

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Driving the Future of Green Building

How leading manufacturers are advancing innovation and supporting the industry’s commitment to sustainable construction.

October 1, 2025

Ruth Mitchell

As green building gains momentum in the PHCP industry, leading manufacturers share how emerging technologies, smarter systems, and sustainable product innovation are reshaping water, energy, and material efficiency — and the path forward.