May 2024

Our 2024 PVF Hall of Fame inductee is Alan Lipp, co-CEO of Merit Brass. He has spent his career raising the bar within his company and the PVF industry he loves. Lipp believes that industry knowledge should not be hoarded, but freely shared to ensure the PVF industry’s future.

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A Legacy of Helping Others

Celebrating Alan Lipp, co-CEO of Merit Brass, as The Wholesaler’s 2024 PVF Hall of Fame inductee

May 6, 2024

Ruth Mitchell

Novelist and philosopher William James understood that there is more to life than ourselves: “The great use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.”

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Charles D. Sheehy: Buying Opportunities, E-Commerce Critical to Growth

CDS President Jeff Camuso discusses 73 years in business, company rebranding and the AD opportunities that have boosted the distributor’s success.

May 6, 2024

In this installment of the AD Report, Justin Dunscomb, AD’s president of the PVF Division, connected with Jeff Camuso, president and CEO of AD member/owner Charles D. Sheehy (CDS), headquartered in Avon, Mass.

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2024 Boiler Report: The Hybrid Approach

Efficient fossil-fueled equipment, along with electric boilers and heat pumps, play roles in decarbonization.

May 6, 2024

Steve Smith

The move toward manufacturing efficient boilers continues regardless of whatever pressures bare down on the hydronic heating industry from government regulations.

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The Advantages of Membership: Pro Marketing

This Spartanburg, S.C., rep firm attributes its success to segment diversification, contractor/engineer training and AIM/R networking.

May 6, 2024

Pro Marketing, a South Carolina-based rep agency, is in its 42nd year of representing manufacturers in the Carolinas, South Georgia and East Tennessee.

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Where Do PVF Roundtable Donations Go?

The PVF Roundtable Charitable Foundation has provided more than $2 million in scholarship funds to eight college and trade schools.

May 6, 2024

At the end of each year, usually during the Guest Speaker Dinner in October, the PVF Roundtable presents colleges and trade schools with oversized check scholarship donations to directors and chancellors of said institutions.

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Be a Magician

Showroom consultants in the Winsupply family must understand client likes/dislikes, budgets, timelines — and package everything together for the right look.

May 6, 2024

As a consultant, you need to be aware of all that to achieve the best results for your customers. You also need to be aware of the current trends and products and how to put them all together to achieve the look desired at the budget given.

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North American Chemical Processing Project Kickoffs Expected to Rise

This year, the value of projects anticipated to begin construction in the United States and Canada totals $21 billion, up from $11 billion in 2023.

May 6, 2024

Trey Hamblet, Industrial Info Resources (IIR) vice president of research for chemical processing and refining, expects to see an increase in North American chemical processing project spending this year, especially after a less-than-anticipated spend in 2023.

Distribution Strategy

Customer Service and the Art of Handling Dumb Questions

Mocking customers is a dangerous game.

May 6, 2024

Ian Heller

It was 33 years ago on a blistering cold Friday night in Billings, Mont., when the Grainger emergency service operator notified me that I needed to call a customer immediately.

Mentor's Corner

Faith and Integrity

Leadership is not about doing what’s easy; it’s the chance to do the hard things that can create the big wins.

May 6, 2024

It’s an interesting feeling when you’re asked to contribute to a publication you’ve grown up reading, respecting and appreciating.

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AIM/R Rep Corner

How CRM Systems Can Transform Your Sales Performance

It’s not about adopting new technology; it’s about adopting a mindset of continual optimization and growth.

May 6, 2024

If you’re in the business of sales, especially within manufacturers’ rep agencies, you’ve likely heard about customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

PVF Market Overview

Falling Crude Inventories, Emissions Regs Concern Investors

On the geopolitical front, the Israeli airstrike on an Iranian embassy, killing seven, risks further Middle East escalation.

May 6, 2024

Stephen Letko

By the time this article is published, the industry will be midway through the second quarter of 2024, with the oil markets being buffeted by worries about supply shortages and escalating geopolitical tensions.