Supply House Times

06/05/2026

Growth continues across the Northeast distribution market.
The Granite Group has expanded its footprint through two acquisitions and a new branch opening in Caribou, Maine. The moves bring the company into New York for the first time, while strengthening its presence in key markets across Maine.

https://www.supplyht.com/articles/107240-the-granite-group-enters-new-york-expands-footprint-with-two-acquisitions-and-new-branch
Image courtesy of The Granite Group.

The Granite Group has entered New York State with the acquisition of Hynes Plumbing Supply in Plattsburgh, marking a geographic expansion for the company.

06/04/2026

The ServiceTitan National HVAC Championship is helping showcase the talent, skill, and career opportunities available in the industry. At the link, learn more from Trane's Paige Burns on how the competition is inspiring future and celebrating industry excellence.

Image courtesy of Pexels

The annual competition highlights the industry's top technicians while inspiring future generations to pursue careers in HVAC.

06/03/2026

What happens when your top sales rep retires?

In many PHCP-PVF organizations, decades of customer knowledge, relationship history and territory expertise walk out the door right along with them. As workforce turnover accelerates, preserving institutional knowledge is becoming just as important as recruiting the next generation of talent.

Knowledge transfer is a systems challenge, not a people problem. Here's how distributors, manufacturers and rep agencies can protect one of their most valuable assets before it's gone: https://brnw.ch/21x34xs
Photo provided by Repfabric, created by ChatGPT

The PHCP-PVF supply chain is facing a generational shift in its sales workforce. Retirements are outpacing new hires, and the institutional knowledge that veteran sellers carry is not the kind that fits neatly into an onboarding document.

06/03/2026

In his latest column, American Supply Association president Kip Miller explores how ASA University’s Master of Management (MDM) program is helping develop the next generation of leaders. From practical training to real-world capstone projects that drive results, the program is equipping rising professionals with the skills needed to not only lead today, but in the future.

At the link, read why leadership development and planning matter more than ever.



Photo courtesy of ASA.

As ASA vice president of education and training Taylor Albano puts it, it’s not theoretical — it’s practical, proven and only available through this MDM program, which has seen more than 60 employees from ASA-member companies graduate from it in the last two-plus years (the program boasts a 10...

06/01/2026

Johnstone Supply has rolled out a new Central Billing System across 450+ locations nationwide, cutting its purchase order-to-collection cycle by 7-10 business days and automating more than 525,000 transactions annually.

The move highlights how billing automation, real-time visibility and faster cash flow are becoming competitive advantages for large distributors managing complex national accounts.
More info: https://brnw.ch/21x30Lu
Image courtesy of Johnstone Supply.

National accounts distributor replaces fragmented, manual processes with end-to-end automation.

06/01/2026

"David’s legacy lives on through the company he helped build, the values he championed, and the many lives he influenced along the way — carried forward with the same discipline, commitment, and enduring sense of purpose that defined him, and that he never left behind."

Photo courtesy of Legend Valve

David’s legacy lives on through the company he helped build, the values he championed, and the many lives he influenced along the way

05/28/2026

A successful lobby day in the books. Thanks to the Plumbing Industry Leadership Coalition for hosting us, and special thanks to Dain Hansen for highlighting some of PILC’s top priorities tackled today.

IAPMO

# contractors

05/27/2026

Registration is now open for the AIM/R 54th Annual Conference, taking place Sept. 14–17 in Napa Valley, California.

This year’s conference theme, “The Perfect Blend,” will focus on balancing experience and innovation through networking, AI discussions, roundtables, succession planning sessions and more for manufacturers’ reps and industry partners.

Read more: https://brnw.ch/21x2SHL
Photo courtesy of AIM/R.

The AIM/R 54th Annual Conference takes place at The Meritage Resort & Spa. The theme is The Perfect Blend. Just like a fine wine, success for the manufacturers’ rep is about the perfect blend — of experience and innovation, relationships and technology, tradition, and transformation.

05/26/2026

Your sales team may be costing your company business without realizing it. 💸
In today’s market, buyers research companies and sales reps online long before a phone call or meeting happens. If your team isn’t showing up consistently on LinkedIn and social media, your competitors are building trust and visibility first. This article by @[urn:li:person:CKyUYrIpa7:Alicia Branham] breaks down why sales visibility is now a revenue issue, not just a marketing task.

https://www.supplyht.com/articles/107220-your-sales-team-isnt-posting-and-its-costing-you-millions

Photo courtesy of MStudioImages / Getty Images / E+

This isn't something to brush off or circle back to when things “slow down.” It’s not a marketing problem sitting neatly in someone else’s department.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we honor and remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.

From all of us at Plumbing & Mechanical and Supply House Times, thank you to those who served, and to the families who carry their legacy forward. Wishing our industry partners and readers a safe and meaningful holiday.