Are YOU A Premier Distributor? Should You Be?

Supply House Times and Clear Seas Research have started gathering data for the annual Premier Distributors survey. Visit www.supplyht.com and click on the link for the online version, or e-mail Michelle Maki at makim@bnpmedia.com or Pat Lenius at leniusp@bnpmedia.com for a survey form.

Last week AS America, Inc. ("American Standard America"), Crane Plumbing and Eljer announced their intent to merge. The merger closing is expected to take place in the 2nd quarter of 2008, and integration of the companies' operations is expected to occur within a 12- to 24-month period.

Once the merger is complete, Donald Devine, president and CEO of American Standard America, will lead the new company and Kevin Oak, CEO of Crane Plumbing, will become COO. Jim Harris, CEO of Eljer, will be part of the integration steering committee. The new organization will be headquartered in Piscataway, NJ. Read more.

Supply House Times' special Golden Anniversary issue in April will include an in-depth interview with Don Devine. Don't miss it.

Jay Dauksas

ROHL hired John (Jay) Dauksas as Western division vice president of sales. He most recently worked as the director of business development for Top Notch Distributors, a national wholesaler of architectural door hardware.

More than 80 representatives from ASA member wholesalers and manufacturers heard presentations from Supply House Times columnist Hank Darlington and Michelle Kowalski, manager of The KOHLER Store in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart LuxeHome at the inaugural meeting of the ASA Showroom Managers Council, Dec. 4-5, 2007, in Chicago (pictured).

InSinkErator and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Women’s Council honored outstanding members with scholarships and awards as part of the 52nd Annual Women’s Council Spike Club Awards Reception at the NAHB International Builders Show in Orlando, FL. Read more.

Winston-Salem, NC-based Murray Supply Co. hosted the February Interior Design Society meeting at The Fuller House showroom (pictured). Elkay representative Chuck Pearson from Rep South led a brief discussion on various Elkay sinks with the assistance of Kelly Stone.

The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Online Learning Center offers more than 300 non-technical courses geared toward individuals seeking professional development training. Courses include industrial safety, communications, ethics, management, leadership, computer skills, organizational skills and project management. Visit www.iapmo.org/onlinelearningcenter and set up a free account. This offer is good for a limited time.

DECOLAV’s Casaya 5605 Series (pictured, right) was named a winner at the 2008 Kitchen & Bath (KB) Awards in the ‘bath cabinets’ category. This is the third consecutive year that DECOLAV has been honored by the Woman’s Day Special Interest Publications’ KB Awards.

The Axor Massaud faucet from Hansgrohe won top honors in the "Faucets" category in the KB Awards, sponsored by Woman’s Day Specials Kitchens & Baths magazine. The faucet is the signature piece of the 60-item Axor Massaud bath collection, created exclusively for Hansgrohe’s designer brand by the French designer and architect Jean-Marie Massaud.

In response to consumers’ search for  innovative sustainable products and methods, Julien Home Refinements has turned to 100% recycled and recyclable stainless steel for all of its sink products (pictured, right), and in addition, collected and sold over 1,078 tons of stainless steel to steel reclaimers, ensuring that all waste is recycled for future use.

Waterdecor’s new choose your own gpm technology, available on its faucet and showerhead collections (pictured, left), allows homeowners and large project designers the option to choose their desired gpm rate. While 2.5 gpm is considered low-flow, all Waterdecor faucet models can be customized for flow rates of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.2 gpm. Waterdecor uses built-in flow regulators to ensure that a specific faucet flows at a set rate.

The LEED for Homes Reference Guide from the U.S. Green Building Council, a comprehensive tool for residential builders using the LEED for Homes Green Building Rating System, is now available for purchase online at www.usgbc.org/store.

Renewable materials and energy-efficient products for kitchens and baths have risen in popularity, while economic concern among homeowners has resulted in a decline in demand for high-end appliances and features, according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey. Read more.

Russell Manoog, founder of the American Sanitary Plumbing Museum, and his wife, Bettejane, stand in the exhibition room at the museum in Worcester.

After 20 years, Russell Manoog, the founder of the American Sanitary Plumbing Museum, is turning over the collection of porcelain relics to the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of Greater Boston. Manoog and his wife, Bettejane, are moving the museum from Worcester, MA, to Watertown, where it will be reassembled and reopened for the public in April or May at the offices of J.C. Cannistraro LLC, a large mechanical contracting company that employs 400 people. Hugh Kelleher, executive director of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association of Greater Boston, will be a trustee of the new museum along with the Manoogs. Read more.

Chicago Faucets  released a new DVD that provides in-depth information on the company’s manufacturing process and features an overview on its history. To receive a free DVD, contact The Chicago Faucets Co. at 2100 Clearwater Dr., Des Plaines, IL 60018, or call 800-323-5060.

On Feb. 6, stars of the TLC television show "American Chopper," (pictured right, L to R) Paul Teutul, Jr., Mikey Teutul and Paul Teutul, Sr., of Orange County Choppers, presented a custom-made motorcycle to Viega CEO Dan Schmierer (with microphone) after a special parade in Wichita, KS. The chopper includes Viega copper and stainless steel fittings as part of its design. The episode of "American Chopper" focusing on the Viega chopper is scheduled to air March 20 on TLC.