BNP Media announces the debut of Bath & Kitchen Pro, a unique publication created for a powerful audience of bath-and-kitchen installers, distributors with showrooms and designers. Unlike other magazines that focus purely on design, Bath & Kitchen Pro will provide information on installation and purchasing as well as design trends.

Bath & Kitchen Pro will be published three times in 2008, starting in February; its Winter, Spring and Fall issues will be distributed at major B&K shows in addition to its 55,000 circulation drawn from the readers of Plumbing & Mechanical, Supply House Times, Tile, Stone World, and Environmental Design + Construction.

For additional information, contact Publisher Bob Miodonski at 630-694-4007 and miodonskib@bnpmedia.com or Managing Editor Kelly Johnson at 630-694-4379 and johnsonk@bnpmedia.com. Or, visit www.bathandkitchenpro.com.

Mark Whittington

Ted Hamilton

Mike Purcell

 Elkay Manufacturing Co.'s Plumbing Products Division (PPD), which manages the company's marketing of residential and commercial sinks, faucets, water coolers and related accessories, announced three promotions. Mark Whittington was promoted to senior vice president of sales; Ted Hamilton to director, trade sales and market development — West; and Mike Purcell to director, trade sales and market development — East. Wittington was most recently vice president, trade sales and market development — West. Hamilton was the market development manager for the Midwest region. Purcell was national accounts manager.

Winston-Salem, NC-based Murray Supply Co. ( www.murraysupply.com) held a BrassCraft Pig Pickin’ at the Apex branch on Dec. 12, 2007. Robert Stokley from Pro-Marketing showcased several commercial and residential products from BrassCraft during the event, and Alan Honeycutt, Apex branch manager (pictured), made homemade hush puppies to go with the roasted pig.

Blanco has been awarded the 2007 Chicago Athenaeum GOOD DESIGN Award for excellence in industrial design for its BLANCOPRECISION 10 sinks (pictured, right). GOOD DESIGN Awards honor the most innovative, cutting-edge industrial, graphic and product designs of the year.

Julien Home Refinements  has introduced its Dealers of Distinction program, a value-added initiative in which the company will invest in showrooms that have shown the potential to grow the Julien brand, specifically in 2007. In addition to displays, dealers of distinction will receive increased brand recognition through a Julien event and marketing endeavors. Their logo and contact information will also be listed in the Julien lead fulfillment campaign and they’ll be noted as dealers of distinction on the company’s website dealer locator.

Perry Stewart, sales associate at Snyder Diamond in Santa Monica, CA (pictured), has been selected as the grand prize winner of Mr.Steam’s new "Passport to Luxury" Showroom Program. The program, launched by Mr.Steam in April 2007, provides its showrooms and sales associates with enhanced sales and marketing tools, techniques and enticements. Stewart won complimentary roundtrip airfare and accommodations for two for four nights in Rome.

Gerber has selected Kleber & Associates (K&A) as its new integrated communications partner, handling the company’s brand development and integrated marketing initiatives. This year, Gerber is launching several new products, including the new Logan Square (vitreous china) Suite and the Toilet Pak, a comprehensive package containing all parts needed for easy installation: tank, bowl, toilet seat, wax ring and flange bolts. Furthermore, the company is enhancing its Ultra Flush toilet collection to exceed the EPA’s WaterSense criteria for water-conserving toilets by offering just 1.1 gallons per flush (gpf).

Lasco ’s Builder Services program is a one-stop-shop resource for residential and commercial builders, plumbers, and developers. Designed to be used as a full-service or an a la carte strategy, Builder Services offers planning consultation and take-off suggestions, on-site advisors, expert installation teams that can navigate the intricacies of ADA compliance, and follow-up work upon a project’s completion.

New products from American Standard and The Fuller House (www.murraysupply.com), a division of Murray Supply Co. (Winston-Salem, NC), will be on display at the Triad Home and Garden Show at the Benton Convention Center Feb. 22-24, 2008. The Champion 4 flushing system, Cadet 3 compact toilets, 1.28-gallon wall-mounted and floor-mounted toilets, Selectronic flush valve and handcrafted bathroom furniture will be featured at the show.

PM Engineer MEC WEBINAR SERIES CONTINUES IN 2008 

This series of intensive 90-minute Webinars presents the latest concepts for modern hydronic heating system design in both residential and commercial applications. Attendees learn state-of-the-art concepts that enable them to design efficient, affordable, and reliable hydronic systems. Economically priced, they are a fraction of the cost of travel and attendance fees for other high-priced conferences or seminars. CEU/PDH Credit* is available.
This year’s Webinar topics include:

Multiple Mod/Con Boiler Systems – Defining the Future of Hydronic Heating

Thursday, February 14, 2008, at 1:00 pm ET
$49 for the Webinar, downloadable reference and Q&A session. [Early Bird Rate of $49 Expires January 31, 2008. Price after 1/31/08: $79 (US)]
Sponsored by: Lochinvar

A Survey of Modern Mixing Methods
Thursday, March 20, 2008, at 1:00 pm ET
$49 for the Webinar, downloadable reference and Q&A session. [Early Bird Rate of $49 Expires March 6, 2008. Price after 3/6/08: $79 (US)]

Active Solar Heating — New Opportunities For Hydronic Professionals
Thursday, May 1, 2008, at 1:00 pm ET
$49 for the Webinar, downloadable reference and Q&A session. [Early Bird Rate of $49 Expires April 17, 2008. Price after 4/17/08: $79 (US)]

Home Run Distribution Systems — An Outstanding Alternative to Metal Piping
Thursday, June 12, 2008, at 1:00 pm ET
$49 for the Webinar, downloadable reference and Q&A session. [Early Bird Rate of $49 Expires May 29, 2008. Price after 5/29/08: $79 (US)]

Presented by:

John Siegenthaler, P.E.
John is a licensed engineer with more than 28 years of experience in hydronic heating. He also is a writer, software developer and columnist for PM and PM Engineer magazines.

Register today at: http://webinar.pmengineer.com. If you're busy that day, sign up anyway. You have 12 months to play back the scheduled broadcast any time you like.

Missed one of our 2007 MEC Webinars? No Problem! They are now available On-Demand! Visit the archive section at http://webinar.pmengineer.com to view these and other Webinars.
*CEU/PDH 1.5 credit hour Certificate of Completion will be made available for those who attend. It is up to each individual to verify if a given course is approved by their state licensing board.

Kohler Co. has joined the newly formed Alliance for Water Efficiency as a charter sponsor. The Alliance is comprised of product manufacturers, water utilities, environmental advocacy groups, consultants and other interested parties who are committed to conserving water resources in North America.

Patio Enclosures Inc. announced its Earth Smart sunroom product initiative, offering energy-efficient sunrooms and eco-friendly products for the sunroom industry. The includes ENERGY STAR-rated Patio Roof System Panels, as well as ComfortGardPlus insulated glass doors and window walls, ComfortDeck insulated floor panels and Edge-to-Edge Advantage floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall glass doors and windows.

Watts Water Technologies Inc. announced it has become a member of the United States Green Building Council to help support "green" building initiatives within the construction industry by working with architects and engineers to earn LEED credits.

Building project teams pursuing certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System now have the opportunity to view the Innovation & Design Credit Catalog online. Go to www.edcmag.com for the full story.

The third in the American Supply Association’s Essentials brand of distribution business programs, Essentials of Profitable Showroom Sales, written by Hank Darlington, Supply House Times’ showroom columnist, will be available January 25 at ASA’s Bookstore.

There's a new tool available to gain valuable insight into the Latino business and labor market. Speaker/consultant/columnist Ricardo González has launched The González Report , a website to help those who manage Latino labor or are in business development with Latinos. Through this website, González leverages his first-hand knowledge of the Latino populace with years of business consulting and management to deliver news, reports, and research that affect business with Latinos. The website offers three key areas of focus: Sales/Marketing, Labor/Management, and Political/Social, plus expert commentary and analysis.

Jenn-Air brand is now offering 3-D appliance models in the "Building Product Manufacturers" and "Green Appliance Collection" sections of the Google SketchUp 3D Warehouse. Both sections of the website will house the brand’s appliances, including four full kitchen suite choices and new appliances within the oiled bronze kitchen suite. Google SketchUp provides quick and easy 3-D forms for conceptual stages of design.

A new look, easy-to-access product information and enhanced installation details are just some of the features recently introduced on Fypon’s new website. Located at www.fypon.com , the comprehensive site allows homeowners to download product literature on the company’s interior and exterior decorative millwork elements, review warranty information and find local Fypon dealers. Builders, remodelers and dealers can gain step-by-step installation advice and detailed product specifications, while architects will find tools such as FyponCAD, FyponDesign and custom ordering information.

Looking for tips on lavs? Go here to read "Lavatory Planning Tips" excerpted from the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Kitchen & Bath Products from NKBA’s Professional Resource Library. This also was published in the January 2008 issue of Supply House Times magazine (page 26). The article discusses selecting the right faucet and positioning it most effectively, and how to install pedestal, self-rimming and vessel-style lavatories.