Watermark Designs named Al Rykus (pictured) president. He has 30 years of experience in the decorative plumbing industry and is a board member of the Decorative Plumbing and Hardware Association. He has previously worked for Kohler, Rohl and KWC, and for the past several years has served as a consultant to large corporations such as Black & Decker, as well as start-up companies looking to create a brand or existing companies that want to re-invent their image.

Jacuzzi Brands Corp. appointed Thomas D. Koos president & CEO and a member of the board of directors effective April 2. Since 2004, Koos has been corporate officer and group vice president/president, Consumer Products Worldwide, for Black & Decker Corp. Prior to that, he spent seven years with Newell Rubbermaid Corp. He has more than 20 years of experience in general management and senior finance, marketing and strategy/business development assignments.

He succeeds Al Marini, who will move to the Commercial Water Management Platform at Rexnord Corp., which includes the existing Zurn Industries business. He also remains a member of the board of directors.

The Weinstein Group LLC of Langhorne, PA, appointed Blair Syme (pictured) as its new sales agent covering Virginia and metropolitan Washington, D.C. Previously, Syme worked for a New York design firm. The Weinstein Group represents luxury bath and kitchen products such as Dornbracht, Mr.Steam, Hydro Systems, Sonia America, Pressalit, Keuco and Xylem.

Rep Update

Division 22 Winner (L to R): Tim Schoenecker, Bradley; Steve Zingsheim, Bradley; Steve Van Straten, Rep Source; Don Mullett, Bradley; and Bryan Mullett, Bradley.

Bradley Corp. recognized Reps of the Year for Divisions 22 and 10 during its three-day national sales meeting at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas as part of its 85th anniversary celebration. Steve Van Straten of Rep Source LLC, Reynoldsburg, OH, was honored as Division 22 Rep of the Year for 2006. He achieved sales of $3 million, covering all categories, including thermostatic mixing valves, according to Tim Schoenecker, Bradley’s national sales director for the division. The Division 10 Rep of the Year award went to J.R. Jones and Associates of Centennial, CO, for the firm’s remarkable growth in sales of Bradley accessories, Mills partitions and Lenox® Lockers. Greg Gecewicz, national sales manager for Division 10, commended the expertise of J.R. Jones’ staff, including Jack Jones , Bonnie Jones, Gregg Chase, Dick Bean and Pam Crowder.

Division 10 Winner (L to R): Steve Zingsheim, Bradley; Bonnie Jones, JR Jones; Don Mullett, Bradley; Bryan Mullett, Bradley; and Greg Gecewicz, Bradley.

Prier Products Inc. announced that on March 27 it closed on the purchase of Mansfield ’s Brass Division. Through the acquisition, Prier has added the Mansfield Frostproof Hydrants, plumbing brass, brass ballcocks and valve business to its existing offering of wall hydrants, angle sill faucets, drainage products and gas log lighter equipment.

Japan’s leading toilet maker, Toto Ltd., has offered free repairs for 180,000 bidet toilets after wiring problems caused several to catch fire, the company announced.
The electric bidet accessory of Toto’s Z series caught fire in three separate incidents between March 2006 and March 2007. The bidet sent up smoke in 26 other incidents, the company said.
A manufacturing defect is thought to have led to the faulty wiring.
The model is not sold in the U.S.

Environmental Water Systems, a leading water filtration company, was awarded the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association’s (DPHA) 2006 Customer Service Department of the Year Award. According to the DPHA, this award is in recognition of “outstanding business practices and extraordinary customer service.”

DuPont Surfaces and Building Innovations and Supply New England will be awarded top honors at The Storehouse of World Vision’s annual Crystal Vision Award Gala on May 9 during K/BIS in Las Vegas. The Storehouse is a non-profit that makes donated building materials, school supplies, and personal products available to organizations serving in low-income communities.
DuPont will be presented with the Crystal Vision Award in recognition for the 2006 Fab4000 event, an effort to aid more than 4,000 families and non-profits through the donation of new DuPont bathroom vanity tops.
The first Distributor of the Year award will be given to Supply New England, which donated $.5 million last year in new products, which are then distributed through The Storehouse.

Event Coverage

PMI Focuses On The Future, Wrestles With Regulations

By Jim Olsztynski

The future looks a little less hazy to members of the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute, thanks to a thought-provoking session of PMI’s Spring Meeting, held April 1-4 at the picturesque Grove Park Inn & Resort in Asheville, NC. PMI members heard from several notable forecasters defining the trends that will impact their business in years to come.

Carl Cullotta, a partner with Chicago’s Frank Lynn & Associates, pointed to trends in society, demographics, environmental regulation, technology, economics and politics likely to impinge on plumbing businesses. Highlights included:

• America’s aging population is likely to benefit plumbing contractors and the distribution channel serving them.
• Maturation of the Internet is leading to more informed customers than ever before, which will impact brand decisions.
• Plumbing content will increase in the home, with kitchens as the central gathering point.

Another presentation that had PMI members buzzing was a review of water resources by G. Tracy Mehan, III, a former EPA assistant administrator for water and now a consultant with The Cadmus Group. He noted that U.S. households pay on average roughly .6% of income for water infrastructure, “one of the lowest rates among developed countries.”

“Water is becoming a more precious commodity, one whose value will only increase over time,” said Mehan.

This reporter also was on the program agenda at the PMI Spring Meeting, speaking on “Plumbing Industry Web Tactics.” I reviewed some of the more interesting e-commerce sites selling plumbing products, guesstimating that while Internet sales are rising, at present they probably do not amount to more than 2-3% of all faucet and bathroom fittings sales — the most common product categories sold online. That percentage almost certainly will rise over time, although it’s anyone’s guess how high. You can read more on this subject in the May issue of Supply House Times, and also look for further reporting at www.supplyht.com.

PremierDPH’s Spring Conference was held April 13-14 in Washington, D.C., at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport hotel. New vendors include André Collection, Danze, JVJ Maxwell, Oben and Rockford Stone Products. Additional members include Decorator’s Plumbing in Miami, FL; Faucets, Sinks, Etc. in Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Mid-City Supply in Elkhart, IN; R.I.M. Plumbing & Heating in Ossining, NY; Specialty Hardware + Plumbing in Beverly Hills, CA; and Tubs & More Supply in Sunrise, FL. Preferred vendors displayed a wide selection of decorative plumbing and hardware products and members and vendors enjoyed networking opportunities.

Buying Group Services, the management company for PremierDPH and BKBG, has been in business for 12 years representing the decorative plumbing and hardware, and bath and kitchen design industries. For more information, contact Glynne Morgan, director of membership, at 713-723-3545 or glynne@thebgs.com.

Vendor & Supplier News

Broan-NuTone (K/BIS Booth N2701) has announced the winners of its 2007 Best Kitchen Design Competition. Up to $40,000 in cash, scholarships and travel were awarded to professional kitchen designers and student kitchen designers who incorporated proper kitchen ventilation into their designs using the Best by Broan® kitchen ventilation product line. Full story >>

Green Street

Home Depot has introduced an Eco Options label for 2,500 products the company considers better for the environment. Many of the products are already on Home Depot store shelves and include a wide range from insecticide to programmable thermostats. Full story >>

Intertek , a leading test, inspection and certification provider, has been named a certification body by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its WaterSense™ Program. Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc., was named a certification body by offering a certification program that meets or exceeds the specifications set by EPA within the High-Efficiency Toilets category. Intertek can now help manufacturers throughout North America determine compliance with efficiency and performance specifications for water-conserving toilet fixtures.

Under new standards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), tub and shower manufacturer Lasco® Bathware and other companies that make composite plastic products that utilize styrene or other EPA-designated Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) must take steps to capture 95% of the pollutants emitted during the manufacturing process. Part of the Clean Air Act, the new Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards went into effect April 21, 2006.

In complying with the MACT standards, Lasco was one of the first composite manufacturers to install at all of its facilities state-of-the-art equipment that enables the company to capture and control more than the mandated 95% of styrene emissions. Totaling 250,000 tons of emissions per year, the captured styrene is burned and used as a fuel source, reducing the plant’s reliance on other sources of energy.

KB Home has introduced myEarth, a program educating homebuyers on the eco-friendly products available at the KB Home Studio. Products are tagged with the myEarth logo and are accompanied by information explaining the eco benefits according to four categories: Energy Efficient, such as radiant barriers, energy star appliances, and programmable thermostats; Water Wise, such as xeriscape landscaping, low-flow plumbing fixtures and faucets, water-conserving washers and dishwashers; Healthier Home, such as water treatment systems; and Sustainable Sources, such as carpet made from recycled and recyclable nylon.

Want to read about an Oregon university that features eco-friendly design concepts? Click here to visit the website of our sister magazine, Environmental Design and Construction, to find out more.

The Travel Channel’s popular TV show, “John Ratzenberger’s Made in America” featured Jacuzzi on April 17 and will profile In-Sink-Erator on April 24.

Attendees at the 2007 K/BIS will have the opportunity to win their choice of three Decolav vanity suites just for telling the company what they think of its new product line. See the new line first hand in Booth 5313.

IAPMO Research and Testing (R&T) is offering discounts on qualified product listings at booth 6515 at K/BIS in Las Vegas. Visitors will receive a complimentary scratcher card for a chance at winning up to 50% off new product listings. (Certain restrictions apply.) Click here for more details.

The US-China Build Program has announced a one-week mission to Shanghai to learn about China's building materials market. Mission participants will learn about consumer and developer preferences for building materials, how developers identify and source materials, and about the distribution system for building materials during a number of round table discussions with developers, architects, and distributors. The group will also tour single family and high rise developments and building materials factories.
For more information, contact Rose Braden, US-China Build Program Manager, at (503) 248-0406 or rbraden@uschinabuild.org.

Concern for water conservation is an increasing trend among builde