Walker's Supply Co ., Alcoa/Maryville, TN, hosted 500 vendors and customers at the inaugural festivities for the opening of its new 10,600-sq.-ft. showroom in Maryville Oct. 27. Among the showroom's offerings: plumbing products from Kohler, Delta, Basco, Danze, Aqua Glass and D'Vontz; lighting from Kichler, Quoizel, Maxim and Savoy House;ceiling fans from Monte Carlo, Minka-Aire and Fanimation; appliances from Whirlpool, Wolf, Miele and Subzero; and cabinetry from   Kraftmaid, Mid-Continent, Prestige and Omega. Adjoining the showroom is a 75,000-sq.-ft. warehouse, office and counter facility. Pictured is long-time factory representative Buster Saffles (L) with Stanley Snowden, president of Walker's Supply, at the grand opening.

Delta has announced a new direction in its brand positioning built around the theme, "A Smarter Way for People to Experience Water."  The brand campaign includes everything from television and print advertising to packaging and the Web site. Its new tagline invites consumers to "see what Delta can do." The company has added a red background behind its existing logo for a bolder, brighter look. Delta's Dryden kitchen faucet (pictured) is featured in one of its new ads that touts its water-conserving products.

InSinkErator hosted more than 75 members of Quality Service Contractors (QSC) (pictured left) during the group's Power Meeting XXIX in Milwaukee, WI, this summer. The company's product and manufacturing experts gave plant tours to QSC members so they could learn more about food waste disposers and instant hot water dispensers.

Wolseley Canada (Burlington, Ontario) hosted a red carpet hospitality event at its Vancouver Kitchen and Bath Classics showroom to thank customers for the business and highlight new product offerings. Among the 90-plus attendees were designers, custom home builders, renovators and plumbers. Participating vendors included BainUltra, Toto Washlet and Aquabrass. Ayreon Fitzgerald is British Columbia showroom sales manager. 

Ferguson (Newport News, VA) opened a 4,300-sq.-ft. showroom in Traverse City, MI, which has more than double the space of its former location. Kip Costigan is branch manager.

ALNO, a European designer and manufacturer of luxury kitchen environments, opened a 2,300-sq.-ft. showroom in San Francisco's South Beach. European Kitchen Design is the exclusive Northern California dealer of ALNO with an existing 4,000-sq.-ft. showroom located in Palo Alto.

Sonia announced that three teams from its sales force received awards at the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association conference and product showcase held in Phoenix, AZ, in October. Tim Vander Wall of InterArchitectural Products (Denver, CO) received the Rep Agency Professional of the Year Award. Amorello Sales (Concord, MA) won the Rep Agency of the Year Award for an agency with less than four employees and Western Sales (Los Gatos, CA) was named Rep Agency of the Year for an agency with more than three employees.

MAAX has established partnerships with several rep firms to sell its bath products. Metro Rep (Franklin Square, NY) covers the New York City and metro area; ANT Sales Co. (Windsor, CO) serves Colorado and southern Wyoming; and Locke Sales and Marketing (Langley, OK) covers Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

JACLO was honored with three awards at the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association annual conference and product showcase. Larry Brodey, CEO, won the award for Industry Professional of the Year. Brodey, with TJ Mullaly, national sales manager, and Michelle Auerbach, executive sales assistant, accepted awards for Customer Service Department of the Year and Most Innovative Product of the Year for JACLO's Dream Light Rain Canopy.

LA-CO Industries sponsored the Lifetime Member Breakfast for life members of the PHCC-NA Auxiliary during the ISH North America and the PHCC (Network'08) conventions in Atlanta. The company has sponsored this event for more than 28 years.

The Marble Institute of America presented Louie Carnevale , president of Carnevale and Lohr of Bell Gardens, CA, with the 2008 Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement. Videos and podcasts of award presentations including this one, as well as other information about the care and selling of stone products can be viewed here.

Mr. Steam selected Dan Corcoran, a sales and design representative at Supply New England in Plymouth, MA, as its September 2008 Passport to Venice incentive program winner.

MTI Whirlpools announced it is partnering with Matthew Quinn, a luxury kitchen and bath designer, to design and develop a luxury collection of baths, sinks and bath furniture. The Matthew Quinn Collection by MTI Whirlpools will be showcased at the 2009 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show in Atlanta, GA.

WAC Lighting, a manufacturer of track, recessed, undercabinet, decorative and monorail lighting, has relaunched its Web site with a completely new look, new products and features.

Kaldewei has added three members to the staff for its new U.S. corporate office in Indianapolis, which will serve as the base for expanding its luxury baths and shower trays in the U.S. market. Robert Sapienza was named vice president sales - North America. Most recently he was regional sales manager for Delta Faucet Co. Previously he has worked for Jacuzzi Whirlpool Bath and Kohler Co. Chad Novinger joins the company as inside sales/e-commerce sales representative. Formerly he was e-commerce manager and channel manager at the Delta Faucet Co. Kelly Dolan is now business development manager, with key responsibility for the hospitality segment and developers. Previously she was director of showroom development for Lee Supply Corp., which operates eight kitchen and bath showrooms in Indiana.

Guido Gliori, executive vice president of Grazzini Brothers & Co. of Eagan, MN, has been elected president of the Marble Institute of America. The MIA board also elected the following officers for 2009: Brett Rugo of Rugo Stone & Mosiac Contractors as vice president; Gasper (GK) Naquin of Stone Interiors as secretary; and Michael A. Twiss of Columbia Stone as treasurer and also a director.

Solatube International , a manufacturer and marketer of Tubular Daylighting Devices (TDDs), promoted Robert E. Westfall Jr. to the position of president.  He started with the company more than 12 years ago as vice president, sales and marketing. Other promotions at Solatube International include:  Susan Rillie, vice president, operations; Cynthia Sener, vice president, marketing; Paul Jaster, vice president, research and development; Neall Digert, vice president, international market development; Howard Holko, vice president, sales; and Jackie Kohn, vice president, human resources.

Gerber Plumbing Fixtures said its new high-efficiency decorative bathroom faucets have achieved certification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense Program. Gerber's WaterSense-certified bathroom faucets are now available in the company's new Logan Square series as well as in the Abigail, Brianne, Wicker Park (pictured), Allerton, Maxwell, and Pomeroy styles. Gerber's commercial line of faucets also achieved the WaterSense certification.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association released a statement on sustainability that conveys its position on green products and practices, while outlining some of the steps it is taking to lead the industry in this area. The statement includes the following: The kitchen and bath are two rooms that consume much of the energy and water used in the home. The NKBA is committed to helping its members understand and learn the environmental impact that the creation and use of these rooms can have on energy, water, air quality, health, safety, and welfare in the home and the environment.

T&S Brass is exhibiting in booth 322 at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo being held in Boston, MA, Nov. 19-20 at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center.

Learning Opportunities:

WEBINARS

Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. PT) Supply House Times will host a free Webinar, "Increasing Showroom Profits - Part 2," featuring Hank Darlington, owner/founder of Darlington Consulting, on showroom best practices and Reed Fry, owner/founder of Fry Communications, on maximizing Web site traffic. Register here.
See Part 1 of this Webinar.

Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 11:00 a.m. EST DDI is offering distributors a live online demonstration of its Inform 2008 system. Coverage will include Inform's price import capabilities, streamlining Special Pricing Allowances and rebate reporting, plus advanced Lot Billing functionality. Call 877-599-4334 for more information or visit www.ddisys.com.

TRAINING

Friday, Dec. 5, Q-Tran will hold its next Q-School training session at its headquarters in Bridgeport, CT. The one-day session is offered to lighting showroom and electrical distributor employees, lighting designers, engineers, electrical contractors, architects, specifiers and other professionals in the industry.

Elkay and green luxury designer Fu-Tung Cheng are launching the Ripple sink design as part of the Design Inspirations '08 Collection. Cheng's Ripple sink echoes the essence of two pebbles dropped into a still pool. It combines sleek, fluid lines with versatile function. Formed from professional-grade 18 gauge stainless steel, it is offered in Elkay's Lustrous Satin finish and features the company's Sound Guard system.

Cleveland Faucet Group (CFG), a Moen brand, introduced its Water Saving showerhead designed for the multi-family market. It flows at a rate of 1.75 gallons per minute (gpm), offering a 30% water savings from the industry standard of 2.5 gpm. The showerheads are available in chrome and LifeShine brushed nickel finishes.

W2 Architectural Lighting, a division of W.A.C. Lighting, has introduced the Precision Track Group.  W2 Architectural Lighting manufactures specification grade track, recessed and decorative lighting for the architectural, commercial, retail and hospitality markets. The line includes the following products: vamp, larc, precision spots, precision module spots, wall washers, framing projectors, single- and two-circuit tracks and components.

 Bradley offers the Aerada 1200 Series CS gooseneck touch-free faucet that uses   capacitive sensing technology to provide optimal hands-free operation. The faucet instinctively detects a user's presence from any angle of approach, the company says. All of the faucet's mechanical and electrical components are concealed in a water-resistant housing.  In addition to being ADA compliant, the Aerada gooseneck faucet can also help earn a LEED Water Efficiency credit, because it features a water-conserving 1.5 gallons per minute laminar flow.

 Bath & Kitchen Pro, a publication created for bath-and-kitchen installers, distributors with showrooms and designers, looks at customizing kitchens and baths and profiles a contractor's showroom in the Fall 2008 issue.

Contact Publisher Bob Miodonski at 630-694-4007, e-mail: miodonskib@bnpmedia.com or visit the Web http://www.bathandkitchenpro.com www.bathandkitchenpro.com for more details.

 2009 National Plumbing & HVAC Estimator

 Quickly work up a reliable estimate of manhours, labor and material costs for all common plumbing and HVAC work in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
Every plumbing and HVAC estimator can use the cost estimates in this practical manual. Sample estimating and bidding forms and contracts are also included. The book explains how to handle change orders, letters of intent and warranties. It also describes the right way to process submittals, deal with suppliers and subcontract specialty work.  Retail Price: $63.25  PURCHASE.

Visit AECstore.com for all your plumbing resources.  For questions call Stephanie at 248/244-1275