The Wholesaler eNewsletter - December 19, 2011


	December 19, 2011

		IN THIS ISSUE... > Industry News > Featured Products > Digital Edition			CALENDAR OF EVENTS... Jan 23-25 — AHR Expo, Chicago Jan 28-31 —Omni Spring Meeting, Orlando Feb 21 — PVF Roundtable, Houston			SOCIAL MEDIA Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and keep up with latest news.	Gastite This month's sponsor

Years ago, corrugated stainless steel tubing revolutionized the gas-distribution business, rendering conventional black iron pipe obsolete. Now, Gastite has revolutionized CSST with FlashShield. With several layers of safety, and no bonding requirements outside those mandated by national and local codes, FlashShield offers the highest level of lightning protection, while cutting your installation time by 60%.

Ferguson reopens NC branch damaged by tornado

Ferguson's newly-renovated Raleigh, N.C., branch reopened on Monday, December 12 at its original location at 2700 Yonkers Road. After a spring tornado virtually destroyed the location, the renovations to the counter are complete and it is ready for business. The showroom will reopen in early 2012.

The address is the same, but everything inside the building was completely gutted and rebuilt. The new counter’s layout has been redesigned to allow customers to find product more easily. It is now stocked with 4,800 products, 60% more products than the old counter. More tools are also available from major brands like Milwaukee, Dewalt, Ridgid and more.

Embassy Group adds HVAC vendors

In their ongoing efforts to expand their HVAC Division, Embassy Group Ltd. has added five additional HVAC vendors who joined the group effective January 1. They are JB Industries (Instruments, Vacuum Pumps & Tools), Nu-Calgon (Specialty Chemicals), Ritchie Engineering/Yellow Jacket (Charging Hoses & Gauges), Sterling/Beacon Morris (Gas Unit Heaters, Hydronic Heaters & Air Units) and Unico (High Velocity Systems/Chillers).

“We are excited to be partnering with the leaders in these product categories for 2012. These companies will be a great addition to an already stellar HVAC vendor lineup. Embassy continues to be selective and vigilant when adding vendors to avoid diluting the product categories within the group. The vetting process for prospective vendors is quite rigorous,” said Mike Lepley, director of business development of Embassy Group Ltd.

Georg Fischer acquires Harvel Plastics

Georg Fischer has agreed to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Harvel Plastics Inc. in Easton, Pa., for approximately$50 million in cash. The company is a leading supplier in the North American market of polyvinyl (PVC) and chlorinated polyvinyl (CPVC) pipes for industrial applications.
The top-quality products of Harvel are mainly used in water treatment and chemical processes. Closing of the acquisition is anticipated for the beginning of 2012. Harvel Plastics Inc., a subsidiary of the Detrex Corporation of Southfield, Mich., was founded in 1964 as a pioneer in the manufacture of PVC and CPVC pipes. The company generates sales of more than 460 million and employs 148 people. Its production sites are located in Easton, Pa., and Bakersfield, Calif.

The product ranges of Harvel and GF Piping Systems are fully complementary and will allow the combined entity to offer a comprehensive package of pipes, fittings, valves, sensors and instrumentation to all its industrial piping systems customers. In addition, the plant locations of Harvel in Pennsylvania and California, together with Georg Fischer’s Arkansas facility will allow for a much better logistical coverage of the U.S. territory.

HEU urinal
www.americanstandard.com
The high efficiency DECORUM™ FloWise® urinal features water-saving technology that uses only 0.5 gpf — 50% less water than a standard urinal — and meets the EPA’s WaterSense® program requirements for high performance and water efficiency. Can be used with manual or Selectronic® hands-free flush valves. ADA-compliant model can be specified as a urinal/valve system or as an individual chinaware unit. EverClean® permanent finish inhibits the growth of stain and odor-causing bacteria, mold and mildew on the surface. American Standard.

Drain cleaner
www.drainbrain.com
Speedrooter 92™ offers easy handling; one person can easily load it onto a truck. Flexitube™ spring distributor tube allows the cable to feed and retract more smoothly. The machine’s frame slides smoothly from the loading wheel to the handle to the stair climbers and, finally, to the wheels. An adjustable height, swept-back handle provides maximum maneuvering leverage. Drives and retracts 3/4", 5/8" and 1/2" cables easily. Large and small drums sport a see-through inner cage to quickly determine how much cable remains. Features a braced frame at key stress points, heavy-duty 1/2-hp motor and Flexicore® cable. General Pipe Cleaners, a div. of General Wire Spring.

Ice maker kit
www.johnguest.com
Speedfit® Ice Maker Kit consists of a low-lead angle stop adapter valve, 25 ft of plastic tubing and a 1/4" plastic compression fitting. The valve meets the NSF 14, 51 and 61 standards, making it suitable for use with potable liquids. For water supply hookup, the valve connects between the supply valve and riser to the main water supply. For refrigerator hookup, the tubing must be cut to the appropriate length, leaving an additional 6 ft of tubing behind the refrigerator. The tubing is then marked 5/8" from each end and inserted into the plastic connector. John Guest USA.

Energy-saving faucet
www.kwc.us.com
The AVA single-lever basin faucet with COOLFIX technology offers an ingeniously simple way to save energy. With this award-winning technology, the “six o’clock” middle position of the faucet is designed “full cold”; no hot water is delivered in this setting, saving energy each time the faucet is activated. The only way to draw warm water — and use energy — is to rotate the lever clockwise and away from the middle position. The faucet also incorporates the Neoperl® Caché® aerator, which reduces water flow to 1.5 gpm, a 40% savings over conventional 2.5-gpm faucets. KWC.