|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Richard DiToma Plumbing Business |
 |
Dan Foley From the Field |
 |
Bob "Hot Rod" Rohr Green Systems |
 |
Ellen Rohr Business Expert |
 |
Bristol Stickney Solar Solutions |
Halsey Taylor celebrates 95 years
Halsey Taylor, a leading manufacturer of water coolers and drinking fountains, is proudly celebrating its 95th anniversary this year. Since 1912, Halsey Taylor has been committed to providing safe drinking water by manufacturing high quality drinking fountains and water coolers.
“For nearly a century, Halsey Taylor has demonstrated a commitment to research and development, high quality products and, above all, providing safe drinking water,” said Johnnie Bertella, director of sales for HaIsey Taylor. “As a leader in the industry, Halsey Taylor will continue to develop innovative new water coolers and drinking fountains to meet our customers’ needs.”
History at a glance -- a cause for change
In 1896, the company’s founder, Halsey W. Taylor, lost his father to typhoid fever caused by contaminated water. Years later, while working as a plant superintendent for a car manufacturer, multiple cases of dysentery spread through the workforce as a result of unhealthy drinking water. These personal experiences inspired Taylor to dedicate his life to providing safe drinking water in public places.
In 1912, Taylor developed the Puritan Sanitary Fountain and began production at the original manufacturing site in Warren, Ohio. After learning about the lack of sanitary drinking water in overcrowded army camps during World War I, Taylor developed the revolutionary Double Bubbler, which remains one of the industry’s most important innovations. The bubbler projects two separate streams that converge to form an abundant pyramid of water at the apex of the stream for a fuller, more satisfying drink of healthy water. The Double Bubbler was the first of many innovations that helped establish Halsey Taylor as the drinking fountain and water cooler of choice for nearly a century.
A leader in innovation
Throughout the past 95 years, innovative product developments have allowed Halsey Taylor to offer models for a wide variety of applications and styles. The vast product offering includes vandal-resistant models, elegant designs and customized graphics.
Recent introductions include the rugged yet attractive HRV Series, which includes all the vandal-resistant features needed to accommodate even the most frequently used areas; the OVL-II Series featuring a sophisticated oval design, splash-resistant basin and universal mounting system; and the top-of-the-line HTV Series, which is now available with personalized molded-in graphics.
With a rich company history, a commitment to providing safe drinking water and industry-leading innovations, Halsey Taylor is proud to celebrate 95 years and will continue to serve its customers with high quality products.
HD Supply completed of the sale of the company to a group of three private equity firms comprising Bain Capital, The Carlyle Group, and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Inc. HD Supply, a leading diversified wholesale distributor of construction and maintenance-related products in North America, with annual sales of more than $13 billion, was acquired from The Home Depot for $8.5 billion.
The acquisition includes a portfolio of 11 businesses and HD Supply Canada. The company will retain the HD Supply name.
“We are thrilled to be associated with this group of distinguished private equity firms, and we are excited about the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead for our associates, our customers and our new owners,” said Joe DeAngelo, chief executive officer of HD Supply. “As an independent company, we can now accelerate our momentum in serving the comprehensive needs of our professional customers with the best products and customer service in the industry.”
For more information, visit www.hdsupply.com.
Hydronics marketing campaign to yield 15% Canadian market share
The Canadian Hydronics Council (CHC) is poised to expand the hydronics market in Canada to 15% market share over five years -- resulting in over $100 million in new business. This gain is a direct result of a new marketing campaign the Council has been working on for the last 18 months.
In 2005, CHC was tasked with finding a solution to an age-old problem that has plagued the industry: flat-lined market share of approximately 5% of the heating sector. Since then, CHC has been working with a marketing firm to explore potential solutions. In June, at the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating’s Annual Business Conference, CHC offered the results of their work. The response was so positive that a National Marketing Forum was held in August to highlight the campaign and discuss potential support by the industry.
“By all accounts, the support for change in our industry has been outstanding,” stated chc marketing committee chair, John Goshulak, Weil-McLain. “They (the industry) seem very pleased with the solution we have presented and its intended results with respect to market growth,” Goshulak shared.
“The timing couldn’t be better,” explains CHC’s manager, Jason Bourque. He elaborated, “Our research found that, despite growing revenue in hydronics, the market share of single-detached homes in Canada has been steadily declining since 2003. This came as a surprise to many of us!”
The campaign, designed to target the public, is exactly what other industry associations, including the milk, boating and RV industries have done to reverse a trend of declining market share.
The CHC Marketing Committee is working closely with industry to create the appropriate funding mechanism to ensure the success of the program. CHC hopes to have a funding model established by the end of October so that the ad campaign can be developed and rolled out in 2008. For more info, www.ciph.com.
WennSoft unveils version 10.0 release
WennSoft, a Microsoft Gold certified partner, has released version 10.0, keeping pace with the recent release of Microsoft Dynamics GP version 10, allowing customers to take advantage of updates in solution functionality. Updates to 10.0 include a number of enhancements and additions to each of the WennSoft solutions.
All products contain a set of Microsoft sql server reporting services reports that provide increased access to information and can be easily modified to satisfy a user’s specific requirements.
Enhancements to the Service Management series include the ability to assign a technician to more than one branch and a new Work-in-Progress reconciliation report that allows users to reconcile the general ledger WIP balance against the WIP balance in Service Management. WIP reconciliation also exists in WennSoft Job Cost.
The Equipment Management series includes a rent-to-a-job feature, where the cost of using equipment for a job can be connected to Job Cost, providing a truer picture of costs related to each job.
Job Cost also includes a group time card entry window that speeds data entry for fixed asset transactions, or labor, for job work crews and service technician teams.
“The improvements included in 10.0 are based on feedback provided by our customers and partners,” said Geoff Harding, equipment management project manager. “These changes illustrate how WennSoft continues to work hand-in-hand with the end users to ensure they are getting the most from the solution.”
WennSoft provides business management solutions for public and private sector organizations focused on project management, field service and equipment/fleet management. For more information, visit www.wennsoft.com.
A.O. Smith Acc-u-Size available for download
A.O. Smith announces the online availability of its sizing guide, Acc-U-Size. The Acc-U-Size program allows the user to size commercial applications with 17 options for water heaters and boilers. Applications can use gas, electric or oil as a source of heat.
Acc-U-Size comes with drawings for dimensional and piping functions. These drawings and project summaries can be printed or exported to other Windows-compatible programs. Acc-U-Size will also calculate the cost of operation. Suggested specifications for each design are also provided.
Other features include:
To download the Acc-U-Size program, visit www.hotwater.com/accusize.html.
Headquartered in Ashland City, Tenn., A. O. Smith Water Products Company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial water heaters and hydronic boilers. The company designs, builds, distributes and field supports the world’s broadest and deepest line of residential and commercial water heaters, as well as commercial boilers. This single-source concept simplifies ordering, installation and service and is backed by more than 70 years of research and innovation. For more information, visit online at www.hotwater.com.
