ao smith and ferguson join of alabama forces for 24 hour …theplumbingnews.com/pdf/al...

PLUMBING • IRRIGATION • KITCHEN & BATH •UNDERGROUND • ASPE

February, 2010 Issue 2 Volume 5

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THE PIPELINE

16 Pages

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Pat MeachamTerritory Manager

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Ed Paterson Joins GPMof Alabama

GPM of Alabama ispleased to announce that inJuly 2009 Ed Patersonjoined GPM of Alabama. Edholds the position of Out-side Sales representativefor the state of Alabama. Hehas been in the industry for

over 17 years and in a re-cent interview with the Ala-bama Plumbing News, Edstated “I really enjoy work-ing for GPM of Alabama. Ev-eryone here are good knowl-edgeable co workers and Ienjoy being able to workbeside them.”

Ed Paterson is a native ofAlabama and resides withhis wife Mary and their 2beautiful daughters. Ed is agraduate of the University ofAlabama, holding a Bach-elors degree in History.

GPM of Alabama offersthe best quality pumps, ac-cessories and services forIndustrial, Municipal, Com-mercial, Irrigation, and Resi-

AO Smith and Ferguson JoinForces for 24 Hour Service

On September 25, 2008,A. O. Smith and FergusonEnterprises, Inc., joinedforces to offer its customersquick and easy commercialwater heater delivery. This

new and exciting servicefeatures a designated truckwith a lift and stair climberand two Ferguson associ-ates that will deliver com-

Roddy Lee Joins AmericanPipe and Supply Birmingham

American Pipe & Supplyis pleased to announce therecent hire of Roddy Lee onJanuary 14, 2010. Roddycurrently holds the positionof Inside Sales Representa-

tive, overseeing all thequotes that come throughthe office. Roddy is a 51year veteran of the plumb-ing industry and in a recentinterview with the AlabamaPlumbing News, Roddystated that “American Pipe& Supply Birmingham is agreat company to work forwith great people.”

Roddy is a native of War-rior, AL and currently re-sides with his wife Diann.They have five grown chil-dren and 11 wonderfulgrandchildren. In his sparetime, Roddy enjoys spend-ing time with his family.

World Plumbing Day to beCelebrated Every Year...

EverywhereWorld Plumbing Day was

created by the World Plumb-ing Council to be celebratedon March 11 every year ...everywhere. This year, theinaugural event will be an-nounced at a press confer-ence in Beijing, China onMarch 11 as part of ISHChina 2010.

World Plumbing Day hasbeen established to help thegeneral public better under-stand the vital role that the

plumbing industry plays inprotecting public health andsafety, and the extent towhich the plumbing industryhelps limit mankind's envi-ronmental footprint. This dayalso acknowledges otherimportant work being per-formed by contractors, in-spectors, installers, engi-neers, manufacturers andacademicians that is oftentaken for granted.

Beneke Seats, made in Alabamaand Now Stocking at Cruse &

Associates’ WarehouseCruse & Associates is

pleased to announce theyare now stockingBeneke toilet seatsfor the state of Ala-bama. Cruse & As-sociates is espe-cially excited to bethe only company inAlabama stockingBeneke products.

Cruse & Associ-ates is a leadingmanufacturer repre-sentative company and hasbeen representing Benekefor over 21 years. Cruse &

Associates is currentlystocking wood andplastic models seats.

Beneke, a divisionof Sanderson PlumbingProducts Inc, is the

oldest toilet seatmanufacturer in theworld and began 117

years ago. Beneke, afull line toilet seat manu-

facturer and distributor,supplies the market withwood composition, plastic,

soft vinyl, and healthcaretoilet seats.

Noland BirminghamMoves to New Location

Noland Birmingham,originally located at 3316 2nd

Avenue in Birmingham, AL,is pleased to announce that

on December 14, 2009 thecompany relocated to theirnew facility located at 500

Hello plumbing pros.I hope the New Year is

going well. I want to let ev-eryone know that we havestarted a new web hosting& development division. Thisis great for Plumbers, Con-tractors, Manufacturers,Reps, & Supply Houses aswell. We are committed totaking your business to thenext level by giving you theability to be seen and com-pete in the digital age. Wehave several different levelsof this web developing andthey start as low as $225.00.We have structured theseprices at very competitiverates to help in these hardtimes. Please call me if youhave any questions about usbuilding your company awebsite. We have severalthat we have already donecan provide you with thesewebsites so you can see ourwork. You can contact meat 1-251-623-1095 or email

Fred Esleck of Ferguson with Tim Parsons of Brown Mechanicalin front of Ferguson's New A O Smith 24 Hour Emergency

Service Truck

Alabama/Gulf Coast Plumbing News - February, 2010

Aquatic ----------------------------------------- page 9Cruse & Associates -------------------------- page 11Ferguson --------------------------------------- page 16Flowguard Gold ------------------------------ page 10Navien ------------------------------------------ page 15Noland ----------------------------------------- page 11Rheem ------------------------------------------ page 7Watco ------------------------------------------- page 13Woodford--------------------------------------- page 6

Advertising Index

ALABAMA PLUMBING NEWSP.O. Box 68 Bethlehem, Alabama 30620Phone 404-391-2962 Fax 770-868-1856

E-mail : [email protected]: www.theplumbingnews.comE-mail : [email protected]

Graphics : [email protected] Department : 404-816-6523Graphics : [email protected]

E-mail : [email protected] Morgan - Publisher

James Bickert - Art DirectorShannon Manders - Administrator

Shia Britt - Staff WriterThe Alabama/Gulf Coast Plumbing News is a monthly publication of Morgan

Publishing Company. The publisher does not assume responsibility forstatements made by advertisers and reports opinions by dealers, suppliers and

manufacturers as quoted. The advertising and copy deadline for the nextissue is March 7th, 2010.. All contents are copyright 2010 by Morgan

Publishing Company.


dential Needs. Their cus-tomer service department isfilled with a highly trainedprofessional staff. The keyto their success is that theyare a customer driven com-pany that goes above andbeyond to satisfy their cus-tomers and meet their indi-vidual needs.

GPM of Alabama is lo-cated at 1025 11th CourtWest in Birmingham, Ala-bama. You can reach themat 205-453-0275. .

Ed PatersonCONTINUED from PAGE 1

mercial water heaters in lessthan two hours exclusivelyfor its’ Central Alabama cus-tomers. Ferguson has morethan 200 A. O. Smith brandcommercial gas and electricwater heaters in stock readyfor installation, as well as anelectric conversion center inBirmingham. Customersthroughout Central Alabamaincluding Montgomery,Tuscaloosa and Auburn cannow expect speedy delivery,unsurpassed quality, and24-hour emergency serviceall from Ferguson and A. O.Smith.

Fred Esleck, CommercialWater Heater Manager forFerguson in Birminghamcommented, “This is a greatservice for our customers.Not only do we guaranteetimely delivery, but also uponarrival, we will set the newunit in position for plumbingand dispose of the old unit.They do the plumbing, we dothe rest.” This unique servicewill reduce cost for contrac-tors allowing them to devoteless manpower to formerlydemanding jobs. For furtherinformation on this 24 HourService please contact FredEsleck at 205-506-8100 orany of the Fergusonlocations.

FergusonCONTINUED from PAGE 1

35th Street N. in Birmingham,AL.

The new building pro-vides a sales counter andwarehouse that currentlystocks a full line of plumb-ing and HVAC products thatincludes, Ruud Water Heat-ers, Noritz Tankless WaterHeaters, Delta Faucet, Char-lotte and many other lead-ing brands.

Everyone at Noland isexcited about the new loca-tion and hopes that the new

facility will allow the com-pany to better accommodatetheir customers with addedconvenience and service.Jeff Taggart, Branch Man-ager, stated that “As wemove forward, we are ex-cited about the future ofNoland Company and arelooking forward to servicingour customers in our newhome”.

Hours of operation are7am to 4:30pm. If you wouldlike further information onNoland Company pleasecontact them at 205-323-6322.

NolandCONTINUED from PAGE 1

You may contact RoddyLee at American Pipe & Sup-ply in Birmingham, AL at205-323-0345.

Roddy LeeCONTINUED from PAGE 1

In addition to thecompany’s headquarters,and main manufacturing fa-cility in Columbus, MS,Sanderson Plumbing Prod-ucts maintains a vibrant fac-tory in Butler, AL. The But-ler facility manufacturersmuch of the wood composi-tion seats that are marketedthroughout the world.

As a long-time industryleader, Beneke was a guid-ing force in the developmentof ANSI standards for toiletseats. Beneke, in addition tobeing the leading supplier ofseats for the aviation indus-try, is NASA’s exclusive sup-plier of toilet seats for thespace shuttle. Beneke divi-sions today include seatsmanufactured to service the

portable sanitation, health-care, and manufacturedhome markets.

Beneke is a respectedbrand throughout the plumb-ing wholesale world, buttakes exceptional pride inthose customers who placetheir products in the homesand businesses of theirhome states of Mississippiand Alabama.

Beneke is marketed inthe state of Alabama byJohn Owens, and Cruse andAssociates. Beneke andCruse have had a long andsuccessful relationship andthey are both very excitedto be able to meet their cus-tomers’ needs by distribut-ing Beneke products in sucha timely manner.

You may contact Cruse& Associates at 205-633-6662 for further informationon Beneke products.

Beneke SeatsCONTINUED from PAGE 1

The World PlumbingCouncil and the AmericanSociety of Sanitary Engi-neering would like to seeWorld Plumbing Day used topromote the fact that plumb-ing tradespersons are pro-fessionals and that theseprofessionals have the ut-most importance in protect-ing the environment andpublic health.

As a means of promotingWorld Plumbing Day aroundthe world, the WPC has de-veloped a website at: http://www.worldplumbingday.org.The information on thewebsite has been designedso that the featured materi-als can be reproduced,amended and supple-mented for promotional useas we lead up to the 11thday of March each year.ASSE and the WPC wel-come and encourage any-one to use the information

on the website to help fur-ther the popularity of thisday.

World Plumbing day isabout raising awareness.The World Plumbing Coun-cil and the American Soci-ety of Sanitary Engineeringrequest that everyone dowhat they can to promoteWorld Plumbing Day andraise awareness of the im-portant role that our plumb-ing industry plays every day... everywhere.

The American Society ofSanitary Engineering hasbeen a member organizationof the World PlumbingCouncil since its inceptionand many of ASSE's mem-bers have served as offic-ers and board members ofthe WPC. ASSE has playedan integral part in the devel-opment of the council's ob-jectives and in the creationof World Plumbing Day.

Plumbing DayCONTINUED from PAGE 1

me at [email protected] . Special congratula-tions to the CRIMSON TIDEOF ALABAMA on their 13th

national championship.I wanted to mention a

couple items. First, on March11th, our industry will be cel-ebrating the first officialWorld Plumbing Day. WPD isthe brain-child of the WorldPlumbing Council. This an-nual event has been estab-lished to help the generalpublic better understand thevital role the plumbing indus-try plays in protecting pub-lic health and safety, the ex-tent to which it helps limitmankind’s environmentalfootprint and other importantwork performed by contrac-tors, inspectors, installers,engineers, manufacturersand academicians that is

often taken for granted. Aus-tralia, China, India, Scotland,and the U.S. have plannedevents for the event. In the U.S.IAMPO has planned an eventin Ontario, CA. While a wholelot has not been planned in2010, I hope we can find a wayto get on board with this ideafor next year. If anyone is inter-ested in planning an event orgenerating related press re-leases, please let me know.

THE PIPELINE CONTINUED from PAGE 1

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EVENTS CALENDAR

Second Tuesday of Every Month 6PMASPE Alabama Chapter MeetingLOCATION: Altadena Valley Golf & CountryCONTACT: [email protected]

April 16-18th, 2010KBIS 2010LOCATION: Chicago, ILCONTACT: www.kbis.com

April 29th, 2010PHCC-NC / Carolina Plumbing News ExpoLOCATION: Greensboro ColliseumCONTACT: 877-742-2423

April 29-30th, 2010PHCC Legislative ConferenceLOCATION: Arlington, VACONTACT:http://eweb.phccweb.org

May 10-12th, 20102010 ABPA ConventionLOCATION: New Orleans, LACONTACT: www.abpa.org

June 10- 12th, 2010PMA 118th Annual Meeting & ConferenceLOCATION: Savannah, GeorgiaCONTACT:www.plumbingpros.com

September 15-17th, 2010ISH 2010LOCATION: Baltimore, MDCONTACT:http://www.phexpo.com

October 27-30th, 2010CONNECT 2010: 128th Annual ConventionLOCATION: Las Vegas, NVCONTACT:http://eweb.phccweb.org

Send all of your open house, continuingeducation, seminar, and trade show informa-

tion to: THE ALABAMA PLUMBING NEWSCALENDAR P.O. Box 68 Bethlehem, Alabama

30620 or Fax 770-586-5174

I also wanted to remind ev-eryone that the Plumbing Newshas partnered with the PHCC-NC for the 2010 EXPO this yearon April 29th and 30th at theGreensboro Coliseum. Theevent will feature the largest in-dustry tradeshow in NC, theSkillsUSA state competition,lots of C.E. opportunities, doorprizes, a golf tournament onFriday, and speaker Dr. RonCollier sponsored byGPSupply. The PHCC-NC iscelebrating their 100th Anni-versary this year and is ex-pecting one of the bestEXPO’s in years. We are ex-cited about the partnershipand hope you will find time tocome show your support.

Have a great month.

THE PIPELINE CONTINUED from PAGE 3

Jack,On behalf of PMA’s board, I would like to thank you

for your generous and continued support of the Plumb-ing & Mechanical Association. We appreciate all thecoverage and sponsorship you give us.

Ellen WhitakerPlumbing & Mechanical Association101 Pilgrim Village Drive, Suite 200

Cumming, GA 30040678-947-3473 Office

678-947-3474 Faxwww.PlumbingPros.com

Letters to the EditorLetters to the EditorLetters to the EditorLetters to the EditorLetters to the Editor

RIDGID® Launches RIDGIDConnect™

Online Tool Provides Professionals the Ability to Share,Store and Simplify Digital Information

RIDGID®, a leading manu-facturer of hand and powertools including multiple digi-tal inspection products, an-nounces today at AHR Expo®

2010 the launch ofRIDGIDConnect™ — a sub-scription-based, online busi-ness tool designed for serviceprofessionals and contractorswho create or use digital in-formation. A first-of-its-kindplatform, RIDGIDConnect pro-vides the ability to share andstore digital assets such asdiagnostic job site photos andvideos, job reports and histo-ries, maintenance records,customer lists and other busi-ness files, which in turn sim-plifies external and internalcommunication, as well as therecordkeeping process.

“While developingRIDGIDConnect, we con-ducted hundreds of hours ofresearch with professionals toidentify their needs and makesure the tool could easily andquickly be adopted to helpmanage their digital assets,”said Jay Gatz, vice presidentof strategic planning, RIDGID.“Based on our research, wewere able to develop anonline business solution soprofessionals like plumbers,HVAC technicians and facil-ity managers, have the oppor-tunity to consolidate and ac-cess items associated with aparticular job in one location,then communicate this infor-mation with pertinent parties,thus increasing their effective-ness and efficiency. We liketo say it’s an electronic medi-cal record for each of theircustomers.”

RIDGIDConnect: ShareThe “share” aspect of

RIDGIDConnect allows pro-fessionals to overcome com-munication challenges previ-ously associated with digitalmedia assets.RIDGIDConnect subscribershave the ability to:

· Prepare and send de-tailed, professional job re-ports that include notes andcustomer details to multiplerecipients

· Edit and narrate digitalmedia (videos and photos) toprovide concise, easy-to-fol-low explanations

· Control recipients’ ac-cess privileges

RIDGIDConnect: StoreRIDGIDConnect “stores”

and protects a professional’sdigital assets on a secure andcontinually backed-up sys-tem, including these items:

·Detailed customer listsand job histories

·Uploaded digital mediafrom inspection tools (anymanufacturer) and digital re-cording devices

·All business files andrecords

RIDGIDConnect: SimplifyRIDGIDConnect “simpli-

fies” and bridges the technol-ogy gap by:

·Eliminating the need toburn DVDs, CDs or thumbdrives

·Lessening the back-and-forth explanation between cli-ents and/or co-workers

·Providing around-the-clock access to records fromany location

·Utilizing RIDGIDConnectmobile to conduct businessin the field via a smartphone

RIDGIDConnect is avail-able in four subscription plansto suit the needs of busi-nesses and organizations ofvarious sizes. Payments aremade on a monthly basis.The subscription plans are:·Basic ($49.99 per month)·Plus ($79.99 per month)·Premier ($129.99 per month)·Enterprise (based on consul-tation findings)

To register for a free 30-day trial or for additional in-formation about RIDGID Con-nect, visit www.RIDGIDConnect.com.

RIDGID®, a leading manu-facturer of hand and powertools, markets its products inmore than 140 countries. Thecompany’s broad offering ofmore than 300 types of toolsserve the rental, plumbing,HVAC/R, utility, industrial,electrical, petroleum, institu-tional, commercial and hard-ware markets. RIDGID is partof Emerson ProfessionalTools™, a business ofEmerson, which brings tech-nology and engineering to-gether to design and producesome of the highest-qualitytools and equipment in theworld. From wet/dry vacs tothe industry’s best-sellingpipe diagnostic system, keybrands include RIDGID®,KNAACK®, PROTEAM® andWEATHER GUARD®.Emerson (NYSE:EMR), based

in St. Louis, Missouri (USA),is a global leader in bringingtechnology and engineeringtogether to provide innovativesolutions to customersthrough its network power,process management, indus-trial automation, climate tech-

nologies, and appliance andtools businesses. Emerson’ssales in fiscal 2009 were$20.9 billion. The company isranked 94th on the Fortune 500list of America’s largest com-panies. For more information,visit www.Emerson.com.

BrassCraft Energizes Sales withNew Executive Appointments

Jim Pletcher has been namedBrassCraft Vice President of

Wholesale Sales.

BrassCraf t is addinggreater strength to its con-tinued sales growth with anumber of key promotions.

Today the company an-nounced Jim Pletcher’s ap-pointment to Vice President

of Wholesale Sales. As in hisprevious position of SeniorDirector, Pletcher will con-tinue to drive his extensiveskill and experience towardexpanding BrassCraf t ’sreputation for quality andinnovation. “Jim has quicklyestablished himself as a keymember of the senior lead-ership team,” saidBrassCraft President DonWoody, “spearheading ourWholesale Sales initiatives.”

BrassCraft also namedSteve Adams as Senior Di-rector of Wholesale Sales.Adams will continue his cur-rent oversight of the south-ern region, buying groupsand national accounts.“Since joining BrassCraft in2003, Steve has been con-tinuously improving our part-nership position and value-add throughout the Whole-

CONTINUED on PAGE 5


sale channel,” said Woody.BrassCraf t ’s Ken

Kemmerling has been ap-pointed Sales Manager forthe central region of theWholesale channel. “Kenhas been a dedicated mem-ber of the BrassCraft teamfor 19 years,” said Woody,“heading up a number of keysales leadership positions.”

Continuing in their cur-rent responsibilities areJohn Stankrauff, Sales Man-ager for the eastern regionand Jack Allen, Sales Man-ager for the western region.

BrassCraft further an-nounced the retirement ofSenior Vice President JimWhiteherse. Said BrassCraftPresident Don Woody, “Jimhas been with us since1984, serving with tirelessleadership as senior ambas-sador for BrassCraf tthroughout the plumbing in-dustry. The entire companywishes him the best in hiswell-deserved retirement.”

“With these appoint-ments,” said Woody,“BrassCraft is ideally posi-tioned to continue buildingthe success of our custom-ers, with products and ser-vice that are stronger thanever.”

For more information,please visit www.brasscraft.com.

BrassCraft CONTINUED from PAGE 4Speedfit Slip Tee

Connector Now Availablefrom John Guest USA

John Guest USA has in-troduced a new SpeedfitSlip Tee Connector as anadd-on element to an exist-ing plumbing/heating pipingsystem. The new Slip TeeConnector provides asimple way to break into andbranch off from a rigid piperun without altering the ex-isting pipework.

This new addition to JohnGuest USA Speedfit Push-Fit Solution family is avail-able in one-half inch andthree-quarter inch coppertube sizes (CTS).

Installation is easy: Pipesmust be cut square and befree of burrs and the rel-evant pipe insert must beused to fit to plastic pipe. Tomake a connection, the tubeis pushed in by hand; theunique patented John Guestcollet locking system holds

the tube firmly in place with-out deforming or restrictingthe flow.

John Guest USA’sSpeedfit Push-Fit system isan advanced push-fit fittingfeaturing secure twist andlock technology suitable foruse in normal domestic hotand cold water plumbingsystems, including pressur-ized and combination sys-tems.

Speedfit Fittings havebeen designed for use withcopper pipe, Speedfit PexPipe, CPVC and PEX Pipeconforming to U.S. Plumb-ing Standards. They requireno tools or blowtorches, re-ducing installation time, andcan be disassembled with-out damage to pipe or fit-tings. They are easy to usein confined spaces.

Like all Speedfit Push-fit

products, corrosion free SlipTee Connectors are con-structed of high quality en-gineered plastic and are to-tally lead free.

About John Guest USASpeedfit Push-Fit fittings

are manufactured in GreatBritain by John Guest Ltd.of Middlesex, England, a BSEN ISO9001 certified facil-

ity. The company operatesmultiple locations world-wide. John Guest USA, lo-cated in Fairfield, New Jer-sey, distributes products forthe plumbing, water filtrationand automotive industriesacross North, Central andSouth America, the Carib-bean, and the U.S. Virgin Is-lands. www.johnguest.com.

Six Merchandising Tipsfor Your Design Center

It's tough for most peopleto imagine which shade ofgranite countertop will gobest with cherry cabinetsand oil-rubbed bronze fau-cets. That's why design cen-ters and showrooms are sovital to selling upgrades.People need to see andtouch what they're going tobuy for their homes. Hereare some tips for makingyour design center more in-viting, organized and profit-able.Put your best foot forward

"Designate a person tobe responsible for maintain-ing the design appeal of thespace", says Judith SislerJohnston, a Jacksonville,Fla. interior designer whohelps home builders createdesign centers and modelhomes. She finds that mostpeople will form a judgmentabout the builder within thefirst 60 seconds, based on

the look of the design cen-ter, so it's important to keepthe space organized andefficient. "One person has tobe empowered to throwthings away and not allowsamples to pile up. Theyshould do a walk-through atleast monthly to look at it likea prospective buyer," shesays.Less is more

"Merchants think that themore they show, the morethey sell," says Gina Ott,merchandising director,store planning and design atEagan, Minn.-based FiresideHearth & Home. "If you scaleback [your offerings by] 20percent, you will see salespick up because people canstart to focus."

High-end appliancemanufacturer Miele hastaken that concept to heartand is renovating all its

CONTINUED on PAGE 6

Name

Company

Phone

Fax

Ad Information

NEW! Outside SalesAn established Manu-

facturer Representative,with over 20 years in theCarolina’s, seeking to fillIMMEDIATE POSITION foraggress i ve Outs ideSalesperson for the Char-lotte, Upstate SC, andWestern NC area.

Calling on Wholesal-ers, Plumbing and Me-chan ica l Cont rac tors ,and Plumbing Engineers.

Background in indus-try and/or Outside Salesa MUST.

Fax resumes to 1-800-678-4164.ALL INQUIRIESWILL BE CONFIDENTIAL.

The Plumbing News islooking for highly motivated

Territory Managers

for multifamily dwellingplumbing company.

Must be willing to travel.Many job locations in Ala-bama including Huntsville ,Valley, Mobil,Paid expenses,great team environment, fairpay. Please don’t call with-out a valid plumbing license.

If you are looking for aserious long term careerplease call Josh at 678-739-0070 Ext 3007 Or e-mail meat [email protected]

individuals to fill territory man-ager positions. Good worrkethic,attention to detail andcomputer skills required.

An opportunity with highincome potential. Fax resumeto 404-816-9652 or e-mail:[email protected]

PlumberAs an Army National

Plumber, you will learn thesevaluable job skills while get-ting up to a $20,000 enlist-ment bonus, earning a regu-lar paycheck, and qualifyingfor tuition assistance. In-stead of paying to learnthese skills, get paid to

learn.Af ter Basic Training,

where you will learn funda-mental Soldiering skills, youwill attend approximately fiveweeks of Advanced Indi-vidual Training where you’lllearn what you need to getstarted as an Army NationalGuard Plumber.

The Army National Guardhas career opportunities inevery State and four U.S.Territories with more than3,600 training locations and350,000 members. The Website for the Army NationalGuard is www.1-800-GO-GUARD.com

Classified AdsHelp wanted ads are free for our readers.

All other ad listings are $2 a word (20 word minimum)and $20 for a photograph. You can fax your ad to 770-868-1856 or e-mail them to [email protected]

For credit card processing call, Shannon Mandersat 404-391-2962

Office with WarehouseFor Rent

4100 sq. ft of office spacewith kitchen, 4100 sq ft ofwarehouse space with a rollup door, Easy Access to I-20,Exit 37, Paved Parking Area,On a dead-end street. Ad-dress: 5727 Palazzo Way,Ste. B, Douglasville, GA30134. Contact Janie Clowerwith PDI for more info: 678-328-1810.

BUY - SELL - TRADE

Inside Sales - Birming-ham company has openingfor individual with 2 yrs expin commercial plumbing

Inside Sales

quotes. Good benefits. Sendresume & salary require-ments to: Human Re-sources, P.O. Box 530441,Birmingham, AL 35253.


showrooms as galleries. "Byminimizing the showroom,customers spend more timethere," says Miele spokes-person Lori Dolnick. "Weused to show every model ofdishwasher - we have 26models. Now, we might showone dishwasher and showthe different panels."Help customers visualizewith vignettes

"Vignettes are so impor-tant for any retailer," Ottsays. "Our customers aretime-starved. If we showthem solutions to their prob-lems, they'll buy everythingin one place."

Since customers spendthe most money on upgrad-ing their kitchens and mas-ter baths, those two roomsshould get the most spaceand attention in the designcenter. Use those vignettesto showcase multiple prod-uct categories, includingflooring, lighting, plumbingfixtures, countertops, drawerpulls, molding and even bev-eled-edge choices.Point the way

A clearly marked, easy-to-follow path in the show-room is important for build-ers who offer their custom-ers preview hours, whenthey're likely to browse ontheir own. But even whenconsultants are leading theway, customers will feel morecomfortable when the show-room is easily navigated. Thepath can also serve the pur-pose of giving customers areal-world introduction tohow products will look in-stalled. In one builder's de-sign center, Sisler Johnstonkept buyers oriented with apathway of hardwood flooring,with various upgrades of car-peting and tile adjoining itthroughout the showroom.Take control of your tile

Tile is an especially chal-lenging product category todisplay because of the weight,size and number of choicesavailable. You can effectivelydisplay tile without taking uplarge amounts of space byusing kiosks with slide-outs inthe center of a room or alonga wall, says Judith SislerJohnston.

Lauren Avirett, a designgallery consultant forAlpharetta, Ga.-based McCarHomes, showcases tilethroughout her vignettes, onthe kitchen floors and on por-table mock-ups ofbacksplashes, as well as onshower wall mock-ups.Show off what sells

Some customers onlywant the basics, but thatdoesn't mean you have todevote showroom space tothem. Lauren Avirett, designgallery consultant forAlpharetta, Ga.-based McCarHomes, recommends keepingstandard items available forreview, but definitely out ofsight - where hopefully, theywill also be out of mind. In-stead, show them the up-grades that will enhance andbeautify their homes. "Peopleare very visual," she says."Our biggest displays, whichare for our kitchens, are ourmost expensive. We want tomake people fall in love withwhat they can have. If you canget the emotional attachment,you'll have a lot betterchance of sell ing it tothem."

Design Tips CONTINUED from PAGE 5American Leak Detection Promotes Link

Between Entrepreneurship and Job CreationThis National Entrepreneurship Week,

company highlights benefits of franchising

Across the country, thedebate continues about

what can be done to solvethe nation's economic crisis.

But despite differing opin-ions, one thing remainsclear: there's a distinct linkbetween entrepreneurshipand job creation.

With that in mind, thecountry will recognize Na-tional EntrepreneurshipWeek, which takes placefrom February 20th to 27th.The campaign is designedto highlight the benefits ofentrepreneurship, as well asthe many forms it can take.

"The American dream isbased on the concept of CONTINUED on PAGE 11


Lasco Bathware and Aquatic Whirlpools MergeInto Single Company Named Aquatic

Lasco’s Brawn Combined with Beauty of Aquatic Whirlpools Create Industry’sBroadest, Most Inspirational Bathware Offering

Lasco Bathware, the top choiceof builders for bathtub and showerproducts, and Aquatic Whirlpools,renowned among designers anddiscerning consumers for beauti-ful and luxurious bathing hydro-therapy, today announced thatthey have merged into one com-pany called Aquatic (booth#C3318 at the 2010 InternationalBuilders’ Show). Supplying morethan one-fourth of all bath fixturessold annually in the United States,Lasco Bathware alone has offeredmore whirlpools, air baths, show-ers and shower systems than anyother manufacturer. Lasco alsocontinually pioneers innovativeproduction technology. AquaticWhirlpools has been the industry’sleading luxury whirlpool bath com-pany, recognized for elegant de-sign, the highest quality materialsand an unmatched warranty.

With 65 years of combined ex-perience, the new company meldsLasco’s product breadth and op-erational excellence with AquaticWhirlpools’ sleek and inventivedesign to create the broadestand most inspirational offering inthe bathware industry today. Nowdistributors, builders, architects,other specifiers and consumerscan tap a single source for morethan 330 luxury hydrotherapy, ev-eryday and accessible bathingproducts – all superbly designedand fabricated to provide custom-

ers with a transformative daily ex-perience.

“At Aquatic, we recognize and areinspired by the power of our prod-ucts to relax, refresh, reinvigorateand renew – to deeply enhance ev-ery customer’s life, whatever his orher needs,”said Gary Anderson,President of Aquatic. “That inspira-tion is built in to everything we do –from the way we design, engineer

and manufacture our products tohow we work with our distributionpartners to the customer experienceat every touch point while planningand shopping for and ultimately ben-efiting from our tubs and showers.”

Greater Efficiencies for Distribu-tors and Builders The new Aquaticprovides new efficiencies for dis-tributors and builders as a result ofconsolidating key functions. These

include:• National production by six

plants geographically distributedacross United States;

• Distribution through thecompany’s own trucking opera-tion of 200-plus tractor trailers;

• Centralized customer ser-vice for placing and tracking or-ders, technical support and fieldservice/warranty repair.

Aquatic is a subsidiary com-pany of Tomkins PLC, the London-based, global manufacturinggroup serving the industrial, au-tomotive and building markets,and owner of some of the best-known brands in these fields.Tomkins, which had 2008 annualsales of $5.5 billion, also ownedLasco and Aquatic Whirlpools.

Aquatic is the world leader inbathware and shower products.Born from the 2010 merger ofLasco Bathware and AquaticWhirlpools, Aquatic offers thebroadest and most inspiring se-lection of luxury hydrotherapy,everyday and accessible bath-ing products. Based in Anaheim,California, Aquatic serves dis-tributors, builders, architects,designers and consumersthrough a nationwide network ofstate-of-the-art facilities formanufacturing, distribution andsupport. For more information,visit www.aquatic bath.com.


entrepreneurship, and oneparticular system – fran-chising – takes the guess-work out of making thatdream a reality," said StanBerenbaum, president ofAmerican Leak Detection."The ability to rely on aproven system with built-inmarket demand providesconfidence and a competi-tive edge."

Berenbaum goes on toreference a national sur-vey conducted by TheKauf fman Foundat ion,

American Leak CONTINUED from PAGE 6 known as the world's larg-

est foundation dedicated toentrepreneurship, in which79 percent of respondentssaid that entrepreneurs arecritically important to jobcreation. The findings alsoindicated that entrepre-neurship is gaining recog-nition as more importantthan the stimulus packagein creating long-term eco-nomic stability.

"The interest in fran-chise oppor tuni t ies isgrowing rapidly as peopleacknowledge the power ofcombining business owner-ship with an established

and wel l -recognizedbrand," said Berenbaum."For example, many of thepeople our American LeakDetection franchisees in-teract with on a daily ba-sis, such as insurance ad-justers and restorationcompanies, are already fa-miliar with our companyand our reputation."

Established in 1974 andheadquar tered in PalmSprings, Calif., AmericanLeak Detection uses accu-rate, non-destructive de-tection to identify all typesof leaks including hiddenwater, sewer, and gas

leaks. The company cur-rently has 100 franchises inoperation across the U.S.as well as 11 additionalfranchises in six othercountries. It has beenranked in the 25 top per-forming franchise systemsby the Wall Street Journal.For the ninth straight year,Entrepreneur® Magazineranked American Leak De-tection No. 1 in its categoryin its 30th Annual Franchise500. Entrepreneur® Maga-zine researches and ana-lyzes hundreds of franchisecompanies to determine thebest in specific industry

categories. Companiesare judged on many fac-tors including financialstrength, stability, growthrate, number of years inbusiness, with an indepen-dent CPA review of finan-cial data.

Berenbaum notes thatno prior experience is nec-essary to start an Ameri-can Leak Detection fran-chise, as the company pro-vides aspiring owners withall needed training andequipment. Franchiseesare also offered the sup-port of a comprehensivemarketing program that in-cludes turn-key direct mailprograms, a public rela-tions initiative and a state-of-the-art website com-plete with lead generation.

"We have la id theground work and make itvery attractive for franchi-sees to come in, benefitfrom what we have alreadycreated, and start theirown, functional business,"said Berenbaum. "We feelconfident that we are do-ing our part to foster busi-ness ownership and im-prove the Americaneconomy."

For more informationabout American Leak De-tection, The Original LeakSpecialists, please visitwww.AmericanLeakDetection.com.

About American LeakDetection

Founded in 1974 andheadquar tered in PalmSprings, California, Ameri-can Leak Detect ion isdedicated to resource pro-tection and eco-friendlyservices. American LeakDetection is the worldleader in the accurate,non-destructive detectionof all types of leaks includ-ing hidden water andsewer leaks.

From swimming poolcracks to concealedplumbing systems, thesmallest leak is locatedwith the most advanced,sophisticated electronicdevices - without bashingholes in walls or diggingup the deck or yard. Forthe last nine years, Ameri-can Leak Detection hasbeen ranked #1 in Entre-preneur® magazine's"Maintenance Productsand Services" franchisesector. In February 2008,The Wall Street Journalincluded American LeakDetection on its list of the25 top high-per formingfranchises. For more infor-mation on American LeakDetection, call 800.755.6697 or v is i t www.americanleakdetection.com.


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Advanced Water ConservationTechnology Saves Water, Improves

Satisfaction in 21-Home Retrofit TestLow flow delivered high sat-

isfaction with at least 25 per-cent in water savings for 21homeowners in two suburbanAtlanta communities who volun-teered to replace their existingplumbing products with high-efficiency WaterSense®-certi-fied models.

If it comes as a surprise thatpeople are finally happy withlow-flow toilets, that was thepoint of this mass retrofit lastfall that included replacing 71toilets, 96 faucets and 55showerheads in 71 bathrooms.“We want to convincehomeowners, building profes-sionals and legislators that wa-ter conservation doesn’t meansacrifice,” said TommyLinstroth, water-savings expertand principal at Savannah, GA-based Trident SustainabilityGroup. Linstroth was retainedto measure pre- and post-wa-ter saving results and to reportthem on his blog,www.RehydrateUS.org.

Georgia’s first licensedGreenPlumber®, Nick Marineof Marietta, GA-based MarinePlumbing, installed toilets andbathroom faucets that save atleast 20 percent more waterand showerheads that savefrom 20 to 40 percent morethan current standards. Ninevolunteer families were re-cruited from the Serenbe com-munity in Chattahoochee Hills,GA, and 11 stepped up to thechallenge from Chastain Lakesin Kennesaw, GA.

Funding and products forthe test were supplied by Ameri-can Standard Brands to dem-onstrate that the technologybehind WaterSense-labeledproducts has greatly advancedconsumer satisfaction with wa-ter-savers in the bathroom.WaterSense is administered bythe federal Environmental Pro-tection Agency (EPA) and mod-eled after the ENERGY STAR®labeling program to help assureconsumers that products willconserve and perform as prom-ised. More details are availableat www.epa.gov/watersense/.

Magic Potties and TurbineShowerheads

“We absolutely LOVE ournew fixtures. Our showerheadsseem to have better water pres-sure and we are conservingwater now, which we weren't be-fore,” reported Serenbe home-owner Dallas Nevins, twomonths after installation. “Wehave been super-pleased andsurprised with how well theAmerican Standard toilets flush.

“Having two young children,sometimes they use a whole roll

of toilet paper for one sitting,”continued Nevins, an alliedmember of the American Soci-ety of Interior Designers (ASID).“So, in the past, we've had topull the plunger out on morethan one occasion. Since wehave our new toilets, we've yetto run into a problem and havebeen ‘plunge-free.’”

“I can’t tell any differencewith the volume of water in theshower and sinks, which isgreat…I was afraid I would geta dribble,” said Serenbe home-owner Tom Reed.

“Every 10-minute showerwith a regular showerhead uses25 gallons of water, Linstrothnoted. “The FloWise®showerheads we installed dur-ing this test use up to 40 per-cent less water, but the sprayfeels strong because of a tur-bine that literally spins the wa-ter, giving it more force.”

While showerheads are notyet part of the WaterSense la-beling program, the AmericanStandard FloWise showerheadreceived top performance rat-ings from a leading consumermagazine in 2009.

Most homeowner volun-teers received the WaterSense-certified American StandardH2Option™, the first trulysiphonic dual flush toilet thatallows users to select whetherto use as little as 1.0 gallon ofwater or the maximum legalamount of 1.6 gallons per flush(gpf). H2Option has achievedhigh ratings on the independentMaximum Performance (MaP)test, an independent report oftoilet bulk removal performancedeveloped by John Koehler andVeritec Consulting and used bywater utilities in the UnitedStates and Canada. MaP testresults are available for free atw w w . c u w c c . o r g /MaPTesting.aspx.

“For the first time ever, I cansay that I love my toilets,” saidSerenbe homeowner SarahRichards. “I feel very empow-ered when I get to make achoice about pushing one but-ton or the other. The suction onthe H2Option dual flush is su-perb.”

Nevins’s children are fasci-nated by the two buttons on theH2Option toilet. “They call themthe ‘magic potties,’” she re-ported.

Documenting the WaterSavings – Not as Easy as itSounds

Linstroth documented atleast a 20 percent collectivesavings in overall water usageat Serenbe, a savings that hasremained consistent over two

months. Serenbe homeownershad toilets that used up to 1.6gpf, bathroom faucets that hada flow-rate of 2.0 gallons perminute (gpm) and showerheadswith a usage not exceeding 2.5gpm.

At Chastain Lakes, an oldersuburb built more than 20 years

ago, Linstroth documented atleast a 25 percent savings fromthe retrofit, working with onemonth of water usage data. “Wewould expect results inChastain to be higher, sincethere were still old toilets inthose homes. The mathalone would dictate a near50 percent reduction usingsiphonic dual flush toilets inplace of those old 3.5 gal-lon toilets,” Linstroth said.

“But our numbers get di-luted because of all the

other fixtures in the house– irrigation, clothes washing,dishwashing, etc., – they allbring down our totals,”Linstroth continued, notingthis as the reason it is hardfor homeowners to use theirwater bills to encouragewater-saving behavior.Linstroth plans to release asecond report later thisspring after amassing moredata from the participatinghomeowners over severalmonths.


Drain Man Inc.

Wes Taylor, Michael Brown and Shane Mathews

Drain Man Inc. was es-tablished in 1998 by PaulAdams. Wes Taylor pur-chased Drain Man from PaulAdams in 2007. Paul hasbeen a friend of, or youcould say, a part of the fam-ily for 17yrs. I went througha hard time four years agoand God blessed me withPaul whose kind heart gaveme such a deal on DrainMan it was truly Devine. Godhas been growing Drain Manat such a great rate in the lastthree years. The growth wasso strong it called for a part-ner, which is when MikeBrown bought into Drain Man.We have gone from one ser-vice vehicle to now three. Wehave tripled our net worth inan economy that is stagnant.This type of growth can onlybe described as a blessingfrom the Lord. We specializein management companies.We have also noticed a sud-den climb in residential ser-vice and we welcome that

also. We are a full serviceplumbing, sewer, and gascompany. We also have asewer jet machine, cameraand location devices. We arelicense plumbers; our newestplumber is Shane Mathewswho is a master plumber. Weare excited about his ambi-tion and willingness to suc-ceed in a young and growingcompany. Our mentality atDrain Man is God can do allthings. Mike is married to hollywith two sons Asher andAden. Shane is married toChristina with a little bundleof joy on the way. Wes is mar-ried to Kitty and they have onewonderful son Brennan. Weall love our families and thiscompany knows that is whywe work. We are known forprompt, fair and honest ser-vice. We treat our customersas we would want them totreat us. Mike Brown is aStamford graduate,

and he is a lamda chi al-pha, he brings the neededside to Wes Taylor who is abusiness man made from theschool of hard knocks.

Please contact Drain ManInc. for all your plumbingneeds at 205-229-0552.

Contemporary ColorsBreak Out

Good designers can make nearly any color work

Many people believe thatthe color palette for a con-temporary home consistssolely of white, black, grayand red. Interior designersbeg to differ. Today's design-ers employ every possibleshade to enhance thebeauty of the contemporaryarchitectural style's clean,bold lines.

"Everyone's favorite col-ors are different. It has noth-ing to do with architecturalstyle," says Ruth Mortensen,a designer with Chicago-based Susan Fredman & As-sociates. "You can have anall-white very contemporaryhome and an all-white verytraditional home. You canalso take every palette andput it in a contemporaryhome."

Leatrice Eiseman, execu-tive director of the PantoneColor Institute and author ofColor Messages and Mean-ings, couldn't agree more.Contemporary colors canrun the gamut of the colorwheel, she says. It's all amatter of context. "Just ascontemporary art utilizes allmanners of vibrant colors -and we are all accustomedto seeing those colorfulworks - so can all the otherelements of interiors, includ-ing painted surfaces, lami-

nates, fabrics and anythingelse in the home," she says.

As is true with other de-sign features and trends, themost popular colors aremoving targets. According toAndrea Piontek, senior colorstylist for Olympic Paints,one hot color for 2008 ispurple. The paint company'snewest color palette, Luxu-rious Contemporary, has atrio of three quiet, soothingcolors - Lilac Gray, PalePurple and Silver Service -all with a purple base.

Not surprisingly, contem-porary colors also draw in-spiration from currentevents. According toEiseman, Asian themes willguide many of this year'scolor schemes because ofthe 2008 Summer Olympicsin Beijing. The primary colorof Olympic Paints' new AsianFusion palette is a strong,rich red called Rum Runner.Additional colors include asoft taupe called Bristleconeand a sophisticated silverygray called Pearl Ash.

Gretchen Schauffler, art-ist and founder of DevineColor in Lake Oswego, Ore.,believes people have"strong feelings about con-temporary color." In her ex-perience, those who aredrawn to the minimalism of

contemporary architectureand furnishings treat coloras either a huge focus orsomething to avoid.

The trick to using colorin contemporary design, shesays, is to make it emotional.In her own contemporaryhome, she created a "strongfeeling" by contrasting graywalls and black living-roomfurniture with a bold orangecarpet and a striped patternon the stairs.

Schauffler's views de-bunk yet another miscon-ception about color in con-

temporary homes: It doesn'thave to be monochrome.She says that younger buy-ers, in particular, appreciatethe simplicity of contempo-rary design but want a widerarray of color. They may useit in dramatic and distinctlydifferent manners from roomto room.

Brooke Ziccardi, princi-pal of Ziccardi Designs inCosta Mesa, Calif., says heryoung customers are drawnto wallpapers with big, boldprints in all rooms. Oneroom might feature massive

orange birds and the next,black and white stripes."Color is a big thing," shesays. "We're bringing backthe sunset colors of the '70s."

That's because buyers to-day want the temperature ofcontemporary to change,says Schauffler. "Peoplecrave the warmth of yellows,reds, oranges and the warmerblues," she says. "We're see-ing warm chocolates and cof-fee colors taking over theneutrals ... for a feeling thatblack, white and gray don'toffer."

Green Restaurant Association EndorsesBradford White Water Heaters that

Exemplify Environmental LeadershipBradford White® is proud

to have earned the endorse-ment of the Green Restau-rant Association for both theUltra-Efficient eF Series® ofcommercial water heatersand Energy-Saving line ofEverHot® tankless waterHeaters. The eF Series uti-lizes exclusive designs andtechnologies for unsur-passed efficiency, installa-tion flexibility and quiet op-eration. These products areamong the most efficient inthe industry with thermal ef-ficiencies as high as 99.1%.Bradford White’s newEverHot® tankless waterheaters offer energy effi-ciency in a compact butpowerful package. The wa-

ter is heated on demand atflow rates up to 9.4 gallonsper minute.

The Green RestaurantAssociation endorses prod-ucts that exemplify environ-mental leadership in theircategory and meet the GRAProduct Endorsement Stan-dards. GRA’s environmentalconsultants work hand inhand with manufacturers toassess their products andgive them GRA’s endorse-ment stamp of approval.

Since 1990, The GRAhas been helping restau-rants cut energy, water andwaste costs. The GRA hasbeen instrumental in helpingrestaurants realize that en-vironmental responsibility

can equal fiscal gain. SomeCertified Green Restau-rants® save thousands ofdollars each year, andthrough the help of theGRA’s consultants, are ableto access rebates, incentivesand other money saving pro-grams.

Bradford White WaterHeaters is a full line manufac-turer of residential, commer-cial and industrial productsfor water heating, space heat-ing, combination heating andstorage applications. Thecompany is headquartered inAmbler, PA and has manufac-turing facilities is Middleville,MI, Nile, MI, and Rochester,NH and a distribution centerin Mississauga, ON Canada.

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