issue 8 volume 5 16 pages brad sims ... - the plumbing newsindustrial supplies and materials...

PLUMBING • IRRIGATION • KITCHEN & BATH •UNDERGROUND • ASPE

August, 2011 Issue 8 Volume 5

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THE PIPELINE

16 Pages

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Alex HallTennessee Editor

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As the heat reduces fromscalding to a light simmer,people are preparing forbusiness to hit full throttle,kids are going back toschool, and possibly just asimportant, football is back inaction! This last month hasflown by, but it’s been timewell spent. Travelling fromNashville to Memphis, Chat-tanooga, and Knoxville hasenabled me to see just howmuch is being put into thegrowth and success of theTennessee marketplace,not only within the work en-vironment but also outside ofit. There are events on theschedule intended to bringthe plumbing community to-gether to have fun. That’sright, fun. Something all ofyou should be having. Iknow it sounds impossible,but there are plenty of op-portunities such as ASPE’sgolf outing, which will be heldon September 16. I will bethere as a spectator, but not

Brad Sims Named PHCCMiddle Tennessee

Contractor of the Month

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Coburn’s Supply Co. NewMAPA Associate Member

Ferguson Nashville HostRIDGID Reputation Roadshow

RIDGID® is excited toannounce they held theirReputation Roadshow onThursday, July 21st atFerguson in Nashville, TNand the show was a hugesuccess! Ferguson Enter-prises along with Co-Spon-sor, State Industries, did afantastic job hosting theevent and the customerswere very impressed with allthe new products RIDGIDhas to offer. Ferguson pro-vided great food for theshow and all the customerswho attended enjoyed them-selves and were able tolearn about new productsthat will make them moreefficient and profitable intheir business.

RIDGID brought the lat-est tool technology alongwith their team to conduct

demonstrations and answerquestions. They had manydisplays and product inter-active stations including,RIDGID Pressing Tools,Video Inspection and Utilitylocating, new interactive dis-plays, drain cleaning andmany more hands-on activi-ties for the customers to tryout and get a feel for the lat-est products RIDGID has tooffer. This event was broad-cast by 104.5 The Zone andalso featured a RIDGID cal-endar girl, Lindsay Matway.Ferguson Enterprises alsogave away some greatprizes.

Ferguson is continuing tostock a wide selection ofRIDGID to service thecontractor’s needs, soplease contact them forRIDGID products.

Plumbing & Mechanicalmagazine named Coburn’sSupply their 2010 “ Whole-saler of the Year”.

Now Coburn’s Supplyhas opened a branch inMemphis, at 3332 OnePlace. Coburn’s Supply op-erates locations in Texas,Louisiana, Mississippi, andTennessee serving theneeds of the construction

industry. Their customersinclude plumbing, HVAC,mechanical, municipal, util-ity, general contractors aswell as home builders.

Memphis branch man-ager Jack Joyner and assis-tant manager Terry Felderopened the new location inJune this year along withCoburn’s Kitchen and Bath

PHCC of Middle Tennes-see is pleased to announceBrad Sims of Lee Companyis the PHCC ContractorMember of the month.

Brad Sims is a third gen-eration plumber, learningthe trade from his father andgrandfather. Brad began his

career in the plumbing in-dustry as soon as he wasable to qualify as a “goffer”working alongside his fatherand grandfather. He hasloved this industry for as longas he can remember.

Brad Sims currentlyworks for Lee Companyholding the position of Com-mercial Sales and Estimat-ing Associate. In a recentinterview with Brad hestated “I am so appreciativeof the opportunity Lee Com-pany has given me. Sincethe day I started I have al-ways been able to demon-strate my highest values in-cluding treating individualsthe way I would want to be

Rigid’s Will Peck, Brian Zielman, Jim Vild, Brad Sturgell,Neil Mason

WinWholesale AppointsJack Johnston PresidentWinWholesale Inc. has

appointed Jack W.Johnston, its chief financialofficer, as president of thecompany effective July 11succeeding Richard W.Schwartz who will remainCEO and chairman of theboard.

Schwartz said Johnstonwill oversee and lead dailymanagement of wholesalingoperations and corporatefunctions, which will allowhim to focus on his CEO andchairman roles to advise the

management team and leadbusiness strategy develop-ment.

“Jack has been an in-valuable part of the organi-zation for 34 years and un-derstands the company andindustry inside and out. He’san excellent choice forpresident as WinWholesalecontinues to offer opportu-nities for hard workingpeople who want to succeed ina local wholesaling company,”Schwartz said.

GF Piping Systems OpensAtlanta Facility

GF Piping Systems an-nounced today opening of itsnew warehouse and distribu-

GF Piping Systems staff at the new Atlanta Distribution Centerincludes from left: Kartson Stuart (Warehouse Clerk), Darryl

Edwards (Regional Sales Director), Jorge Morgan (Manager),Nicholas Shields (Warehouse Clerk), and Jamon Mosely

(Warehouse Clerk).tion facility in Atlanta, Geor-gia. The new 60,000 square-

Tennessee Plumbing News - August, 2011

BARIndustries -------------------------------- page 12Ferguson -------------------------------------- page 16Hodes Co ------------------------------------- page 6KBI --------------------------------------------- page 11Noland Chattanooga ----------------------- page 10Sioux Cheif ----------------------------------- page 9Steinhouse Supply --------------------------- page 7TN811 ------------------------------------------ page 5WSG -------------------------------------------- page 2Zurn -------------------------------------------- page 14

Advertising Index

TENESSEE PLUMBING NEWSCORPORATE OFFICE:

P.O. Box 68 Bethlehem, Georgia 30620Phone 770-207-1197 Fax770-868-1856Website: www.theplumbingnews.com

Facebook: The Plumbing NewsPublisher’s E-mail: [email protected]

Graphics : [email protected] Department : 770-395-1973Graphics : [email protected]

Publisher: [email protected] Morgan - Publisher

Alex Hall - Territory ManagerShea Britt - Writer

Shannon Manders - AdministratorJames Bickert - Art Director

The Tennessee Plumbing News is a monthly publication of Morgan PublishingCompany. The publisher does not assume responsibility for statements madeby advertisers and reports opinions by dealers, suppliers and manufacturers

as quoted. The advertising and copy deadline for the next issue isSeptember 10th, 2011. All contents are copyright 2011

Morgan Publishing Co.


Jack MorganEditor and Publisher

Publisher’s Message

treated. Our mission state-ment here at Lee Companyis “creating a workplace inwhich the employees canthrive” and this company hasalways held true to that state-ment.”

Brad also serves as theVice-President of PHCCMiddle Tennessee and lovesbeing able to give back to thistrade that has provided somuch for his family for gen-erations.

Brad resides with hiswonderful wife, Lindy andtheir two beautiful children,Garrett and Sydney. In hisfree time, Brad loves to throwhis line in the water, play golfand travel.

PHCC Middle Tennesseewould like to congratulateBrad Sims on being thePHCC Member of themonth!

Brad SimsCONTINUED from PAGE 1

Showroom at 1645 BonnieLn in Cordova.. Coburn’ hasscheduled its GRANDOPENING open house forSeptember 28, 2011 andwant to invite everyone tomake plans to come by andmeet all the staff at 3332One Place.


Coburn

THE PIPELINECONTINUED from PAGE 1

because I don’t like playingthe game. Let’s just say thatif I tried to grow tomatoes,they’d come up sliced. Inany case, it should be a funtime for everybody. Takingplace from September 21-24, there is the PHCC Con-nect in Minneapolis, MNwhich, in addition to being agreat place to find inspira-tion and network to improveyour business, will haveplenty of entertainment foryou as well. Also, pleasenote that MAPA’s fishingtournament has been can-celled due to prior flood dam-age at the location. But donot be discouraged. Afterall,good things come to thosewho bait. Carry on, goodpeople!

--

Johnston started as an ac-countant with the organizationin 1977. He became CFO in2005 and is a certified publicaccountant. His replacement asCFO will be named in the future,Schwartz said. Schwartz hasbeen with WinWholesale since1971. He became president,CEO and chairman of the boardin 1998. WinWholesale is one ofthe nation’s largest distributorsof domestic and industrial sup-plies and equipment. There aremore than 500 local companiesacross the country representingthe Winnelson, Winair,Winlectric, Windustrial,Winwater, Winfastener,Winpump and Noland Com-pany brands.

WinWholesale Inc.(www.winwholesale.com) is aleading supplier of domestic andindustrial supplies and materialsheadquartered in Dayton, Ohio.The privately-held companyconsists of more than 450wholesaling corporations inwhich WinWholesale is an eq-uity partner, and also NolandCompany, a wholly-owned sub-sidiary. Noland is a wholesalerwith more than 70 locationsmainly in theSoutheast .Col lect ive ly,WinWholesale is referred to as“The Win Group ofCompanies.”


Johnston

CONNECT 2011 Can MoveYour Business Forward!

Experience new strate-gies, new tools and new en-ergy, Sept. 21-24, 2011, inMinneapolis. For p-h-c con-tractors, the only place to beSeptember 21-24 is at CON-NECT 2001, where threepowerhouses – the Plumb-ing-Heating-Cooling Con-tractors—National Associa-tion, the Construction Con-tractors’ Alliance (CCA) andQuality Service Contractors(QSC) – are teaming up forthe biggest and best annualconvention tailored exclu-sively to the p-h-c industry.This year’s schedule ispacked with new business-building ideas and tactics toincrease your profits, runyour business more effi-ciently and learn about newtechnologies and trends.

More than 20 educationsessions will be offered,ranging from managing theyounger, changingworkforce, to ranging frommanaging the younger,changing workforce, to op-portunities in the maturemarket.

Experts will provide valu-able advice on topics like:hydronic heating and solarthermal systems; social me-dia; -retirement financialplanning; selling energy andwater audits; how to calcu-late profit; improving profitabil-

ity with mobile devices, andmuch more!

Since QSC’s and CCA’sprogramming will run con-currently with CONNECT2011, this is an ideal oppor-tunity to explore what thesetwo PHCC enhanced ser-vice groups of fer. Also,PHCC’s Union-Af filiatedContractors (UAC) will offereducational sessions for theunion-employing contrac-tors. This year’s partnersare: Diamond — BradfordWhite Corp., Federated In-surance, InSinkErator andKohler Co.; Platinum —Viega; Gold — HammondValve, PHCC EducationalFoundation, Reed Mfg.Company andWinWholesale; Silver —Delta Faucet Co., Moen andNIBCO.

Greetings Plumbing Pros.I hope you all are having awonderful summer and wereable to take a very deserved

and needed family vacation.It’s hard to believe that weare approaching the end ofsummer and fall is justaround the corner. With thisin mind, I would like to Re-mind you all that many of theASPE, PHCC, MAPA, ABPA,etc. are starting up theirmeetings. For those of youwho may not had a chanceto attend and or are notmembers, please take theopportunity to go once.You’ll find out these organi-zations are here to help youand our industry. This is anexcellent opportunity to net-work with friends and indus-

try professionals. As we ap-proach late summer andearly fall there are a coupleof events that I would liketo mention. The PMA ofGeorgia will be hostingtheir annual Memorial Golfouting September the 19th.This year the tournamentwill be honoring PDI leg-ends Glad and Sid Mealor.The National PHCC & QSCwill hold their connect 2001in Minneapolis, MN. Markyour calendars for all theseexciting events and I hopeto see you there! Pleaseemail us any other eventsyour organization may havecoming up and we will behappy to place it in our eventcalendar. I also wanted tomention, we have been get-

ting a few calls on how longthe Newspaper takes to getin the mail. That’s our won-derful USPS at work. May Isuggest you send in yourname and address with youremail address and receiveour digital version. This wayyou will get your Newspaperright away. Thanks to all who

support our industry andplease support our advertis-ers. Without them it wouldnot be possible to publish ev-ery month. Wishing you allsuccess as we move forwardand hope I you enjoy the endof summer. Best Regards toall and I’ll see you down thePipeline.

CONTINUED on PAGE 5

Ferguson DreamBathroom Giveaway

Grand Prize AwardedMichigan resident,

Cynthia Weaver, was se-lected from more than 1.2million entries to receive a$50,000 bathroom remodelfrom Ferguson Bath,Kitchen and Lighting Gal-lery. Weaver will receive thebathroom of her dreams fea-turing premium Kohler®products. The remodel with

include a new toilet, sinks,faucets, showering system,bathtub, cabinets,countertops, lighting, wallcovering and flooring. AFerguson showroom con-sultant from Ann Arbor,Mich. as well as professionalremodeler, Paulson's Con-struction, will execute therenovation project.

"I was right in the middleof an unsuccessful bath-room remodel, so wentonline to look for ideas and


September 22nd 2011Coburn Supply Memphis Open HouseLOCATION: 3332 One PlaceCONTACT: http://www.coburns.com

October 4-7th, 2011Greenbuild 2011LOCATION: Toronto, OntarioCONTACT: www.greenbuildexpo.org

October 5-7th, 2011WaterSmart Innovations Conference & ExpoLOCATION: Las Vegas, NevadaCONTACT: www.WaterSmartInnovations.com

February 8-11, 2012NAHB International Builders ShowLOCATION: Orlando, FLCONTACT: www.buildersshow.com

April 19th, 2012TAPHCC Annual ConventionLOCATION: Nashville, TNCONTACT: www.taphcc.com

April 27-29th, 2012Kitchen & Bath Industry ShowLOCATION: Chicago, ILCONTACT: www.kbis.com

E V E N T S C A L E N D A R

2nd Tuesday of Every MonthNorth East Tennessee PHCC MeetingLOCATION: Call for DetailsCONTACT: 423-926-2665 (M. Vance)

2nd Thursday of Every MonthMemphis Area Plumbing AssociationLOCATION: Call for DetailsCONTACT: 901-763-3109

3rd Monday of Every MonthNashville Chapter ASPE MeetingLOCATION: 2995 Sidco Dr., NashvilleCONTACT: (615) 889-8900 (VP Membership)

3rd Tuesday of Every Month 12 PMEast Tennessee Chapter ASPE MeetingLOCATION: Rothchilds CateringCONTACT: www.easttmaspe.org

3rd Tuesday of Every Month 11:00 AMMiddle Tennessee PHCC MeetingLOCATION: Pickadilly’s at MurfreesboroCONTACT: 615-224-1024

CALL FOR DETAILSClarksville, PHCC MeetingLOCATION: Call for DetailsCONTACT: Alana Ward 931-645-2859

CALL FOR DETAILSChattanooga PHCC MeetingLOCATION: Wally’s on RingoldCONTACT: 423-622-3178

4th Monday of Every MonthMemphis Chapter ASPE MeetingLOCATION: 969 Ridgeway Blvd., MemphisCONTACT: (901) 795-0045 (VP Membership)

4th Monday of Every MonthKnoxville PHCC MeetingLOCATION: Calhoun’s Bearden HillCONTACT: 865-522-1124 Ann Harris

September 7-11th, 2011World Plumbing ConferenceLOCATION: Edinburgh, ScotlandCONTACT: www.wpc2011.co.uk

September 20th, 20111PHCC - MT TradeshowLOCATION:CONTACT: www.phccmt.com

September 21st-24th, 2011PHCC ConnectLOCATION: Minneapolis, MinnesotaCONTACT: www.phccweb.org

Send all of your open house, continuing education, seminar, and trade show information to:THE TENNESSEE PLUMBING NEWS CALENDAR P.O. Box 68 Bethlehem, Georgia 30620 or Fax 770-868-1856

Brian Zeilman of Ridgid, Stephen Schween of Viega

Jennifer Rodgers, Dennis DeBlock, Janice Rewers ofState Water Heaters

Jim Vild of Ridgid, David Burkeen of FlowConstruction

Lindsay Matway, Ridgid Calendar Girl signingautographs

Carol Knox and Beth Gurley provided lunch cateredfrom Slick Pig and Life's Daily Bread

Former NFL Pro-Bowler Blaine Bishop and BrentDougherty of 104.5 The Zone hosting their sports talk

radio show "Three Hour Lunch" on site

Neal Green and David Clark of Mid AmericaMarketing

Ross Smell, Bo Green, and David Dulaney of Mid-South Maintenance

Rigid’s Will Peck, Brian Zielman, Jim Vild, BradSturgell, Neil Mason

Scenes from Ferguson Nashville’s RIDGID Reputation Roadshow


came across the FergusonDream Bathroom Give-away," said grand prize win-ner Weaver. "I entered thecontest almost every day,but didn't think I would everwin. I cannot put into wordsmy level of excitement whenI received the news that Ihad actually been chosen!"

Paul McClorey, Presidentof Paulson's Construction,commented, "We look for-ward to working withFerguson on this job to makeCynthia's dream bathroom areality. Her current bath-room is rather small andcramped, typical of homesbuilt in the mid-1970s. Wewill completely change thespace and create a spa-likeexperience."

"Cynthia has a lot of greatideas about the design of herdream bathroom and our roleis to educate and guide herKohler product selections tofit the design scheme," saidHeidi Gillespie, Fergusonshowroom manager in AnnArbor, Mich. "The bathroomis going to be amazing andwe can’t wait to see the endresult when it's complete."

This is the second yearFerguson has sponsored theDream Giveaway contest.Last year, a family fromDelaware won a $75,000kitchen remodel.


Giveaway

foot logistics center hasspace for a large product in-ventory, a sales department aswell as a customer receptionand specialist-training areas.The plant was opened toshorten lead times and providebetter customer service in theregion, putting muscle behindthe company’s corporate man-tra of “We Act Fast” while un-derscoring the company’scommitment to its custom-ers in the US market.

With GF Piping System’sNorth American headquar-ters in Tustin, California,goods sent from Europe byship have been unloaded nLos Angeles until now. Fromthere, it’s a lengthy ride bytruck to eastern parts of theUS. With the new distribu-tion center in Atlanta, the lo-gistics chain is greatly short-ened. Now goods can beshipped directly from Atlan-tic ports to Savannah, re-ducing the sea route by halfover 4,300 miles. The short-ened delivery cycle contin-ues by truck as many cus-tomers can be reachedmore quickly from Atlanta.The faster deliveries are alsoa major improvement for theproducts shipped from thecompany’s manufacturingplant in Little Rock, Arkan-sas.

Beyond the clear benefitof faster deliveries, closerproximity also means moreintensive communicationwith customers in the re-gion, ultimately providing thecompany with a much stron-ger position in the US. Alongwith the important benefits ofimproved sales, service anddelivery, shorter transporttime also translates into re-duced emissions into the en-vironment. According toBrian LaBelle, Director ofMarketing, the decision toexpand to the southeast waswell thought-out andplanned. “We discussed theproject in depth with our endcustomers and distributors.We wanted to know whatthey thought of our strategy.The feedback was really en-couraging. Our distributorsexpect the new center willbe an advantage for themtoo.” Now in operation, theresulting expansion providesa stronger company pres-ence and faster responsetimes.’’ Heading up the At-lanta facility is Jorge Mor-gan, who moved from thecompany’s Tustin, Californiaheadquarters after fouryears with the company inpurchasing. Morgan has 10years of logistics experienceand is well-equipped to man-

age the dynamics and chal-lenges an undertaking ofthis size brings. “It’s a fast-paced atmosphere here atGF Piping Systems,” saysMorgan. “The business isconstantly developing andthat represents a real chal-lenge. I feel my experiencein logistics will be a benefitto this new position.” Withthe successful introductionof the Atlanta logistics cen-ter, the company plans toopen another facility inPennsylvania to continuethe momentum for improv-ing coverage in the US mar-ket.

The GF Piping Systems’Atlanta facility is located at5570 Westfield Drive, At-lanta, Georgia 30336. GFPiping Systems supplies afull range of plastic pipe, fit-tings, tubing, valves, actua-tors, rotameters, fusion ma-chines, secondary contain-ment, tank linings, heat ex-changers, custom products,and sensors and instrumen-tation for industrial processcontrol.

For further information,please contact GF PipingSystems, Toll Free (800)854-4090 and on the web:www.gfpiping.com.


GF Piping Efficient, Low-Maintenance SolutionsFor Space and Design-Savvy

Commercial BathsGood things come in

small packages. AmericanStandard illustrates this ad-age in two new commercialbath offerings that combinehigh-performance and low-maintenance features withinnovative small-space de-signs. The new Lucia™ wallhung lavatory and Huron™

toilet are small in stature, butoffer full-sized features andperformance.

Lucia Wall-Hung Lava-tory Sink

The strikingly stylishLucia wall-mount lavatorysink offers integral sideshelves – perfect for storingtoiletries – and suitable for

small spaces such as medi-cal offices, hotels, restau-rants and condominiums.

The practical design of-fers nearly 15-inches of us-able storage surface and agraceful bowed front bowlthat is complemented by anarching 2-inch back splash.

CONTINUED on PAGE 13


Discount Plumbing & Electrical SupplyDiscount Plumbing &

Electrical Supply, located inFranklin, TN, would like torecognize Adam Breece attheir Counter Sales Repre-sentative.

Adam Breece began hiscareer with Discount Plumb-ing & Electrical Supply 9years ago and currentlyholds the position of CounterSales Representative.

Adam is a 10 year veteranof the plumbing and electri-cal industry and recentlystated to the Plumbing Newsthat he really enjoys work-ing for Discount Plumbing &

Electrical Supply and en-joys working with a greatgroup of co workers and cus-tomers!

Adam Breece resideswith his wonderful wife An-gela and their two children,

Seth and Cohen. In hisspare time, Adam enjoysspending time with his fam-ily and watching and rootingfor the Atlanta Braves.

You may reach AdamBreece at 615-794-1068.

Adam Breece

CONTINUED on PAGE 10

New Ditch Witch All TerrainAir Hammer Conquer’s The

Hardest Rock

The Ditch Witch® orga-nization announces the re-lease of the All Terrain AirHammer, which is designedto work with All Terrain di-rectional drills to penetratethe hardest rock.

Ditch Witch All Terraindirectional drills are provento install utility conduit withexceptional efficiency in thewidest range of ground for-mations, from mixed hardsoil to cobble to solid rock.Designed for use with theJT4020 All Terrain andJT100 All Terrain directionaldrills, the All Terrain Air Ham-mer expands the range of

Ditch Witch All Terrain direc-tional drills to include thehardest rock.

Along with Ditch Witch AllTerrain directional drills, airhammers and mud motorsare designed for penetratingsolid rock. But one advan-tage the All Terrain Air Ham-mer has over its competitorsis patented All Terrain tech-nology, which enables the AllTerrain Air Hammer to con-tinuously drill as it is beingsteered, resulting in a faster,more efficient bore. Conven-tional air hammers requirestopping the drill rotation tochange directions, and mud

A.O. Smith & PHCCEducational Foundation

Award College ScholorshipsA. O. Smith (www.hot

water.com) announced thewinners of two $2,500 schol-arships for students pursu-ing plumbing-heating-cool-ing related studies.

The Plumbing-Heating-

Cooling Contractors(PHCC) Educational Foun-dation administers thescholarship program and isresponsible for selecting theaward winners. The scholar-



motors typically begin tolose their effectiveness be-yond 20,000-psi rock.

Mud motors also typicallyrequire a great deal ofdownhole fluid, while the AllTerrain Air Hammer doesnot. It has a very low flowrate, only 4 gpm (15 L/min),so fluid costs are minimal, asare cleanup time and ex-pense. Used properly, the AllTerrain Air Hammer leavesonly dry cuttings and a rela-tively small amount of foamthat is used downhole to re-move the cuttings. And un-like other air hammers onthe market, the All TerrainAir Hammer requires no oiler

Hammer

Plumbing runs in JohnComerford Jr's blood. Hisgrandfather and father wereplumbers. So were twobrothers. Now one of hissons is, too.

“Our name is on our busi-nesses,” Comerford says.“No one in my family has dis-graced it yet - and I'm notgoing to be the first!”

Since 1978, ComerfordPlumbing has forged a repu-tation for the highest stan-dards of professional ser-vice at reasonable rates inthe suburbs west of Cleve-land. “We concentrate onbasic residential work -drain cleaning and faucet fix-ing,” John adds. “Bath-rooms and kitchens havekept me very busy for threedecades!”

The key to success, heclaims, is simple: “don't doanything you wouldn't do inyour own home - and choosethe right tools for the job.”

That's why four genera-tions of Comerford plumbingprofessionals have trustedtough, reliable drain clean-ers from General PipeCleaners.

“My father used aHandylectric™, and I startedwith a used Super-Vee™ -also from my dad,” he re-calls. “As the commercialsays, 'don't leave home with-out it'!”

In fact, Comerford hasowned four Super-Veepower drain cleaners since1978.

The hand-held Super-Veeeasily unclogs sink, shower,toilet, and laundry drain linesup to 3" in diameter. With adependable motor, durablealuminum drum, and toughFlexicore® cable, Super-Vee withstands the mostdemanding small line jobs -and keeps working.

General's heavy dutyFlexicore cable offers supe-rior kinking resistance andunequalled strength with theright amount of flexibility. It'sso tough that it carries thebest warranty in the busi-ness - one-year protectionagainst breakage.

“None of my Super-Veesever went bad,” he laughs.

Four Generations of Plumbers CountOn General Power drain Cleaners

“The motors never woreout. They just got kinda beatup from all the abuse I putthem through. And I thoughtI deserved nice clean newones!”

Replacement neverstopped any of Comerford'solder Super-Vees fromworking, either. “I simplygave one to my son - andsold another to a plumberfriend of mine,” he reveals.

The Super-Vee automati-cally adjusts to 1/4” to 3/8”diameter cable - no specialtools or parts required. Aslide-action chuck built intothe front grip shield also en-gages and releases thecable with a quick push orpull - even while cable is ro-tating.

“I prefer the hands-onfeel of Super-Vee,”Comerford says. “You just

push in a little at a time - thenlock-in the cable when youreally need it.”

Convenient, quick-change cartridges ofGeneral's Super-Vee alsomake messy cable switch-ing clean and easy.

“It works great,”Comerford contends. “I eas-ily use it five or six times aweek - maybe even more.”

He even employs it pre-ventively. “On new sinks, I'llsnake the drains with mySuper-Vee - just to makesure they're clear of debrisand everything's workingwell.”

Comerford also says he'sretrieved some pretty sur-prising things with his Super-Vee.

“Drain cleaning can bepretty messy, and you ex-

pect to see some nastystuff,” he admits, “But imag-ine my surprise when mySuper-Vee™ once snaked aBatman toy from a line. I stilldon't know how I did it!”

“Super-Vee is very easyto use,” Comerford con-cludes. “It's well worth themoney, and I tell everybodythat it's my preferred tool forsmall-line jobs!”

or drilling mud, which re-duces maintenance ex-pense and overall cost ofproduction. The All TerrainAir Hammer comes in a kitthat includes everything theoperator needs: the unit it-self; a 6.5-inch (165 mm)convex bit, convex bit jaw,and 4-inch (102 mm) jaw as-sembly; two slide pins; theRockmaster Air Housing;and a fluid pump and airadapter kit. Featuring largerair ports, the Rockmaster AirHousing is designed to helpmaximize the productivity ofthe All Terrain Air Hammer.

For more informationabout the All Terrain Air Ham-mer, please call 800-654-6481 or visit ditchwitch.com.


CONTINUED on PAGE

Standing Tall in a Flat WorldWhen you call most com-

panies at any time, let aloneat 7:07 AM as I recently did,you would expect your callto be managed by an auto-mated response system andeventually dumped in avoice mail account.

Now let’s say that com-pany was an Americanmanufacturer, and you be-lieve the stereotypes. If, bychance, you did avoid theauto-pilot, you might expect,at best, to reach a dispiritedemployee counting the daysuntil his or her job isoutsourced to some impov-erished country on the East-ern rim.

The company I called,however, was no ordinaryAmerican manufacturer.

A real person answeredthe phone, a woman with asoft Missouri drawl and alively spirit, “Welcome toSioux Chief,” she saidbrightly, “can I connectyou?”

Startled, I asked for myextension. Even more star-tling, my contact, SiouxChief’s vice-president forproduct development, RexBaer, picked up his line. AsI explained to Baer, I havebeen the executive editor of

a regional business maga-zine for the last dozen years,and no company I havecalled at 7 AM ever had areal person answer thephone, let alone with enthu-siasm. Baer seemedunfazed. “Well,” he said ascasually as if everyone didwhat Sioux Chief did, “it’s 8AM on the east coast, andwe’ve got clients there whowant to do business.”

Sioux Chief also has cli-ents on the west coast andcompetitors throughout theworld. Its employees get towork early and energetic,eager to grab a little moremarket share. If Americanmanufacturing is on decline,or if the housing industry isin the dumps, no one seemsto have sent them thememo.

This one unexpectedtransaction shed some clari-fying light on a question thatI had been asking myselfsince I had started studyingSioux Chief:

What specific set of vir-tues enables a family ownedand operated Americanmanufacturing company toprosper in a less than ro-bust market that is alreadydense with large German

and American multinationalsas well as scores of import-ers of state-subsidized Chi-nese product?

An American BrandAs I was beginning to

see, Sioux Chief was build-ing its brand on its intrinsicMidwest values: a strongwork ethic, an unforced feelfor customer service, a genu-ine enthusiasm about theproducts it creates, and a re-spect and admiration for itscustomers. These havebeen and continue to be auseful foundation in a worldthat had grown increasinglysmall, flat, and competitive. Ifit was 7 AM in Kansas City, itwas 2 PM in Stuttgart and 9PM in Shenzhen.

But trying to understandSioux Chief in relation to itsworldwide competitionmisses the mark. Sioux Chiefcompetes, for sure, but onlysecondarily with the world.Sioux Chief competes prima-rily with itself.

That self-driven approachto business has resulted inexplosive growth since Baerfirst joined the company in1987. Then, he was one of18 employees at a 23,000square foot facility. Today, heis one of about 350 employ-ees in a 300,000 square footfacility on a 140-acre campus.That campus is located inPeculiar, Missouri, hard by amajor highway, a half-hoursouth of Kansas City. Here,in an airy, modern plant,Sioux Chief invents and pro-duces the vast majority of its5,000-plus rough plumbingproducts.

Touring the BrandIn the past few years,

hundreds of customers havevisited the Sioux Chief cam-pus for plant tours. Uponvisiting, a common reactionfrom guests, according toDominic Ismert, SiouxChief’s Director of Market-ing, is, “We had no idea youmade all of this.”

In a market known forbuying and selling instead ofmanufacturing, visitors arestunned to learn that onecompany could invent andmanufacture so many prod-ucts—enough to fill hundredsof catalog pages—in a singlefactory. Well, it can, and ithas. The factory is real. Sois the brand.

Visitors have an evenharder time believing thatSioux Chief has patentedmany of its products andengineered the tooling andequipment used to auto-mate and manufacture theproducts—all in the same

plant.“We develop across sev-

eral product lines,” saysSioux Chief President andCEO Joe Ismert. “We avoidniches and slots. This is un-usual in our business, but wewant to play with the bigboys.” Indeed.

Sioux Chief focuses onthree rough plumbing prod-uct groups: supply, drainageand support. These are bigcategories. They encom-pass much of rough plumb-ing. Sioux Chief needs thisbackdrop in part because itdreams big. But the line ismore than mere dreams.Over its 50 plus years inbusiness, Sioux Chief hasamassed a significant offer-ing in each rough plumbingcategory. And, they havedone so one product at atime.

Sioux Chief holds patentsin supply systems, drainagesystems and support sys-tems. This is very rare in therough plumbing market, andthis rarity makes it harder formany to comprehend thebrand. Sioux Chief’s ex-traordinary story, however, isbeginning to spread, andcustomers are taking notice.More and more contractors,wholesalers and other cus-tomers of every stripe arelooking to Sioux Chief as aprimary vendor for all thingsrough plumbing.

When asked what hasaccounted for thecompany’s growth and ad-vancing market position,Joe Ismert says succinctly,“We don’t rest on our lau-rels. We invent. There issomething new on a quar-terly basis.” Sioux Chiefemployees invent by listen-ing, by implementing, by be-ing, says Ismert, “one withthe plumber.”

Customers seem toagree. “It is apparent thatSioux Chief does its home-work,” says Keith Koster,quality assurance managerof Price Brothers Plumbingin Charlotte, North Carolina.“Their people get out into tothe field. They see what’s inthe field. They see what weneed, and they come upwith better mousetraps.”

One recently developedSioux Chief “mousetrap,”the Finish Line drainage so-lution, was invented just acouple of years ago. Itsolves an age-old problemwith drainage installations.Plumbing contractors typi-cally install a floor drainagesystem before the concreteis poured. As a result, thedrain cover is rarely finishedflush with the floor. It is lowor high. It is often damaged

or crooked. It even might bethe wrong finish.

The solution was simplebut revolutionary: a drainthat could be adjusted afterthe pour. This allows for allkinds of possibilities andfixes: an adjustment up anddown, a fix from crooked tostraight or even a change ofthe finish strainer. SiouxChief was able to refine theproduct, patent it, test it, listit, manufacture it and bringit to market – and all fromits plant in the heart ofAmerica.

While no American com-pany can compete with theChinese on manpowercosts alone, Sioux Chiefcompetes through produc-tivity. “We make our ownstuff,” says Joe Ismert. “Sowe are extremely efficienton the floor. I can have oneperson running ten ma-chines. This allows us tocompete on a world-classbasis.”

A tour through the SiouxChief factory proves this out.Automated and roboticequipment, invented andmanufactured on the pre-mises, can be seen everyfew feet turning out quality,tested products with a crispAmerican manufacturedcadence.

A Brand EmbracedThe Sioux Chief brand

might be nurtured in its Mis-souri plant, but it comes fullyalive in the field. The SiouxChief brand, in a sense, iscomplete only if the needs ofits rough plumbing customersare considered.

Keith Koster observesthat Sioux Chief makes agood contractor partner. “Ithink you feel a true partner-ship with Sioux Chief,” hesays. “They listen to the chal-lenges we have and are veryinterested in seeing us suc-ceed.”

Quality, for Koster, is criti-cal above all else. As he ex-plains, his plumbers installsystems that carry water un-der pressure, often behindsheet rock walls. “It is im-portant that we are installingquality products,” say Koster,“and just as important thatthere is someone who standsbehind them. Sioux Chief hasquality control measures youcan count on.”

He continues, “The SiouxChief trademark matters. Itgives our guys confidencethey are installing quality.”

If Sioux Chief quality andinnovation begin relation-ships with its customers, itsbreadth of line helps to growthem “When you look atSioux Chief catalogue,” says


ship program is designed toattract the new talent essen-tial to the future of the plumb-ing and HVACR industry.

The 2011 scholarship re-cipients are Katie Burns ofSocial Circle, Ga., and MeganSchroeder of Maple Grove,Minn.

Katie Burns has enrolledas a full-time undergraduatestudent at the University ofGeorgia in Athens, Ga., pur-

suing a degree in businessmanagement. Her aspirationsare to own and run the familyplumbing business, which hasbeen in the Burns familysince 1920. Katie will be thefourth generation to work inthe industry, hoping to expandthe business?s reach to awider clientele.

Megan Schroeder hasenrolled as a full-time under-graduate student at the Uni-versity of Wisconsin-Madisonpursuing a degree in me-chanical engineering. Her in-

terests lie mainly with creat-ing applications for renewableenergy technologies and con-servation strategies that pro-tect the planet and preserveenergy. While working withher father, Jon Schroeder,Megan has learned aboutsome of the industry?s newprocesses and productsavailable to residential andcommercial applications.

For eight consecutiveyears, A. O. Smith has sup-ported the future leaders ofthe PHCC industry with an-

nual collegiate scholarships.We are proud to sponsorthese qualified and talentedstudents in their pursuit of acareer within our industry,?said A. O. Smith Brand Man-ager David Chisolm.

To qualify for a PHCC Edu-cational Foundation scholar-ship (www.foundation.phccweb.org), students must sub-mit a detailed application in-cluding a letter of recommen-dation from an active mem-ber of the PHCC ? NationalAssociation and enroll in a

plumbing-heating-cooling re-lated course of study or ap-prentice program such asbusiness management, con-struction management or sci-ence specializing in mechani-cal construction or mechani-cal engineering.

About A. O. SmithHeadquartered in Ashland

City, Tenn., A. O. Smith Wa-ter Products Company is aleading manufacturer andmarketer of residential andcommercial water heatersand boilers. A. O. Smith offerscontractors an additionalcompetitive advantage in thatthe company designs, builds,distributes and field supportsthe world’s broadest anddeepest line of residentialand commercial water heat-ers, as well as commercialboilers. This single-sourceconcept simplifies ordering,installation and service and isbacked by more than 70years of research and inno-vation. For more information,visit www.hotwater .com.

About PHCC EducationalFoundation

The PHCC EducationalFoundation, a partnership ofcontractors, manufacturers,and wholesalers, wasfounded in 1987 to serve theplumbing-heating-cooling in-dustry by preparing contrac-tors and their employees tomeet the challenges of a con-stantly changing market-place. Students interested inpursuing a career in theplumbing or HVACR profes-sions are invited to visitw w w . f o u n d a t i o n .phccweb.org for informationon 2012 scholarships.


Scholarship

A. O. SmithNames Rajendra

PresidentMilwaukee-based A. O.

Smith Corp. announced thatAjita G. Rajendra has beennamed president and chiefoperating officer, effectiveSept 1. He will be responsiblefor A. O. Smith’s water heateroperations in North America,China, Europe and India, aswell as the company’s waterpurification business in China.The $1.5 billion business has17 manufacturing plantsaround the world and employsapproximately 10,000 people.In addition, Rajendra will be re-sponsible for the Lochinvar glo-bal boiler business, once theacquisition of that company iscomplete. He also will overseeA. O. Smith’s global technologycenters focused on research,development and product en-gineering, and the corporation’sinformation technologyfunction.

Tennessee Plumbing News - August, 2011 CONTINUED from PAGE 9

Standing Tall

Rex Baer , V.P. New Product Development; Wade Long, National Sales Manager; Charlie England,Dupree Plumbing; Joe P. Ismert, President/Owner - Sioux Chief; Mike Dupree, Dupree Plumbing;Larry Reno, Dupree Plumbing; Mike Stallings, Division Sales Manager; Brad Hall, McKee-Nix

Koster, “it is like going to ahardware store.”

As part of his firm’s pro-cess improvement, Kosteroften explores the Sioux Chiefinventory to replace alterna-tive products that simply donot work as well. As a result,the 175-employee PriceBrothers is doing ten timesthe business with SiouxChief that it did just tenyears ago.

Sioux Chief has also be-come close with its whole-saler partners, many ofwhom have come to realizethe power of pleasing thecontractor with a provenbrand, one whose perceivedvalue helps them move offthe shelf.

“They have good insight asto what market will bear,”says Mike Hickock, executivevice-president of the multi-state wholesaler, First Supply.“They make a very goodwholesaler’s partner.”

Hickock’s colleague atFirst Supply, executive VP,Elliott Collier describes SiouxChief as “aggressive” in theirpartnership.

What Collier means is thatSioux Chief is not just help-ful, but pro-actively helpful.“Every time that we haveasked them to be involved,”Collier elaborates, “They arethe first ones to sign up.” TheFirst Supply executives citeSioux Chief’s excellent inde-pendent representation, itscooperative marketing ef-forts, its willing participation inproduct shows, its new prod-uct innovations, and its com-prehensive product listings.

A manufacturer, who canprovide what the wholesalerwants, when he wants it andat a fair price, will have a cus-tomer for life. Accordingly,Sioux Chief and First Supplyhave been working togetheras long as anyone at eithercompany can remember.Sioux Chief and Price Broth-ers have been working to-gether at least 15 or 20 years.

Collier sums up the SiouxChief outreach with the word“touches.” From the CEO ondown, Sioux Chief has im-pressed its customer with“the number of touchesthroughout the year.” Evenduring boom years, SiouxChief never took the relation-ship for granted.

Standing TallWith engineering as pre-

cise as the Germans and pric-ing that is competitive with theChinese, Sioux Chief hasproved that an Americanmanufacturer can succeed inthe international market-

place—even in rough plumb-ing. The growth of its brandof rough plumbing productstestifies to the same. As thestory spreads, this Americanbrand will continue its march.

If you want to learn moreabout how a family ownedmanufacturer of roughplumbing products right herein the U.S.A. can stand tall ina competitive world, you mighttake a look through the SiouxChief catalog, take a peek atthe Sioux Chief website, oreven make a phone call tothe plant.

And 7AM is not too early.


The sink’s upscale and mod-ern appearance is accom-panied by an optional vitre-ous china shroud that offersa polished, clean-looking in-stallation.

The ADA-compliant sinkfeatures a single faucethole, with additional modelsoffering four- or eight-inchcenters available in early

Efficient

The stylish Lucia™ wall-mountlavatory sink from AmericanStandard is ideal for smallspaces. The addition of a

hands-free Selectronic® sensorfaucet is well-suited for

healthcare and institutionaluse.


With its sturdy floor-mountdesign and comfortable RightHeight® and ADA-compliantfeatures, the Huron™ high-

efficiency space-saving toilet isideal for healthcare /bariatric

applications.2012.

Huron Floor-Mount RearOutlet Toilet

The Huron high-effi-ciency toilet (HET) offers aunique space-saving shapein a floor-mount, rear-outletdesign. Measuring a scant24 ½-inches from the wall –

nearly four-inches shorterthan a standard toilet – theHuron toilet combines lead-ing HET performance andproduct features not tradi-tionally available to commer-cial specifiers.

“Specifiers need versa-tile products like the Huronfor space-challenged appli-cations that require

floor-mounted, rear outletdesigns along with HET per-formance,” explains TonyD’Amato, senior productmanager,commercial prod-ucts for American Standard.“The Huron combines all ofthese leading features inone of the smallest footprintsavailable.”

The sturdy floor-mountdesign of the Huron toilet isideal for institutional andhealthcare/bariatric appli-cations, while its RightHeight® rim measurementof 17 ¼-inches makes it asolid choice for accessibleand ADA-compliant installa-

tions. The high-efficiency,low-consumption toilet uti-lizes between 1.1 and 1.6gallons per flush (gpf), whileoffering direct-fed siphon jetaction with a 2-inch fully-glazed trapway and a 1½-inch top spud opening.

In addition to its compactdesign, the Huron toiletmounts directly against thefloor and wall, eliminatinghard-to-clean areas. TheHuron toilet features theEverClean® permanentglaze that inhibits the growthof stain and odor-causingbacteria, mold and mildewon the surface, helping itstay cleaner, longer.

Both the Lucia sink andHuron toilet have a one-yearwarranty.

For more information onAmerican Standard com-mercial products, visitwww.americanstandard.comor call (800) 899-2614.

American StandardBrands is a leading North

American manufacturer of awide range of high-qualitybuilding products, includingfaucets, fixtures, furniture,vitreous china fixtures, castiron sinks, whirlpool tubsand other wellness productsfor the bath and kitchen aswell as decorative panels.The company currently of-fers total project solutionsfor residential and com-mercial customers; em-ploys more than 5,000people in the United States,Canada and Mexico; andmarkets products underwell known and respectedbrands, such as AmericanStandard®, Jado®,Porcher®, Safety Tubs®,Crane®, Eljer®, Fiat® andDecorative Panels Interna-tional®. American Stan-dard Brands is an affiliatedportfolio company of SunCapital Partners.

For more information,visit www.americanstandard.com.

Kohler Sponosors WastingWater Is Weird Campaign

PSA Campaign putsonus on Americans to con-sciously stop wasting water,rather than just thinkingabout it

Kohler Co., the 2008 and2009 EPA WaterSense Part-ner of the Year and 2010Excellence Award recipient,is part of a concerned coali-tion pleased to announce itslatest water conservationeffort – Wasting Water IsWeird – a national publicservice campaign launchingtoday and running throughthe remainder of 2011.

The campaign focuseson engaging consumersabout the looming freshwa-ter shortage and encour-ages individuals to embracewater conservation effortsaround their own homesand kick bad habits – suchas running a faucet whilebrushing one’s teeth, or run-ning an almost empty dish-washer. Within the next fiveyears, experts predict that36 states will face seriouswater shortages, and yet,each American uses about100 gallons per day.

That is the rationale be-hind the PSA campaign,which was developed by theShelton Group, a marketingand advertising agency fo-cused on sustainability, andsupported by Kohler andother coalition sponsors in-cluding Lowe’s, Boschhome appliances, Proctor &Gamble and the EPA’sWaterSense program.

The Wasting Water Is

Weird PSA campaign takesa fresh approach away fromgloom-and-doom messag-ing in favor of a more posi-tive, humorous tone to helpmake consumers makeconscious choices. The cen-tral figure is a fictitious“weird” man referred to asRip the Drip, who “showsup” while people are goingabout their daily activitiesand begin wasting water.While using more water thanthey need, thesehomeowners are then ex-posed to Rip and that’s whenthey realize they are wast-ing water – and that wastingwater is weird – so theyabruptly stop.

The new public servicecampaign features myriadmedia platforms, including aseries of video PSAs forbroadcast coverage, a Website, social media, and out-door and online advertising.Individuals are encouragedto visit WastingWaterIsWeird.com to learn aboutRip and the campaign, andview the videos. They canalso go to Facebook and“Like” Rip the Drip, and fol-low him on [email protected].

“Kohler has a large stakein the availability of clean,safe water. And we under-stand the importance to edu-cate homeowners about re-ducing water usage,” saidRob Zimmerman, water con-servation and sustainabilitymanager for Kohler Co.“We need Americans to take

personal responsibility andshift their behaviors frompassively thinking about howto save water to proactivelytaking action, such as in-stalling high-efficiency toi-lets, showerheads and fau-cets.”

After winning back-to-back WaterSense Partnerof the Year awards in 2008and 2009, Kohler receiveda 2010 Excellence Awardfor its efforts to bring to-

gether industry leaders andbolster the WaterSenseprogram. The companyhas hosted a series of“Save Water America”educational and promo-tional events across theUnited States, as well asan interactive Web site –SaveWaterAmerica.com.

“Save Water America isjust one example of ourstrategic collaboration withEPA and was a multi-fac-

eted initiative involvingtouch points with consum-ers and trade alike in de-l iver ing key messagesabout water conservation,”added Zimmerman. “Thislatest multi-pronged PSAcampaign with the SheltonGroup, EPA WaterSenseand the other sponsors isyet another endeavor dem-onstrating Kohler’s com-mitment to environmentalresponsibility.”

Stand Up to Tough Welding, Threadingand Grooving Demands with RIDGID®

TRISTAND® Chain VisesNot only has RIDGID®

improved its line of por-table TRISTAND® chainvises with upgrades tothe Model 460-6, but thecompany has a lso ex-panded the line with theintroduction of the Model460-12, a chain vise ca-pable of gripping up to 12-inch diameter pipe.

The TRISTAND chainvises are intended to holdPVC, steel and copperpipes.

The Model 460-6 canhold pipe between ? and6 inches in d iameter,while the new Model 460-12 has a 12-inch jaw andan extended chain to grippipe diameters rangingfrom ? to 12 inches.

The chain vises areversat i le and durable ,and are designed to meetrugged jobs i te needsyear after year. The baseis optimized to providemore working area – with

the pipe benders locatedat the rear of the base forbend ing o r ad jus t ingpipe, and tool hangers forequipment storage duringuse. The large vise basealso overhangs the frontlegs to allow for clear toolswing.

The 460-6 and 460-12fea tu re an in tegra tedground lug that providesa conductive surface toconnect the weld ground,and a jack screw to helpstabilize the unit duringuse. Both are self-hook-ing fo r p ipe up to 4inches, a feature that isidea l when a secondhand is not available toengage the chain into thewear plate.

“The portable 460-6and 460-12 TRISTANDchain vises provide a va-riety of features that aredesigned with tough weld-ing, threading and groov-ing demands in mind,”

sa id Larry Feskan ich ,product manager, pipetools, RIDGID. “Buildingupon the attributes of the460-6, the Model 460-12is a first-of-its-kind, pro-viding maximum conve-nience for those applica-tions involving larger pipediameters.”

The chain vises fea-ture a leg chain that helpsretain legs, even whensubjected to rugged usedur ing opera t ion andtransport, and a ruggedtool tray to provide pro-longed stability before re-quiring a leg adjustment.The Model 460-12 has anadditional adjustable rearleg, making it easy for theend user to leve l thestand.

The 47-pound 460-6and the 71-pound 460-12fold easily for storage ortransport and are backedby the RIDGID l i fet imewarranty.


PLUMBING NEWSCLASSIFIED ADS

Name

Company

Phone

Fax

E-mail

Ad InformationHelp wanted ads are free for our readers.

All other ad listings are $2 a word (20 wordminimum) and $20 for a photograph.

You can fax your ad to 770-868-1856 or e-mailthem to [email protected]

For credit card processing call, ShannonManders at 404-391-2962

ADVERTISE YOURTRUCK HERE!!!

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 tolearn.

Advanced Plumbing Spe-cialists take on more chal-lenging projects includingtraining and supervising.

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

NEW!Outside Sales

Opening for a PlumbingSpecialty Parts OutsideSales Person for the WestTennessee area. This is acommission only positionwith above average commis-sion rates paid for sales inyour exclusive territory. Thiswould be only for someoneinterested in building their onbusiness over time, not ashort term project. Musthave plumbing sales expe-rience. Company has beenin business for over 50years.

If interested please e-mail letter and resume to:[email protected]


Rheem Debuts the XR90 – A 29-Gallon ResidentialWater Heater That Heats Water Faster Than Any

Standard 50-Gallon Gas Water Heater

The new 29-gallon RheemXR90 heats water faster thanany standard 50-gallon gas

water heater andcosts less to operate annually.

Today, Rheem has un-veiled the new XR90 Ex-treme Recovery Gas WaterHeater. Needing only 29 gal-lons of storage, the RheemXR90 is unique to the mar-ketplace because it can heatwater faster than any stan-dard 50-gallon gas waterheater. Plus, the XR90 costsless annually to operate thanany standard 30-, 40- or 50-gallon gas model.

The XR90 meets, and inmost cases, exceeds theavailable hot water providedby a standard 50-gallon gaswater heater. It has a firsthour rating (FHR) of 90 gal-lons—meaning homeownersget three times the amountof hot water in an hour thanwhat the tank actually holds.

In addition, the RheemXR90 heats water 42 per-cent faster than a typical 50-gallon gas model. The XR90has a recovery rate of 61gallons per hour at a 90°Frise in temperature,

whereas a standard 50-gal-lon gas model has a recov-ery rate of 43 gallons.

The cost and energy ben-efits associated with theXR90 can help contractorsaugment their product port-folios with a unique, cost-ef-fective offering. The XR90costs less to operate annu-ally: only $261 versus $315per year for a standard 50-gallon gas model—a 17 per-cent savings. The unit hasan Energy Factor (EF) of.70, exceeding the require-ments of ENERGY STAR®Phase II.

Depending on the mu-nicipality, the XR90 qualifiesfor certain local and staterebate opportunities,thereby lowering the up-front investment for the ho-meowner.

“Contractors can nowoffer homeowners a smaller,more compact water heaterthat doesn't sacrifice poweror performance,” saidTommy Olsen, Rheem se-nior product manager. “Withthe Rheem XR90, thehousehold gets more hotwater faster, at a lower op-erating cost.”

The Rheem XR90 is theonly gas tank-type waterheater that can fit in thesame space as many 30-gallon and most standard40- or 50-gallon gas waterheaters, while still providingenough hot water for stan-dard 50-gallon applications.The height of the XR90 is65.56 inches, but the diam-eter is only 17.75 inches,versus 21.75 for a standard50-gallon unit. The slimmerprofile facilitates locating theunit in tight-fitting spaces,such as attics, utility closetsand garages, as well asbasement mechanicalrooms. One-man installationis a practical reality, with aninstaller-friendly shippingweight of only 136 pounds.

“Although the XR90 willwork in any residential ap-plication, it is especially idealfor retrofit situations in whicha homeowner wants to up-grade to a higher-performing

model, but has only a smallfootprint available or simplyneeds to save space,” saidOlsen.

How it works: The XR90is able to outperform alarger water heater becauseit features an eco-friendly,low-NOx (40 nanograms perjoule) gas burner with an in-put of 60,000 Btu per hour(Btu/h). This represents asubstantial increase over the40,000 to 50,000 Btu/h inputstypically offered by 50-gallongas models.

The key to delivering bet-ter than a 50-gallon perfor-mance in a 29-gallon pack-age is the application of com-mercial water heating tech-nology to a residential prod-uct. A proprietary baffle andflue design in the RheemXR90 retains the burner’sheat longer and thus transfersmore of it to the stored water.As a result, the by-productsof the combustion processmust be propelled throughthe flue. The XR90 does thiswith a 110-VAC, fan-assisteddraft inducer, powered by astandard household current.All an installer need do is con-nect the factory-suppliedeight-foot, three-prong powercord to the nearest availableoutlet.

“Manufacturers can driveenergy efficiency only so farin a conventional, atmo-spheric gas water heater,”Olsen explained. “To reachour targeted .70 EF, we intro-duced electrical power tothe unit to upgrade the vent-ing process to handle thehigher, 60,000 Btu/h input.”

The inducer is designedto work with a standardthree-inch or four-inch Cat-egory I, double-wall B vent,usually the venting that is al-ready in place in the home.“Not having to switch to someother material, such as PVC,saves time and money on aretrofit installation project,”Olsen noted, adding that,“fan-assist draft induced tech-nology must follow standardatmospheric venting prac-tices.” A factory-suppliedfour-inch adapter is included

with the XR90. Other key fea-tures of the new RheemXR90 include:

Integrated, self-diagnosticHoneywell® gas valve: Thiskey control monitors all wa-ter heater operations, usingan LED readout to identifyproblems and facilitatetroubleshooting and servic-ing. Eight flash codes are pro-grammed into the valve,some are functional and oth-ers are for service work. Thesystem ultimately helps sim-plify installation, troubleshoot-ing and servicing.

Guardian Flammable Va-por Ignition Resistance (FVIR)System: This maintenance-free protective system, whichincludes a flammable vapordetection sensor, automati-cally disables the XR90 in thepresence of such vapors.

High Altitude-Compliant:The XR90 is certified up to7,700 feet above sea level, soit can be installed in mosthomes throughout the UnitedStates. Six-Year Warranty:The XR90 includes a patentedmagnesium anode rod with aspecial resistor to protect thetank from rust. The warrantycan be extended to 10 yearswith the RheemProtectionPlus™ Kit, contain-ing a second anode rod forinclusion at the time of the ini-tial installation.

For more information onthe Rheem XR90 (RheemModel No. 43V30-60), visitwww.rheem.com. RheemManufacturing Company(www.rheem .com) is pri-vately held, with headquar-ters in Atlanta. In its 86thyear of operation, the com-pany manufactures a full-line of eco-friendly, techno-logically advanced residen-tial and commercial heat-ing and cooling systems;tank, tankless, solar andhybrid heat pump waterheaters; whole-homestandby generators, con-trols, swimming pool andspa heaters; indoor air-puri-fication products; and com-mercial boilers throughoutNorth America and worldmarkets..

Milwaukee® M12™ Heated Jacket Availablein Realtree AP™ Camouflage this Fall

Milwaukee Electric ToolCorporation continues toexpand the industry’s larg-est sub-compact batterysystem with the introduc-t ion of the new M12™Realtree AP™ HeatedJacket. The new additionto the M12™ family followsthe Fall 2010 launch of thevery popular red M12™Heated Jacket to satisfymounting user requests toexpand the jacket line toinclude gear for activitiesoff the jobsite like huntingand fishing. This fall, Mil-waukee wi l l of fer theM12™ Heated Jacket in themost popular and versatilecamouf lage pattern,Realtree AP™. Coupledwith Milwaukee innovationand powered by REDLITHIUM™ battery technol-ogy, the new jacket pro-vides unmatched perfor-mance for theoutdoorsmen.

“Compatible with theentire line of M12™ profes-sional power tools, userscan easily utilize the samebattery they have been us-ing all day on the jobsite fora weekend of hunting orfishing with their M12™Realtree AP™ HeatedJacket ,” says MarkSenske, Sr. Product Man-ager, M12™ Cordless Toolsfor Milwaukee Electric ToolCorporation. “Featuressuch as a special fabricblend to reduce noise dur-ing movement, a con-cealed heat controller anda back tag patch to visiblydisplay hunting licenses,demonstrate Milwaukee’scommitment to provide in-novative products whetherusers are on or off thejobsite.”

Designed with best-in-class durability, the jacketwill actively warm the bodyand stimulate blood circu-lation in even the coldestconditions. Hidden in asleek back pocket, whichcan now expand to hold anXC battery, the M12™ REDLITHIUM™ battery deliverssuperior runtime, with up tosix hours of continuousheat on a single battery

charge. Providing unparal-leled warmth and comfort,the new heated jacket uti-lizes three carbon fiberheating zones, positionedin key areas, to warm the

user’s core. This durableheating element can beset to high, medium, or lowwith a simple touch of abutton. Whi le the redM12™ Heated Jacket ’s

easy-touch heat controlleris located on the lapel, thecontroller for the M12™Realtree AP™ HeatedJacket is concealed justinside the lapel so that theblinking light of the control-ler is not visible while theuser is trying to blend in totheir surroundings. The

heated jacket is also wa-ter and wind resistant toprovide comfort and dura-bil i ty in harsh environ-ments. With constant inno-vation in Lithium-Ion, MIL-WAUKEE® continues toexpand its leadership posi-tion in the sub-compactcategory.

issue 8 volume 5 16 pages brad sims ... - the plumbing newsindustrial supplies and materials...

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