Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical acquires Chattanooga-based America’s Plumbing & Sewer

Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical, Tennessee’s largest provider of residential and commercial plumbing, HVAC and electrical service and repair, announced the acquisition of America’s Plumbing & Sewer, formerly operating as a Rooter-man franchisee in Chattanooga. This addition, preceded by the purchase of Chattanooga Heating & Air, will allow Hiller to broaden its service area and better serve the community, it explained.

In October, Hiller launched the newest of its 14 locations in Chattanooga. With this expansion, Hiller’s coverage area includes the entire state of Tennessee and operations in its fourth state, Georgia. While new to the local Chattanooga area, Hiller has provided more than 30 years of plumbing, HVAC and electrical service to neighboring communities. This new location, opened at 7339 Lee Highway, Chattanooga, last month, has already started delivering an exceptional customer experience to local homeowners, the company said.

This experience, paired with Hiller’s longevity and reputation for professionalism, expert technical knowledge and caring for others, was the impetus behind America’s Plumbing & Sewer joining the organization, it added. For Roger Milner, APS’s owner, the primary concern was the future care of his loyal customers.

Milner, who will be joining the Hiller team as Chattanooga’s plumbing manager, said: “This community has shown our business so much support over the years, so ensuring that our clients are well taken care of moving forward is extremely important to me. I decided to join Hiller’s organization because they truly care about those that they serve, and provide a world-class customer experience. I am so excited to be joining the Hiller family and look forward to continuing to serve this great community with them.”

In addition to carrying forward his mission to provide superior plumbing service and repairs, Hiller will deliver heating, cooling, and electrical offerings to these clients, it stated.

“We are so thankful for the opportunity to expand our operations in Chattanooga”, said Jimmy Hiller, founder and CEO at Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electrical. “America’s Plumbing & Sewer has established a reputation for treating customers well and providing an exceptional standard of service. It is an honor to carry their mission forward and welcome these clients to our Happy Hiller family.”

Jake Self, Hiller’s Chattanooga general manager, echoes these sentiments. “We are so proud to be a part of this vibrant community and have loved serving our neighbors here in Chattanooga so far,” he said. “We look forward to continuing to help and serve you in the months and years to come.”

Sloan headquarters earns AWS Standard certification

Sloan has achieved certification to the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard at its Franklin Park, Illinois, headquarters, the company announced

A globally applicable framework for major water users to understand their water use and impacts, AWS certification enables organizations to further work collaboratively and transparently for sustainable water management, Sloan explained. As a global manufacturer of water-efficient commercial restroom products, Sloan’s Franklin Park location innovates and develops sustainable plumbing fixtures each day, it added.

“At Sloan, ‘Water Connects Us’ is more than just a tagline. It’s a commitment to Earth’s most precious resource that we take very seriously,” said Patrick Boyle, Sloan director of sustainability. “Being the first general goods manufacturer to certify to the AWS standard is just one more step in our endeavor to promote water stewardship.”

The AWS Standard asks water-using sites to address water challenges and onsite risks to address these issues in a way that progressively moves them to best practices in terms of the five outcomes of good water stewardship:

• Good water governance;

• Sustainable water balance;

• Good water quality status;

• Important water-related areas; and

• Safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for all.

Sloan touch-free products — from faucets and flushometers to sinks, soap dispensers and hand dryers — are developed with sustainability and hygiene in mind to promote health and wellness in commercial restrooms of all types, the manufacturer said.

“Sloan is the perfect partner to implement the AWS Standard,” said Matt Howard, director of AWS North America. “They are a leader in water-saving restroom products, and their Franklin Park facility plays a major role in the development of those products. With this certification, we’re proud to help highlight benefits to their corporate headquarters from improved water stewardship performance.”

Sloan’s high-efficiency flushometers can cut down a building’s water use by 30%, while its commitment to product transparency through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Health Product Declarations (HPDs), as well as resources such as its Green Product Finder and Sustainability Calculator, promote water sustainability efforts, the company noted.

Copper Development Association names next president and CEO

The Copper Development Association announced the appointment of Andrew G. Kireta, Jr. as the association’s next president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2022. He succeeds Thomas S. Passek, who will retire at the end of 2021 after nearly seven years with the organization.

“The Copper Development Association Board of Directors is thankful for the nearly seven years of thoughtfulness, balance and skill with which Thom led the organization. He has encouraged and stimulated member engagement, navigated the organization through a period of significant change and created a culture of staff support and growth. He has left his mark and we wish him the best in his future endeavors,” said Devin Denner, chairman of CDA’s Board of Directors and president of Wieland Chase. “We’re confident that Andy will continue to lead CDA and its member companies forward to a position of strength and resilience, necessary for bringing the value of copper and its alloys to society.”

Kireta brings nearly 30 years of copper industry experience to the role. He has been with CDA since 1992, having previously served multiple roles in market development, strategy and organizational management in regional and national roles, most recently as vice president of market development across all copper and copper alloy product and market areas. In addition, Kireta has served in various team roles with the International Copper Association, including time as the leader of the global strategy team, and as a board member with various roles on the executive committee of ASTM International, including a term as the 2020 chair of the board.

“Andy has immense knowledge of copper markets and the opportunities and challenges associated with copper use. He is well-known throughout the industry and has the respect and trust of the CDA staff team,” Passek said. “His support and leadership during my seven years shows his character and confirms that he is ideally placed to take on this new role.”

IPEX announces opening of new distribution center

IPEX announced its newest distribution center in Charlotte, North Carolina is now fully operational.

Located at Creekside Commerce Center on John Price Road in southwest Charlotte, at more than 200,000 square feet, the new facility nearly doubles the company’s warehouse space in the region. The DC will serve IPEX’s customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.

All new IPEX facilities will incorporate industry-leading health and safety best practices and technologies, it noted. Scanning and material handling equipment, and forklift and pedestrian safety equipment are all being evaluated for installation in the new year.

“At IPEX we place the customer at the center of all our decisions, and expansion in key markets to bring products closer to them is one of the ways we continue to deliver an exceptional experience,” said Alex Mestres, IPEX’s CEO. “And our new facility will be equipped with industry-leading technology to help us better serve our customers and ensure the health and safety of our employees.”

This new distribution center follows the company’s other openings in Garland, Texas in the U.S., and in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in Canada, and the announcement of a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant to be built in Pineville, North Carolina. IPEX’s future growth plans include additional DCs in the southern and western U.S., it noted.

Ferguson announces Q1 2022 results

Ferguson announced its interim financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2022.

Some highlights are:

• Supportive end markets and continued market-share gains drove substantial sales growth;

• Price inflation increased to low teens in the quarter;

• Ability to manage price inflation along with good cost control generated particularly strong profit growth;

• Completed four acquisitions since the start of the fiscal year with annualized revenues of $125 million; and

• Completed $97 million of the $1 billion share buyback program, the distributor announced.

Kevin Murphy, group chief executive, commented: “Our associates have continued to drive strong market-share gains while navigating industry supply chain pressures, delivering particularly strong profit growth. We are pleased with earnings growth that significantly outpaced revenue growth to generate strong operating leverage, demonstrating the agility of our business model. Our balance sheet remains strong as we continue to invest in inventory availability to service our customers and return capital to shareholders through the ongoing share buyback program.

“Since the start of the second quarter, Ferguson has generated revenue growth similar to that of Q1 2022. We continue to expect a tapering of growth in the second half on tougher prior-year comparatives and we remain mindful that the recent tailwinds from inflation on gross margins will likely moderate, although the timing and extent remain uncertain. Given the strong momentum in the business and the agility of our business model, our full-year expectations have increased.”

Summary of financial results

Net sales of $6,803 million were 26.6% ahead of last year, 24.5% higher on an organic basis with 1.8% from acquisitions, and a further 0.3% from the impact of foreign exchange. Inflation in the first quarter was in the low teens.

Gross margins of 31.3% were 170 basis points ahead of last year, driven primarily by its ability to serve customers while managing price inflation, enabled by the hard work of our sales associates and the strength of our supply chain, the distributor added. Operating expenses continued to be well-controlled as it focuses on productivity and efficiencies while investing in its talented associates, supply chain capabilities and technology program, Ferguson said.

Reported operating profit was $739 million (adjusted operating profit: $767 million), 64.2% ahead of last year (adjusted operating profit growth: 58.5%) as strong revenue, gross margin expansion and good cost control led to strong operating leverage, Ferguson noted.

Earnings per share on a diluted basis was $2.40 (adjusted earnings per share — diluted: $2.50), an increase of 71.4% (adjusted earnings per share — diluted growth: 64.5%) with the increase due to the strength of the profit performance in the period and the lower share count arising from share buyback programs, it added.

Flow Expo returns

The Flow Expo is excited to announce its return to the Los Angeles Fairplex, March 12, 2022. As the Western United States PHC Industry Show, the Flow Expo has been bringing the latest products and news from industry leaders like Milwaukee, Bradford White, Viega, American Standard, Goss and many more for the last 45 years.      

As one of the largest PHC industry events, multiple generations of contractors, technicians and apprentices have made it a must-attend event. Information of attending or exhibiting at the show can be found by visiting flowexpousa.com including current exhibitors, hours, floorplans, schedules and much more.

Attendees have expressed how much they are looking forward to exploring the newest tools and tech the exhibitors have to offer as well as catching up with old friends from the industry. As the community once again comes together in person, show management will be communicating the most up-to-date government health guidelines as the health and safety of the PHC community is of the greatest importance.

For more information, email tradeshow@phccglaa.org.