Florida Plumbing Perspective

Transcription

1 Florida Plumbing Perspective March-April Managing a business successfully in leaner times Page 16 Drinking water piping study: taste, odor, leaching concerns Page 24

2 Florida Plumbing Perspective feature Winnelson A fast-growing presence in Florida Steve Lyon and John Knab are looking forward to growing their new plumbing supply businesses. Both are veteran industry professionals who have teamed with one of the nation s largest distributors to open their own Winnelson companies in Florida. For me, the ability to operate my own independent company yet have the support of a $2.5 billion wholesaler was very attractive, said Lyon, a 25-year industry veteran who recently opened Orlando Winnelson. That model also appealed to Knab, a 25-year Florida plumbing veteran and president of Tampa Winnelson. Our customers have the best of both worlds, he said. We have the resources they need, and our team can react quickly to their requests. For example, Tampa Winnelson can make deliveries at 5 a.m. or on Saturday mornings if necessary. One of our big projects is stocking a replacement medical clinic at McGill Air Force Base, and we have a truck on site there daily, he said. In the past year, Winnelson has quickly established a significant presence in Florida, with six local companies serving plumbing contractors in Tampa Bay, southwest Florida, central Florida, the Panhandle, Jacksonville, and the Treasure Coast. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, Winnelson s parent company, WinWholesale, is one of the nation s largest distributors, ranking seventh on Industrial Distribution s Big 50 list of distributors with annual sales in the $2.5 billion range. Despite Florida s economic slowdown, WinWholesale is committed to further expansion in Florida. Monte Salsman, WinWholesale s chief operating officer, says the company growth model is focused on people rather than geography or market conditions. Rather than target new locations, we believe in finding the right people in the right places, he said in a recent interview with Florida Plumbing Perspective. Some of the highest-quality plumbing professionals in Florida have decided to take advantage of our business model. Salsman said the American dream of becoming an entrepreneur is still very viable regardless of economic conditions. With WinWholesale, the earnings opportunity for plumbing professionals is unmatched, unless you re a sole proprietor. Our model has a lower cost of entry into the business, and at the end of your career, we buy out your shares. Salsman says WinWholesale expects to keep increasing its presence in Florida in the next Monte Salsman few years in the electrical, HVAC, and water markets, as well as plumbing. We don t grant exclusive territories, but we pay close attention to the local markets, he said. We would never do anything to harm an owner s ability to make a great living. Historically, WinWholesale has given a great deal of autonomy to its local presidents. Salsman said, We have focused on providing operating efficiencies, in areas like accounting, purchasing, payroll, and technology. We believe that our local presidents are the best people to make decisions about their customers. In Florida, Winnelson s local presidents are Vance Adams, Fort Walton Beach Winnelson; Bill Coggins, Jax Beach Winnelson; John Knab, Tampa Winnelson; Ralph Litton, Vero Beach Winnelson; Steve Lyon, Orlando Winnelson; and Philip Ross, Gulf Coast Winnelson. With the players we have in Florida, we re going to definitely be a force in the market, said Litton. While the Fort Walton Beach and Jax Beach companies have been operating for more than 15 years, the other four locations opened their doors in late 2007 and early Noting that WinWholesale has not traditionally advertised its capabilities in Florida, Knab said one of his roles is building awareness in the Tampa Bay market. Many plumbing contractors don t realize this is the nation s second largest wholesaler with five major U.S. distribution centers, he said. We can get them all the materials they need for a project. A LEADER IN DISTRIBUTION Winnelson traces its roots to 1875 when Nils Olas Nelson founded the N.O. Nelson Mfg. Co. in St. Louis, Mo. The company manufactured and distributed plumbing supplies of all kinds, including faucets, water closets, water heaters, valves, and fire hydrants. 10 March-April 2008

3 feature Florida Plumbing Perspective By the mid-1950s, the company was exclusively a distributor with 22 branches and 450 employees in 15 states. In 1958, Primus Inc. (led by Dick Schiewetz, Robert Kuhns, and Hastings Baker) purchased the company and established a profitsharing plan for employees. In 2005, the company adopted the WinWholesale name and acquired Noland Company, a leading Virginia-based wholesaler founded in Today, WinWholesale is a leading national wholesale distributor with more than 460 locally owned and operated Win companies in 43 states under the following names: Winnelson, Winair, Winlectric, Windustrial, Wintronic, Winwater, and Winsupply. In addition, there are more than 100 Noland branches in 13 states. The Win companies and Noland Company are collectively known as the Win Group of Companies. Salsman said WinWholesale s vision is to be the premier wholesale distribution company for its customers, vendors, and more than 5,000 employees. To achieve that goal, WinWholesale has five key beliefs that define its business philosophy: 1. Local management must own a meaningful part of each local Win company. WinWholesale believes that the national organization should be driven by the entrepreneurial spirit and ownership opportunities at the local level. 2. A local Win company president who properly manages his or her own company deserves to be successful. Therefore, Win- Wholesale provides the backing of its national organization, which includes: capital, experienced business advisors, business services with a special concentration on information technology, supported back-office operations, and highly competitive inventory buying power. 3. Successful wholesalers tend to follow the same operational patterns, doing roughly the same things daily, monthly, or annually. WinWholesale has developed a common set of operational procedures and provides computer systems, office automation, and workflow methods to its local Win companies. 4. Wholesaling is a local business whose success is built on establishing and maintaining strong customer relationships. The local wholesaler s name, reputation, and credibility are what matters in the local market. 5. WinWholesale s role is to establish and protect the organization s overall policies and standards. The entire national organization exists to help local wholesalers be more profitable than they could be on their own. Looking ahead to Winnelson s growth prospects in Florida, Vero Beach president Litton said, We all have relationships with customers dating back many years, and that loyalty goes both ways. That s an immediate advantage in the market. For me, becoming part of Winnelson is like starting my career again, but this time as an owner. That feeling of freshness and excitement is really energizing all our Florida operations. FORT WALTON BEACH WINNELSON Open since 1978, the Fort Walton Beach Winnelson covers the Panhandle from Pensacola to Panama City and northward to Crestview. Our goal is to out-service the competition, says Vance Adams, president, who has guided the company since Everyone has the products, but we do a better job of selling, service and delivery. Adams, who has been in the plumbing business for 22 years, says the Fort Walton Beach company was primarily focused on the residential market, but is now increasing its service to the commercial sector. We will make our scheduled deliveries, no matter what happens, he says, and we offer same-day deliveries as needed. The company has a staff of five in its office/warehouse facility. I think Winnelson s growing role in Florida will help us, says Adams. We ve been here a long time, but it s been under the radar. Now, the Winnelson name will be seen quite a bit more often. Fort Walton Beach Winnelson 101 Lang Road, Fort Walton Beach, FL (850) Hours: Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. GULF COAST WINNELSON Led by Philip Ross, president, Gulf Coast Winnelson opened Feb. 1 in Port Charlotte. As a local company geared to serve area contractors, our goal is to have an available inventory and individualized service to meet our customers needs, says Ross, a 21-year plumbing wholesale industry veteran. Gulf Coast Winnelson provides a complete line of plumbing equipment, parts, and accessories from Bradenton south to Marco Island in a five-county area: Charlotte, Collier, Lee, Manatee, and Sarasota. Located just south of Tamiami Trail near Port Charlotte Town Center, the company provides counter sales and delivery service for a wide array of kitchen, bath, and other plumbing products. Gulf Coast Winnelson 1615 Market Circle, Port Charlotte, FL (941) Hours: Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

4 Florida Plumbing Perspective feature JAX BEACH WINNELSON For 15 years, the Jax Beach Winnelson has been serving plumbers in the greater Jacksonville area. We opened in Atlantic Beach and moved here 13 years ago, says president Bill Coggins, who arrived here from a Winnelson in North Carolina four years ago. With our location on the beach, we service a lot of repair, remodeling, and re-piping jobs, says Coggins, who has been in the business for 17 years, including 18 with WinWholesale. We also try to cater to plumbers in the multifamily and light commercial sectors. With a staff of five and a 7,500-square-foot warehouse, Jax Beach Winnelson serves all of Duval County and beyond, delivering products to sites in Georgia and St. Augustine as well. We let our customers know that we ll go anywhere they need their material, says Coggins. We believe we can serve the customer better than anyone else. Jax Beach Winnelson 700 Shetter Avenue, Jacksonville Beach, FL (904) Hours: Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ORLANDO WINNELSON Since opening Dec. 3, Orlando Winnelson has been carving out a share of the central Florida market, according to Steve Lyon, president. We are striving for excellence in customer service and throughout our operation, says Lyon. The reception we ve gotten from customers and manufacturers has been awesome. With a staff of seven and a 35,000-square-foot warehouse, Orlando Winnelson serves plumbing contractors in five counties: Lake, Osceola, Orange, Seminole, and Volusia. The company is targeting the commercial market as well as the repair and remodeling business. We re building a long-term company here, says Lyon, a former Hughes Supply executive with 25 years of industry experience. I have always been a customer service-oriented person, and with the Winnelson model, I can serve customers in the Orlando market the way they deserve to be serviced. Orlando Winnelson Company 1996 Stanhome Way, Orlando, FL (407) Hours: Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. TAMPA WINNELSON Tampa Winnelson brings local ownership and a service-oriented philosophy to the regional plumbing market. We can react more quickly and aggressively to the customers needs and changes, says John Knab, president and company coowner with Mike Booth. Our focus and experience is on both the residential and commercial markets in the Tampa bay area. Since opening Jan. 14, Tampa Winnelson has grown to a staff of seven situated in a 15,000-square-foot facility serving contractors in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Hernandez, and Manatee counties. The company provides counter sales and delivery along with 24-hour-a-day service. Knab, who was with Hughes Supply for 24 years, says one of Tampa Winnelson s advantages is its experience. Our customers are dealing with seasoned veterans who have 11 to 30 years of experience, he says. There are no rookies just qualified personnel who can answer contractors questions. Tampa Winnelson 6903 Cypress Park Drive, Tampa, FL (813) Hours: Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. VERO BEACH WINNELSON Since opening last October, Vero Beach Winnelson is building a customer base on the Treasure Coast by emphasizing service and experience. The company s co-owners, president Ralph Litton and sales manager John Carter, bring more than 50 years of industry experience to serving their commercial and residential customers. As a locally owned and operated company geared to serve local contractors, we ll do what it takes to help our customers succeed, says Litton. Not long ago, John opened our facility at 10 p.m. and picked up press tools to help a plumber facing a shutdown in Cocoa. He was there most of the night, but we got the job done. The seven-person company has an 11,000-square-foot warehouse facility and covers Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Okeechobee counties. Vero Beach Winnelson 2813 Flight Safety Drive, Vero Beach, FL (772) Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Permission to reprint this article was provided courtesy of Florida Plumbing Perspective magazine, a publication for Florida plumbing and related industries Florida Plumbing Perspective. 12 March-April 2008

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