Industry News

Cleveland — Oatey Co. (Oatey) announced the acquisition of Lansas B.V. (Lansas), a manufacturer and distributor of underground pipe and disc plugs based in Eijsden, Netherlands.

For more than 70 years, Lansas has been a leading manufacturer of pipe and disc plugs servicing the waterworks markets in Europe. Manufactured through a highly efficient and automated production process, Lansas plugs are high-quality, innovative and designed to meet the requirements of customers.

“For decades, Oatey has been a leader in the U.S. waterworks pipe plug market under our Cherne brand,” said Oatey CEO Neal Restivo. “The addition of Lansas, its outstanding employees, its advanced technology, and its manufacturing footprint well positions us to grow our presence in the European waterworks market. Utilizing the combined experience and expertise of Cherne and Lansas will significantly enhance our ability to serve our customers in Europe.”

Franklin Electric Co., Inc. (NASDAQ: FELE) recently celebrated the 10^th anniversary of its global corporate headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

On Friday, July 14^th, the headquarters staff of Franklin Electric came together to celebrate the anniversary with a fun-filled day of activity. CEO Gregg Sengstack kicked off the celebration by addressing the employees and cutting the “anniversary” cake. Throughout the afternoon, as employees enjoyed outdoor lawn games, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic played bluegrass music. An ice cream truck was onsite, and food and beverages were also served to celebrate the milestone. Headquarter-based employees received a Franklin Electric memento to commemorate the event.

“As we celebrate the first decade at our Global Corporate Headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana, it gives us the opportunity to reflect on how much we’ve accomplished here,” said Gregg Sengstack, Chairperson of the Board & CEO. “Ten years ago, our goal was to expand our ability to provide our customers with complete water system solutions, and we’ve exceeded these expectations. We’ve grown by delivering reliable, trustworthy products, and the resources available here were a big part of that.”

Completed in 2013, Franklin Electric’s headquarters is 120,000 square feet and sits on 102 acres. The building is constructed with 294 tons of steel, and it’s powered by more than 70 Franklin Electric products. Outside, a cooling pond provides geothermal heating and cooling. The company was granted LEED Silver certification through the U.S. Green Building Council.

The headquarters also features a number of amenities to create a comfortable, productive forward-thinking environment, including collaborative areas to re-ignite creative thinking, onsite catering (with complimentary gourmet coffee), an in-house fitness center, state-of-the art meeting rooms, outdoor meeting areas and outdoor walking trails. The building features a significant collection of large-scale photographs by Canadian-born artist Edward Burtynsky focused on environmental and water infrastructure themes.

“This facility and the people who work here continue to drive our business forward,” said Sengstack. “Our Fort Wayne location houses not only our Global Corporate Headquarters, but it is also home to our 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Engineering Center of Excellence where we test each product to ensure they deliver the performance that is critical to the markets and applications we serve.”

The new course is part of the Counter Intelligence training series, designed to provide distributor employees with knowledge and skills to grow sales and build strong customer relationships

Business Development Resources (BDR), a trusted provider of business coaching and training services for the HVAC, plumbing, and electrical industries, announces HVAC 101 for the Counter, a new live virtual course series that empowers HVAC distributor counter teams with essential knowledge to improve customer service, efficiency, and revenue generation.

“Your parts counter team must have a foundational understanding of the products you sell and how they work,” said Matt MacArthur, BDR’s Director of Training. “This allows them to deliver a higher level of customer service and efficiency, which leads to increased average tickets and greater customer satisfaction and loyalty.”

BDR announces HVAC 101 for the Counter, a new live virtual course series that empowers HVAC distributor counter teams with essential knowledge to improve customer service, efficiency, and revenue generation.

HVAC 101 for the Counter, scheduled for three sessions in October and November, gives attendees an overview of different types of HVAC equipment and their components, including gas furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioners, and ductless units. In the sessions, attendees will learn why it’s important to know HVAC systems and their components and how they work and operate, the different components and accessories available for each type of system, and communication skills for interacting with customers at the counter.

HVAC 101 for the Counter is presented in three two-hour sessions so teams can train without being pulled off the counter for an entire day. The sessions include:

• Gas furnaces, components, and accessories (Oct. 12)
• Heat pump and air conditioner components and accessories (Oct. 26)
• Ductless heat pumps, components, and accessories (Nov. 9)

HVAC 101 for the Counter is part of the ongoing Counter Intelligence training series, designed to provide distribution parts counter and inside sales employees with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed by growing sales and building stronger customer relationships.

To learn more about BDR’s HVAC 101 for the Counter training course, visit https://www.bdrco.com/event/counter-intelligence-hvac-101-for-the-counter/.

Rinnai America Corporation, the number one selling brand of tankless water heaters in North America, calls on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to revise its proposed efficiency standards for tankless water heaters. In its current form, the draft rule will unreasonably restrict consumer access to certain tankless water heater products, disproportionately impacting middle-income households and small businesses.

The draft rule would raise standards for tankless gas-fired water heaters to over 91 percent efficiency, while leaving the standards for tank gas-fired water heaters relatively untouched at 70 percent efficiency. While tankless water heaters are the more environmentally friendly option, achieving 91 percent efficiency with non-condensing technology is technologically impossible.

“As currently drafted, DOE’s proposed rule will create an uneven market that effectively bans an already energy efficient product and puts American jobs at risk,” said Frank Windsor, president of Rinnai America Corporation. “Consumers who rely on access to tankless water heaters will see their options limited, resulting in higher energy bills and shorter appliance lifespans, while the very environmental goals prompting this rule will go unfulfilled. We urge DOE to re-consider this untenable rule for standards that better protect American consumers and drive our energy efficiency goals forward.”

Members of the public who wish to submit a comment on the draft rule to DOE or their representative in Congress rule may do so HERE. 

Rinnai America Corporation employs over 600 people across the United States at its headquarters, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers. In the last five years, Rinnai has invested more than $100 million as part of its commitment to developing a strong domestic manufacturing base to serve the North American market.

For more information on Rinnai and its portfolio of products, visit www.rinnai.us.