Uponor

In our continuing Industry Forecast series, we talk with John Reutter, Interim President, Vice President, Finance, Uponor North America, on topics such as the short-term economy, supply chain issues, and lessons learned over the course of the pandemic. Here is our exclusive Q & A with

MH: Do you project a turnaround soon or within the next 6-12 months for certain materials that relate to your specific company?

Reutter: Signs are pointing towards some positive change with the supply chain, but there’s far too much unknown to say for certain that these constraints will improve in the next year. What we are focused on is securing secondary supply routes for our most important resources to help meet demand—and being a good partner for our customers by ensuring open and transparent communications.

MH: We are in the midst of some of the highest inflation rates since the early ‘80s. Do you think that higher inflation becomes a “newer normal”? Explain.

Reutter: No one ever wants to settle on higher inflation as a normal means of doing business. That said, I do believe we are near a peak inflationary environment with relief on its way. Unfortunately, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will put a strain on the energy sector which will most likely cause the descent of inflation at a slower pace than we saw the ramp up. The best we can do is focus on what we can control and make sure our teams have the tools and resources they need to be successful move through the new year.

MH: In general, how do you see the economy short-term? Give a few examples of how you draw that conclusion.

Reutter: While there are certainly inflationary challenges, retail spending is up, and employment recovery continues along with wage growth. Couple that with declining COVID-19 cases and a general desire to move to an endemic environment, I believe we will see an uptick in the hospitality and travel sectors along with small business growth. These segments generally fuel short term economic recovery.

MH: Where are you seeing signs of positivity, if any?

Reutter: Residential and commercial demand for polymer piping is stronger than it has ever been. Contractors, builders, and designers continue to explore ways to integrate a complete polymer solution into their projects. We are working to deliver premium products that enrich the lives of our customers around the world, while conserving the scarce resources we are given.

MH: How do you as manufacturers work with customers who are dealing with longer lead times and/or higher prices? Is it a matter of open lines of communication?

Reutter: Everything starts with transparent communication. We are constantly maintaining open lines of communication with our customers through our factory sales team, rep agents, and distributors to ensure they have the most up-to-date information about Uponor. While we have had to make several price adjustments during the pandemic, it has been our open and transparent messaging that has maintained good standing with our customers.

MH: It seems that in today’s employment landscape, it’s hard to find good labor, whether it’s truck drivers, waiters at restaurants, etc. In our industry, how do we continue the fight to highlight the trades as a great career choice?

Reutter: The need for skilled labor continues to grow. Increased wages and expanded career opportunities are a direct reflection of that demand. Uponor partners with several schools and universities to celebrate the opportunities available to students and workers looking to make a career change.

The fight to find talent starts with meeting the candidates on their terms – whether that’s through social media posts, job fairs, school visits, or community partnerships. We offer great wages, competitive benefits packages, and an award-winning culture that has been recognized as a top workplace for nearly a decade.

MH: In spite of COVID, people must move on. How has your company evolved—or continued to march forward—over the past two years, and talk about any new initiatives, expansions, etc.

Reutter: While our production team has been going strong throughout the pandemic, our office workforce has taken on the challenges in a productive, efficient way. We recently introduced our Flexible First program, a reimagined take on the traditional office space. With three unique employee personas – Resident, Hybrid, and Remote – our employees can perform in an environment that works best for them. We’re in the process of redesigning our corporate offices and will hold Flexible First as our standard moving forward.

You can learn more about Flexible First by reading this release from earlier in the year.

Uponor North America was recently named to the Top Workplace USA 2022 list for companies with 500-999 employees. This award is based entirely on feedback from an employee engagement survey conducted by an independent, third-party research company, Energage, and celebrates companies that prioritize creating a people-centered culture and giving employees a voice.

This honor marks the first time Uponor has been recognized as a Top Workplace in the U.S., and the eighth time the company has been recognized as a Top Workplace in the State of Minnesota since 2012.

The survey asked employees to rate Uponor on 15 drivers related to engaged work environment, company culture, leadership, and overall job satisfaction. Rankings for Top Workplaces lists are based on companies meeting criteria built upon more than 15 years of engagement survey data from over 70,000 global companies.

Habitat for Humanity, Northfield MN, VTO, 2021 VTO, 7 Blue Crew Members, 49 VTO hours, Worked on a single and multi-family home in Northfield, MN

“We are so humbled that our employees’ anonymous feedback resulted in Uponor being recognized as a top workplace in the U.S. We pride ourselves on having a very distinct employee-driven culture, and strongly believe that if we take care of our employees, they, in turn, will ensure positive experiences for our customers. The fact that we’ve been recognized by employees as a top workplace in our state, and now in the U.S., indicates we’re on the right track,” said John Reutter, interim president and vice president, Finance, Uponor North America.

Apple Valley, Minn. — Uponor North America announced a national distribution agreement with Winsupply to stock Uponor PP-RCT piping, fittings, and accessories at select Winsupply local companies and two distribution centers across the U.S.

“We are excited to announce this new partnership with Winsupply, as they are committed to broadening polymer piping offerings into their channels with strategic partners like Uponor,” said Chris Budion, vice president of Sales, Uponor North America. “We are confident this agreement will create growth opportunities for both companies, as we work together to provide customers with the convenience and efficiency of a complete polymer piping solution from one trusted source.”

“Winsupply is eager to help Uponor pioneer this product line,” added Bruce Pilbeam, product manager, Rough-In Plumbing, Winsupply. “PP-RCT has shown enormous growth potential in the commercial sector. Winsupply and our Local Companies are excited to support bringing Uponor PP-RCT to market.”

In addition to stocking Uponor’s PP-RCT piping system, Winsupply is already leveraging Uponor’s commercial training team with hands-on instruction, as well as virtual learning, through Uponor Academy Online. “We are setting Winsupply up for success by ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to confidently sell the benefits of PP-RCT and safely instruct their customers on proper installation,” says Budion.

Available in sizes from ½” to 12″, the Uponor PP-RCT piping system is ideal for use in hydronic heating hot water, chilled water, and industrial applications, including condenser water, geothermal, compressed air and vacuum, and direct-burial applications.

Uponor offers a 10-year limited warranty on all PP-RCT products. For hybrid Uponor PP-RCT and PEX-a systems, the company offers a 10-year limited warranty on PP-RCT to complement the 25-year transferable limited warranty on all its PEX-a pipe and ProPEX^® fittings.

Visit online to learn more about the benefits of Uponor PP-RCT and why the polymer piping solution is becoming the choice of industry professionals across the U.S.

Two directors discuss how switching from PEX-b pipe with crimp-style fittings to Uponor PEX-a pipe with ProPEX^® expansion connections made a big impact on their business.

Kimbel Mechanical Systems is one of the nation’s preeminent mechanical contractors, specializing in plumbing, HVAC, and electrical work in more than a dozen states on both sides of the country — from Montana to Massachusetts. Headquartered in Fayetteville, Ark., Kimbel currently maintains 12 regional offices, including six in Arkansas, three in Colorado, and one each in Tennessee, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

The company was originally established as a one-person, new-residential plumbing shop in 1984 in northeast Ohio. A decade later, founder Miles Kimbel relocated and reconstituted his firm 900 miles southwest to pursue new opportunities in Arkansas. Fast-forward a few more years, and Miles’ son Rob Kimbel took over the reins, broadening the company’s reach to include mid- to large-scale multifamily projects, as well as single-family residential.

Residential plumbing with Uponor PEX-a and ProPEX fittings.

While the residential side of the business is still mainly involved in single-family work, the commercial side encompasses multifamily projects, hotels, schools, military housing, assisted-living facilities, and other types of large-scale structures. The company’s total number of employees exceeds 500, and they also rely on a large pool of subcontractors for their commercial work.

Several years ago, directors in both halves of Kimbel’s business found themselves struggling with “huge” and mounting warranty problems caused by damaging pipe leaks — damaging to the properties in which the product had been installed, as well as to the company’s professional reputation.

As a result, they decided to begin transitioning away from PEX-b pipe with crimp-style fittings and start using Uponor PEX-a pipe with ASTM F1960 ProPEX^® expansion connections for their plumbing projects.

Hear Kimbel’s journey firsthand from Ryan Pinkerton, Director of Operations in Colorado and Tennessee, along with his colleague Mark Evans, Director of Pre-Construction – Commercial Housing, as they detail the factors that drove the company-wide shift, as well as the beneficial impact Uponor PEX-a and the ProPEX expansion method have subsequently had on both sides of their business.

Residential plumbing with Uponor PEX-a and ProPEX fittings.

Residential: Ryan Pinkerton, Director of Operations, Colorado and Tennessee

What is the primary piping product your company uses?

PEX is the known method among the single-family homebuilders we work with today. We might use Schedule 80 CPVC for pipe runs larger than two inches — mains and so forth. But, the majority of our single-family housing work is PEX.

How long have you been using PEX?

We began using PEX not long after I entered the plumbing trade 15 years ago. At that time, for our residential work, we were using PEX-b from another brand. However, we were having so many leaks with the crimp-style connections.

What were some of the issues you encountered with PEX-b crimp connections?

Over-calibrating was an issue. Because you can over-calibrate crimpers, it created a weak spot in the fitting that can crack under use. Also, if you position the crimp ring too far back, it can hold under the air test, but blow off when you turn on the water. The problems were huge, ongoing, and cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs.

Why did you switch to Uponor PEX-a pipe and the ProPEX^® fitting system?

We needed to decrease our warranty costs to repair crimp connections as well as improve the relationships with the homebuilders we served. We also liked the increased water flow that the Uponor system provided. Crimp-style connections reduce the diameter of the PEX-b pipe and, as a result, lower the flow rate. That’s not the case with the ProPEX expansion-type fitting on PEX-a pipe. That has been a key, positive factor for us with the switch.

Commercial: Mark Evans, Director of Pre-Construction – Commercial Housing

Why did your commercial team choose to make the switch?

We use contract installers, and we had so many different people doing the work, it was hard to maintain quality with crimp. The Uponor ProPEX expansion method and the simplicity of the expansion tool for making PEX-a connections worked a lot better for us.

Were there issues with other piping products?

We had numerous leak issues with our larger water mains where we used CPVC at the time. CPVC joints are only as good as the installer who glues them. Once we learned Uponor offered PEX-a in larger diameters, that opportunity to reduce our water-main leak problems also helped drive the switch to Uponor.

Was it difficult for your workers to switch?

Uponor came to our job sites to train our crews on the ProPEX connection method. This training was quick and simple. Once we got everyone on board, the leaks went down drastically. Additionally, our contract plumbing installers are now faster and more productive with Uponor PEX-a. Although most of our contract installers work only for us, we still pay them for piecework. As a result, installation speed really matters for these independent contractors. They know that if you are not fast, you are not profitable. Thanks to the training they received, these contract installers are now familiar working with PEX-a. They have learned to install it quickly without mistakes.

To learn more about Uponor training opportunities for your team, visit uponor.com/training. To learn how Uponor can help bring greater productivity and performance to your residential or commercial projects, visit uponor.com.