In his role, Rowbotham will develop and lead Uponor’s sourcing strategy in North America, which will include continuing to build strategic partnerships with suppliers, assessing vendors, and, most importantly, leading continuous improvement initiatives in supply planning, production scheduling, distribution, transportation, and inventory.

Michael Crane, a 30-year veteran of the HVAC industry, will serve as president of the company.

In his new position, Lenard will leverage his experience to oversee the sales and operations of 15 branches in the Dallas area, focusing on sales growth and strategic management.

In the U.S., Ferguson ended the year with sales of nearly $15 billion, an increase of 10.4 percent, which included price deflation of 0.5 percent mainly due to falling commodity prices in the first half.

Categories include building automation, cooling, green building, heating, indoor air quality, plumbing, refrigeration, software, tools and instruments, and ventilation.

My dad, along with his three brothers, started the company in 1955. Dad’s previous employer was Inland Steel. Since his own company would be selling essentially the same products, I assume it seemed to him that Corken Steel was a logical name.

HARDI’s Marketing and Sales Optimization Conference at the Marriott Courtyard in Philadelphia, Sept. 17 to 19, broke an attendance record for all previous focus conferences with 236 attendees, highlighted by 108 distributors, 106 suppliers and five independent reps.

The rebranding is another exciting milestone for the company that has enjoyed great success since arriving in North America in 2015.

"The addition of ARI significantly strengthens our leadership position in the refrigerant and reclamation industry by enhancing our product offerings, increasing our geographic reach and customer base, and enhancing our sales and distribution capabilities," said Kevin J. Zugibe, chairman and CEO, Hudson Technologies.