In 1933, Hyman Blaushild founded Famous Supply in Cleveland. Now the company is planning to celebrate its' 80th anniversary next year.  How has the company changed and what can distributors learn from Famous Supply?

A branch manager is essentially in charge of running a small business for a distributor, and HARDI's new training program will help participants develop the skills to successfully run a branch location.

This year marks Habegger's 60th anniversary, and it is now being transitioned to the third generation. There is nothing random or haphazard in the distributor's strategy; instead, the company's leadership is very methodical in how it plans for and charts its future course.

It seems that everybody complains about information overload these days. The nonstop ringing, buzzing, and vibrating of electronic devices is evidence of all the new messages and updates constantly being sent and received. But Heating, Airconditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) is tackling this challenge with a new marketing strategy that it hopes will help members quickly and easily find the information they are looking for.

It’s a tough crowd of consumers out there these days, and the uncertain economic climate is certainly playing a role in their behavior. According to distributors, consumer behavior is leading to a drop-off in the replacement market, as well as a drop-off in the high-end market. Yet despite these worrisome trends, distributors are still seeing areas of growth and employing smart tactics to keep their businesses in good shape.