Industry leaders talk future of contractor-supplier relationship

At PHCC’s Connect event, a panel of industry leaders discussed the state of the contractor-supplier relationship, and ACHR News reported highlights.

The big picture: One thing seemed to be top of mind for suppliers going forward: providing “value-added services” to contractors — instead of merely selling equipment.

Details: Katie Poehling Seymour, CEO of First Supply, elaborated on what this means to them, saying, “A lot of companies can move boxes… that’s just the basics.”

• “We just opened a state-of-the-art training facility, which was immensely important not only for our current customers but for area trade schools as well.”
• “Additionally, we can now teach lessons virtually. Somebody up in Brainerd, Minnesota, can stream into our facility while training classes are happening and learn for themselves.”

Scott Robertson, President of Robertson Heating Supply Co., echoed the tech-forward thinking:

• “One thing we’re currently working on now is an inventory management system for contractors. Some of our larger contractors are beginning to hold inventory more and more… They need a way to keep track of all of this stuff. How do you know what you have? How do you know what you need? How do you scan it in and scan it out?”
• See the full highlights here.

Of note: To further Robertson’s point about the changing nature of the business, leading distributor Watsco said it’s invested $50+ million on technology over the past year, and now does over 33% of its revenue through e-commerce.

💭 Our thought bubble: What value-added services are your suppliers offering you?