American Supply Association

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American Supply Association

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ASA is a not-for-profit national organization, serving wholesale distributors and their suppliers in the PHCP and PVF industries.

Go to www.asa.net for more information. National trade association representing distributors and their manufacturers and manufacturer representatives serving the PHCP & PVF industry.

11/02/2026

Ahead of tomorrow’s midterm elections, ASA members are helping bring the PHCP-PVF industry’s voice to Washington by welcoming lawmakers into their facilities for firsthand looks at the businesses, people and challenges behind wholesale distribution.

On October 14, First Supply hosted Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) for a tour of its Joe Poehling Innovation and Distribution Center. Congressional engagement continued last week when Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) visited JABO Supply Corporation in Huntington, West Virginia.

Both visits provided opportunities to highlight the industry’s economic impact, discuss key policy issues and connect the day-to-day realities of distribution with decisions being made in Washington.

As a new Congress takes shape, ASA remains committed to strengthening relationships with policymakers and ensuring the PHCP-PVF industry has a seat at the table.

10/30/2026

Preparing a quotation is like putting together a puzzle for which you likely do not have a complete picture. Each part of the documentation adds a piece to the overall picture, and as with most puzzles, the building of the puzzle requires a great deal of knowledge, skill, intuition, and patience. Building a quotation, like building a puzzle, is an art. The people who prepare quotes spend years learning not only about the products that they put on their quotations, but also about what else is connected to those items, what could be used in place of what is specified, etc. Just like so many other forms of art, AI is starting to take root and is beginning to replace some of the human connection to the art of quotations, but the question remains, as it does for so many other things: Could AI truly be able to fully replace humans in this process?

As things currently stand, the process still requires quotations developers/specialists to continue to review project documents and AI Quotes to ensure accuracy. Not just to confirm the quote produced by AI is correct, but also that the full scope of what is specified, rather than just the scheduled models, is being offered on the quote. The schedule alone often does not tell the whole story; models are not always fully specified by model numbers written on the schedules. Read the full article here: https://www.asa.net/News-Media/News/the-dying-art-of-quotations-incorporating-technology-even-ai-without-losing-the-human-connection Thank you Tia Garriss for sharing your insight! The Joyce Agency

10/29/2026

Amazon Business is expanding its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to influence not only how businesses purchase products, but which products they buy, how purchasing decisions are evaluated and where organizations direct their spending. In an October 28 announcement, Amazon introduced an expanded Insights Hub that uses purchasing history to recommend lower-priced alternatives and identify opportunities to consolidate spending across similar products. Its Lower-priced Product feature evaluates historical purchases and identifies potential savings through alternative products. Another feature, Purchase Consolidation, identifies functionally equivalent products purchased across different brands or product lines and recommends directing spending toward preferred selections. While much of the discussion surrounding AI in distribution has focused on improving internal productivity, Amazon's latest developments highlight the shift that AI is now being positioned to influence purchasing decisions on the customer's side of the transaction. Read more here: https://www.asa.net/News-Media/News/amazon-business-expands-ai-purchasing-tools-raising-new-questions-for-phcp-pvf-distributors

10/28/2026

The latest Quarterly Market Survey is here 📊 Some good news: 96% of respondents expect sales to remain steady or increase in Q4 2026 compared to the same period last year. Some challenging news: 56% say digital/e-commerce competitors are gaining market share in their markets. Get access to the full report here: https://www.asa.net/Business-Intelligence/Data-Reports/Survey-Reports

10/27/2026

New podcast alert! 🎙️ Artificial intelligence may dominate conversations about the future of distribution, but for many companies, one fundamental question remains: Where do we actually start? According to Brian Hopkins, Chief Operations Officer at Distribution Strategy Group (DSG), the answer isn't necessarily an expensive enterprise-wide technology investment. It's finding everyday business problems that AI can solve, putting the right people in charge and measuring whether the results justify the effort. 🎙️ During a recent episode of the American Supply Association's Embracing the Future podcast, hosted by ASA Director of Innovation & Technology Nils Swenson, Hopkins shared lessons from implementing AI within his own organization and helping distributors turn experimentation into operational improvements. Listen here: https://www.asa.net/News-Media/Podcasts Distribution Strategy Group

10/26/2026

It's time to congratulate another one of our most recent Master of Distribution Management (MDM) graduates! David Gonzalez of Robertson Heating Supply completed the MDM program and his capstone project with flying colors. Thank you David and Robertson Heating Supply for investing in the future of the PHCP-PVR supply chain! Lear more about MDM here: https://www.asa.net/Education/MDM-Program Robertson Heating Supply

10/23/2026

Fast responses. On-time payments. Consistent service. These are the “love languages” of your partners, but showing you care day after day is tough when you’re relying only on manual processes and institutional knowledge. AI can make a big difference—as long as it doesn’t also feel like a foreign language you and your team have to learn. Next Wednesday's webinar (10/28) will break down how AI works as a universal translator across the supply chain, giving you the vocabulary and framework to evaluate opportunities for AI automation. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EF441z44SzKjtjrS-hYX9g #/registration

10/22/2026

"53% of customer loyalty is not the result of the product, company or service, but the behaviors salespeople use when selling." 💡 Just one of the tangible takeaways from yesterday's first-ever ASA Northeast Education Roadshow!
The inaugural event was a tremendous success, selling out and exceeding capacity with more than 65 attendees. The room brought together representatives from 13 distributor firms across the Northeast, with some traveling from as far as Buffalo and New Jersey, alongside manufacturers and manufacturer rep firms. The strong turnout speaks to the value of bringing industry professionals together for practical education, fresh perspectives and meaningful peer-to-peer connections. Thank you to everyone who made our first Northeast Education Roadshow such a success!

10/21/2026

Ten companies. Different histories, cultures and approaches to doing business. But one common belief: When you invest in your people, you strengthen your business. 👏 Leaders from 10 member companies make up the ASA People Advantage Steering Council, and they are sharing the philosophies that shape their organizations, from prioritizing employee well-being and creating opportunities for career growth to building cultures rooted in trust, loyalty and accessible leadership. We're excited to preview this initiative at NETWORK 2026 in November, where Steering Council members will share their experiences during the annual member lunch. A dedicated CEO roundtable will also give industry leaders an opportunity to explore the concept, exchange ideas and help shape what comes next. Register for NETWORK here: https://www.asa.net/NETWORK

10/19/2026

This September, we celebrated 10 more graduates of ASA’s Master of Distribution Management (MDM) program! While each graduate brings a unique role, company background and set of strengths to the table, they all share one common goal: becoming the future leaders the PHCP-PVF supply chain needs. Congratulations to Porter Pipe & Supply Company's Devan Wysocki-Wilmot for graduating MDM!

Learn more about MDM here: https://www.asa.net/Education/MDM-Program

Address

500 Park Boulevard, Suite 1125
Itasca, IL
60143

Telephone

+16304670000

Website

http://www.asa.net/

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