Distributor margin rarely disappears in one dramatic event. It leaks. Slowly. Through timing gaps, unclear handoffs, and processes that span multiple departments but belong to none of them. The reality is that, in many cases, it didn't truly disappear. If that's true, the obvious question is: Where is the margin hiding? Scott Sinning has spent years working on exactly … [Read more...] about Where Margin Is Hiding
Distribution Strategy
AI for HVAC Distributors: A Practical Field Guide from Pilot to Profit
For HVAC-R distributors dealing with margin pressure, labor constraints, and increasingly complex quoting environments, AI is rapidly moving from curiosity to operational necessity. After nearly a year of research, interviews, and vendor evaluations, I am pleased to announce the release of The AI-Enabled Distributor: From Pilot to Profit: A Field Guide written specifically for … [Read more...] about AI for HVAC Distributors: A Practical Field Guide from Pilot to Profit
HVAC Market Slowdown Signals a Prolonged Industry Reset
The HVAC market slowdown is no longer a matter of debate or selective interpretation. Fourth-quarter performance came in worse than already lowered expectations, pricing pressure is beginning to surface in markets that historically hold firm, and inventory normalization remains unfinished. This isn't a collapse scenario, but it is a clear signal that the industry reset is … [Read more...] about HVAC Market Slowdown Signals a Prolonged Industry Reset
New York HVAC Refrigerant Rules Are Triggering Supply Chain Alarm
For much of the HVAC industry, New York HVAC refrigerant rules have hovered in an uncomfortable middle ground for several years. Not hypothetical, but not yet fully operational. Something people flagged in conference hallways, side conversations, and breakout sessions, including more than a few discussions at last year’s HARDI conference, but rarely addressed head-on. That … [Read more...] about New York HVAC Refrigerant Rules Are Triggering Supply Chain Alarm
Branch Leadership Blueprint for Distribution
If you work in wholesale distribution, you already know that strategy may be written at headquarters, but execution lives and dies at the branch. That reality sits at the heart of Foundations of a Giant: A Branch Boss’s Blueprint for Wholesale Distribution, a new book built around one core idea: strong branch leadership is still the most reliable competitive advantage in the … [Read more...] about Branch Leadership Blueprint for Distribution
HVACR Market in 2025: Why Sales Growth Masked Weaker Demand
Coming into 2025, most HVACR distributors and manufacturers expected a modest recovery. Interest rates were widely assumed to ease. Deferred residential replacements were expected to return gradually. Nonresidential activity was expected to remain steady enough to provide balance while residential markets found their footing. The HVACR market in 2025 ultimately followed a … [Read more...] about HVACR Market in 2025: Why Sales Growth Masked Weaker Demand
Voice of the Contractor Data Reveals How HVAC Contractors Really Buy in 2025
Executive Summary Six years of Voice of the Contractor data show a channel that is largely satisfied but increasingly pragmatic. Contractors value relationships and rate their primary suppliers positively, yet loyalty is conditional and share shifts quickly when availability, pricing, or execution fall short. Growth continues, multi-trade businesses are expanding, and … [Read more...] about Voice of the Contractor Data Reveals How HVAC Contractors Really Buy in 2025
APR Supply’s Baltimore Expansion Strengthens the Region’s HVACR Supply Chain
The APR Baltimore expansion marks an important shift in how contractors across the Greater Baltimore region may access inventory, product breadth, and day-to-day support. With APR Supply entering due diligence to acquire McArdle & Walsh, the market is watching what a fourth-generation distributor with strong operational discipline can bring to a region defined by … [Read more...] about APR Supply’s Baltimore Expansion Strengthens the Region’s HVACR Supply Chain
