Watsco’s Q3 2025 results offered a sigh of relief for HVAC distributors and manufacturers watching the A2L refrigerant transition unfold. Earnings per share of $3.98 missed Wall Street consensus by about 6 percent but came in ahead of buy-side expectations. That mix of mild disappointment and cautious optimism perfectly sums up where the HVAC channel sits today: weathering … [Read more...] about Watsco’s Q3 2025 Results: Better Than Feared, but Not Out of the Woods Yet
distributor profitability
Are Rebates Like Drugs?
Yes, I know the headline is provocative, however, the goal was to get your attention. The “drug” I’m talking about has been around for almost 60 years in the HVAC/R industry. It’s rebates. Rebates went “mainstream” for distributors in the 1960’s. In the electrical industry the first marketing group (then called a buying group) was formed. The genesis of that organization is … [Read more...] about Are Rebates Like Drugs?
SPAs – Are We / They In Or Out of Control?
SPAs, special pricing agreements, were originally conceived to ensure the integrity of local market into stock, and “street” pricing while providing distributors and manufacturers with a targeted sales pricing tool to deploy on an account-specific basis. The definition of “account-specific” has broadened with many taking liberty with the breadth (with and without … [Read more...] about SPAs – Are We / They In Or Out of Control?
Tips for Distributors to Improve Gross Margin
Corporate success, for many, is typically defined as sales success as sales revenue is an easily identifiable, and discussed / shared, metric. But in a quest to grow sales, and due to competitive pressures, gross margins for many distributors have eroded making gross profit dollars more scarce for investment back into the business. And with operating costs increasing and … [Read more...] about Tips for Distributors to Improve Gross Margin
