Natalie Forster

Seventy years in, Winsupply occupies a unique position in the PHCP-PVF distribution landscape. It is, by every measurable standard, a national player. Yet, it operates in a way that looks fundamentally different from the centralized models that have come to define much of the industry’s consolidation era.

Combined revenue across this year’s Premier 150 once again underscores the immense scale of the channel, with distributors collectively generating hundreds of billions in annual sales.

By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be on my way to ASA’s headquarters to hit the ground running on this new journey. I could not be more excited for the opportunity to work for the association I have been fortunate to partner with and admire throughout my time at BNP Media. I truly believe that ASA helps distributors do their jobs better, and I am thrilled to be joining that mission.

According to recent research from McKinsey & Company, AI adoption has surged over the past two years, with a growing share of organizations reporting measurable impact on revenue, cost reduction and customer engagement.

The latest round of adjustments, effective from mid-March through mid-April, reflects that same trend, with manufacturers implementing measured increases across venting systems, brass and PVF components, thermoplastics, HVAC parts, controls and copper fittings.

In the United States, the current steel tariff structure is rooted in Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, which imposes duties of up to 25% on imported steel, with some increases reaching 50% in recent policy adjustments. These tariffs were designed to safeguard domestic manufacturing and national security interests, but they primarily target raw steel and certain derivative categories, leaving gaps that global suppliers have learned to navigate.

Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from buzzword to boardroom priority across PHCP-PVF distribution, but for many companies, adoption still feels stalled before it even begins. According to Brooks Hamilton, principal at AI Strategy Advisors, that hesitation often comes down to a long-standing misconception: that AI requires perfectly clean data before companies can get started.

The Strait of Hormuz is normally responsible for moving roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply has not been officially shut down in a legal sense. Instead, it has become functionally impassable for much of global shipping, creating the same supply shock as a formal closure. For global energy markets, and for the supply chains that depend on them, the impact is identical: constrained supply, rising prices and widespread uncertainty.

Announced March 4, the initiative, Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA), refocuses federal resources on technical support and practical guidance for water systems, particularly those facing operational, financial or regulatory challenges.

Between tariff rulings, state product bans, federal efficiency standards and mounting workforce challenges, the PHCP-PVF channel is operating in an environment where regulatory shifts can alter inventory planning, product availability and pricing strategy almost overnight.