“Retention is the best exit strategy,” Buttenham said, noting that employee turnover can cost 150% to 200% of an employee’s salary to replace. When key employees leave, companies face stalled jobs, retraining costs, productivity losses and cultural disruption: all of which can affect profitability and, ultimately, exit value.Buttenham, co-founder and CEO of Reins, joined Kristen Bayles for And So It Flows to discuss how employee retention, leadership development and incentive planning can affect the long-term value of a plumbing business. Reins works with independent business owners, particularly in the trades, to create alternative equity arrangements that help retain key employees and align them with the company’s goals.

On this episode of And So It Flows, we welcomed back Chrissy Walsh, regional environmental sustainability lead for GF North America, for a follow-up conversation on sustainability, systems thinking and the changing expectations around modern buildings.

On this episode of And So It Flows, Kristen Bayles sat down with Gregg Holladay, business development manager for specialty markets at Bradford White, to discuss the growing role heat pump water heaters are expected to play in the residential plumbing market and why the plumbing industry

needs to start preparing now.Podcast originally posted on Plumbing & Mechanical

In this episode, Brooks Hamilton breaks down how distributors can start using AI today without perfect data. He explains why speed and decision-making matter more than scale, how AI is lowering the barrier to entry, and why the biggest opportunities lie in sales growth, not cost-cutting. Practical examples show how even small investments can drive meaningful competitive advantage.

In this episode, we explore the real-world challenges technicians face in the field, including workflow demands, jobsite efficiency and the pressure to do more with less time. Along the way, CPS Products shares how it approaches innovation with a practical, end-user mindset — balancing new technology with durability, usability and consistent results.

Sponsored by:

In this episode of And So It Flows, Jennifer Harrison, vice president of merchandising, and Kaytee Gray, vice president of fulfillment operations at SupplyHouse.com, offer a behind-the-scenes look at how digital merchandising and fulfillment strategies are evolving to meet the needs of today’s contractors. Harrison explains how online merchandising removes friction for pros in the field by putting expert-level product information directly at their fingertips. By leveraging customer search behavior, curated product data, and simplified navigation, SupplyHouse.com helps tradespeople quickly identify the right products without becoming overwhelmed — reducing “analysis paralysis” and supporting confident, on-the-job decision-making.

In this episode of And So It Flows, Tim Savage, electrical outside sales representative at Locke Supply Co., shares a ground-level view of how artificial intelligence is actually being used in distribution today. With firsthand experience in the trades — including electrical, HVAC and general contracting — Savage understands the urgency contractors face when materials, answers or substitutions are needed immediately.

In this episode of And So It Flows, host Natalie Forster sits down with Spencer Pope, manager of technical support and training at Bradford White, to explore how education and workforce development are evolving across the plumbing, HVAC, and mechanical trades. Drawing on nearly 15 years with the manufacturer—and a background as a service contractor—Pope outlines the industry’s most pressing skills gaps, particularly the growing shortage of technical expertise as experienced technicians retire and fewer new workers enter the field with hands-on foundations.

Newly inducted into the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame, Taco's CEO, Cheryl Merchant, tells all in this podcast conversation. From her humble beginnings to working her way up the manufacturing ladder in various industries, her thankful nature and risk-taking business mindset has led the Taco Family of Companies to continued success.

Supply House Times Editorial Director Natalie Forster moderates a discussion on all things radiant with our incredible panel of Radiant All Stars: John Barba, director of sales training at Taco Comfort Solutions; John Siegenthaler, consulting engineer and principal of Appropriate Designs in Holland Patent, New York; Max Rohr, director of marketing and education, Caleffi Hydronic Solutions; and Dave Yates, a former mechanical contractor and owner of F.W. Behler in York, Pennsylvania.

⮞ WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE PODCAST