ASA Seeks Input from Nearly 30,000 Contractors

Through the previous efforts of ASA’s D.NEXT innovation lab at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, ASA has become increasingly aware of changing customer trends, especially as long-standing relationships dwindle due to distributor and contractor retirements and consolidation.

As such, it has become a key goal of the association to provide its members with insight into trends that contractors are dealing with that will affect the distribution channel and the supply chain as a whole.

In order to achieve that, earlier this week ASA launched its first Voice of the Contractor survey to nearly 30,000 plumbing and mechanical and industrial/mechanical pipe, valves and fittings contractors throughout the country.

The goal of this brand-new product, spearheaded by ASA’s Operational Excellence Strategic Council and the council’s business intelligence task group, is to provide in-depth insight to ASA members (distributors, manufacturers and reps) on what PHCP-PVF contractors are thinking on topics such as buying habits, expectations from their distributor partners, training, inventory and more.

“We couldn’t be happier with the support from ASA distributor members that provided their customer contact lists to make this new Voice of the Contractor survey possible,” said Meagan Owen, chief strategy officer at Greenville, South Carolina-based Eastern Industrial Supplies and the chairwoman of ASA’s Operational Excellence Strategic Council. “Having nearly 30,000 emails of contractors will generate robust results.”

In addition to assistance from ASA member distributor companies, ASA also is receiving support on this project from Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors — National Association (PHCC), Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) and Plumbing & Mechanical magazine, all of whom will distribute the online survey link to their members/readers.

ASA is working with Florida-based Farmington Consulting Group, which is executing the survey and will gather data and publish survey results. Farmington Consulting Group’s report of ASA VOC survey findings will be completed and available early this fall.

ASA thanks its distributor members that provided customer contact lists for this survey.