ASA Regional Summit Series Brings More Than 550 Industry Leaders Together Across Three Regions

ASA Central speaker Kim Lear provided insight on how to understand and manage millennials, as well as how millennials can navigate more effectively in the workplace.

Over the course of six weeks, ASA members logged thousands of miles, hundreds of conversations and countless new ideas as the association's three regional Summits brought the PHCP-PVF industry together from coast to coast. More than 550 distributors, manufacturers and manufacturers' representatives gathered, reinforcing the value of regional collaboration, practical education and relationship-building.

The 2026 ASA Regional Summit series began in May with the ASA West Summit in La Jolla, California, where 225 attendees representing 20 distributor firms gathered alongside manufacturers and manufacturers' representatives. The event also received record-breaking sponsorship support. The momentum continued in June as more than 150 attendees met in Eagan, Minnesota, for the ASA Central Summit, which welcomed a record number of participating manufacturers and manufacturers' representative agencies. The series concluded with 175 attendees at the ASA Northeast Summit in Newport, Rhode Island.

Across all three events, attendees explored topics ranging from leadership development and organizational culture to artificial intelligence, workforce trends, strategic decision-making and arguably most important of all, peer-to-peer best practices. Educational sessions featured nationally recognized keynote speakers alongside ASA leadership updates and interactive roundtable discussions designed to encourage open conversations between distributors, venders and manufacturers' representatives. As valuable as the keynote addresses were, many attendees shared that the greatest value came from the conversations taking place between sessions.

At the ASA West Summit, Guillermo Negron, district sales leader, West/Southwest at LIXIL Americas, described the event as "an unforgettable few days," highlighting the combination of keynote presentations, networking aboard the USS Midway and meaningful conversations with industry leaders, suppliers and friends. He thanked the ASA team, speakers and attendees for creating an environment where members could "learn, share and grow."

Nikki Nixon, director of marketing at Hirsch, echoed those sentiments, saying she was "incredibly grateful to be a part of the ASA West Council and to have experienced another outstanding

conference this year in beautiful La Jolla," while also noting the value of discussions surrounding leadership, AI and the future of the industry.

ASA West attendees engaging in Best Practices roundtables sponsored by Everflow Supplies.

Those connections continued at the ASA Central Summit, where educational sessions focused on servant leadership, generational workforce trends, strategic risk-taking and collaborative best-practice discussions. Attendees also had opportunities to network during the manufacturer tabletop reception, an evening at the Minnesota Vikings training facility evening and the annual golf outing.

Shane Cochran, outside sales at Billco Corp., called the Central Summit "an unforgettable week," pointing to the golf outing, networking at the Minnesota Vikings practice facility and insightful roundtable sessions. "These events are helping shape the future of our industry," he said, adding that it was an opportunity to reconnect with longtime colleagues while building relationships with new industry professionals.

Clint Kimmell, regional sales manager at RWC, said the summit provided a valuable opportunity to connect with industry leaders, strengthen partnerships and gain insights into trends shaping the future of wholesale distribution.

Event sponsor Herkowski Stickler & Associates (HSA) also emphasized that the Central Summit was “another great event that fostered meaningful connections and new relationships across the industry.”

Rounding out the regional summit series was a scenic few days in Newport, Rhode Island where attendees once again emphasized the importance of face-to-face engagement.

Vendor sponsor Matco-Norca reflected on "a successful event built around great connections and even better conversations,”

Similarly, Kristine Fichera, regional sales manager at Merit Brass Co., said it was "fantastic reconnecting with familiar faces, meeting new industry leaders, and engaging in meaningful conversations with the wholesale community across the Northeast."

The Northeast Summit vendor tabletop reception was another hub for conversation and relationship-building , where sponsor Everflow Supplies noted that Michael Campbell, Zachary Bouaziz and the Everflow team appreciated the opportunity to strengthen relationships with partners and industry peers while “showcasing how the company continues to support wholesale distribution nationwide.”

With record participation and strong engagement across all three regions, the 2026 Regional Summit series reinforces the continued strength of ASA's regional programming. By bringing members together closer to home, the events create opportunities to exchange ideas, build lasting business relationships and address the challenges and opportunities in specific geographic regions.

Viega’s Bonnie Mason meets with attendees during the Northeast Summit table top reception.