CONNECT. EDUCATE. ELEVATE.
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Welcome to the new look of
Connections! As we continue to roll out newly branded material, we wanted to take a fresh look at
Connections, making it easier to enjoy. As always,
Connections will include our Members' Blog, Sales Tips and Industry Thoughts and Member News, as well as logos and links for all of our Corporate Sponsors. You will notice a new section in
Connections: A&D Connection. This bimonthly section will give tips and tricks to building relationships with this important set of specifiers.
Looking to have your news shared with the
Connections readers? Simply send
Kymberly the information!
Sincerely,
The DPHA Team
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In honor of the February 14
Connections
, we want to relate the real story of Valentine’s Day. It dates back to the third century when Roman Emperor Claudius II ordered all Romans to worship 12 gods. Refusing to do so was punishable by death. You can imagine that Christians did not take too kindly to Claudius’ edict. One who refused was named Valentinus, and he was arrested and jailed. Awaiting his ultimate fate, his jailor recognized that Valentinus was an educated man and asked him if he would tutor his daughter Julia, who was blind since birth...
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DPHA Members' Blog - February 14, 2020
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Ensuring the Best of Intentions Results in the Best Outcome
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We’ve all heard horror stories from friends and neighbors of bath renovations gone awry. Their nightmares involved shoddy work, cost overruns, incomplete projects, time delays and unmet expectations. Why do projects fail? One reason may be a concept that Noble prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman calls “the planning fallacy.” In his book, Thinking Fast and Slow, Kahneman explains that the planning fallacy occurs when there are unrealistic expectations that do not account for the unexpected...
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Sales Tips and Industry Thoughts
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Deep Dive into Data: Thoughts from Fellow Jeff Valles.
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Last week we discussed building the ultimate data collection process to place your business in the best possible position to grow. The more you can learn about your business, your customers and your targeted market, the better prepared you will be for the newly emerging algorithms, artificial intelligence support and insight.
For now, let’s look at the data we do have. Let’s set it up to answer questions that will allow us to better understand what is happening in our business and what we can do better to improve and gain market share. Start with asking your ERP system to create the following spreadsheet for up to the last five...
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Brick and Mortar Retail Attracts Technology Investment.
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Technology investors are moving dollars from e-commerce businesses to brick and mortar retail, finds a study by CB Insights, a market intelligence company. The new data reflects new interest in brick and mortar. Investment in retail technology dropped from $68 billion in 2018 to $45 billion in 2019, with the dollars shifting to online meal and grocery delivery applications and new e-commerce centric popups looking for temporary brick and mortar space, according to the CB Insights study.
While the number of investment deals declined from 2018 to 2019, the dollar volume of brick and mortar investment rose significantly...
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DPHA would love your feedback! In this section of Connections, we will be asking for your opinion on a different topic each week. Let your voice be heard!
Last week we asked about your ERP: 33% use Eclipse, 12% have a custom program, DDI and Sage both had 8%, and over 37% use something other than what was listed.
This week we want to know:
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What do you think of the new Connections?
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87% of AIA Architects Look to Continuing Education to Keep on Top of Trends
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The American Institute of Architect’s (AIA) latest study revealed the 4 in 5 architects have responsibility for finding out information about new products and materials at their firm. 87% of the study participants look to continuing education to keep on top of trends relating to products and materials - that’s higher than manufacturer’s websites (80%) or manufacturer’s representatives (73%) and a number that’s growing in importance.
If you would like to add more courses to your offering, or want to start to present CEUs to turn education into specifications, sign up for
DPHA CEU program
today.
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BLANCO Introduces New IKON
®
Farmhouse Sink with Low Divide.
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Blanco is elevating kitchen ergonomics with its new IKON
®
33” Apron 1-3/4 Bowl with Low Divide sink. Designed to make prepping, cooking and cleaning a more seamless and comfortable experience for all users, this industry first apron front sink is crafted with the brand’s exclusive SILGRANIT
®
granite composite patented material available in nine trending colors.
The new IKON sink’s convenient low divide that sits just 5-1/2” from the sink bottom, makes it easier to handle large pots and baking sheets while still dividing the sink into cleaning and prepping bowls.
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STRASSER Launches Celebria Vanity Collection.
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STRASSER is elevating the luxury experience even further with the launch of the Celebria vanity collection. Thoughtfully designed toward simplification of form, Celebria’s clean lines exude a distinctly contemporary aura. Combined with a glossy, matte, or textured finish, the effect is at once soothing as it is sophisticated. Celebria includes two models, the Milo and the Amiri. Both Milo and Amiri are available in seven finishes: Gloss Black, Gloss White, Matte Black, and Matte White that resist smudges for a sleek, clean finish; Pasadena Pine, Palisandro Blue, and Stratos Pinea boast a high-relief woodgrain and reclaimed wood textures to enhance the slab surface.
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Franz Viegener Faucet Handles in Four Decorative Designs.
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In an extension of the popular Lollipop and Nerea collections, a series of stunning new widespread faucets feature ultra-modern handles that incorporate elegant jewelry-like details. The new Lollipop widespread will be offered with tall, cylindrical handles while the Nerea will feature a low, disc-like style. Each handle features one of four decorative designs — vertical lines, horizontal rings, subtle knurled detailing or a more prominent diamond pattern. All configurations will be available in the current range of finishes — polished chrome, polished and brushed nickel (PVD), polished and brushed gold (PVD), polished rose gold (PVD), satin black (PVD), and polished and brushed unlacquered brass.
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Mr. Steam Recognized as LPG Vendor of the Year.
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Congratulations to Mr. Steam on being recognized as Luxury Product Group's Vendor of the Year!
One of today’s biggest trends in bathroom design is to create a relaxing and spa-like environment at home. Mr. Steam works closely with showrooms, designers and discerning homeowners to help them create the steam shower environment of their dreams. Mr. Steam offers contemporary, technologically advanced products with swipe-touch controls, ultra-efficient steam generators, soothing aromatherapy and chromatherapy systems, and sleek high-performance towel warmers.
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Kymberly B Weiner
Director of Marketing & Sales
Decorative Plumbing and Hardware Association (DPHA)
504.475.8111
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