Connections - Fall 2013

Too much water for wall DRUG FA L L 2 0 1 3

CONNECTIONS LEDs

Light Up The Future

NOW HIRING What Happens If We Run Out Of Tradespeople?

Track Your MARKDOWNS

DSG TOP PICKS:

Montana

Outdoor THRILLS

The DSG Family Since our establishment in 1898, DSG has worked hard to treat each and every customer as a partner. We call it The Power Of We, a philosophy with a simple core idea: When our customers succeed, we succeed.

DSG is employee-owned. That means every one of us has a vested interest in your success, and it shows in everything we do.

Not only do we supply more than 40,000 products to electricians, plumbers, HVAC/R technicians, contractors, communication providers, utilities, municipalities, cooperatives and rural water systems, we also provide training, advice and planning as well. Our focus is on growing your business, no matter how we serve you.

DSG was founded in Fargo, N.D., and expanded across the Upper Midwest as we diversified our product offerings. Most recently, we added W.A. Roosevelt in Wisconsin, MDM Supply in Montana and Fargo Water Equipment in North Dakota to the DSG Family. These companies share our Power Of We vision and have brought tremendous energy, experience and resources to the team. Today, we proudly serve Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Together, we’ll put all the right connections to work for you.

MDM SUPPLY

ON THE COVER |

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NOW HIRING

10

HOW CAN WE ATTRACT FRESH FACES TO THE TRADE INDUSTRIES?

The trade industries are experiencing too much of a good thing: too many jobs but not enough people to do them. Here’s the scoop on the shortage of tradespeople.

Careers in the trade industries are some of the best jobs that exist, yet they are being overlooked. Here’s how to share the truth about the trades.

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24 TOO MUCH WATER – EVEN FOR WALL DRUG

See how Wall Drug and TLC Electric overcame a water main break that jeopardized the economy of Wall, S.D.

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Connections | FALL 2013

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

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THE UPSIDE OF TRACKING YOUR MARKDOWNS

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A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR LEDs

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DSG PICKS: FOUR GREAT REASONS TO VISIT MONTANA

If you’ve ever wondered “where did the time go,” you’ve hit on one of the biggest challenges to time-based billing. Here’s what you need to know in order to track your markdowns and plan for a profit.

Learn how LEDs are on their way to becoming the new normal.

Check out some Montana adventures that make us love the Treasure State.

PROFILES |

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when it comes to water infrastructure, cottonwood is on the grow

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DSG’s fargo water equipment makes the promise of fusible pvc™ into reality

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DSG CUSTOMERS PUT THE CONTRACTOR PORTAL TO WORK

46 DRAINS ON A DEADLINE

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FIXTURES | Editorial New Respect – Tom Rosendahl..........................................................................4

The Power Of We At DSG The Power Of We At DSG . . . In The Warehouse................................................5

Meet The DSG Team Rick Anderson – Fargo, N.D.......................................................................... 18 The Connector – Fargo, N.D.......................................................................... 37

Grow Your Business Putting Your Smartphone To Work................................................................. 16 The 10 Laws Of Customer Service................................................................... 28 Energy-saving Secrets.................................................................................... 44

DSG Outdoors Outdoor Adventures..................................................................................... 20

News Wire Promises Worth Keeping................................................................................ 35 Lead Lockdown............................................................................................ 49 2013 Brings National Awards And Honors..................................................... 50

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EDITORIAL |

New RESPECT I used to enjoy a comedian named Rodney Dangerfield, who had a running gag that he used for years: “no respect.” While Rodney is now doing gigs at the great comedy club in the sky, his work lives on (especially in classics such as Caddyshack and Back to School), and even his movie roles focused on this underdog mentality. Sometimes I feel like the trade industries struggle with the same problem: We don’t get very much respect. Not only is this unfair, but the lack of understanding at its core is fundamentally incorrect.

Take the story in this issue about TLC Electric and Wall Drug. When a flooded basement caused an electrical emergency, Wall Drug’s busy season was in jeopardy. Wall Drug is tremendously important to the western part of South Dakota, and its success or failure wasn’t up to a team of lawyers or accountants or MBAs. It was up to an electrician who rolled up his sleeves and saved the day.

That’s the kind of story that young people don’t hear enough about these days. There aren’t many TV shows about plumbers or HVAC techs. There aren’t very many movies that star electricians.

Instead, professional services tend to get the spotlight. Don’t get me wrong. Those jobs are important, too, but ask any lawyer about how he

Tom Rosendahl DSG PRESIDENT

4

spends most of his days, and he will describe hours upon hours of tedious paperwork and meetings.

The truth is that being a lawyer isn’t any more exciting than being an electrician.

However, truth and perception are rarely the same thing. As long as the trade industries are perceived as less desirable careers, then we have a problem.

Check out the article in this issue about the shortage of tradespeople, and you will see how real that problem has become. Who can change our “no respect” image?

You and I can. We don’t have the media’s attention, so it’s up to us. Spread the word that a trade career is interesting, fulfilling and rewarding. If you want to attract young people, make your company attractive to young people.

Check out page 10 for more suggestions.

One of the greatest strengths of a tradesperson is an ability to fix things. So let’s fix this. Let’s demolish the stereotype, and if the trades still don’t get the respect they deserve, let’s build that respect ourselves. A trade career is a great career, and the world deserves to know it.

THE POWER OF WE AT DSG |

. . . In

The Warehouse

The Power Of We is a concept that is interwoven “The barcode system helps us to unload trucks into the fabric of DSG. It means that each DSG we receive from manufacturers much quicker,” employee owner strives to create successful says Kramer. “It immediately recognizes each partner encounters in everything we do – item and tells us exactly which shelf and which whether that’s with customers, manufacturers bin on that shelf to put it in. This helps to keep or internally with each other. our warehouse organized A big part of The Power Of We and get the products into our involves creating powerful system quickly – and the faster connections that add to the success we can get the products on our of our customers. In the warehouse, shelves, the faster we can get the connections we provide are them out to our customers.” streamlined inventory, order The barcode system is also accuracy and on-time delivery. helping DSG strive for 100% We utilize an efficient system for order accuracy (part of DSG’s product receiving and storage that Customer Service Guarantee). not only saves our customers the “The barcode system has cost of inventorying the products eliminated a lot of the manual Jason Kramer, DSG warehouse manager, Fargo. themselves, but in many cases work we do,” Kramer says. reduces the carbon footprint of “For example, it will populate the supply chain. Furthermore, our warehouse tickets, minimizing the potential for errors, fulfillment team picks and packs products quickly, like misreading someone’s handwriting. Our yet carefully, so that our customers experience expectation is to get every order 100 percent fewer returns and ultimately get more jobs correct, and with these tools, we’re getting done on time. very close to realizing that.”

Efficiency, timeliness and accuracy are three The barcode system has enhanced many of keys to the strength of DSG’s warehouse crew. the existing processes DSG already had in place, In September 2012, DSG adopted a new barcode turning the warehouse department into a scanning system, complete with radio-frequency well-oiled machine. “Everyone in our department scanning guns. Jason Kramer, warehouse knows their responsibilities, and we all work manager at DSG’s Fargo headquarters, has together to get the job done,” says Kramer. been instrumental in the implementation of “You could certainly say that, in the warehouse, the new system and has been responsible for The Power Of We is stronger than ever.” training many of DSG’s other branches as well.

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

FALL 2013 | connections

5

NOW HIRING The trade industries are experiencing too much of a good thing: too many jobs but not enough people to do them.

In October of 2012, Hurricane Sandy

more long-term problem. Now that the

plowed into the East Coast of the United

construction industry seems to have

States, doing billions of dollars in damage

regained its footing at the tail end of the

to property and infrastructure. Streets were

Great Recession, a challenging reality has

flooded, subway tunnels were filled with

become clear: There simply aren’t enough

water and millions of people lost electricity.

tradespeople to do all the work that is

Nearly a month later, thousands were still

needed. Worse, the number of potential

without power, and it wasn’t because

candidates being trained are few and far

there was a shortage of parts or materials

between. Whether you are looking to hire an

for repairs. It was because there was a

electrician, a plumber, an HVAC pro or any

shortage of electricians.

other type of trained, hands-on technician,

In truth, Hurricane Sandy simply shined a temporary spotlight on a much larger,

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Connections | FALL 2013

the pickings are slim – and the future looks frustrating, to say the least.

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

damage was done, and the new reality of the trade industries looked something like this: not enough trained workers; nobody to take over for retiring owners and managers; no interest from young people who had spent four or five years looking elsewhere for employment. Now the trade industries are at a crossroads: Continue to ignore the coming draught or approach the problem head on.

Time To Roll Up Our Sleeves

Not A Surprise Soothsayers from the business world have had an eye on the trade industries for more than a decade. Look back 10 years, and you will find the first predictions of this shortage.

According to construction industry pundits, there simply was not going to be enough young blood coming into the trades to replace the old guard (including baby boomers) as they reached retirement age.

The warnings were conservative, though. There was no need to panic.

Fast forward to 2008, and the housing bubble burst, even as much of the global economy tanked. The result was a devastating one-two punch to the trade industries. First, tens of thousands of tradespeople grew tired of looking for work and changed professions altogether.

Second, those who remained in the trades focused their attention (understandably) on getting through a tough time rather than recruiting more help.

By the time the economy began to show new life, the

According to eplumbingcourses. com, the lack of plumbing professionals is actually becoming an impediment to the overall economic recovery.

After all, the article says, if builders are slowed by a labor shortage, costs will inevitably go up – a weight on an economy that is still struggling to stay above water.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment in specialty trade contracting increased by 128,000 since September of 2012. With regard to HVAC, the BLS is estimating nearly a 34 percent increase in demand for mechanics and installers between 2010 and 2020. In addition, the BLS predicts that the need for electrical workers Continued on page 8 ďƒ

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Continued from page 7

Making The Trades CoOL AGAIN The folks at Irwin Tools

haven’t just recognized

the impending shortage

of tradespeople, they’re

doing something about it.

In 2011, Irwin Tools created “National Tradesman

Day” in mid-September, a “holiday” meant to

bring positive attention to the benefits of the trade industries. They backed

up this event with public relations and national

media, and 2013’s event was bigger than ever.

You can find out more

online at www.irwin.com/ nationaltradesmenday.

will rise to more than 734,000 as soon as 2014 – a figure that exceeds the current number of electricians by more than 75,000 workers!

According to E. Milner Irvin, president of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), “The predicted shortfall of electricians in the U.S. won’t be just the industry’s problem. Shortages affect all businesses up and down the line, by generally driving up the cost, and driving down the quality, of any product or service.”

In other words, the time is now for trade industries to take an active role in revitalizing the health and prosperity of their own future. Some contractors are already taking action, offering in-house apprenticeship programs and participating in educational opportunities for prospective hires. But according to Tom Rosendahl, president of DSG, there is a need for even more fundamental change in the world of the trade industries.

“We need to make sure that there are good jobs that people want,” he says. “We need competitive compensation and good benefits. We need to provide our employees with continued opportunities for growth. We need to show young people that there is a bright

future in the trade industries.”

He also suggests a grassroots approach to recruitment.

“Tell the young people in your life – whether they are boys or girls – that your job is a good job,” he says. “Better yet, show them. Encourage them.

Everyone finds inspiration someplace, and our customers do very important jobs. More people need to know that.

(For more ideas on how to make the trade industries more attractive, see the article on page 10.)

Now For Some Good News If there is a silver lining in this predicament, it’s that the trade industries cannot be outsourced. New houses and new commercial buildings will always need plumbers, HVAC techs and electricians to make them inhabitable. As long as there is growth in the world, there will be growth in the trades.

That’s obviously good news for those who work in and serve the trades. However, the fact that there is no “Plan B” makes the future even more important. It’s up to the trades themselves to ensure that they recover along with the economy, serving as an engine for growth rather than a drag on the system.

“This is a huge opportunity,” says Rosendahl. “How many of us can say that our jobs are so important that there literally aren’t enough people around to do them? It’s a great feeling, but it’s not something we can simply sit around and enjoy.

Instead, it’s a chance for

us to ensure some exciting possibilities for our kids and grandkids.”

Rosendahl encourages a big-picture view of the situation, a perspective that calls for immediate action. “It’s time to address this right now. Even if we start encouraging and

training and educating new tradespeople today, they won’t be ready to go to work for a few years – and they won’t be ready to take over for a few years after that. To keep the trades healthy for tomorrow, they need a shot in the arm today.”

Sources: http://www.achrnews.com/articles/123311-hvac-offers-numerous-career-paths

http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/15760/poll-skilled-trades-rank-low-in-teens’-career-options http://stevemaxwell.ca/time-to-make-the-trades-and-tradesmen-cool/ https://www.facebook.com/nationaltradesmenday http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/massive-shortage-of-electricians-predicted-for-us-59318327.html http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/rockaway-electricians-article-1.1205288 http://eyeonhousing.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/remodelers-report-labor-shortages/ http://blogs.wsj.com/davos/2013/01/24/in-u-s-science-majors-and-plumbers-in-short-supply/ http://www.eplumbingcourses.com/shortage-of-construction-workers-hurts-homebuilders/ml

Motivation For EDUCATION When it comes to working for the future of young people in the

trades, DSG puts its money where its mouth is. The DSG Education Connection Fund offers scholarships to those who are looking to join the trades. You can help, too! To donate to the DSG Education Connection Fund – or to find out

more about the scholarships available, go online to

www.dsgfund.com.

How Can WE Attract Fresh Faces To The

?

Trade

Industries

Careers in the trade industries are some of the best jobs that exist today, yet they are being overlooked by graduating high school seniors. Why? It’s oftentimes a battle of perceptions. Today’s youths – along with their parents – are told by society that the

best course of action is a four-year education and a career behind a desk. They simply aren’t aware of the incredible potential offered by the trade industries. So how do we share the truth about the trades?

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Connections | FALL 2013

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

Getting started is simple: Be an advocate. Whether it’s with your own kids, the team you coach or the youth group you lead, spread the word about why you love your job.

Being a champion for the trades is one of the most important contributions you can make to the future of the industry, and it starts with good communication. You not only have to believe that the trade professions are great, you need to know why, and be able to share those reasons with young people. Here are a few examples:

• Tradespeople are in high demand, and they will be for a long time.

Students pursuing a career in the trades won’t have to worry about searching for a job when school is done. Plus, they cannot be outsourced overseas.

• Trade professions are important and rewarding jobs.

Tradespeople get to build, maintain and upgrade some of the most important parts of our country’s infrastructure. Best of all, they get to do it without suits or briefcases.

• Tradespeople make good money.

Workers in trade professions are paid very attractive salaries, the benefits are great and there’s always room for advancement.

Plus, tradespeople often get paid while they learn.

• A career in the trades is a great way to start your own business,

and with many trade professionals thinking about their exit strategies, there’s a lot of opportunity to take over.

It’s critical to put these ideas in front of students at a time when career choices and future plans are on the top of their minds. In fact, that may be at a younger age than you might think. “By the time kids enter the eighth grade, they’ve started to form serious ideas about what they want their careers to be,” says Julie Brookbank, director of marketing and public information at Mitchell Technical Institute in Mitchell, S.D. “Many young people are naturally equipped to excel at these types of professions, and it’s important to tell them early and often that this is a line of work that they’ll really enjoy.”

“Sometimes, you just need someone to point you in the right direction,” says Mike Miller, owner of Miller Electric in Warren, Minn. “For me, it was my dad. I’m thankful that I was encouraged to pursue becoming an electrician because now I have a job that I enjoy where I get to be hands-on.”

The best way to address young people about a career in the trade industries is to speak directly to them. Take time during the slow season to be a guest speaker at a school or hold a winter workshop for teenagers. Encourage the kids in your life to join DSG’s Kids Club (www.dsgkidsclub.com). You could offer jobshadowing opportunities, work with a school counselor, exhibit at a job fair or even hold a community event.

Partnering with colleges is another way you can reach potential new employees. For example, North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, N.D., offers various opportunities through its Business Partner Program for businesses to provide equipment, technology and tools, and in return get direct access to graduates who can immediately join their team. “It’s to a company’s advantage to create relationships with potential employees at the front end of their Continued on page 12 

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

FALL 2013 | connections

11

Continued from page 11

education,” says John Richman, president of North Dakota State College of Science. “Businesses need to be more active in workforce development than ever before. The most successful businesses we work with are doing everything they can to get a head start on the recruitment process.”

The most successful businesses we

work with are doing everything they can

to get a head start on the recruitment process.”

Offering incentives can be effective as well. Things like providing scholarships (or contributing to an existing one like the DSG Education Connection Fund), paid internships or tools can help to entice new employees. For the adventurous, you could even develop a student loan payback program for new hires.

Mitchell Technical Institute established its Workforce Recruitment Program in the fall of 2009. This program enables businesses to pay a portion of a student’s tuition in return for a oneto three-year commitment when they’re done with school. “This program is similar to contributing to a scholarship, but instead the businesses are involved with what happens to the student who receives the funds,” says Brookbank, “and it’s not terribly expensive. The cost to advertise for a new hire could easily cost as much.”

Also, don’t forget to take a look at how attractive you’ve made your company to new employees. Do you offer benefits? Do you encourage innovation – including new technologies (something today’s youths are very sensitive to)? Do you encourage training?

In order to attract young people, you need to have a company where young people want to work.

Finally, it’s important to remember that everyone can make a difference. Even the smallest conversation could change a young person’s perception of the trade industries.

Just because there is a shortage of tradespeople in our future doesn’t mean that there’s not enough manpower right now to help keep the trades engine running strong.

New Technologies ARE CREATING DEMAND FOR TECH-SAVVY EMPLOYEES. When installing equipment like programmable logic

controllers (PLCs) and smart thermostats, knowledgeable technicians are a must. Thankfully, the millennial

generation has a natural aptitude for adapting to new technology.

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Submit a

Sometimes the right tool for the job is

one you make yourself!

cool, ingenious tool,

and you’ll have a chance to

win a

BACKPACK

DSG customers are innovative, inventive and more than a little handy. We know this because all across DSG Country we’ve come across industrious folks who’ve invented cool, ingenious tools to overcome the unique challenges that their jobs throw at them.

Are you proud of a homemade tool that you came up with for your job? Send us a photo and an explanation of how it works, and we’ll send you a prize. Not only that, but we’ll share your creation with the world through our publications and web site. Best of all, your submission will automatically enter you for a chance to win a rugged Klein Tools backpack!

DSG customers are inventors at heart.

Submit your cool, ingenious tool today at www.dakotasupplygroup.com/ingenious.

* Some restrictions apply. No purchase necessary.

When It Comes To Water Infrastructure, Cottonwood Is On The Grow Cottonwood, Minn., is a charming community of a little more than 1,200 residents nestled in southwest Minnesota (approximately 100 miles northeast of Sioux Falls, S.D.) on the shores of Cottonwood Lake. Fittingly named after the trees that surround the lake, Cottonwood may be a small community, but it’s one that is focused on growth.

One of the community’s more recent examples of development is its new public works shop. Cottonwood had been looking to build a new facility when an existing property became available.

After the city purchased the

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building in November of 2012, one of the first things that needed to be addressed was what do to about the control panels located in the old shop.

According to Cottonwood Maintenance Supervisor Steve Alm, talk about new control panels couldn’t have come at a better time.

“Our existing system for controlling and monitoring municipal water dates back to the 1970s. It’s been getting harder and harder to get replacement parts, and there are a limited number of people who understand the schematics of a system this old,” says Alm. “Frankly, it has become

unreliable. We get false alarms and can’t be sure if signals are getting transmitted. We simply can’t trust it. We knew we needed to upgrade our controls, and this move made that decision a lot easier.”

Alm has lived in the community of Cottonwood since the early 1960s, and has served as the maintenance supervisor since 1998. He asked for bids, and in the end, awarded the project to DSG, knowing that Waterworks Account Manager Rick Robinson was just the man for the job. “I knew Rick had worked as a crew member for the city of Tracy for a number

Top row, left to right: City of Cottonwood, new Cottonwood Public Works facility, old control panel system, DSG Account Manager Rick Robinson and Cottonwood Maintenance Supervisor Steve Alm. Bottom row: New custom control panels from DSG.

of years,” says Alm, “so what better resource did I have than a former city worker who’s done this before? It was really an added bonus for us that Rick had city work experience.

I knew that he would steer us in the right direction.”

In order to put together the perfect solution for the city of Cottonwood, Robinson employed the expertise of DSG’s Automation Segment and teamed up with Control Panel Engineer Jerry Schmoll to design a system that had all the technology with none of the complexity. “I explained to Rick and Jerry that I wanted a system that was current and would stay current, but that was easy to use,” says Alm. “They have been sensitive to my concerns that this system didn’t go overboard technologically to the point where we didn’t understand how to read it.”

DSG is putting the finishing

touches on the control panels, and then Jeseritz’s Electric in Cottonwood will be in charge of installing them. Once the project is complete (expected by late 2013), Cottonwood’s system will change from an unreliable alarm system on its lift stations to a tailored radio-frequency system that includes

In some cases,

it could mean

the difference

between residents having water or not ...”

12 custom control panels.

The city’s two water towers, two remote wells and seven lift stations will each have its own control panel, reporting to a master control panel located at the new city shop. This will be a

significant upgrade for the city of Cottonwood, and the benefits for the city are expected to be great.

“We will have a much better grasp on how the system is functioning and be able to address issues faster,” says Alm. “In some cases, it could mean the difference between residents having water or not, or whether they get sewer backup in their basements. In other words, this system will keep small problems from snowballing into bigger ones. It’s going to be a system that we can count on for a long time.”

So far, Alm couldn’t be happier with how the project has been going. “Cottonwood isn’t a big community,” he admits, “but you never feel small when you work with DSG. Rick and Jerry have treated us like we are their most important customer, and that will make anyone feel good.”

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GROW YOUR BUSINESS |

Putting Your

SMARTPHONE TO WORK Smartphones do a lot of things. They keep us connected when we’re on the go. They give us Internet access from anywhere. They allow us to shoot photos and video at a moment’s notice. But instead of actually making us “smarter,” they usually just make us “busier.”

It’s time for your smartphone to start pulling its own weight when it comes to your job.

We’ve featured a story about phone apps before (Connections Magazine, Spring 2012) but 18 months is a lifetime in app years. So here is a new list of helpful tools that can make your smartphone work harder, while making your job a lot easier. None of the apps are very expensive, and they all promise to save you a lot of time that you would otherwise spend hunched over a calculator with a notepad.

All apps are available through their respective app stores (either the App Store on your Apple device or the Google Play store for your Android).

Note: DSG does not endorse the effectiveness, accuracy or value of any of these apps.

At the time of this article, they were good examples of apps that might appeal to contractors. You should carefully read the instructions of any app you purchase, and then make your own judgments regarding use.

For Electricians: Electrical Wiring Pro iPhone, Android

Featuring dozens of useful electrical calculators and tools, this app was written by a working electrician who still uses it every day. It bases calculations on the National Electrical Code from 2005, 2008 and 2011.

This app can help with residential/load calculations, ampacity/wire size (AWG only), conduit fill, conduit bending, voltage drop, motors, transformers and a lot more.

Online reviews are generally favorable, especially for the Android version. It’s worth noting that there are small differences between the iPhone and Android versions, so read up before you buy.

The developer recommends this app for electricians, power engineers and other electrical professionals.

This app is available in both a free and full-featured version, so you can try before you buy.

Conduit Runner Pro Android The name says it all here.

This app helps with calculating conduit bends and fills, along with some other helpful related information (pull box sizing, for example). This app has garnered strong reviews and has actually been around for a few years, which usually means that most of the bugs have been worked out.

Conduit Bender Elite iPhone, iPad This app focuses on saving electricians time when calculating, marking and bending conduit. It includes diagrams and step-by-step help for bends, but doesn’t include a lot of extras. The beauty of apps, however, is that future updates often add features.

For Plumbers: Pipe Calc Elite iPhone, iPad

Developed for plumbers and pipe fitters, this app can help to calculate pipe data and dimensions. It also calculates complex pressure loss equations, linear and rolling offsets, cutbacks and more. This is one of the more expensive contractor apps we’ve seen (as of this writing it was $19.99), so check it out thoroughly before you click the “Buy” button.

For HVAC Techs: HVAC Buddy Refrigerant Press Android

This app includes a refrigerant PT Chart that covers 75 refrigerants, along with multiple pressure units and temp units.

Online reviews praise the app’s ease of use, and the developer claims more than 20,000 users.

HVAC Buddy Load Calc iPhone, iPad, Android Another HVAC Buddy app, this one is designed to improve

accuracy when you are sizing equipment. It allows you to enter construction characteristics relating to heat gains and losses in order to calculate total building loads for heating and cooling. In addition, this app helps you to collect and record information for presentations and proposals (you can even email charts to others).

For All Contractors:

DSG Budget Shaper Any device with an Internet connection, including computers, smartphones and tablets Budget Shaper is a new tool that DSG is offering to its customers free of charge. It is a web app, which means that it can be used with any device that lets you go online with a web browser, including smartphones. Budget Shaper guides you through the process of setting an hourly rate that accounts for expenses, markup on goods sold and most importantly – profit. This app takes the guesswork out of setting rates and budgeting, and even allows users to develop and test “what if” scenarios, such as “how much do I need to charge per hour to afford a new service truck?”

If you want to see your optimum hourly rate in black and white, you owe it to yourself to give Budget Shaper a try. Learn more and register for Budget Shaper at www.dakotasupplygroup. com/budgetshaper.

17

MEET THE DSG TEAM |

An Interview With Rick Anderson,

COMMUNICATIONS SEGMENT MANAGER

21 years with DSG // Served as: Quotations Specialist, Inside Sales, City Desk, Warehouse

Q – You have a lot of experience in the electrical

industry. How have you been putting

that experience to work for DSG’s

communications customers?

A – We all know that the products are different,

there’s no way around that. But I really feel my

understanding of the processes we use here at

DSG with bidding, pricing, and the relationships

we build with our customers and manufacturer

partners carry over. Those are the things that

differentiate DSG, not our products.

Q – What’s your biggest strength when it

comes to helping your customers?

A – I listen to my customers and attempt to see things

from their perspective. Then, once I’ve identified

the problem or need they’re encountering, I’m

able to use my experience to find a solution

that best fits their needs.

Q – The communications industry is always

evolving. What do you see in store for

its future?

A – Consolidation and strategic partnerships.

What it comes down to is that manufacturers

want to know exactly who is buying their

products, and sometimes the best way to do

that is to work very closely with upstream

and downstream collaborators.

Q – DSG customers love the outdoors – are you

more of a hunting man or a fishing man?

A – I love to fish. I just don’t get the chance to do

it as much as I’d like!

Q – What’s something that your fellow employee

owners would be surprised to know about you?

A – I love collecting and restoring antique farm

equipment. I go to the Steam Show in Rollag

every summer, and am continually amazed by

the people and equipment that the show

brings in every year.

What Are You Doing With

YOUR POTENTIAL? You owe it to yourself and your business to make the most out of your opportunities.

Get smarter. Get more productive. Get a seat reserved now at the two most important training opportunities you’ll see in the spring of 2014.

Guaranteed to pay for itself or we’ll refund your registration fee!

Experienced consultants will teach you how to develop profitable hourly rates, add loyal customers, employ the proven “what-if” process and more.

Recharge with quick and easy ideas and strategies for improving profitability.

A one-day education event with long-term benefits for your business.

Feb. 3 • Feb. 4 • Feb. 5 • Feb. 6 •

La Crosse, Wis. Twin Cities, Minn.

Fargo, N.D. Aberdeen, S.D.

Two days of hands-on training that is guaranteed to make your business more profitable.

Feb. 17-18 Feb. 20-21 Feb. 25-26 March 3-4 March 6-7

Find out more about both of these great training opportunities at www.dakotasupplygroup.com/university-of-dsg

• • • • •

Rapid City, S.D. Fargo, N.D. Helena, Mont.

Twin Cities, Minn.

Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

Outdoor

Adventures True stories from DSG employee owners and customers

HUNTING A HARD-CORE BOAR Todd Truedson owns Todd’s Electric in Kennedy, Minn.

He likes to fish, but most of his spare time is spent with his racing team, which includes four cars (including a late model, a lightning sprint car and a street car) as well as his daughter’s go-kart. Hunting isn’t normally on his schedule.

However, in February of 2013, a group of his friends was going boar hunting in Missouri and had a last-minute cancellation.

20

Truedson agreed to fill the spot, and soon he found himself at Stone Creek Hunting Ranch outside of Edgar Springs. The ranch includes nearly 500 acres of heavy woods and massive stone hills. In those woods you’ll find rams, ibex, deer, elk, buffalo and antelope – but Truedson and his friends were there for the famed Russian wild boar.

Before the hunt began, the ranch’s guides gave Truedson and his friends a briefing on their quarry. Not only can wild boars grow to be 350 pounds, but males have deceptively sharp tusks that can grow to more than 4 inches. Staff emphasized that stories about the aggressive nature of wild boars are not exaggerated. In fact, they shared personal examples of hunters who had found themselves in the emergency room after an enraged animal had run its tusk straight through to the bones

in their legs. Truedson wasn’t nervous, but he also hadn’t expected so many warnings about the risk of hunting wild boar. Clearly this was an animal that deserved respect.

Truedson and his friends spent the first day of their hunt trying to become acclimated to the rough terrain and their unfamiliar prey. Wild boars have a tremendously acute sense of smell, and the hunting party quickly discovered that it was critical to approach the animals from a downwind direction. Once a boar caught the scent of a hunter, it was gone – impossible to hit as it disappeared into the unforgiving geography of the ranch’s hills and woods.

The following days brought better hunting as the men got the hang of the boars’ movements. Just a few miles away from Fort Leonard Wood army base, they stalked the

feral hogs with the surreal background noise of machine gun fire and artillery shells as soldiers trained nearby. One by one, the hunters started to take down their boars. After injuring a particularly nasty specimen, one of the men had to find cover in order to escape the animal’s tusks – as well as the tusks of its stampeding comrades. Truedson, however, still hadn’t found a shot.

After spotting more than 50 boars as he plunged through the forest for two days, it was on the third day that he finally put the scope of his rifle on a boar at 200 feet and sent a 220 swift into its skull. “If you want a good mount, you don’t want to shoot them in the head,” Truedson remembers with a smile. “But I wasn’t taking any chances.” He dropped a rugged male that weighed in at almost 250 pounds.

Truedson’s days in the racing business have given him plenty of pulse-pounding moments, but putting a dangerous wild boar in the crosshairs was just as thrilling. For an occasional hunter, it was a day he will never forget.

STALKING THE BIG CAT Shane McCollum is an inside salesperson for the electrical segment at DSG in Fargo.

He’s in his 40s now, but when McCollum was in his late 20s, he decided that he really wanted a bobcat mount.

Over the next few years, he taught himself how to track and trap, and his first trophy was a bobcat that he still has today. Since then, McCollum has become an accomplished trapper, with his favorite quarry being beaver.

A decade later, McCollum’s 14-year-old nephew asked him to pass on his knowledge.

McCollum agreed, and it was a cold, wet December morning when the two set out near Bemidji, Minn., to scout for

prey. Anyone who has ever been to this part of the world knows that the trees are thick, and the weather can be fierce. They slogged through rain and snow for miles, occasionally setting a trap for beaver or mink.

Then they saw them: cat tracks – big cat tracks.

McCollum explained to his nephew how bobcats have a habit of walking in their own tracks over and over. This meant that the animal would almost surely return. It was the opportunity they had been hoping for.

They followed the tracks until they found a suitable choke point – a spot on the trail where trees on either side would force the animal to follow a narrow, predictable path. McCollum showed his nephew the time-consuming steps involved with preparing a blind-set snare, which included arranging the restraint cable at head height for the bobcat to walk into. With any luck, the cat would find himself quickly caught by the neck, and McCollum’s nephew would have his own prize mount.

But trapping takes patience.

For the next three days, McCollum’s nephew roused Continued on page 22 

Continued from page 21

him out of bed so the two could hit the trails before dawn, hiking up to eight miles a day through dense brush, thick snow and freezing temperatures. Every day they would see deer and grouse.

They even managed to trap two mink and a handful of beaver. But the bobcat snare stayed empty. McCollum had seen similar traps stay empty for months, but he kept that to himself, not wanting to dampen his nephew’s enthusiasm.

On the fourth day, McCollum saw fresh tracks as they approached the snare.

He held his breath but said nothing. When they saw the bobcat in the trap, McCollum’s nephew literally jumped for joy. The male bobcat was even more incredible than he had dreamed: 34 pounds, 54 ¼ inches from nose to tail – a big cat for sure.

“I’ve spent my whole life walking through the woods,” McCollum’s nephew told him with a smile that put the December sun to shame, “but I never looked down. I never saw that there were tracks and that I could follow them.” His uncle shared his pride, and now both have bobcat mounts to provide vivid memories and exciting stories they can share.

Share your own outdoor adventure at www.dakotasupplygroup.com/ what-we-do/dsg-outdoors/

If your busy life is keeping you from advancing your professional skills, Mitchell Tech has the answer! Do you work in a manufacturing environment and need to know more about motor controls, control devices, PLCs and how they can improve your workplace? Enroll in our new ONLINE Industrial Controls training program!

Each course builds upon your knowledge of electricity and its uses.

If you are already experienced in one or more areas, move on to the next course. You’ll learn the specialty skills necessary in today’s manufacturing environment that will help you master electronic management of routine tasks.

What courses are available?

• Electrical Theory • Digital Fundamentals • Basics of Motor Theory • Control Devices

• Electronics Theory • Industrial Wiring • Motor Controls • Programmable Logic Controllers

Take one class or the entire set; whatever you need, when you need it. Our experienced instructor will get you started right away—no waiting for a new class to start. Work at your own pace in a structured, guided online learning environment.

Computer and Internet access required.

Find out how fast and easy online training can be. For more information, contact Tricia Oswald, MTI Online Enrollment Advisor, at (605) 995-3025 or 1-800-684-1969 or by email at questions@mitchelltech.edu.

This program is funded in part through a grant awarded under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, Grant #TC-22537-11-60-A-46.

Too Much Water –

Even For In 1931, Ted and Dorothy Hustead traveled across South Dakota and Nebraska, searching for a town to call home. Ted was a recent graduate of pharmacy school, and the couple wanted to find a wholesome town in which to start a business and raise a family. Eventually, they settled on tiny Wall, S.D., population 326, located in the western part of the state near the picturesque Black Hills.

They purchased Wall Drug but soon discovered that the Great Depression made business tough all over – even in South Dakota.

Inspired by the classic Burma Shave billboards that began appearing in Minnesota in the 1920s, the Husteads made a last-ditch effort to promote their business by using homemade 12x36-inch wooden signs along the highway. Each sign contained the line of a “poem” written by Dorothy Hustead: Get a soda... Get a root beer...

Turn next corner... Just as near... To Highway 16 & 14...

Free Ice Water... Wall Drug. For travelers making the hot, dusty trek across South Dakota in the days before automotive air conditioning, the refreshing

siren song of “free ice water” was too good to pass up.

Business quickly improved, thanks to thirsty motorists.

The signs themselves became a sensation, and soon there were Wall Drug billboards from Minnesota to Montana. With Mount Rushmore completed nearby just a few years later, Wall Drug only grew in popularity.

Today, Wall Drug is much more than a drug store. It is a tourist destination and retail complex with more than 20 themed shops, including

Wall Drug everything from gift stores to restaurants, from an oldfashioned arcade to a hot spot for western fashions. They sell books, fossils, ice cream, fudge, toys, souvenirs and, of course, medicine. Wall Drug is now part museum, part theme park, part shopping mall, part chapel and part drug store. It has its own dinosaur, but ice water is still free. It attracts nearly 2 million visitors each year to Wall, a town that still doesn’t claim more than 1,000 permanent residents.

That’s a lot of tourists, and a lot of good reasons to keep the doors open for business.

It’s not surprising, then, that a small bit of panic crept in when a water main broke just outside the store in February of 2013. In just 45 minutes, the basement, which houses the majority of the facility’s electrical infrastructure and switchgear, was submerged in 4 feet of icy cold water. No one had time to ponder the irony.

“As soon as we got the call, we shut down the power and went down to see what we were up against,” says Tom Clements, owner of TLC Electric in Wall.

“Some of the breakers blew, and some looked like they might blow at any time. It was a dangerous situation, but we made it through those first few tense hours without any big problems.” Once Clements and his crew finished securing the area and restoring backup power, the gravity of the project ahead of them began to sink in.

Continued on page 26 

25

Continued from page 25

“A lot of the switchgear had been installed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, so we had to essentially start from scratch,” adds Clements. “We knew early on that we were going to be spending a good amount of time in that basement.”

It was at this phase of the project that DSG Account Manager Dic Chiolis became a major asset to TLC Electric, and to Wall Drug. “Dic was absolutely instrumental in helping us meet with the owners of the store, and really lay out how and why we needed to make the updates that we did,” Clements says. “It’s incredible how much work goes into a project of that scope. DSG made our lives a lot easier by taking care of a lot of the planning. All of the materials they said we’d have at certain times arrived exactly as they promised.”

With Wall Drug’s make-or-break summer tourist season fast approaching, TLC Electric had Brent Byerly working nearly full time on the project. “Brent’s experience was a huge factor in being able to accomplish what they did,” says DSG’s Chiolis. “Everyone at TLC was instrumental in the project, but for three months that basement was pretty much Brent’s home!” Much of the work also took place late into the night, allowing the store to stay open during normal business hours. “It was a total

It’s incredible

how much

work goes

into a project

of that scope.” team effort. My guys work so well together, and Dic, Kyle Beaird, Chad Harwood (DSG inside sales team members) and many others at DSG just made what could’ve been a huge headache into a great success story,” Clements says with a smile.

Tom Clements, owner of TLC Electric, Inc., Wall, S.D.

26

Wall Drug’s owners, Rick and Teddy Hustead (grandsons of the original owners), were equally impressed with the project. Rick Hustead says, “Because of the age of the equipment, it was much more complicated than new construction. We have three kitchens, and we couldn’t even make toast! We absolutely needed to be up and running for tourist season, and it was phenomenal how TLC and DSG worked together to make it happen.”

What began as a nightmare for Wall Drug ended with new electrical infrastructure that was up to date, up to code and installed on time. When the summer rush arrived, Wall Drug was ready, thanks to TLC Electric and DSG. Rest assured thirsty travelers, Wall will be ready with your free ice water for years to come.

Real Profit Starts With The Right Hourly Rate

Budget Shaper is a simple online solution for developing the best hourly rate for your business – and it’s free for DSG customers!

Here’s why more and more successful companies are using Budget Shaper:

•

No more guesswork – Budget Shaper helps you easily identify whether you are making or losing money, how productive your employees are, and most important, what hourly rate will help to ensure profitability for your business.

• Easy-to-understand results – Budget Shaper provides hard numbers and concrete targets. Plus, the results aren’t buried under accounting jargon. Your profitable hourly rate is right there in black and white.

• Powerful what-if scenarios – Budget Shaper can help to prepare you for the future by eliminating surprises.

It’s easy to modify factors and see how results change.

For instance, if your business is looking to add an employee or company vehicle, Budget Shaper can determine if you will need a new hourly rate to go with them.

•

100 percent online – Budget Shaper is built entirely as a web application, so users can log in from anywhere at any time. It works great on desktops, laptops, smartphones and tablets.

To learn more, ask your DSG representative or visit www.dakotasupplygroup.com/budgetshaper !

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Ideas to abide by that will improve customer service and create happier customers.

1. THE LAW OF RULES Customers have the gold, therefore, they make the rules.

You need your customers more than they need you. After all, they could go elsewhere to get what they need. The big myth: The customer is always right. The reality: Sometimes they’re not. But the customer is always one thing: the customer.

28

Connections | FALL 2013

2. THE LAW OF SERVICE Service is created from the inside out.

Superior service is a team effort, which means every employee is important. Your team’s success is jeopardized by anyone who is not committed to service.

3. The Law Of Perspective Look at everything through your customers’ eyes.

One size doesn’t fit all. Treat different customers differently. Give your customers options. Don’t force your customers to adjust to your needs.

Instead, adjust to theirs.

4. The Law Of Beyond Go beyond satisfying your customers.

Put simply, if you only do what your competition does, you’ll never be better than they are. Don’t settle for satisfied customers who got only what they expected. Strive for happy customers whose expectations were exceeded. Happy customers come back, spend more and tell others.

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10

The Laws Of Customer Service

8

GROW YOUR BUSINESS |

8105 5. The Law Of Value

Add value to every encounter.

Exceptional service means keeping every promise you make to customers and adding value to every encounter. Those who provide the most value at the best price win biggest.

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

7

6

3

6. The Law Of Commitment

9.The Law Of Improvement

Convert complaints into commitment.

No matter how good your service gets, keep making it better.

3

Even the most successful businesses make mistakes, but the difference maker is how they recover. It may not be your fault that the customer had a problem, but it is always your responsibility to get it fixed. Don’t blame others. Don’t make excuses.

Take action.

Never settle for “good enough.” Aim higher.

Learn from others, and get inspired by what others are doing.

10. The Law Of Humor Honor thy customers (but humor thyself).

7. The Law Of Contact

7 2 1 6 10 39 10 Take your work very seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously. There’s no reason not to have fun while serving customers.

A moment of truth occurs whenever a customer forms a perception of your business. You’ve got to manage those moments of truth. Even the littlest of things make a big difference.

Taken from The 10 Commandments of Exceptional Customer Service: 150 Ideas for Improving Service by Mark Sanborn, courtesy of Grandy & Associates’ Small Business University.

4

Make contact with customers positively memorable.

5

6

8. The Law Of Partnership

1

Superior service is a team effort, which means every employee is important. Your team’s success is jeopardized by anyone who is not committed to service.

6

8

Make your customer your partner.

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DSG’s Fargo Water Equipment Makes The Promise Of

Fusible PVC

™

Into Reality Staying on schedule isn’t always easy in the construction industry. While most would agree with that statement, adding “outdoor” and “Upper Midwest” to the equation makes uncertainty a virtual certainty.

Regretfully, customers aren’t always eager to accept excuses about why deadlines weren’t met, so contractors are forced to adapt in order to overcome whatever is thrown their way.

Consequently, Fusible PVC from Underground Solutions® has become the “go-to” technology for contractors who have waterworks projects that demand flexibility with regard to installation and durability

30

when it comes to construction.

Fusible PVC accommodates trenchless installation (perfect when you need pipe to go under a road, river, etc.) as well as pipe-bursting, an innovative means of replacing old pipe from the inside (minimizing excavation). Fusible PVC is continuous, monolithic and fully restrained, with gasket-free, leak-free joints – yet it easily connects to standard fittings.

The incredible tensile strength of the fused joint allows for higher pulling stress and longer trenchless pull-in lengths, and reduced wall thickness results in higher flow limits. It’s used for both pressure and non-

pressure installations. In short, big jobs are easier to manage with Fusible PVC. Installing Fusible PVC does take some expertise. Most distributors are forced to lean on Underground Solutions, who will schedule a time to send its own technicians to the job site to perform the fusing process.

This can be a challenge, since these technicians are routinely booked for weeks and months in advance, leaving little flexibility to help with jobs that arise more spontaneously.

That’s when partnering with DSG’s Fargo Water Equipment really pays off.

Fargo Water Equipment is the only distributor within the territory that is certified to install Fusible PVC. Technicians Mike Humphreys and Josiah

Johnson travel throughout Fargo Water Equipment’s service area with one goal in mind: to ensure that their customers have their PVC fused the way they need it – without having to delay projects. Humphreys has been fusing PVC with Fargo Water Equipment since 2007, and to say he’s an expert wouldn’t be giving him the credit he deserves. Not only is he the area’s only tech who can install Fusible PVC up to 16 inches, but in 2012 Humphreys alone fused more than 70,000 feet of pipe across North Dakota and Minnesota. In fact, Underground Solutions considers the Fargo Water Equipment installation team one of the best in the nation.

Check out the images included with this story for samples of Fusible PVC installations. Then call Fargo Water Equipment to learn how this incredible technology can save the day on your tough waterworks projects.

Mike Humphreys

Josiah Johnson

Minot, N.D.

El Zagel Golf Course, Fargo, N.D.

GROW YOUR BUSINESS |

The Upside

Of Tracking Your Mar k downs There are dozens of clichés that deal with time: Better late than never; in the nick of time; Rome wasn’t built in a day; time flies when you’re having fun. Virtually all of them share a theme – humans, as a rule, wish we had more time. That is especially true for companies that rely on time-based billing, from doctors to mechanics, from lawyers to contractors.

If you’ve ever wondered “where did the time go,” you’ve hit on one of the biggest challenges to time-based billing. In business terms, it’s called a markdown, and it’s the money you “mark down” when a project comes in over budget. In other words, if you bill at $75 per hour, and you tell a customer that a job will take four hours (for a total of $300), then you spend six hours on that job (worth $450 of your time), you have a choice. You can tell your customer it took longer than expected and bill them the extra $150 (many times this is called a “change order”) or you can write off the

extra $150 – this is known as a markdown.

In a perfect world, markdowns don’t exist, but in the real world, they are a part of everyday life.

Sometimes the markdown isn’t the customer’s fault, so it would be unfair to charge them for it (a truck runs out of gas because one of your employees forgot to fill it up in the morning).

Sometimes there was an agreement that doesn’t allow for change orders (often called a “not to exceed” clause in a contract). Sometimes it’s just not a good idea to argue with the customer (if, for instance, they happen to be your best customer).

For those times, markdowns are just an ugly cost of doing business.

On the other hand, just because markdowns are ugly doesn’t mean they aren’t important.

If you bill by the hour, tracking markdowns is a critical part of staying profitable. After all, if you are consistently doing jobs that lose money, you will soon be out of business. Need proof?

Without making you track down a calculator or accounting for your cost of goods sold on parts (a very important factor that we will leave out for simplicity’s sake), here is a simple example of

18

6

the Actual hours you work on a 4-hour job.

2

how much impact a labor markdown can have on profit. Let’s say you’ve done your homework, and you know that you are the making 10 percent profit on your labor Hours you billing after your need to costs are accounted mark down. for (salaries, for example). Now let’s go back to that job where you worked six hours but only charged the customer for four. You essentially gave away $150 worth of billing (two hours at $75), which costs the company $135 (90% of $150 – remember, you are making 10% in profit). To make back that $135, you will need to realize the profit from 18 hours of billing (18 X $75 = $1,350 / $1,350 X 10% profit = $135).

In other words, marking down two hours cost you all of your profits for 18 hours worth of work!

The number of hours you need to bill to make up the profit you lost from the markdown.

Every business needs to make a profit, or it can’t stay in business (unless you are a charity or the government).

Profit helps you grow and keep employees. It helps you improve your equipment and go on vacation once in a while.

The trick is to identify those jobs that are losing money and do something about them. You really have three basic options.

You can (A) not take those jobs – easy, but not always practical; (B) do those jobs differently – a great idea that might be easier said than done; or (C) adjust what you charge for those jobs – a good plan that takes some research and math.

Successful businesses use all three of these strategies to some extent. They tend to focus on their core business, which addresses strategy A. They continually work on controlling costs and improving efficiencies, which is really strategy B. Finally, they track their markdowns and costs, and make adjustments to their hourly rate in order to stay profitable. That’s strategy C. Continued on page 34 

Continued from page 33

If you are billing by the hour and not tracking markdowns, you are leaving a lot to chance. If you are billing by the job and not tracking time at all, you may really be in the dark. Without tracking markdowns, it is impossible to understand and plan for profit. In addition, today’s shortage of tradespeople means that you may need to figure out how to make do with your staff at its current size. In other words, you will want to learn how to make more profit without necessarily adding more people.

Fortunately, there are a couple of resources that can help. DSG’s P4 Learning Labs are a great place to learn all about markdowns and profit, as well as dozens of other factors that impact your business. The instructors are experienced, and the atmosphere is hands-on. As a result, you leave with a deep understanding of what it takes for your business to make money. You can learn more and even see interviews with past participants by going online to dakotasupplygroup.com/ university-of-dsg/p4learning-labs.

If you’d like an easy way to start tracking your markdowns and other expenses online – along with a tool for finding your best, most profitable hourly rate – check out Budget Shaper. This web-based app is made especially for contractors and other businesses that use time-based billing. Budget Shaper is free for qualified DSG customers.

34

Find out more at

dakotasupplygroup.com/ budgetshaper

NEWS WIRE |

Promises Worth Keeping

CUSTOM E R S

ERVICE GUARA N TEE

100•2•20 0

Nearly nine months into the Customer Service Guarantee, DSG isn’t letting up on its commitment to customer success.

Since its launch in March of 2013, DSG’s Customer Service Guarantee has only gotten stronger. DSG officially rolled out the Customer Service Guarantee at W.A. Roosevelt in July of 2013, and has plans to introduce the program to MDM Supply and Fargo Water Equipment customers in the future.

As a direct response to feedback from customers, DSG’s Customer Service Guarantee makes three promises to DSG customers: • 100% Order Accuracy – DSG promises to get every order right the first time, every time.

• 2 Business Day Stock Credit – DSG will credit your account for returned stock merchandise in two business days or less.

• Top 200 Products In Stock – DSG will keep its top 200 best-selling electrical, plumbing and HVAC products in stock at all times.

If at any time, DSG fails to meet expectations on any part of the Customer Service Guarantee, it will issue a $25 credit to be used on future purchases. “The goal of the initiative is simple,” says Mike Place, DSG’s professional development

specialist. “We’re going to do the best we can for our customers, and when we fall short, we’re going to own up to it.”

To uphold these promises, DSG is focusing on the fundamentals. “We’re double and triple checking every order, we’re constantly running reports to follow through on stock credits, and our sales and warehouse teams are working closely with purchasing to make sure our inventory levels are where they need to be,” says Place.

According to Place, the strength of DSG’s Customer Service Guarantee can be attributed to the ongoing commitment made by DSG’s employee owners. “We regularly monitor and evaluate the program, identifying ways we can improve,” he says. “From our corporate officers to our branch managers to our sales team, we’re staying connected throughout the company, reviewing best practices and developing ways in which employee owners can further uphold these promises.”

Want to know more about the Customer Service Guarantee?

Just ask your DSG representative.

Mike Place, DSG’s professional development specialist.

What number is your stainless?

In March 2013, the United States International Trade Commission ruled that Chinese manufacturers were dumping drawn stainless steel sinks into the U.S. marketplace and voted unanimously that unlawful pricing by Chinese producers caused material injury to Elkay and other domestic sink manufacturers.

As a result of this ruling, some foreign imports have adjusted their base material and implemented the use of either thinner gauges of stainless steel or substandard stainless steel to offset the cost of the duties being levied.

What are the implications?

Recent testing has uncovered the use of substandard stainless

steel, formulated by using lower levels of the key elements – nickel and chromium. The combination of thinner materials and low levels of nickel and chromium results in subpar sinks that provide minimal protection against denting, pitting and corrosion.

Stainless steel guidelines

In the U.S., the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has strict guidelines on how stainless steel is graded (A240/ A240M-11a). ELKAY only uses Type 300 series stainless steel, specifically either Type 304 or 301, as it is the ideal material in providing the user durability, superior appearance, corrosion resistance and value. The substandard imported sinks that were tested did not fit any known type class of stainless steel classified by ASTM.

Elkay’s commitment to quality A commitment to superior quality and craftsmanship means we deliver durable products that will stand the test of time. Throughout our more than 90 years in business, we have never wavered from this commitment. At ELKAY, our word is our bond.

Not all stainless is alike.

A test that exposed the sinks to bleach showed that the lower quality stainless steel corroded after 24 hours when compared to Elkay’s Type 304 and Type 301 stainless steel.

elkay.com

Elkay Manufacturing Co., Oak Brook, IL, USA

MEET THE DSG TEAM |

An Interview With THE CONNECTOR,

DSG’s RESIDENT SUPERHERO Q – Tell us about your job at DSG. A – We wanted to show everybody that we can all

be superheroes when it comes to customer service

and cooperation. The next thing you know, I’m

in a mask and tights. Now I help to spread the

word about programs and promotions at DSG

that help our partners to succeed.

Q – Who were your biggest influences as you

got your start in the hero business?

A – As you know, DSG has been around for a really

long time, and over the years we’ve had a few

other heroes. In the 1970s, there was a guy who

taught me everything I know. He was a champion

of the working man, and he called himself “The

Tool.” When he retired, I retired the name as

well, for obvious reasons.

Q – What advice can you give to others who

want to follow in your footsteps?

A – Never wash your whites with your costume. Also,

order a salad now and then. They call them tights

for a reason.

Q – What’s the best part about working for DSG? A – This is an employee-owned company. That means

our customers are always working with an owner,

no matter who they are speaking to. I like how that gives DSG an “all for one and one for all” kind of culture. We say the word “partnership” a lot around here, especially when we talk about our customers. That’s what The Power Of We is all about.

Q – Tell us more about The Power Of We. A – It’s the advantage of working together

toward success. If you’ve ever heard the saying

“more than the sum of its parts,” well, that’s

The Power Of We in action. When everyone

works together – customers, employee owners,

even manufacturers – then we all benefit. We

all share the same goal, after all. Success for

our customers leads to success for DSG. Q – What do you do in your free time?

A – I spend time with my family. I love the outdoors.

I play on the company softball team. I tried to

order everyone capes as part of the uniform,

but evidently there’s some kind of league rule

against it. I wanted to file an appeal, but my

teammates kept losing the paperwork. Oh well,

not everyone can pull off this look anyway.

A Bright Future For

LEDs If you’re familiar with the lighting industry, you know that it never burns out on innovation. Whether it’s higher efficiency, better lumen output or longer life, lighting is always evolving, and today, LEDs are definitely in the spotlight.

Costs are coming down, new markets and applications are being developed, and – as they are accepted by contractors, engineers, homeowners and business owners – LEDs are on their way to becoming the new normal.

LEDs (light-emitting diodes) were first developed in the late 1960s but only in small, niche product applications (for example, computer punch card

38

Connections | FALL 2013

readers). The very first LED was actually discovered by accident in attempts to make a laser. After further development, the first “modern” LED was sold by Texas Instruments for $130 in 1962.

It wasn’t until the fairly recent development of white LEDs within the last few decades that this technology has come into the public eye as a viable option for white light sources.

There’s no shortage of benefits to LEDs. They boast life spans close to 20 years and have a light failure rate as low as 1 percent over a five-year period. Their energy efficiency is at 80 percent, and their economic and environmental impact has the potential to be

quite impressive. According to a 2010 U.S. Department of Energy report, the conversion to LEDs could save the U.S. $120 billion in energy costs, reduce electricity use by 25 percent and eliminate 246 million metric tons of carbon emissions over the next 20 years.

LEDs offer flexibility as well, functioning successfully in hot or cold temperatures, allowing them to be used in all types of climates. They are incredibly durable, withstanding rough conditions that involve jarring or bumping. Finally, LEDs almost always provide a higher profit margin for contractors.

Currently, the use of LEDs is more common in the commercial and industrial

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sector than in the residential market. “While consumers are still somewhat turned off by the up-front cost of LEDs, businesses are able to take the time to examine the long-term benefits of buying LED lighting,” says John Gearman, DSG’s electrical segment manager.

“With electricity among the largest operating expenses for most properties, lowering the cost of lighting can be a big advantage.”

Couple that with state, federal and utility-based incentives (along with lower maintenance costs), and these long-term savings are helping to offset the upfront costs of retrofitting.

Every major lighting application is reaping the rewards from LED technology.

For lighting in retail spaces, manufacturers are creating full lines of track and recessed lighting that are solving the activation and color-shift issues typically associated with ceramic metal halide (CMH) lights. Large manufacturing and warehouse facilities are benefitting from the introduction of a number of high-wattage LED products, allowing them to eliminate 750W metal halide high-bays and 250W metal halide low-bays – lamps that have consistent issues with color rendering, delayed activation and lumen depreciation to

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name a few. LED street lights are also popping up, offering municipalities and utilities long and predictable lifetimes (10 to 15 years), which means low maintenance costs, higher output (even at low temperatures) and quick turn-ons.

In general lighting, incandescent bulbs are still the most widely used electric lamps today. However, a federally mandated plan put forth by George W. Bush in 2007 is currently reaching its final stages, calling for the phaseout of 60-watt and 40-watt incandescent bulbs starting in 2014.

DSG is working hard to stay ahead of the fast-moving influx of LED lighting by increasing inventories and introducing new products to its customers.

All of DSG’s locations that carry electrical solutions are stocking LED products. In fact, DSG now includes LED lighting options on most of its current bids. “A large portion of the building plans and RFPs coming in are requesting LED lighting,” adds Gearman.

“The demand continues to grow.”

Looking ahead, the lighting industry will continue to include more and more LED options.

Quality, features and availability will continue to improve. Sales of LED products are expected to increase from 33 million units

in 2012 to 370 million units by 2016. While sales volume increases, the per item cost of LEDs is expected to drop – rapidly. By 2020, for example, general lighting LED bulbs are expected to cost about the same as standard incandescent bulbs cost today.

The residential sector may present the most interesting area for LED growth. Not only do homes feature plenty of sockets for LED bulbs, but new functionality is being introduced to the fixtures themselves, from remote controls and automatic responsiveness to Wi-Fi compatibility!

LEDs are no longer science fiction. They’re here today, and they’re saving money for users and making money for contractors. Ask your DSG representative to find out more.

Sources: IMS Research, May 2013; LED Lighting Trends in Commercial Construction, Stewart Perry, Planting Acorns, May 2012; More Companies Take a Shine to LED Lighting’s Benefits, Jay Green, Crain’s Detroit Business, August 2013; LightFair 2013, Mark Godfrey, The Electrical Distributor Magazine, June 2013; Incandescent Lamps Fade Out from Lighting Industry, and LED Bulbs Take Off, LEDinside, September 2012, www. edisontechcenter.org/LED.html.

FALL 2013 | connections

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DSG Picks: Four Great Why do we love The Treasure State?

downhill skiing In Southwest Montana –

➀

The Bozeman area is a skier’s paradise. From the epic slopes of Big Sky to the legendary powder of Bridger Bowl, skiing in southwest Montana is truly world-class. With nearly 6,000 acres of terrain, there’s plenty of great skiing for all abilities. Every winter, visitors from around the world visit Big Sky Resort to test their abilities as they descend the steep slopes of Lone Peak. Bridger Bowl ski area, where the uniquely deep snow is known by locals as the “Cold Smoke,” offers up some of the best powder skiing on the planet. In fact, Bridger Bowl holds the world record for the largest snowfall in a 24-hour period at 72 inches (December 2004).

FISHING Missoula’s five valleys –

②

Known locally as the “Five Valleys,” the Missoula area is the hub of several major river and creek drainages in western Montana, offering many unique fishing and rafting opportunities. For the avid angler, numerous Fish, Wildlife & Park (FWP) sites provide both walk-in and raft access to some of western Montana’s best blue-ribbon trout fisheries. The scenic Bitterroot River to the south offers some of the top fly-fishing in the western United States between early spring and late fall. Just a short drive east on I-90 is the Rock Creek drainage, which offers outstanding wade fishing during its famous late spring/early summer salmon fly hatch.

OUR GUIDE TO MONTANA Kris Rausch Commercial Estimator, MDM Supply

FAVORI T E FISHING SPOT –

Clark Fork River

FAVORI T E Place To gear up –

Bob Ward’s Sporting Goods

FAVORI T E Place To Grab A Bite to eat –

Alberton for an elk burger

FAVORI T E Words Of Advice –

River Edge Steakhouse in

“Start ’em [kids] early and take ’em often.”

Reasons To Visit Montana Try these adventures and find out!

whitewater rafting On The Gallatin –

③

From its source in the mountains of Yellowstone National Park, the Gallatin [gal-uh-tin] River flows north through the beautiful and rugged Gallatin Canyon. As the river descends, it produces continuous sets of class III to class V rapids for nearly 40 miles. The most challenging section of the river is known as the “Mad Mile,” a nearly constant stretch of rapids that begins with a boulder-strewn section called House Rock. This steep, rocky run is the most difficult rapid on the river and is responsible for flipping many rafts every summer. As summer heats up and the river begins to recede, the Gallatin shines as a blue-ribbon trout stream.

Hike Or Bike The Route of THE Hiawatha –

The Route of the Hiawatha is a 30-mile section of the historic Northern Pacific Railroad Line that once connected the Midwest to the Pacific Coast.

This interpretive trail starts at the east portal to the Taft Tunnel (also known as St. Paul Pass), guiding hikers and bikers on a journey to Lookout Pass, on to eight more open tunnels and across seven high trestles. As the abandoned railroad line gently winds its way down the western face of the pass, it treats travelers to high mountain waterfalls and breathtaking views over deep creek bottoms.

Affordable shuttle service is available at the west end of the trail, as well as bike and helmet rentals.

④

FISHING & SKIING Matthew Burke Inside Sales, MDM Supply

➃

FAVORI T E SKIING SPOT –

②

③①

Bridger Bowl – The Ridge

FAVORI T E Place To gear up –

Ph.D. Skis

FAVORI T E Place To Grab A Bite to eat – FAVORI T E Words Of Advice –

Montana Ale Works in Bozeman

“Check out Bozeman nightlife!”

DSG CUSTOMERS

Put The Contractor Portal To Work Ever since DSG introduced its innovative online Contractor Portal in early 2012, companies throughout the Midwest have been finding ways to put it to work. Whether it’s the simple tool that allows employees to track their time, online work orders that allow for a streamlined process from service calls to invoices or any of its other unique attributes, the Contractor Portal is helping contractors become more profitable.

Wheelhouse Plumbing, a contractor based in Pierre, S.D., has embraced the benefits of the Contractor Portal. With three of its technicians using the work order function, Assistant Office Manager Kari Gabriel has been spending a lot of time working with the Contractor Portal. “I’m a big fan of getting rid of the stacks of paperwork that used to go along with jobs,” says Gabriel.

The Contractor Portal indeed allows companies to save a lot of paper. Whether it’s product lists,

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Connections | FALL 2013

job item reports or even invoices, the Contractor Portal streamlines each process by enabling digital versions to be produced quickly and easily.

“When we get a call, we use the Contractor Portal to set up a work order right away. Our techs are then notified that there’s a work order ready for them, and they take it from there,” Gabriel says. Wheelhouse uses separate software for billing its customers, but Kari matches each work order number with the project number in the billing

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software, making for a simple process. Essentially, she opens the finished work order and transfers the data to the billing software. No more illegible handwriting or forgotten parts, just simple data produced in a digital format.

As many contractors have discovered, change isn’t always the easiest thing to embrace. “We’ve had to start our techs out a little slowly because let’s face it, technology can be scary,” says Gabriel with a smile. “We don’t use every function, but we’ve put in some time to learn how the Contractor Portal can work for us, and so far, I’m satisfied with the results we’re seeing.”

DSG created the Contractor Portal based on interviews and feedback from customers looking to find efficient ways to improve their businesses. It is free to qualified DSG customers, and it features:

•

Online work orders – making it easy to keep records coordinated.

•

Simple online time tracking – so there are no surprises when it comes to billing.

•

A handy interactive calendar – lets your company share schedules and events.

•

Easy online storage of contact information and documents – say good-bye to extra paper and business cards.

For more information on DSG’s Contractor Portal and how it can work for your business, or to sign up today, go to www.dakotasupplygroup.com/ contractor-portal or contact a DSG representative!

Kari Gabriel, Wheelhouse Plumbing assistant office manager.

GROW YOUR BUSINESS |

ENERGY-SAVING

SECRETS LED Lighting

LED lighting has come a long way in just a few years. It provides great light and color, along with considerable savings in energy costs. (See page 38 to learn more).

Interior LED retrofits make sense for down lights, track lighting, sconces, and both line and low-voltage task lighting. Replacements for incandescent A-lamps have also been improving rapidly. For exterior applications, LED lighting is perfect for high electric cost areas with long hours of use. Even greater cost savings can be achieved when combined with bi-level motion sensors to reduce light levels in parking areas, garages and walkways.

Examples: • Lithonia Lighting® 6" LED Module: 8.9W LED (compares to 65W incandescent) • RAB Lighting LED Floodlights: 39W LED (compares to 150W metal halide)

Task Lighting

These strategies improve the visual environment by adding controllable task fixtures that provide light directly where needed, while simultaneously reducing the overhead (ambient) light level.

For even more efficiency, add occupancy sensors!

Example: • Cooper Lighting HALO® HU10 LED Undercabinet Systems

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Ground source heat pumps use the relatively constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool homes and businesses. They include a system of loops that are buried underground, using the earth itself to regulate the temperature of the refrigerant. Energy savings can be substantial.

Examples: • Northern Heat Pump products • Bosch Geothermal products

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There are a lot of great ways to save money on energy bills, including these six promising ideas (identified by the U.S Department of Energy) that seem to get less attention. Share these “secrets” with customers, and they’ll be sure to spread the word about your innovative solutions!

Duct Sealants

By sealing the joints and seams of ductwork and thermal insulation, these sealants reduce leakage and air infiltration into the living areas. This helps to save energy, and the costs associated with heating, cooling and fan operation.

Examples: • RCD® #6 Mastic Duct Sealer • 2" and 3" Aluminum Foil Tape

Tankless Water Heaters

Water is only heated when needed, resulting in energy savings of up to 40 percent. In addition, tankless water heaters last nearly twice as long as traditional models, reducing landfill waste.

Examples: • Noritz® tankless water heaters • AO Smith® tankless water heaters

Wireless Temperature Sensors

Using more temperature sensors in more zones allows for more accurate heating and cooling adjustments. In addition, the ease of moving wireless temperature sensors makes it easier to diagnose and address problems, especially those linked to traditional wired thermostats.

Example: • Honeywell® Redlink Wireless Outdoor Sensor

Don’t Forget About

REBATES & INCENTIVES !

Many local utilities offer rebates for energy-saving technologies like these. Tax incentives may also be available from the federal government, your state or even your city!

DSG Can Help!

Speak to your DSG representative today.

DRAINS

On A Deadline In the spring of 2012, the student population was on the rise at South Dakota State University in Brookings. To accommodate the increased headcount, the university embarked on a construction project that included four new residence halls, housing more than 400 students. A project this size always involves a heavy dose of plumbing and HVAC, and the project’s construction manager, Sioux Falls Construction, looked to Midwestern Mechanical in Sioux Falls, S.D., for help.

Some 450 miles to the south, members of DSG’s plumbing and HVAC teams were attending a plant tour at Sioux Chief’s manufacturing facility in Peculiar, Mo. Sioux Chief was showcasing a number of its products, including its revolutionary Halo drain.

It seems like fate, then, that DSG’s Sioux Chief tour

46

would play a pivotal role in the completion of South Dakota State University’s new dorms.

Established in 1983, Midwestern Mechanical has worked with the state of South Dakota and the University on a number of projects. Widely recognized for its success with the health care industry, Midwestern Mechanical employs a staff of more than 230 who provide heating, plumbing and fire protection services across a four-state area.

Midwestern Mechanical was awarded the university’s dorm project in June of 2012, and

just two weeks later, assigned nearly 35 crew members to work on the four buildings.

The project was ambitious right from the start.

Left to right: Eric Breidenbach, DSG account manager, and Brigham Wachal, Midwestern Mechanical’s director of mechanical construction.

I’ve worked with DSG on pretty much every project

since I’ve been here at Midwestern Mechanical, and

it’s times like this that make me thankful I do.”

“Time was of the essence,” says Brigham Wachal, director of mechanical construction for Midwestern Mechanical. “We had a 12-month deadline on a project that could easily take anywhere from 16 to 18 months.

It was critical that we saved time wherever possible in order to stay on schedule.”

Fortunately, help arrived with perfect

timing. “We were comparing drain options, and DSG happened to stop by for a visit,” describes Wachal.

“Eric Breidenbach’s timing was impeccable. He told us about the Halo drains he had learned about on his Sioux Chief plant tour, and they ended up being perfect for the job.”

The new residence halls were to feature core plank floors in which there are approximately 8 inches of precast concrete with a 3-inch concrete topping.

While these floors speed up construction, they are some of the most challenging floors to work with when it comes to drain installations. In addition to drilling an 11-inch (or deeper) hole, standard drains often require blocking up with wood or a strut under

the floor, a task that is timeconsuming and often requires two people. The Halo drain, on the other hand, is designed to install easily from the top side of the floor by simply cutting or coring a single 6-inch hole.

“We were able to core drill a smaller hole, drop in and fasten, then adjust the strainer with an extension for the 3-inch topping,” says Wachal. “It saved us a considerable amount of time, not to mention a lot of headaches.”

By the time the project finished in the fall of 2013, Midwestern Mechanical had installed nearly 450 of the Halo drains. “If it wasn’t for DSG’s recommendation, this project might not have been as successful as it was.” says Wachal.

“I’ve worked with DSG on pretty much every project since I’ve been here at Midwestern Mechanical, and it’s times like this that make me thankful I do.”

Sioux Chief Halo Drain

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Kids Can Learn About

What You Did Today Kids love to learn, especially when it comes to you and your job. Sign them up for our free Kids Club, and we’ll show them how interesting and fun the trade industries can be.

Here’s why kids love our

Kids Club: Free Stuff

When kids sign up, they get a membership packet with a T-shirt, activity book and their very own membership card.

Plus, we’ll send them a gift on their birthday every year.

Fun Contests Kids can participate in fun Kids Club contests and be rewarded with great prizes throughout the year.

Kids Club is free and open to kids ages 5-12.

Visit www.dsgkidsclub.com, and sign up a kid today!

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NEWS WIRE |

Lead

LOCKDOWN As the January 4, 2014, cutoff for leaded brass in potable water applications approaches, there’s not much time left to clear out your inventory of leaded brass.

Are you ready?

After being signed into law in January of 2011, the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act is inevitably reaching its full effect. On January 4, 2014, manufacturers won’t be able to sell leaded brass for potable water use, and consequently, professionals in the plumbing and waterworks industries won’t be able to install it. By this time, most plans for switching to no lead should be fully underway.

Since the no-lead policy kicked into full swing, many manufacturers and distributors, including DSG, have taken a proactive approach in preparing inventories and helping their

customers to get ready for the big switch. On June 1, 2013, DSG initiated a no-lead policy that included the decision to assume that all of its brass products are for potable water. “We want customers to be confident that if they get brass from us, it’s going to be lead-free,” says Ryan Tracy, plumbing segment manager at DSG. “With all the gray area still surrounding no-lead laws – such as what counts as anticipated use – this is one way we can make compliance easier for our customers.”

According to Tracy, one of the most important things that contractors and industry professionals can do is to take this law seriously. “This deadline is coming, and it’s coming fast,” he says. “Four other states have been upholding these standards already, which means that some of the processes for enforcing these laws are already ironed out.

We want to make sure that all of our customers stay on top of this, so we’re encouraging them to contact us with questions and let us know how we can help.”

To learn more about the impending no-lead laws, visit www.dakotasupplygroup.com/nolead.

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FALL 2013 | connections

49

NEWS WIRE |

2013 Brings National Awards And Honors

DSG earns top spot at the WIT WHAM! Awards Every year, WIT & Co. (made up of approximately 90 independent plumbing, heating and cooling distributors from across the nation) recognizes the efforts of the nation’s top distributors with its WHAM! Awards. 2013 was a special year for DSG as it earned its place as the Overall Winner.

In its first time participating in the WHAM! awards, DSG entered its “Contractor Portal” web-based application, Connections magazine and its “Manufacturer-Partner Scorecard,” a method it uses to analyze the contributions of manufacturer-partners to DSG and its customers.

In addition to the honor of Overall Winner, DSG’s Manufacturer-Partner Scorecard also earned an individual WHAM! Award in the Business Development and Marketing Research Category.

“Put simply, DSG’s marketing is phenomenal,” says Sabrina Hawthorne, WIT & Co.’s marketing and meetings manager. “As we were reviewing the entries, it quickly became clear that DSG is a company that is well versed in marketing practices. Its marketing team is organized, its campaigns are cohesive, and its overall program serves as an excellent role model for other companies in this industry.”

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Left to right: DSG Plumbing Segment Manager Ryan Tracy and WIT & CO. President, Greg Skagerberg of Goodin Company

DSG was honored publicly at WIT & Co.’s 2013 Fall Networking Meeting in Charleston, S.C. The presentation included a special video which included interviews with the DSG team. It can be viewed at www.dakotasupplygroup.com/dsg-news.

To learn more about WIT & Co. visit www.wit-co.com.

Scenes from the WHAM! award video.

Left to right: DSG Marketing Managers Chris Shilling and Arne Breikjern.

DSG earns three Best of the Best awards from TED Magazine At this year’s AdVenture Marketing Conference in Chicago, DSG was awarded three 2013 Best of the Best awards from the National Association of Electrical Distributors’ (NAED) TED Magazine.

DSG earned awards in the Digital/Social Media Campaign category for its “Contractor Portal” web-based application, the Print Ad category for its “Joining Forces” magazine ad and the Public Relations category for its “Married to the Brand” employee-owner meetings.

Best of the Best Awards are presented to the top distributors and suppliers nationwide who represent the best overall marketing practices

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in their respective categories. More than 360 entries in 14 categories from across the United States were received and reviewed by independent judges who work in the fields of marketing and consulting.

“It’s an honor to receive a Best of the Best award from TED Magazine, so it’s tremendously exciting to be presented with three,” says Tom Rosendahl, president of DSG. “It’s very satisfying that our hard work is paying off.”

FALL 2013 | connections

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North Dakota:

Bismarck (800) 363-7112 Bismarck Waterworks (855) 337-9258 Dickinson (855) 245-2098 Fargo (800) 437-4702 Fargo Water Equipment (800) 342-4676 Grand Forks (800) 633-2211 Minot (800) 472-2145 Williston (800) 637-0170

South Dakota:

Aberdeen (800) 660-5532 Mitchell (800) 660-5534 Pierre (800) 660-5537 Rapid City (800) 660-5538 Sioux Falls (800) 540-8215 Sioux Falls Waterworks (800) 660-5531

Minnesota:

Alexandria (800) 345-0094 Bemidji (866) 506-0280 Burnsville (800) 325-0514 St. Paul (800) 652-9784

Wisconsin:

La Crosse (800) 279-2726 Madison (877) 252-8739 New Berlin (800) 783-5835 Plover (800) 472-1661 Rice Lake (800) 962-2759

Montana:

Bozeman (800) 416-0005 Helena (800) 697-0005 Kalispell (800) 949-0005 Missoula (888) 865-0005

Kalispell Missoula

Helena

Minot Williston Grand Forks Dickinson FARGO Bismarck Aberdeen

Bozeman

ID

Rapid City

Pierre Mitchell Sioux Falls

Bemidji Alexandria St. Paul Burnsville

Rice Lake Plover La Crosse New Berlin Madison

www.dakotasupplygroup.com UT CO

DSG W.A. Roosevelt MDM Supply Corporate Office

www.waroosevelt.com | www.mdmsupply.com | www.fgoh2o.com