January News from MPR Supply
Make Uncertain More Certain
2022 was a year that smashed all records. Contractors benefited from strong demand and healthy profit margins. Was this a peak, or the start of a continued gold rush?The year ahead looks less certain. Will demand slow? Will rising labor and overhead costs outpace the ability to raise bid prices? Who knows!
Get ahead of whatever 2023 will bring by strengthening your business for a great season.
Reflect on 2022 How did the season work out for you? Are there changes you want to make to hiring, training, marketing or operations? What type of work do you want to do more of? Which clients fit best? What do you want to avoid this year?
Boost productivity Labor costs are rising the fastest. How can you invest in your team for greater efficiency and accuracy? How can you prevent issues with proper training? How can you cut waste (time, effort) from your processes? Get training going now!
Measure progress Are you tracking the right things to be sure you're staying on track? Do you have sales, production, customer satisfaction and profitability goals? Nobody likes unpleasant surprises mid-season.
Make your plan What do you hope to achieve in the year ahead? What are you goals for the season and dreams for the future beyond? Lay the foundation now.
Wishing you success in the year ahead!
The Team at MPR Supply
Mark Your Calendar for Our Contractor Meeting!
Our show is a not-to-be-missed day of smart seminars, vendor displays and valuable insights on the season ahead. Plan to attend our show on February 1st at Spazio Westport. Connect directly with our team and experts from over a dozen major vendors for hands-on learning.
Registration information will be sent later this month.
We encourage you to bring your whole team to prepare for a busy season.
Register Now for Contractor Exam Prep Course
Aqua Services is offering a training course to help you prepare for the Journeyman or Master Lawn Irrigation exam for St. Louis county. Just a few spots remaining, so register today.
1-Week Course: January 9th - 13th 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: 291 Indacom Dr, St. Peters, MO 63376
Cost: Journeymen $975, Master $1,075
Must have a MO backflow license to attend. To register or to receive additional information, contract Ed Thorne. Call/text at 636-841-7979, or email [email protected] .
Download Free Electrical Troubleshooting Guide from Regency Wire
Even with the most advanced irrigation installations, there will be times when controllers, system wiring, or valves can fail to operate, causing water not to flow to the sprinkler heads. Thanks to Regency Wire, we're offering a free PDF electrical troubleshooting guide that covers the steps to troubleshooting common electrical problems in irrigation systems.
PDF Article - Irrigation Troubleshooting Simplified
Must Have Problem-Solver for Irrigation Electrical Problems
Need to work around bad, shorted or broken field wires without digging up an entire landscape to run a new wire?Control 2 valves with only one good wire pair with Add-A-Zone.
Exclusive features:
- Both valves connected to Add-A-Zone. are independently timed and controlled.
- The two valves can be set to separate watering schedules and programs in the controller.
- No disruption of the landscape to repair problems.
Solve these problems:
- Divide existing zones stations with a new valve to correct pressure problems. Permits the addition of an additional valve to systems that have an open station on the controller.
- Work around broken field wires and maintain full system functionality.
Introducing the Kichler Smart Control Timer
Compact and easy to install, the Smart Control Timer works with the Kichler Connects™ app – allowing homeowners to control one of our preset lighting schedules or create custom schedules. Plus, the Smart Control Timer’s unique external antenna allows for long-range connectivity by extending the signal range.Bluetooth and WiFi for local or cloud-based control from anywhere. Plus, you can use voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices for whole-home integration.
Expanded Connectivity The unique external antenna allows for long-range connectivity and control by extending the signal range from the transformer enclosure, providing superior performance in more applications.
Easy to Install Ideal for use indoors or in outdoor enclosures, it plugs directly into a Kichler transformer for easy set-up. Fits within Kichler CS, PL, and PR transformers as well as most competitive units.
Program Local & Cloud Create custom schedules to fit your needs or select from preset options to align with your location, dusk-to-dawn, and adjusts to daylight savings time – allowing you to be in control of the beauty of your outdoors.
Kichler Connects App Designed to work with our Kichler® Smart Control Timer, this app allows you to utilize one of our preset lighting schedules or create custom schedules of your own. Preset schedules can align with your location, dusk-to-dawn, and adjust to daylight savings time– allowing you to be in control of the beauty of your outdoors.
New Videos Help You Plan for Drainage Requirements
What does Q = (C x I x A)/96.23 mean, and how does it help solve drainage problems? Well, good news! You don't have to be a math whiz to calculate peak runoff flows. Join Dr. Drainage in this simple and straightforward video series that will show you how to diagnose the problem, crunch the numbers, and find the right solution for you.Residential Drainage Overview Three essential steps to fixing your clients' drainage problems.
How to Calculate Stormwater Runoff Determine how much stormwater runoff you have.
How to Choose a Catch Basin Three steps to choose the right catch basin.
How to Choose a Channel Drain Learn about flow rates, slope %, load capacities, and more.
How to Choose the Correct Drain Pipe Helps you select the right pipe for your project.
How to Calculate the Volume of Stormwater Runoff Welcome to Stormwater Management 101, explains storage solutions.
For more information, check out these resources:
Free Calculator Tools in the NDS Stormwater Drainage Tools App
Will the Gold Rush Continue in 2023?
Here's Why You Need to Meet with Your MPR Representative
How will economic changes impact your business in 2023? If you make the right moves now, you can be ahead of the pack.Your MPR account manager can help you tap into the latest market knowledge and smart new resources that can grow your bottom line.
Book an appointment with him now to be ready for changes in the 2023 season.
Discover ways MPR can help you connect with:
Opportunities to purchase materials more efficiently, leveraging bulk discounts, getting ahead of price increases and scheduled deliveries.
Industry trends in your area so you’re up to date on which products and services are growing in popularity. Find out about successes others are having with new items. There are opportunities!
Essential resources to grow your business including resources to aid in hiring experienced employees, marketing tools, educational seminars and more.
Redeeming rewards from manufacturer customer loyalty programs.
Make use of the winter downtime to grow your bottom line. Schedule an appointment today.
Irrigation Trends We Saw at the 2022 Irrigation Show in Las Vegas
Industry shows provide a great opportunity to check out new products and learn about emerging industry trends. There were a lot of new things at the show that we will share at our contractor meeting!Irrigation monitoring is a popular new revenue opportunity, leveraging the power of WiFi controllers, flow sensors and other smart technologies. Target customers include estate homes and large commercial sites. Challenges to the service include "false alarms" from data and communicating the need for service to customers. Many contractors believe this will be an important new revenue source in the year ahead.
Contractors are apprehensive about rising costs, particularly for labor, and are equally uncertain about raising prices in a softening market. Participants in Hindsite Software's contractor roundtable discussed recruiting and training solutions for a more efficient workforce. Contractors indicated their top priority for the winter months was more training to drive greater efficiency and accuracy.
Outdoor living continues to be a hot category.Outdoor living continues to be a hot category. Industry pundits agreed that sales of landscape lighting and outdoor enhancements will continue to outpace the overall industry. Savvy contractors continue to benefit from diversification into outdoor living products, particularly as business shifts to remodeling as customers "stay put" in their current homes. (Rising mortgage rates will discourage homeowners with low rate mortgages from moving.)