Coburn's Waterworks Digest 2024

Waterworks Division

THE COBURN’S DIGEST

Waterworks Edition 2024

THE DIVISIONS’ DIGEST

Table of Contents

About History 90th Year 4

Waterworks division overview 6

Featured Vendors: ADS & M&H 8

WATERWORKS EDITION 2024

Waterworks Division

Waterworks Partners 11

Edititorial Section 12

Quick Links & RESOURCES 15

It’s not every day that a company reaches nine decades in business. Then again, Coburn Supply Company isn’t your average business. With a commitment to values that spans generations and customers who are as passionate about quality as we are, we look back with pride on how far we’ve come together— and can’t wait for what comes next. For 90 years, Coburn Supply Company has remained a family-owned distributor of commercial and residential plumbing, electrical, waterworks and HVAC products and services. Founder Albert J. Coburn, a New Orleans native who began his career as a plumbing and heating contractor, approached opportunities with nerve, imagination and persuasiveness. His legacy of hard work continues to impact the lives of almost 1,000 employees who work at Coburn’s today. By providing real solutions and stellar customer service, we have remained a top distributor of quality products since first opening in 1934. Today, Coburn’s works with the best vendors and manufacturers to offer dependable and high- quality products at a good price. We have more than 60 locations and three centrally located distribution centers serving Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. Celebrating 90 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

“ There is no such thing as a little customer. If they are customers, then they are big men, regardless of the size of their shop.

– Albert Coburn, Founder Supply House Times, 1963

What We’re Made Of Our mission is to be the best distributor of quality products, provide real solutions and never lose sight of the #1 reason we are in business — our customers. By capitalizing on our years of experience and expansive product inventory, we’ve created the most value for our customers and changed the way people approach home improvement. “90 years ago, we started as a family business. Today, we’re a family of innovators who all keep our eyes on the same prize—to deliver unrivaled service to our customers. On behalf of the entire Coburn’s leadership, thank you so much for choosing to be part of our Coburn’s family. We wouldn’t be the company we are without you.”

HONESTY We’re committed to doing the right thing – even when no one is watching. From product insights to customer support, honesty is in everything we do. COMPANY VALUES FAMILY The people we love are our guiding lights, and that dedication extends to anyone who steps through our doors. When you’re here, you’re one of us. STABILITY The storms of business come and go, but Coburn’s stays ready. Whenever you need dependable products and support, we’ll be here and ready to serve.

Download the Coburn’s Connect Mobile App

ACCOUNTING PORTAL Access live accounting data, open orders, and years’ worth of transaction history through the Coburn’s Connect accounting portal. ORDER TEMPLATES Product orders are a breeze with our new and improved order templates featuring a barcode generator for use within the app.

THE DIVISIONS’ DIGEST

WATERWORKS DIVISION OVERVIEW

Great Products, RIGHT WHERE YOU NEED THEM Coburn’s has you covered with more than 30 branches of stocked Municipal and Waterworks product inventory. These branches offer daily delivery from centrally located distribution centers in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Coburn’s has everything you need for waterworks projects big and small.

Please contact your local store or visit us at coburns.com for more information.

Letter from THE Waterworks TEAM

On the national level, we are continuing our efforts with WASDA to represent the water and wastewater industry at our legislature’s highest level. Our team even had the opportunity to participate in a legislative debriefing where we heard from federal agencies and visited with U.S. representatives and senators to discuss the future of water infrastructure. We’ll be pushing forward with all of these efforts and more—all in the name of better products, better service—and better results—for you.

As we cruise through our 90th year, the Coburn’s team has taken a good, long look at how far we’ve come—and we have our eyes set on a bright future. From the smallest details at our branches to legislature initiatives in Washington D.C., we’re working hard to make purchasing materials and completing waterworks projects easier than ever for you. On the Coburn’s side, we’re bolstering our support for Waterworks, so that we can approach every opportunity with a deeper understanding of the challenges you face each day on the job. What does this mean? You can expect even better supply and distribution operations— and greater access to the materials you need. But that’s not all: We’re also marking our calendars for major industry events like AWWA Ace, WEFTEC & Rural/Municipal Conferences. This will ensure that our teams have the latest knowledge of technologies and innovations in the field—knowledge that could help your next project.

Thank you for your support,

Darin Coke DARIN COKER Waterworks Division Manager

WATERWORKS EDITION 2024

MEET THE WATERWORKS TEAM

Kevin J. King Director of Sales

Philip Aucoin Senior Waterworks Estimator

Steve Golmon Waterworks Specialist & Purchasing

Darin Coker Waterworks Division Manager

Stewart Godfrey Purchasing Agent

Mark Tate Quotes Specialist

Kevin West Regional Sales Support / Business Development Manager

Matthew Thames Waterworks Estimator

Mike Self Quotes Specialist / Metering Account Manager

Waterworks Division

THE DIVISIONS’ DIGEST

Designed to WEATHER THE STORM When premium joint performance and greater pipe stiffness is needed in your drainage system, you need HP Storm from ADS. This high- performance series of polypropylene (PP) pipes are perfect for gravity- flow storm drainage applications, offering advanced polypropylene resin technology with a proven, dual-wall profile design.

• Advanced Dual-Wall Profile Construction • Superior Polypropylene Material • Extended Bell Design for Joint Performance • Standard and Custom Fittings Available • Resistant to chemical and soil damage

Connect And Carry On WITH THE ONEFIT With the Inserta Tee® OneFit, you get air-tight reliability and groundbreaking versatility that is designed for Nyloplast® structures, precast, manholes and vaults, Stormtech® chambers, roof drain leaders, agricultural drainage, turf & recreation, retention/detention systems and water quality systems. • Fits any mainline pipe 10” or larger • More cost-effective than fabricated and molded tees • Highly versatile application • Same trusted performance as the Inserta Tee®

WATERWORKS EDITION 2024

Custom Connections. OFF THE SHELF. As the newest solution for managing stormwater intake, the Nyoplast® Universal Inline Drain is engineered for high performance and maximum flexibility. The system uses a patented design to connect multiple pipe diameters, grates and covers. Plus with local availability, you can find it in stock near you for same day construction.

• Watertight Connections • Field Adjustable • Works seamlessly with HDPE & PVC pipes • No added grout or messy adhesives • 4x Faster Installation • 100-year service life on PVC • 8” and 12” Available

LET’S CONNECT To ensure doing business with us is an easy and efficient process, Coburn’s provides online access to: • Product pricing and availability • Account management • Job history • Wish lists for future orders • Up to 90 days of invoice & payment history Plus, our online chat feature makes communicating with us easier than ever. Visit Coburns.com to set up your online account today.

THE DIVISIONS’ DIGEST

Money-Saving WATER SYSTEM MONITORING

With affordable installation costs and low annual maintenance fees, iHydrant™ pays for itself by alerting you in real time of water loss events. As an integral part of your system, iHydrant™ is designed to help reduce overall costs from water loss.

• Operates on Verizon® IoT cellular network • Full-Time Pressure/Temperature monitoring

• Can be retrofit for M&H 129 hydrants • Battery holds charge for up to five years • Sensor detects fluctuations in pressure and temperature • Captures data as often as 50x per second

WATERWORKS EDITION 2024

OUR VALUED WATERWORKS PARTNERS

AWWA BRASS

METER BOXES

REPAIR CLAMPS & COUPLINGS

AWWA GATE VALVE HYDRANTS

TOOLS & ACCESSORIES

GAS PIPE

DI FITTINGS

VALVE BOXES, RINGS & COVERS, FRAME GRATES

PE GAS & WATER FITTING

DUCTILE PIPE

WATER

WATER & GAS FAST TAP

GAS

GAS RISERS

PVC PIPE WATER AND SEWER

WATER METERS

MJ & PIPE RESTRAINTS

CULVERT

PE WATER SERVICE TUBING

PVC SEWER FITTINGS

THE DIVISIONS’ DIGEST

2024 WASDA WASHINGTON SUMMIT

Our Fight for the FUTURE OF WATERWORKS

Do you work in water management? Have you noticed an uptick in water issues across your region? Well, you’re not alone. In fact, a recent study conducted by Utah State University found that North America’s water infrastructure may actually be in dire need of maintenance—much more than previously thought. Led by Professor Steven L. Barfuss, P.E., the USU study identified water main break rates as a leading indicator of failing pipelines. Using this, his team was able to survey more than 800 utilities and nearly 400,000 miles of pipeline data—accounting for 17% of water mains across the United States and Canada. What they found may raise concerns and eyebrows. “The report shows that 20%—452,000 miles of water pipes in the US and Canada—are beyond their useful lives and need to be replaced but have not

a single decade. And what’s worse, this represents a $452 billion shortfall. Couple that with supply chain disruptions and workforce dropoff, and the landscape begins to look quite bleak for the average onlooker. So the real question becomes: Who will step up to release the funds needed, and will they do it in time to make a difference? Action Through Representation When we see these types of challenges, there’s no doubt critical action is needed. Action on the municipal level, yes. But most importantly, action on the federal level to drive updates our water infrastructure desperately requires to function safely and efficiently. This is where Water and Sewer Directors of America (WASDA) comes in. As the voice of the water and wastewater supply chain on Capitol Hill, WASDA is made up of leading industry professionals and businesses— including Coburn Supply Company.

been due to lack of funds.” – Professor Steven L. Barfuss, USU

For comparison, only 8% of installed water mains were listed as beyond use in 2012. That means we’ve more than doubled the deterioration of our water system in

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND

REPLENISHMENT PROGRAM Coburn’s Connect offers a fast & easy way to restock your shelves – just scan product barcodes to add to your Order Queue. Ready to get started? Download the Coburn’s Connect app today!

WATERWORKS EDITION 2024

When the organization announced its 2024 WASDA Washington Summit, we knew it was our opportunity to share important insights that push for support across our industry. So this spring, Director of Sales Kevin King and Waterworks Division Manager Darin Coker made the journey to D.C., meeting with Representative Graves, Representative Lutlow, Senator Cassidy, Senator Cruz and related agencies to discuss support for the waterworks industry in three critical areas: infrastructure, supply chain challenges, and workforce development. All three areas require federally-funded support— support that has technically been authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021. This bipartisan law cleared $1.2 trillion for transportation and infrastructure spending, including more than $55 billion in water funding. However, one of the top concerns shared by the WASDA delegation is that Congress has not yet appropriated the full levels of funding provided for in the legislation. In meetings with elected officials, our team discussed the urgency of our nation’s situation and encouraged immediate action to ensure at minimum that the full $3 billion authorization for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRF) be made available.

Addressing Policy for Progress

Meanwhile, the challenges associated with the Build America Buy America (BABA) Act continue to be thorns in the side of waterworks operations nationwide. Nearly two years since its official implementation, this law has not been fully defined, clarified or detailed, resulting in delays and disruption to important water infrastructure projects and operations. Unfortunately, municipal challenges are just one sector that’s impacted. Manufacturers and retailers, who are doing their best to comply amid uncertainty, face major hurdles as well when trying to interpret today’s legal parameters. On this front, our team explained to lawmakers that the industry needs time and flexibility. Water and wastewater projects rely on specialized and often highly-engineered complex products that must meet strict design specifications and regulatory standards. Sourcing alternate parts or finding new solutions to comply with BABA will require changes to the supply chain that cannot happen overnight.

THE DIVISIONS’ DIGEST

By supporting the industry in this transition, the federal government can help us avoid unnecessary friction, inefficiencies and derailments to progress. And with better conditions, we can make the industry a more desirable place to work—helping solve our third critical problem. Investing in Talent As more and more US workers reach retirement, fewer young professionals are taking up the mantle to replace them. This leaves industries across the country facing the same problem: a critical shortage of skilled workers. While detrimental to any industry, the shortage is especially problematic for water infrastructure, which plays a vital role in the stability of our neighborhoods, towns and cities. But why are so few entering the waterworks? It depends who you ask. Part of it may be an awareness problem where graduates miss out on entry simply because they don’t know it’s a viable path. On the other hand, we know access to training can be difficult, and that hurdle can make other career options more attractive or feasible. Whatever the cause, the fact remains: our goals for water infrastructure cannot be met unless we address the workforce gap soon.

in the House that would significantly help with workforce development. For example, one bill would expand the use of Pell grants for qualified short-term credential and training programs. Meanwhile another would increase funding to support career and technical education programs. Solutions like these will take time to produce results. So our team asked representatives for their assistance moving the bills forward during the spring summit, which was met with support and open mindedness. Now, we wait and see what comes to fruition. Looking Forward with Solutions As experts in this field, we’ve always taken it upon ourselves to educate others on what is necessary for water systems, maintenance operations and waterworks business networks to thrive. And although we may not have left D.C. with definitive answers, our team feels confident that our voices—along with those from waterworks leaders nationwide—were heard clearly and understood. If you’re part of the waterworks community and would like to help shape the future of our work, learn more about WASDA and see if membership is right for you or your organization.

Fortunately, several important pieces of WASDA- supported bipartisan legislation have been introduced

WATERWORKS EDITION 2024

QUICK LINKS

YOUR TRUSTED WATERWORKS RESOURCE CENTER

Coburn’s Smart Metering Discover smart technology from Coburn’s that lets you enhance and expand your meter monitoring services.

Ford Meter Box Keep your business updated on the latest Ford Meter Box products with professional resources, technical tools, and product insights.

McWane Ductile Learn more about installing and maintaining McWane Ductile products with this online education database for pros.

M&H Using M&H Products? Get up to speed with installation and maintenance videos, providing easy to understand process demonstrations for Valves and Hydrants.

Westlake Get the job done right with detailed literature and technical specifications for all of your favorite Westlake products.

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