A news release from Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) outlines 2012 so far in HVAC/R distribution.
The release says that 2012 is being forecasted as a strong year. In February alone, U.S.-only distributor sales were up 9.7%.
HARDI research also noted growth in all seven regions in the United States, with three seeing double-digits.
Canadian distributors reportedly had a better month than they had seen recently. The better month didn’t compensate enough, however, to get the annual growth rate into positive numbers.
According to Talbot Gee, HARDI’s executive vice president and COO, “Discussions with distributors across the U.S. are carrying a consistent theme of aggressive inventory positions so that no sales are lost as the market continues to strengthen this year.”
The release also discusses an increase in Days Sales Outstanding, which measures how quickly customers pay their bills. That number bumped up to nearly 52 days. The increase marks the sixth time in seven months Days Sales Outstanding has increased.
Distributor productivity, as reflected by sales per employee, was down for the seventh straight month. Productivity was down 6% from last month and nearly 40% from its July 2011 peak.
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