Baxi Partners in Action Feature in Wholesaler

SUPPLIERS IN ACTION
Special to The Wholesaler
C
hange for the sake of change can
be risky for any organization
let alone relationship, but
planned change for the better is
clearly worth the effort, according to
James Narduzzo, vice-president of
Bender Plumbing Supplies of New
Haven, Conn.
"When our president David Bender made a decision to move over
"Before Baxi, we just didn't place
enough emphasis on product training and
certification as we do now, and that is mak-
Narduzzo's assessment.
“We have previous experience with
other lines, but our staff is now hooked
Emphasis
on training
to an exclusive Baxi distribution, we
experienced some resistance," says
Narduzzo, "Thanks to solid planning,
collaboration at all levels and hands-on
training, we are very happy to say that our
customers and staff from each of our six
branch locations have fully embraced the
Baxi opportunity, and there is absolutely
no looking back."
As the exclusive distributor of Baxi
products in Connecticut, Bender has enjoyed solid growth on all fronts. Narduzzo
points to exclusivity, together with continuous training and mandatory certification
as key success factors.
At AHR Expo in NYC, David Bender of Bender Plumbing Supplies (center) appreciates the support of Baxi partners like John McCarthy, business development manager of BDR Thermea International's Baxi Division (left), and Mike Thomas, president, Marathon International, the N.A.
Distributor of Baxi Products.
ing all the difference. Ask any of our Baxi
trained and certified customers and our
staff members."
Way ahead of the curve
Wayne Krasnow, president of Air Inc.
in Branford, Conn., concurs with James
on Baxi because they believe that Baxi is
way ahead of the curve,” says Wayne
Krasnow. “All of our installation engineers, service technicians and sales team
members are fully Baxi trained and certified. Most importantly, they all like Baxi
equipment and support.”
The owner of Air Inc. in Branford,
Conn. for 22 years, always puts installation
and servicing training first for his staff, citing proven reliability, training and
after-sales support as the most important criteria when it comes to
selecting a high efficiency heating
line. He believes his firm has
amassed enough proof that Baxi is
among the most reliable boilers in
the wall-hung category.
“Our firm has installed close to
100 Baxi boilers across southern
Connecticut over the past few years,
and our experience with the product
has been virtually error-free,” Krasnow says. “I can recall just one minor
problem with an installation and it
had nothing to do with the boiler;
best of all, the Baxi reps (J and K
Sales) helped us correct the issue immediately while we were on site.
James Narduzzo notes that Bender Supply has got better insights into the value of
the Baxi line from the first-hand experiences of customers like Air Inc.
“Wayne Krasnow embraced Baxi products as his preferred line following the first
training session that Baxi re J and K Sales
put on for us. He always puts his company’s reputation first along with the convictions of his employees, and we are
delighted that our Baxi offerings have met
their high demands,” says Narduzzo.
“As for Bender Supply,
we exp e c t
continuous innovation,
together
with value for
price, and Baxi has come through again on
both of these counts with the new Baxi
Luna Duo-Tec.”
Connecticut Baxi
partners embrace exclusivity
At the forefront of
wall-hung boiler technology
Wayne Krasnow, owner of Air Inc Heating & Air
Conditioning (right) always puts product training
and certification first when taking on a new line.
1
FEBRUARY 2014 l thewholesaler.com
Baxi has been at the forefront of wallhung boiler technology for four decades,
introducing the first all-in-one combination
heating and domestic hot water boiler in
North America 15 years ago. With the introduction of the first gas-adaptive, self-calibrating Baxi Luna Duo-Tec wall-mounted
combi boiler, Baxi is taking its commitment
to safety, reliability and high performance
consistency to an even higher level.
Up to 98% energy efficient, Baxi Luna
Duo-Tec (available in combi or heatingonly) is no bigger than a kitchen cabinet,
delivering substantial fuel and space savings, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions up to 90% over conventional boilers.
With a 7:1 modulating range down to
19,108 BTU/hr, Luna Duo-Tec is ideal for
a wide range of building applications –
from 5,000-square-foot homes or office
spaces to small suites in apartment build(Turn to Partners... page 86.)
SUPPLIERS IN ACTION
(Continued from page 84.)
ings. The combi model prioritizes to domestic hot water, producing 3.9 gallons per
minute, at a 70° temperature rise.
Whisper-quiet and compact (30.04"
high x 17.71" wide x 13.58" deep), Luna
Duo-Tec is a fully packaged boiler that is
serviceable from the front, where a digital
control panel with large back-lit lighting display simplifies set-up procedures and trou-
the boiler’s built-in controller to pinpoint
optimal operating parameters, including
proper adjustment of the gas valve, the fan
speed to match Baxi-specified vent length
for the application, and altitude. The selfcalibrating feature is repeated regularly
throughout the life of the boiler, ensuring
the best and most consistent high efficiency performance.
“Bender Supply set up our first Baxi
New England Baxi reps J and K Sales provide hands-on Baxi high efficiency wall-hung boilers training and certification aboard their Baxi trailer right in Air Inc's parking lot.
James Narduzzo (right), vice-president of Bender Plumbing Supplies in Connecticut, discusses their
exclusive Baxi heating and renewable energy products line-up with Wayne Krasnow, owner of Air
Inc in Branford, Conn.
bleshooting. Other built-in features include:
a two-stage modulating pump; an upfront
de-aeration function that purges the system for air before commissioning; a pre-
Luna Duo-Tec training session for all of our
employees last September. J and K Sales
brought their Baxi trailer here for live-fired
training on the new Luna Duo-Tec,” Kras-
Sales staff like Baxi Luna Duo-Tec’s high
efficiency, the multiple built-in safety features, exclusive distribution of the product,
and the requirement for upfront training
and certification (which doubles the limited parts warranty).
All Air Inc. staff also like the optional
Baxi 10-year parts and labor warranty, a
new Baxi Easy Comfort financing program
now available in Connecticut and, above all,
their own firm’s three years of Baxi successes.
First-hand savings support selling
Prior to introducing the new boiler, Baxi
did extensive field testing for a year in
homes from coast to coast in the United
States, as well as Canada. Bender Supply
requested and received one of the Baxi
Partners adopt sole Baxi line
heat function for solar water heating
applications; a built-in 24-volt relay, and attractive venting options. With coaxial vent
pipe, it is rated zero-clearance to combustibles and is approved for closet installations, saving valuable living space.
Raising the bar for reliability
As Wayne Krasnow and other Baxi certified contractors and specifying engineers
attest, Luna Duo-Tec raises the bar for
proper set-up and reliable performance for
modulating, condensing heating appliances.
At setup and commissioning, the boiler
now said. “We were all impressed with
how engineering innovations enhance the
Baxi promise of reliable and hassle-free
comfort and sustainable savings. Plus, the
very next day after training, we confirmed
the sale of four Baxi Luna Duo-Tec combination heating and domestic hot water
boilers.”
Following Luna Duo-Tec training, Wayne
Krasnow noted that the Air Inc. staff all
“love the gas-adaptiveness and continuous
self-calibrating features.”
Installers liked easy accessibility to all
parts, and the over-all ease of installation,
Luna Duo-Tec field test units for testing in
a sales staff member's home. The propane
bill for the high efficiency boiler is expected
to total around $850 for the next year, or
66% less than an annual oil bill of $2,500
for his home’s previous oil-fired heating appliance.
“We are strong believers in the tenet
that is easy to sell a great product like this
when you have first-hand experience of its
high efficiency performance,” James Narduzzo emphasizes. “The product is truly a
game changer for our contractors and our
industry. Homeowners will have peace of
mind knowing that they will be getting the
efficiencies they need to live comfortably
and save money.”
Bender Supply brought two busloads of
customers from Connecticut to the AHR
‘Our customers and
staff from each of our
six branch locations
have fully embraced
the Baxi opportunity,
and there is
absolutely no
looking back.’
Expo in New York City this month, and the
Baxi booth presented by the North American distributor, Marathon International, is
a primary destination for the group. Bender Supply also takes full advantage of the
annual Baxi trip which Marathon International has now organized for Baxi partners,
notably top-performing contractors, over
the past 16 consecutive years.
“I have to admit that trip programs really never working for us before, but the
Baxi trip resonates with our customers
and staff. And we can hardly wait to enjoy
the May 2014 trip to Italy and the home
of Baxi Luna, Bassano del Grappa,” adds
Narduzzo. 2
Baxi learning tools
Contractors have 24/7 access to Baxi technical information at the Baxi Certified section of
www.wallhungboilers.com. Marathon International and Baxi have worked closely together
to ensure top training, technical and after-sales support. A Baxi Luna Duo-Tec interactive
training and certification CD ROM helps a qualified heating and plumbing contractor begin
to master this equipment anywhere, any time in North America. 2
intelligently determines whether the
source of gas is natural gas or propane.
This automatic safety measure requires
verification by the installing contractor on
the interactive control panel on the front
of the boiler.
A Baxi-certified installer then instructs
2
including a simple vertical pressure relief
valve connection.
Service staff like the ease of serviceablity, notably the access to all parts because of the openness of the new unit,
where both side panels can be removed,
along with the front panel.
FEBRUARY 2014 l thewholesaler.com
The new self-calibrating, gas-adaptive Baxi Luna Duo-Tec (left) features easy access to parts with
front and side panels removed.The modulating condensing boiler achieves up to 98% thermal efficiency, with the combi CH and DHW model producing 3.9 GPM of DHW a minute.