RectorSeal LLC, Houston, a manufacturer and distributor of quality HVACR, plumbing and firestop products, became an approved vendor of The Commonwealth Group wholesale buying organization effective Jan. 1.

The partnership is beneficial for both Rectorseal and Commonwealth, the latter which formed Jan. 1 after last year’s merger between independent buying groups, WIT & Co. Ltd., Irving, Texas, and Embassy Group Ltd., Geneva, Illinois. The merger makes Commonwealth one of the industry’s leading buying groups with more than 130 distributor members and a combined wholesaler potential of $8 billion.

RectorSeal’s four categories of HVACR, plumbing, firestop and electrical products, representing more than 3,800 skus, makes it one of Commonwealth’s most diverse vendors. RectorSeal’s participation offers Commonwealth distributor members access into increased product offerings, such as firestop. RectorSeal is one of the industry’s leading firestop OEMs and operates an on-site fire test laboratory certified for testing under UL’s Data Acceptance Program.

“We (Commonwealth) are privileged to have RectorSeal become a vendor, because they’re very important to independent distributors,” said Morris Cregger, CFO and chairman of the board, Cregger Co., West Columbia, South Carolina, and one of seven Commonwealth Plumbing Committee members that approved RectorSeal. “They’ve been a key partner and a portion of our (Cregger Co.) success, because they always do what they say they will do; you can count on them.”

“WIT had a strong relationship of more than 11 years with RectorSeal,” said Brandy Reed, Commonwealth’s executive vice president, “and now there is an enhanced opportunity to continue that partnership with a larger, combined organization that offers members quality products and incentives through participating vendors.”

“We were very happy as a WIT vendor, but now the complementary addition of Embassy, creates an economically powerful organization for both its members and vendors,” said Jeff Underwood, Rectorseal’s vice president–sales and marketing. “Our sales staff is already executing strategies to help members from Embassy access the opportunities we’re offering and help them create a solid relationship with RectorSeal.”