In an era when distributors are increasingly focused on differentiation through value-added services, First Supply has made a bold statement with its training initiatives. Its efforts center on product training and certification both inside and outside the classroom, while also developing a stronger internal team and healthier contractor customers by providing the tools they need to build more profitable businesses.

First Supply covers the Midwest market, with more than 30 branches and 700 team members specializing in plumbing, HVAC, waterworks, well and septic, builder PVF and industrial supplies. The wholesale distributor believes in overdelivering with value-added features that help its team and customers be the best informed, knowledgeable and profitable.

The group has been family-owned and -operated for more than 127 years. During a family meeting in 2017, while discussing lifelong learning as a core value, the group had an “Ah-ha!” moment. “We identified this commitment as one of our family values while making decisions about growth and investment,” says Katie Poehling Seymour, CEO of First Supply and the fifth generation to lead the company. “We stand for education, and we can use it as a flag in our industry to train and support our teams and customers.”

Commitment to education is a strong belief of all the distributor’s past leaders, including family member Ed Felten, who retired in 1999 as First Supply’s CEO. He is forever remembered as a larger-than-life advocate for personal and professional development, encouraging others on their path and volunteering in the PHCP-PVF industry. 

In October 2023, the company opened its Ed Felten Training Center in Madison, Wis. The center represents more than a training facility — it’s a testament to the company’s commitment to employee and contractor success and industry advancement. It supports its First Training educational department to develop the highest-trained customers and team members. “When you think about Ed Felten, his legacy, and his passion for training — along with the entire family’s dedication to our value of education — it was clear the center had to be named in his honor,” Poehling Seymour says, smiling. 

First Training, the center and the team

First Supply is on a mission. “Our goal is to generate talent for our contractors while fostering growth and development within our own teams,” says Allen Jaedike, corporate HVAC channel manager. Jaedike, along with Natalie Merhalski, HVAC programs and training manager, and Thom Hardy, HVAC trainer and technical manager, are the trio running First Training. It offers offsite training in branch locations, offsite venues and customer locations, in addition to sessions within the Ed Felten Training Center. 

“Allen Jaedike and Natalie Merhalski hatched the idea of First Training and advised that if we wanted to grow it, a dedicated training center would be the way to do it,” Poehling Seymour explains. Jaedike and the team were off and running, building the programs to be offered to its contractor and technician customers to build talent within the industry. 

By educating the industry, First Supply is building the knowledge base to help its customers succeed. “We want to be an indispensable distributor to our customers as well as their best resource,” Poehling Seymour says. 

When First Supply opened its Ed Felten Training Center at its largest hub, its headquarters in Madison, it transformed an underused city desk area into something that could fundamentally change how it serves its customers.

While the location has an existing training room, which offers projection screens and seating for 80 people, the distributor was looking to expand beyond webinars and static training slides to include hands-on training in a live-fired classroom.

“Our contractors wanted hands-on experiences — to touch, feel and see the products,” Jaedike notes. So, the distributor partnered with leading manufacturers to develop the 1,445 square foot space into a hands-on, live-fired training hub. The training center features fully operational equipment from Comfortmaker, IBC Boilers, Navien, A. O. Smith, Daikin mini-splits, Reznor unit heaters, and a Xylem constant pressure water system. Each manufacturer’s product vignette includes a QR code linking directly to First Supply’s website, where customers can view all options, benefits, and technical information. 

The products are installed in a showcase of the “best, better, good” approach, allowing customers to see different system levels and their benefits. This helps them determine the best fit for their customers regarding product, amenities and sales approach.

By showcasing the products in this way, First Supply educates on how to sell on overall value, not on price. Customers can see the value with each level of the “best, better, good” approach, and how having the best is attainable, especially with financing provided by the contractor/dealer. First Supply can use this value-added tool to help educate its customers on business acumen. More on that a little later. 

The center’s live-fired products represent the latest in technology and trends. “When you come back here next year, we’ll display different equipment,” says First Supply’s Seth DePuy, chief strategy officer. “The products in the center are ever-changing, featuring the newest offerings from the industry and our manufacturing partners, who rely on us to bring their innovations to market and help our customers deliver the best service.”

The “how” to help its customers provide the best service is done by concentrating on the “why.” First Supply provides the reasoning, technical instruction, tools and training needed to develop successful customers who deliver excellence in customer service. It’s about understanding the “why.” 

Teaching the ‘why’: A different approach to technical training

At the heart of First Supply’s training philosophy is a shift from traditional instruction methods. While many training programs focus on the “what” and “how” of installations and services, its employees emphasize the critical “why” behind technical decisions.

“A lot of trainers don’t go into the ‘why.’ They go into the ‘you should,’” Hardy explains. “I like to use this analogy: As a kid, your parents didn’t just tell you not to touch the hot pot. They explained why — it’s hot and you’ll burn your hand. When you explain the reasoning behind something, it clicks a lot better.”

This emphasis on understanding extends to every aspect of their training. For instance, in their system design classes, Hardy explains: “We have contractors who know how to install equipment, but don’t know the knowledge behind why they do it. We teach them how to figure out the heat loss and heat gain of a house, how to figure out the exact piece of equipment needed and the science behind air delivery. There’s a science to how far air should be thrown before it falls or rises. When contractors understand these principles, it sets them apart from their competition.”

This transforms routine installations into thoughtful processes. When technicians understand why certain procedures are necessary, they’re more likely to follow best practices consistently, even under pressure. 

This deeper understanding benefits the industry as a whole. As Jaedike explains: “The better our contractors and dealers are at installing equipment, the less time they spend on callbacks, and the better their online reviews. It also increases their chances of getting referrals. If we can elevate their installs and improve operations — that is free marketing for them.” 

Another impact of the “why” approach is understanding how the correct parts for repair/installation save time and money and underscore the importance of being knowledge experts in their field. “I went to a customer’s jobsite and saw that the company spent the extra money to get the correct fitting (for the job). I asked why he selected that part, and he said, ‘Because you told me that we needed to do it, and you explained why I needed to do it.’” It’s all about the why.

Hardy, an HVAC contractor for more than 25 years, takes pride in ensuring that every piece of information shared is accurate and well-explained. Training takes place within the company’s many branch locations and out in the field — doing road shows at offsite venues, meeting its contractor customers at their jobsites, and displaying mobile hands-on equipment — bringing the technical experience to life on the road.

Better business acumen 

First Supply’s training approach also focuses on helping customers evolve into successful business owners. One of its key initiatives is helping contractors maximize profitability through the strategic use of financing programs and business development resources. This commitment to understanding fundamentals extends beyond technical training to business operations. 

“We’re not only teaching contractors how to install equipment,” Jaedike explains. “We’re helping them understand why certain business practices lead to greater success. When contractors understand why higher-end installations can be more profitable while requiring the same installation time, they make better business decisions.”

This led to a partnership with BDR (Business Development Representatives) to offer business knowledge training for contractors. Merhalski highlights how contractors can leverage co-op funds for these training programs: “More manufacturers are now requiring training hours to improve dealer positioning on websites and unlock other benefits.” 

For instance, Comfortmaker’s Elite Dealers must meet annual financing, branding and training criteria to maintain their status and access incremental rebates. The manufacturer requires 12 hours of distributor or factory training, with dealers earning incremental rebates by completing additional factory training annually. The factory issues a rebate directly to the dealer, who can use it to offset additional training.

In addition, at a 2024 dealer’s meeting, First Supply introduced a significant benefit: tuition assistance to branded dealers. “It’s essentially a scholarship,” Merhalski says. These funds can be applied to First Supply’s Training Program, which includes financing training — a value-added enhancement for its dealers to close more sales.

Merhalski, who manages its dealer programs, works closely with contractors’ office and marketing managers to maximize their marketing funds. “You’ve got marketing funds that you’ve earned; don’t waste them or scramble to use them at the end of the year without getting your bang for the buck,” she advises. “How can you build your strategy from January to December to grow your business year-round instead of putting out fires for 10 months and then rushing to spend money at the last minute?” She explains that putting those dollars to work — particularly by investing in education — creates a strong knowledge base and confident contractor and technician. 

“It’s a big picture, big initiative,” Jaedike emphasizes. “Not only technical and products, but the profitability value-add for our dealers.” DePuy adds: “We are doing our part to make sure that our customers continue to invest in their businesses and ultimately provide a better service to their customers. Our industry is hungry for additional training and newer technologies, and our customers have embraced these opportunities with enthusiasm, driving measurable improvements in their businesses.” 

First Training inhouse and mobile solutions 

The team of Jaedike, Merhalski, and Hardy developed First Training programs to include “Training Tuesdays” throughout 2025. “We will have the training onsite at the Ed Felten Training Center and the capability of having it available via webinar, so folks can view it later,” Merhalski notes. 

The development of these innovative training solutions was guided by valuable input from First Supply’s customers. “We conducted surveys and gathered feedback to understand exactly what contractors needed — not just the topics they wanted covered, but also the format, timing, and delivery methods that worked best for their schedules,” explains Merhalski. “This collaborative approach ensures our training programs are truly customer-driven, allowing us to provide the right training at the right time and in the right way.”

To meet contractors wherever they are, First Supply expanded its reach with a mobile training unit. “We listened to our customers who are outside the local Madison market. To meet their needs, we have mobile training stations that we can ship to one of our branches or a contractor’s shop. This value-added service brings First Training’s ‘Best in Class’ customer experience to their doorstep. An example of this is our A2L R-454B mobile units that will be on display at our A2L roadshows,” Merhalski says.

In addition to hands-on training, First Supply hosts fun, engaging events around these mobile sessions, such as pairing training days with golf outings or bourbon tastings.

Recently, the company launched its A2L Ready Road Show. “We’re facing one of the biggest changes in refrigerants in more than a decade, and First Supply has stepped up to ensure contractors are prepared. This certification is crucial as contractors adapt to new regulations and customer expectations,” Hardy says.

The A2L Ready Road Show spans two days, featuring a counter day and cookout, followed by eight hours of training and certification. First Training partnered with ESCO (Energy Service Co.), an HVAC governmental testing agency and resource catalog, to develop the program. 

Jaedike explains: “Being A2L-ready isn’t only a requirement — it’s a competitive advantage. Our goal is to ensure our contractors excel, and we’re seeing significant interest and support from vendors and contractors alike. We’re not just checking boxes. We explain why each safety procedure matters, why the refrigerant behaves the way it does, and why certain installation practices are critical. This deeper understanding is why our contractors score much higher on certification tests.”

When a manufacturer asked Jaedike about the company’s A2L training outreach, he smiled and responded: “Our dealers will be ready. And it’s because we’ve been proactive in getting out there early in training, certifying them and investing in the equipment and the people. It felt good to say we are A2L ready.” Nearly 500 contractors completed the certification at the end of 2024.

Talent development programs

Training isn’t only for contractors — it’s a cornerstone of First Supply’s internal talent development strategy. The company has numerous success stories of employees within all levels of the company, advancing through its talent development programs. 

“Some of the best talent we have did not start at an executive level,” Jaedike states. He adds,  “Many leaders in our company grew their careers at First Supply by first completing our Leadership Development Program, which we launched in 2015 and have since graduated 87 employees.” He adds numerous other examples, from the warehouse on up. “An operations employee had a strong drive to advance his career at First Supply. We developed a career path involving training and hands-on work experience in different roles, ultimately resulting in the employee becoming an outside sales representative in 2022.” It’s one of many stories about empowering team members with the knowledge and skills needed to advance to the next level. 

Hardy adds, “We’re not only helping contractors, but we’re also training internally, and our employees attend the classes as well.” Hardy explains that when he asks contractors where they go for technical support, traditionally, the answer is “our salesperson.” Having programs in place that allow employees to grow within the company, use their knowledge to advance their careers, and contribute to business growth is invaluable. It goes back to providing the First Supply team with the tools needed to drive the company’s and its customers’ success — and build career paths along the way. 

This drive for success in customer and team training stems directly from the foundation Ed Felten established, emphasizing the importance of education not only for First Supply but for the PHCP-PVF industry. “I always think back to Ed Felten’s dedication to training in our company and his push for bold growth. As an employee, I’m proud to be a product of that vision,” Jaedike says with a smile.

The center’s mission of advancing industry success through education is a fitting tribute to its namesake.