Over the course of five days, 515 industry professionals attended the event, which included 69-member companies and 112 vendors from their three divisions – HVAC, Waterworks and Plumbing. Mike Lepley, president of Embassy Group Ltd., welcomed new members Baker-Mitchell Co. from Charlotte, North Carolina and Exeter Supply Co. from Reading, Pennsylvania.

The event was packed with conference sessions that allowed for members to meet with channel partners to solidify partnerships. “Since we joined Embassy in 2000, it has given us the tremendous opportunity to connect and build relationships with fellow premier independent wholesalers and manufacturers from around the country.  The comradery with other wholesalers within the Embassy Group is priceless as we all learn a lot from one another and bounce ideas off one another as it pertains to our individual business’s – truly a win-win,” said Jeff Worly, president, Worly Plumbing Supply. 

In addition to days filled with meetings, members enjoyed spending an afternoon relaxing by taking part in either deep-sea fishing or playing in the Gene McCann/Embassy Open golf tournament on the resort’s famed Red Tiger Course. Members also got their game on during an evening sports-themed reception and dinner, where wearing your favorite sports team apparel had rival fans playing against one another at games such as air hockey, ping pong and pop-a-shot basketball.  

“Embassy Group Ltd. is one of the best buying groups in the industry. The members truly want to partner with their vendors. I have personally experienced these partnerships in action and look forward to their yearly conference. Mike Lepley does a phenomenal job of ensuring that the decision makers from each distributor are in attendance and Maureen Cosyns is the best at coordinating the perfect balance of work and fun during the conference,” said Michael Foster, director of National Sales, Sioux Chief Mfg. Co. 

“Being a member of Embassy has been a great benefit to The Granite Group. The financial returns are important. But more than that, it is the strong relationships that have built up over the years with members and manufacturers alike. I inevitably come back from a meeting with a best practice or suggestion to help us better our business.,“ said William Condron, president and CEO, The Granite Group. 

Mark your calendar for next year’s event, which will take place March 18-22, 2019, at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas.