Sales personnel from Plumb Supply Company in Des Moines, Iowa, recently earned their choice of a Canadian fishing trip or a summer weekend in Chicago as part of the “Fish & Fun Club” promotion sponsored by Ruud Water Heaters. In May 2002, Plumb Supply became the exclusive distributor of Ruud brand gas and electric residential and commercial water heaters throughout its Iowa trading area. This promotion was among several marketing initiatives designed to introduce the Ruud line to plumbing and HVAC contractors statewide.

 

The Fish & Fun Club rewarded Plumb Supply managers and sales people for selling commercial and better-grade residential water heaters during the second half of 2002. For each model sold, a participant received a specified number of chances that were placed in a jar at each of Plumb Supply’s 16 locations in Iowa. The more chances earned, the better the opportunity to win a free vacation.

 

At the end of the promotion, all completed chance forms were sent to Plumb Supply headquarters for a special drawing in early 2003. The winners of this drawing had their choice of two trips:
• a five day/four-night trip for one to the Sandy Beach Lodge in Trout Lake, Ontario;
• a three-day weekend for two in Chicago, including downtown hotel accommodations, a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field, a hit stage show and a Saturday evening dinner cruise along the lakefront.

In addition to participating in the trip drawings, Plumb personnel were able to earn points on every Ruud commercial water heater they sold during the six-month promotion, which ended December 31, 2002. At the conclusion of the promotion, these accumulated points were redeemable for sports and electronic gear, as well as for Ruud Plumbers Pride wearables.

 

Making the trip to Sandy Beach Lodge over the last weekend in June were Jerry Schultz, operations manager at Plumb Supply’s Marshalltown branch; Matt Locke, who works in inside sales at North Cedar Rapids; Paul Martin, inside sales at Cedar Rapids; and Todd Johnson, outside sales in Fort Dodge.

 

Making the trip to Chicago in early July were Bill Gorius (and his wife Connie), a purchasing agent at Plumb Supply’s Coralville branch; and Mark Black (and his wife Julie), a sales representative based in Mason City. Accompanying them were several contractor customers who won the Chicago weekend in a special drawing held during a recent Ruud-launch meeting sponsored by Plumb Supply:

Larry and Janet Burtness and Lance and Diane Burtness of Burtness Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning in Fertile; Charles and Annette Wieneke II of Angerer Plumbing & Heating in Marion; and Terry and Lanetta Woiwood of Tiny’s Plumbing, Heating & Electric in Garner.

 

RUUD WATER HEATERS are manufactured by Rheem Water Heaters, based in Montgomery, Alabama. Rheem Water Heaters is a division of the New York City-based Rheem Manufacturing Company, a leading producer of residential and commercial water heaters, with manufacturing operations on three continents. In addition to Rheem and Ruud brand water heaters for the wholesale channel, the company also makes and markets pool and spa heaters, boilers, and heating and air-conditioning products.