What happens when one of the biggest names in HVAC manufacturing invests in independent distribution? A new entity emerges, swiftly followed by conversations around safeguarding the distributor’s company culture, autonomy, and institutional knowledge. Jason connects with Renata Morgan, president of Rheem Northeast Distribution (RND), a collection of four manufacturer-owned distributors, to learn more about Rheem’s foray into this side of the channel. The pair also discusses innovating under an established brand umbrella, retaining critical process knowledge as experienced employees retire, and giving back to the professional community.
“I’m about 20 years in now and still enjoying every moment of it!” says Renata, who’s hitting her stride in a stellar career that began at Century A/C Supply in Texas. “The culture at Century was so phenomenal that they kept me there for 15 years. In that time, I was able to take on progressively larger roles and get my master’s in industrial distribution from Texas A&M.”
In 2020, Rheem finalized its investment in Century A/C. By 2024, they had acquired three more distributors under RND and approached Renata about moving to Philadelphia for the top job. “I sincerely appreciated [Rheem’s] approach. They let distributors run distribution,” she says. While some cultural clashes were inevitable, Renata recalls mutual respect for and understanding of each entity’s expertise from the start. “The big question is how do we create a new whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts?”
RND has since coalesced into a premier organization, thanks to Renata’s leadership and staff contributions. “We have a lot of people [with] 30- or 40-year tenure in the industry,” she observes. RND has employed AI to help transform that brain power into data. “There’s a lot of value in that history and understanding the legacy,” Renata says. “Let’s retain that, but also let’s evolve. Let’s introduce some technology to push us forward.”
Renata, who is passionate about sharing her industry knowledge, recently joined the board of Blue Hawk. “It allows me to continue to advocate for distribution and ensuring, as we continue down this AI-driven path, that distribution doesn’t get completely removed from the channel.”
QUOTES
Renata Morgan
“We tend to run very lean in distribution. There is not excess headcount or people standing by idly. We always have something to do.”
There’s so much tribal knowledge in our industry that is so important, and so many customer relationships that are rooted in the people we have and the knowledge that they bring, the experience that they bring to the table, that one of my focuses was really, let’s take a slow and steady pace to change.”
“We provide so much value across numerous industries that I’m passionate about making sure we are here to stay and cement our value position in that whole chain.”
“It takes a good mix of perspectives to have the most well-rounded decisions and outcomes, you know? You’ve gotta take the single-location distributor and put them in the same room as the 50-location distributor and find that common ground.”
“There are shared struggles regardless of size, but also contributions you can make regardless of the size of your company. I mean, there’s some very innovative things happening at much smaller companies.”
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Applied AI for Distributors 2026
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Agentic AI and the Future of Distribution with Ian Heller of Distribution Strategy Group
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CONNECT WITH RENATA
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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.
This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Motivate, INxSQL, and Connected Peers.
