The plumbing and HVAC/R industries recorded $4.64 billion in sales through wholesalers in 2006, up 7.5 percent from 2005, reports the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating. At the end of December, all regions reported increases for the year except for Quebec. Activity continues to surge in the West with B.C. up 14.9 percent and Alberta up by 15.2 percent for the year. The rest of the West (Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Western Ontario to Thunder Bay) is up 6.6 percent over 2005. Ontario increased its business by 4.9 percent while the Atlantic provinces were up 5.2 percent. Quebec dropped slightly by one percent. Just about every industry sector recorded a healthy increase in 2006. Municipal waterworks jumped 11 percent, plumbing is up 9.7 percent, HVAC/R sales increased by 4.7 percent, hydronic heating supplies jumped six percent and PVF is up one percent. The industry took its usual dip in December as activity slows down around Christmas. Total sales figures for the month were down $114 million compared to November and unchanged from December, 2005. The statistics, which are compiled for CIPH by Statistics Canada, do not include retail sales. Figures compiled by Hardware Merchandising magazine put retail sales in plumbing alone at about $2.5 billion for 2006.
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