It is apparent that some newer design engineers (likely also some “seasoned” ones...) are choosing to only get equipment manufacturers’ information from the Internet or from past projects, and they are not reaching out to their local manufacturers’ representatives. While voicing their shared frustration over beers, the authors of this abstract, a design engineer and a manufacturers’ rep, decided to do something about it… This presentation will illustrate how everyone benefits when design engineers and manufacturers’ representatives collaborate during the design phase to help ensure the client/owner is happy once the project is completed. The benefits of this collaboration will be presented using real-life/practical examples by a process-mechanical design engineer and a manufacturers’ representative (rep) with 23 years and 35 years of experience in their respective roles serving the KY/TN region. Key takeaways will include: •A good rep is an advocate for the design engineer and owner in addition to the manufacturers they represent. Like most jobs, a rep’s success depends on maintaining long-term relationships with utilities, design engineers, and contractors, serving as a trusted partner/advisor. •Reps who are trusted by clients are good sounding boards for design ideas and can help identify fatal design flaws and client deal-breakers. They are also a source of existing equipment information, eliminating the need to bug the client or dig through old binders. •In most cases, major process equipment for a treatment plant are not commodity items that can simply be picked off a shelf or website, and equipment that worked for one project may not work for another. Reps know a lot about the equipment and processes they represent. If they understand the application and what the owner and engineer are trying to achieve, they can recommend the best equipment or process based on various options from their line sheet or simply say that what they have will not meet the requirements and here’s why. Nobody wins if there are performance issues later on. •If/when reps can’t answer your question, they have direct access to the manufacturer to help you get the right answer from the right person. Good reps won’t judge you when you ask “dumb” questions. They can also pressure manufacturers to provide information needed to meet engineering deadlines, help get CAD drawings or Revit families, etc. •During design, engineers should work with reps for major or critical equipment listed in project specifications. When a project is bid, contractors will contact the reps for proposals and it’s in everyone’s best interest that the reps understand what the design engineer and owner are trying to achieve. Reps can also facilitate manufacturer spec/drawing reviews and provide comments or suggested edits. Answering questions and reviewing suggested spec changes prior to bidding allows the engineer to tweak spec language to avoid confusion and help ensure competition. This presentation will not promote specific manufacturers or representation/engineering firms. The authors’ intent is to provide a public service announcement to the KY/TN water professionals community.