Although the name offers no clue, this is a wholesale plumbing supply company.
Additionally, they have a plumbing fixtures showroom, although the outside of the building, which is marred by graffiti, looks like it is in a war zone. Located in an industrial area of the city, one of its neighbors happens to include a strip club. It is also located next to the site of the former Administrative Adjudication Division/Traffic Tribunal, which has long been knocked down and relocated to Cranston. But enough nostalgia; I'm here to talk about this particular business.
Admittedly, I don't go here often, since there is another plumbing supplier (Ardente) very close by. Still, if Ardente doesn't have something (such as Kohler plumbing fixtures, or Wirsbo pex fittings), then I will go to Portland Group.
Their parking lot is oddly laid out, and a huge concrete ramp/stairs dominates the entrance to the service counter. Unlike some plumbing and heating supply houses, you can see shelves of supplies behind the counter.
One negative is that they have less counter help than Ardente, although that is somewhat offset by the fact they have less customer traffic than Ardente, at least that has been my experience. During a visit last week, I saw one employee behind the counter, off to the side, looking at his phone. The only other employee, who was waiting on the customer before me, was a bit rough to deal with. Twice, he gave me wrong items, then got a bit irritated when I pointed it out.
On the plus side, in the past, I had a good experience with a salesperson in the plumbing fixtures showroom, who helped me research hard-to-find repair parts for a high-end shower valve (the brand is Rohl, which I do NOT recommend, by the way). Oh, and they have decent coffee. read more