Wow — It’s already December. It’s hard to believe that the year is coming to a close already. Looking back, there have been many interesting topics CONTRATOR has covered, from the newest U.S. Green Building Council LEED Platinum certified buildings and a variety of impressive residential projects to can’t-miss industry trade shows and conferences, plus, best practices to help you run a successful business, and much more.
And most recently, we have covered the training strategies of the Get The Lead Out Plumbing Consortium and the possibility of two rainwater catchment standards. All the topics and current events relevant to the plumbing and HVAC industry that we have covered in 2012 would make quite the extensive list!
It all comes down to helping educate you —the contractor (our readers) —via the industry news, current events, best practices, etc., published in the magazine and on the website. And education seems to be a hot topic that I’m constantly crossing paths with in the industry.
When in Montana, visiting the ecosmart house at Montana State University, education and collaboration were reoccurring themes of the project. Thanks to Rehau and MSU, this project was possible. This year I also attended the HVAC Excellence conference, which of course is all about educating the HVAC educator. I also had the opportunity to travel to Viega’s continuing education media event in Nashua, N.H. This was a great experience to learn about Viega’s products and systems solutions. We (members of the media) had an opportunity to install some of these solutions in the educational facility. Click here to read about my experience at the Viega event.
And just recently I wrote the article "Sustainability in Education," which is in the winter issue of Green Mechanical Contractor. In this issue there is also an Educational Resource Guide that includes associations and manufacturers that offer training courses.
All these experiences were educational for me, from going to project sites and manufacturer training facilities to conducting phone interviews when researching. As I continue to learn about the plumbing and HVAC industry in 2013, I would like to know what other topics are of interest to you — the reader. Is there anything that we have not covered that you would like us to report about? If there is, let me know. I’m open to suggestions. Chances are I will learn something from the topics you are interested in while covering the most relevant industry issues for you. E-mail your suggestions to [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you. Cheers, and Happy Holidays!