Columnists
Five keys to higher profits
Contractor Dan invested in expensive, graphic-wrapped vehicles and a state-of-the-art warehousing system with a stockpile of all the major brands. He also invested vast amounts of time, money and energy in his Yellow Page ads and Web site. ...
Be a role model for your employees
Leaders are made, not born. Occasionally an extraordinary person comes along who can inspire lofty performance by sheer charisma or overpowering intelligence, but these folks are very much the exception. You don’t have to be Alexander the Great or a Winston Churchill to be a strong effective leader....
A day in the life of a project manager
Big breakfast at McDonald’s at 6:00 a.m. Some time to relax and read the newspaper before heading down I-55 to the jobsite office trailer. A lifetime in project management and I’m still not used to getting up so early so I can be there when my guys start coming in. I’m the first one in, the last one out. ...
The color of heat — Part 1
Since its inception, FLIR has made huge leaps and bounds as it pertains to its potential application in the industrial and mechanical fields. Energy in general, has different “ranges” in the spectral field. They now have infrared detectors that can actually “see” gas vapors escaping into the atmosphere, making visual inspection of large mechanical complexes a virtual snap. ...
Three nifty software programs
Taking advantage of GPS and biometric technologies, SHARCC Time and Attendance, www.ueven.com, is a remote field service time clock solution that uses GPS coordinates to verify that a registered employee is on the job by requiring his or her biometric finger identification to clock into a customizable task or phase. ...
How to improve the collection process
Most plumbing and HVAC contractors are not bankers, and do not want to be in the financing business. Yet more than ever before, I see them turned into bankers — cash-flowing projects to keep owners, developers and general contractors afloat. This is happening everywhere, on the smallest remodels to the largest new construction projects. If you don't want it to happen to you, then you will need to take some pro-active steps to protect yourself....
Business card marketing
One of the simplest and lowest cost forms of marketing can be surprisingly effective. It’s the business card. It’s amazing how many companies underutilize business cards. ...
Is there a silver lining?
The current state of the national (and international) economy is anemic, at best. The prolonged recession (depression?) has sapped almost every ounce of life from the construction trades. I am amazed and dismayed at the toll it has taken here in the Southwest, and can imagine that the rest of the country is faring just as poorly....
The risk of bidding green jobs
Going “green” is a top priority for many owners, and contractors are rushing to bid these jobs. Even with a U.S. Green Building Council LEED certified in-house expert, one may not be aware of all the potential risks associated with bidding a green project. Contractors need to be aware of the risks and account for them, so profits are not at risk....
Insurance secrets they don’t want you to know about
You’ll be delighted by what you are about to read. The subject — courtesy of flaws in the tax law — is tax-advantaged investment strategies. ...
1.6 ULF to 1.28 HET upgrade concerns
Mike, a plumbing engineer, writes, "Hello Mr. Yates. I’ve been commissioned to perform water-efficiency audits at several facilities in the area, which is to include recommendations for toilet and urinal replacement/retrofits. Most of these facilities are currently equipped with 1.0-gpf urinals and 1.6-gpf toilets....
BIM: What to watch out for
Last month I discussed in general what Building Information Modeling is and isn't. The term properly applies to the accumulation of all data relevant to the design, construction and operation of a physical plant or facility, so that parties can work out discrepancies and conflicts in a virtual environment (rather than in the field, when work is stopped), and then later use it as a "living history" for maintenance, renovation and other purposes. ...
The customer is always right even when he’s wrong
Scenario No. 1: ABC Plumbing & Heating gets a service call about a commode that keeps on running. The dispatcher assigns the call to “Ramblin’ Rick,” one of his best service plumbers. Rick rolls on the call and arrives at the appointed time to the “Mr. & Mrs. Customer” residence. So far, so good....
Papal permit trumps plumbing code
Hey Gene, I need half a plumbing permit for a double-bowl sink! Gene was Eugene Witmer, the York City plumbing inspector at the time, and we were installing a special plumbing fixture. I wanted to give my friend Gene a bit of a hard time — in a friendly manner — about this fixture. Two drains for two bowls in a single fixture...
The difference between management and project management
Common sense will tell you that there are many degrees of responsibility between micromanaging a two-man crew as a working foreman and macromanaging a 2,000 employee company as a corporate president....
Major advances in heat pump technology — Part 2
In last month’s column, we discussed some rough basic sizing and cost information. It should be noted that drilling costs fluctuate all over the board, and in some cases where the going gets tough, it may cost upwards of three to four times the cost that I projected last month....
Three productivity solutions
Singletouch, www.singletouch.com, is a real-time data capture solution for mechanical and other contractors working on a job that requires materials and workload tracking. ...
Major advances in heat pump technology
With ground-source heat pump technology being a central focus of the U.S. Congress, allowing a 30% tax credit for residential ground-source heat pump...
EPA finalizes WaterSense for Homes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its version of the WaterSense for Homes standard in mid-December, although in the world of water conservation...
Design programs for HVAC sizing solutions
Rhvac 8 by Elite Software, www.elitesoft.com, is an HVAC design program that calculates peak heating and cooling load requirements for rooms, zones, systems...
BIM and you: know its benefits and risks
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is coming, and as Lee Iaccoca (and many others, probably) put it, you'd better be prepared to lead, follow or get...
Eliminating all of your estate tax burden
I'll bet the farm that this article will save many business owners, who want to transfer the family business to their kids, a ton of taxes. Let's set...
New project management definitions
The job description of what makes a project manager has gradually changed over time. The paper-pushing duties of a working foreman or superintendent used...
Tips to improve your direct mail results
With a gazillion cable channels and the ability to record and fast forward through the ads, satellite radio and personal music players, the increasing...
It's new or improved, but does it work?
Doesn't it seem that there is some new product being advertised every day that you just can't live without? Whether it's a new type of computer, cellular...
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