More Feature Stories
Cool at the YMCA
YOU’RE A SMALL contractor, say, 15 people, and you have a big job land in your lap: a major commercial building expansion, 102-tons of cooling, a $450,000 contract. Would that scare the heck out of you? Would you walk away from it?...
Contractor of the Year John Smith has fought off the recession, established himself as a water conservation expert
To all of his accomplishments, John Smith, Rooter 2000/The Arizona Green Plumber, can add another — he is the CONTRACTOR magazine Contractor of the Year for 2011....
Matt Erickson opens showroom for C.J. Erickson Plumbing, a Chicago plumbing company
Opening a showroom is a natural, says Matt Erickson, president of C.J. Erickson Plumbing in Alsip, Ill., a southwest suburb of Chicago. His great grandfather had a showroom. ...
Contractors take the plunge
It’s becoming more common to see contractors pull up for a service call or arrive on a jobsite in a fuel-efficient vehicle or even an alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) these days ...
Geothermal to the rescue
DOUG DOUGHERTY IS walking the walk: this March he became president and CEO of The Geothermal Exchange Organization (GEO), a non-profit trade association just formed 18 months ago representing the economic and political interests of its member companies....
Progressive marine school gets hydronic makeover
RYE, N.H. — Perched upon pristine Appledore Island six miles off the Maine/New Hampshire coasts, Shoals Marine Laboratory (SML) is host to educational programs for 250 students each year, from high school to post-grad....
Be a cutting-edge contractor
It is of utmost importance that contractors stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in their trade given the economic uncertainty the country continues to face and changes in technologies and products the plumbing and HVAC industry is experiencing. ...
Increase your high-efficiency water heater knowledge
HIGH-EFFICIENCY water heaters are here to stay, and it is important for contractors to stay abreast of these products, not only to understand their technology in order to properly install and service them, but to be able to market and sell them effectively to customers too. If contractors can properly communicate the benefits of these products to customers, they will be more successful when selling the technology. ...
Giant Doldrums
THE COMMERCIAL/industrial/institutional market just can't get itself going. There is still way too little private money in the market. Consequently, the only markets with any real activity are energy-related or government-related....
Service with a Smile
AT OAK CREEK Plumbing Kitchens & Bathrooms in Oak Creek, Wis., service is of the utmost importance, as it should be for any plumbing company. ...
Down to the bottom line
If you are not familiar with grooved mechanical piping systems, then chances are you haven’t experienced its positive impact on your bottom line. The grooved mechanical pipe joining method has been changing the way contractors like you do business for over 85 years....
Ultimately renewable fuel
Fossil fuel guzzling has fallen out of favor. Alternative fuels and energy efficiency are in demand, especially when the source of energy is wood, the ultimately renewable resource. ...
The Biggest Loser
For most of the past four decades, my hydronic training centered on choosing a circulator that met or exceeded the required system flow rate, while overcoming the system’s head losses in each zone....
Tough customers need to save energy too - 2010 CONTRACTOR of the YEAR
FUNNY HOW ways not to make a living can ultimately come around to ways to make a living. Brian Nelson discovered that you can’t make a living as an engineer on Martha’s Vineyard, that island four miles off the coast of Massachusetts that has changed from fishing village to playground of the rich and famous....
Road to Success
This year, even with the slow economy, we saw our highest profits ever. We had to work hard to succeed, but the key advantage is that we’ve worked a lot smarter. My wife Deanna and I run Mason Mechanical....
High-end house aims for LEED Platinum
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF. — It doesn’t get more “California” than Laguna Beach. Located in Orange County, the city boasts spectacular ocean views, a thriving arts community, high-end resorts, gorgeous beaches, the occasional reality TV show, and was even once the home of Timothy Leary and his Brotherhood of Eternal Love....
The most important college class not taught
We know from our conversations and research in the industry that most universities don’t offer a specific course in managing construction labor. They should....
Move to green work secures the future
FIFTEEN YEARS ago, Randy Seaman and a friend emergency-landed a WWII era biplane in Pennsylvania after the engine threw a rod. The two had quite an adventure “air hitchhiking” between small airports all the way back to Michigan. ...
Strength in numbers
The popularity of franchising is growing among plumbing contractors who are looking to take their businesses to the next level during difficult economic times. ...
Handhelds Galore
Blackberries, iPhones and Droids are some of the popular handheld devices that contractors and service technicians are using on the job these days. ...
The future of space heating is a very efficient water heater
As space heating loads shrink, most of the identified barriers are not strictly technical. We need new test methods, new codes and we need manufacturers and contractors to look beyond their normal boundaries...
What bad looks like
IF LARGE mechanical contractors thought 2009 was a challenging year, 2010 will be even more difficult as the markets on which they depend — hotels, office buildings and industrial work — hit bottom. Only four CII markets are predicted to be up this year: healthcare, educational, public safety and transportation. The Federal government, utilities and large data centers are among the few active customers....
A one-stop shop
SEMINOLE, FLA. — Saul Plumbing & Design Inc., located here in Southwest Florida, is a one-stop shop for customers interested in remodeling their kitchen and/or bathroom. ...
West Coast Solar
This month let’s venture out to Southern California for the Solar Power International Conference, put on by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)....
East Coast Solar
Over the next two months I’m going to recount my experiences with solar energy on both coasts of the U.S., beginning with the biennial Solar Decathlon in Washington. Next month we’ll travel to California for the Solar Power International Show....
Reader Comments