September 1, 2007
Articles
A Translucent Troubadours Soul
On a recent flight from Cincinnati to Seattle, I was sitting in first class enjoying the legroom after an extended speaking trip that included Mesa, Ariz.,...
Cross-selling mindset unlocks business
In todays business environment, prospective customers are often looking to outsource maintenance of their HVAC systems. As a result, Emcor Services Aircond...
Putting high efficiency into high-end homes
Farmington, Conn. Rejean Carrier, the owner of Carrier Home Builders, has been in the business for more than 35 years. Steven DiPietro, the owner of Depco...
Do you make the #1 marketing mistake?
I have teenagers, just barely. My 13-year-old daughter who used to think I was the smartest man alive now ranks my intelligence just below French toast....
Employee screening raises host of issues
I have been asked by clients about what exposure they have if they hire a person who will go into customers homes without checking to find out that he...
Hot stock tip! Whats your best investment?
OK, I lied to get your attention, but only about the hot stock tip. Getting the most out of your company requires investment in buildings, trucks, inventory,...
How you can enrich your family and charity too
Patrick Henry once said, I have but one lamp by which my feet are lighted, and that is the lamp of experience. After years of working in the area of wealth...
Solutions can be used in or out of the office
Here are two solutions that can benefit end-users outside the office and jobsite, as well. Hearing management Contractors have long had to cope with a...
Radiant requires training, proper partners
In recent years, hydronic radiant heating has gained marked traction in North America as a growing alternative to forced air heat in both residential...
Orphaned water heaters and flue liners
What portion of your quote for my new high-efficiency furnace was for the chimney- liner? $600. s too much no one else even mentioned wed need an expensive...
Michigan Construction Code Commission Rejects Imported Cast Iron Materials
LANSING, MICH. The Michigan Construction Code Commission in mid-September unanimously approved the August 22, 2007, recommendation of the Michigan Plumbing...
Small Business Research Board e-Commerce Study Finds Contractors Lag in Commitment
NORTHFIELD, ILL. Small businesses in the construction and contracting industry lag behind all other industries in embracing the Internet, according to...
Lennox lauded
Dallas Lennox has received the Partners of Choice Award from David Weekley Homes, the nation's third largest privately held homebuilder. Lennox received...
MSCA's Project Home Again profiled on NBC
Rockville, MD. NBC Nightly News aired a profile of the Mechanical Service Contractors of America's Project Home Again program on its July 27th broadcast....
Hydronics Industry Alliance Website Complete
ARLINGTON, VA. The Hydronics Industry Alliance has completed its Website, myhomeheating.com. In July and August, the HIA launched two new major sections...
Clockwork adds 47 plumbing, A/C franchises
Sarasota, Fla. Clockwork Home Services Inc. announced that 47 new plumbing, air conditioning and heating franchisees joined the company during the first...
Toto holds Washlet promo
New York Toto's held its first annual Clean is Happy Day promotion for its Washlet bidet toilet seat in Manhattan in mid-August. At its Clean is Happy...
Contractor plays key role in biodiesel plant
BY ROBERT P. MADER Of CONTRACTORs staff SENECA, ILL. Biodiesel, the fastest growing alternative fuel in the world, will soon be produced at the site of...
LETTERS AND E-MAILS
Solar thermal can cost less DORCHESTER, ONTARIO I enjoyed reading Dave Yates' article on his solar installation in Contractor magazine (May, p. 40). The...
Contractors should match personalities, jobs
BY ROBERT P. MADER Of CONTRACTORs staff WASHINGTON Contractors should try to find out who their employees really are, consultant Bill Kimmel, Grandy &...
Delta backs off homebuilder direct program
BY ROBERT P. MADER Of CONTRACTORs staff INDIANAPOLIS Delta Faucet Co. has terminated its involvement in a pilot program to sell direct to a division of...
Dolphins Stadium, Kohler unveil luxurious restrooms
MIAMI GARDENS , FLA. Dolphins Enterprises CEO Joe Bailey has announced a partnership with Kohler Co. extending through the 2007 season. As part of Dolphin...
Retrofit variable speed pump issues, Part 1
In a previous article I promised that we would venture into the word of light commercial pump sizing using variable speed pumps (July, p. 36). How many...
Feds issue no 'no-match' rules
By Robert P. Mader Of CONTRACTORs staff WASHINGTON The Department of Homeland Securitys Immigration & Customs Enforcement division has issued new rules...
Global survey shows green construction costs less than thought
NEW YORK Key players in real estate and construction misjudge the costs and benefits of buildings by as much as 300%, creating a major barrier to more...
Home sprinkler group wins education grant
QUINCY, MASS. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced that the nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition has received a grant award through...
Housing slump hurts HD Supply sale price
ATLANTA The housing slump and mortgage credit troubles have caused the Home Depot to amend its purchase and sale agreement for HD Supply. HD Supply is...
It boils down to people, resources, decisions
When I first started writing this column back in 1998, project management didn't have the hype and sexy cach that it has today. There weren't any groupies...
In Brief
Nonresidential construction shrugged off the turmoil in homebuilding and credit markets in July to post another solid gain, according to Ken Simonson,...
NLRB rules own can't sign project labor agreement
WASHINGTON In a landmark ruling on the National Labor Relations Act and how it applies to the construction industry, the National Labor Relations Board...
N.C. legislature inks solar pact
Raleigh, N.C. The North Carolina General Assembly signed an agreement with SolarH2Ot Ltd., Cary, N.C., to install a solar water heating system on the...
Contractors to learn finance
Raleigh, N.C. Tom Kort, a consultant with FMI Corp. here, will speak at the 2007 American Fire Sprinkler Association Convention & Exhibition in late September...
Safety training DVDs are free
Boston The Construction Institute has announced the availability of two multimedia DVD-based learning tools on workplace hazards in construction. The...
PHCC Members Going Green
As the Green Building movement builds momentum, the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) has the tools and resources to help...
Going Green Before it Was Cool, Realizing Now it is the Future
A Chance Encounter with green building 10 years ago has led to rewarding and educational experiences for David Glover, Glover Plumbing & Heating Service...
Make Your Office Green
John Macgregor, MacGregor Plumbing & Heating, Harbor Springs, Mich., is hoping to make an environmental difference through green building methods at his...
PRODUCTS
editor's choice THE MODULEX LINE OF CONDENSING BOILERS is offered in six sizes to deliver anywhere from 300,000 Btuh to 1 million Btuh. The line delivers...
PSI Urges Contractors to 'Dare to Deviate'
ORLANDO, FLA. Nearly 400 contractors gathered here recently for the latest Plumbers Success International Summit, which centered on the theme Dare to...
Rescue Rooter Buys Oregon's Jack Howk Plumbing
PORTLAND, ORE. Through parent company American Residential Services LLC, Rescue Rooter, a national residential and commercial plumbing provider with a...
Hydronic evangelism for the masses
There are a lot of folks in Alaska who can thank Kurt Wilken for the warmth and comfort they enjoy each winter when Mother Nature turns her cold shoulder...
Feds may withhold 3% from contractors pay
BY LAKE A. COULSON Unless Congress enacts legislation to repeal a provision inserted in unrelated tax legislation from 2005, any entity, including contractors,...
Pa. College of Technology grads talented
ALBANY, N.Y. I am DeShawn Alexander, a student at Pennsylvania College of Technology located in Williamsport, Pa., and I am enrolled the Bachelor of Science...
Solar thermal can cost less
DORCHESTER, ONTARIO I enjoyed reading Dave Yates article on his solar installation in Contractor magazine (May, p. 40). The solar thermal industry, as...
Bills mandate multiple efficiencies
By Robert P. Mader Of CONTRACTORs staff WASHINGTON The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have passed similar bills that would require two or...
Calendar of Industry Events
. September Engineering Green Buildings Conference Sept. 17-18 Las Vegas Mechanical Contractors Association of America Business Development Conference...
Viessmann names new GM of U.S. operation
WARWICK, R.I. Viessmann Mfg. Co. Inc. announced the appointment of Richard Corcoran as general manager of Viessmanns U.S. operations effective Sept. 1,...
Showing contractors how to make some green
One of my hot button issues is mechanical contracting. Its good for the earth and contractors can make money at it. Im delighted that Dave Kruse, president...
Saving Grace
BY STEVE SPAULDING Of CONTRACTORs staff HINSDALE, ILL. Two years ago the Grace Episcopal Church here was facing a problem common to owners of most institutional...
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This Month's Products
THE ODW SERIES OF TANKLESS WATER HEATERS
has four models ranging from 99,000 to 199,000 Btuh. Utilizing dual S-line heat exchangers, the series offers energy factors above 0.9...
THIS NEW CONTROLLER/MONITOR
is integrated with the company's EnerWorks residential solar water heating appliance. It directs and monitors the appliance, ensuring optimized performance...
THE 4" VICTORIAN 45-JET SHOWERHEAD
features a traditional style, and is available with chrome, brushed nickel, antique copper, distressed nickel and oil rub bronze finishes...
THE AQUAPEX TUBING EXPANSION JOINT KIT
eliminates the added labor and expense of building an expansion joint from scratch to accommodate expansion and contraction in long tubing runs. The kit includes a 2", pre-formed expansion loop...
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