October 1, 2007
Articles
Danfoss symposium to focus on education
BALTIMORE Industry decision- and policy-makers will discuss Breaking Through: Creating an Informed Energy-Efficiency Technology Marketplace at the sixth...
Eatery gets innovative interceptor
SEATTLE, WA. Last year saw the opening of the Boka Restaurant as part of a multi-use complex including two other restaurants and a hotel/condominium....
Emcor buys two large California contractors
NORWALK, CONN. Emcor Group Inc. announced further growth of its Mobile Service Solutions operations. Underscoring the growing strength and importance...
Schwartzenegger Makes High-Efficiency Toilets the Law in California
SACRAMENTO California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed AB 715, a bill that would require all new construction in California to use more high-efficiency...
Germans Win Solar Decathlon
WASHINGTON -- The Technische Universitat Darmstadt, Germany, sponsored by Bosch, won the U.S. Department of Energy's third Solar Decathlon held in Washington...
Contractor Installs HVAC for Woman in Need
GULFPORT, MS. AAA One Hour Heating & Cooling recently came to the aid of Sherry Troutman, a local woman who was in need of a cooling system in her home...
Sloan Wins EPA's Green Power Leadership Award
FRANKLIN PARK, ILL. Sloan Valve Co. has won a 2007 Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its purchase of renewable...
Shaw Donates to Destiny Foundation
ORLANDO, FLA. Shaw Mechanical Services recently held its first annual "Celebration of Thanks and Giving" here to announce a three-point corporate giving...
UL to certify high-efficiency faucets for EPA
NORTHBROOK, ILL. Underwriters Laboratories announced in mid- September that it will provide testing and certification services for high-efficiency lavatory...
Solar world looks to Washington this month
BY BRIAN WASAG Of CONTRACTORs staff WASHINGTON Twenty teams from colleges and universities worldwide will compete here this month to determine who can...
AFSA names R.I. Rep. sprinkler advocate of year
DALLAS The American Fire Sprinkler Association has selected Congressman Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) as its Fire Sprinkler Advocate of 2007 in recognition of...
Chicago MCA promotes green education
CHICAGO Once considered a passing fad, green building has driven its roots deep into the American landscape. City Halls in Chicago and Atlanta have green...
Commuting energy exceeds buildings energy use
BRATTLEBORO, VT. An examination of the transportation energy intensity of buildings has found that getting people to and from buildings uses more energy...
Contractors advised to lead rather than boss
BY BRIAN WASAG Of CONTRACTORs staff CHICAGO Contractors must be open to a change in leadership style if they want to hire and retain a skilled and motivated...
Geothermal, radiant a congenial pair
BY ROBERT P. MADER Of CONTRACTORs staff HARTFORD, CONN. Geothermal heat pumps and radiant floor heat make a great combination, especially at the relatively...
Go digital to find employees now
BY JEFF DICKEY-CHASINS Special to CONTRACTOR The specialty contracting sector, like many other parts of the economy, has a labor problem. Our workforce...
Grainger intros new showroom
MORTON GROVE, ILL. W.W. Grainger Inc. recently showcased one of its expanded facilities here with an open house that attracted area contractors who came...
A green star on the horizon
BY DAN BULLEY Special to CONTRACTOR Green building means a lot of things to different people. To those of us in the construction industry, it means healthy,...
In Brief
American Residential Services LLC, a privately held, nationwide provider of HVAC services, has purchased Jacksonville-based Florida Home Air Conditioning...
MCAA launches the first green wave
BY ROBERT P. MADER Of CONTRACTORs staff MILWAUKEE Approximately 250 mechanical contractors who see a green future ahead of them gathered here for the...
MCAA unveils green contractor Website
BY ROBERT P. MADER Of CONTRACTORs staff MILWAUKEE Dave Kruse, president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, unveiled www.greencontractors.us,...
Mentoring high school students works
BY PAMELA MULLENDER Special to CONTRACTOR According to figures published by the U.S. Department of Labor, there will be as many as 1.3 million job openings...
Open house shows leading edge med-gas training
MOKENA, ILL. The Chicago areas United Association Pipefitters Local 597 held a grand opening in late August for its full-scale training hospital for medical...
It boils down to people, resources, decisions
When I first started writing this column back in 1998, project management didnt have the hype and sexy cach that it has today. There werent any groupies...
PMs still need essential estimating skills
Even with the continued industry trend (perhaps because of it?) of separating the career paths, job descriptions and responsibilities of senior- level...
Purchase orders are contracts too
For reasons that I do not understand, most contractors do not think of purchase orders as Often, they purchase equipment and materials for jobs using...
Retrofit variable speed pump considerations, Part 2
BY MARK EATHERTON Hydronic heating contractor At the end of last months column (September, p. 38), I promised that we would venture into the world of...
Salt air and plumbing at the sea shore
Lois and I recently visited friends who own a condo in Ocean City, Md. The days melted away in relaxed banter. Following a great dinner at Dr. Unks Bar...
Solution makes time tracking easy
The JobClock System (www.jobclock.com, 888-788-8463) i s a method of attendance and time tracking for any number of jobsites and workers. The system is...
Turn your home into an investment profit center
The key to successful tax planning is learning how to select the best tax-saving strategies to accomplish your specific goals. My job is easy pick the...
Watching a killer at work, Part 1
We have all had this phone call. Even if its not one of our own installations, we still have a moral obligation to address the situation to the best of...
What? Everybody doesnt agree with us?
Just about everybody in the industry thinks of himself as one of the good guys and the industry in general as being on the right side of the issues. After...
When leads, sales dont come, whos to blame?
The majority of plumbing contractors hit a rough patch from time to time. The key to overcoming it is knowing what went wrong and what to do about it....
Look to retail, restaurants and hire their best
A universal truth in our industry seems to be that contractors need more employees. While there are the lucky few who have all the good employees they...
Are you the bottleneck in your business?
Smart owners are always on the lookout for factors that limit their business growth and productivity. Sometimes, however, a significant bottleneck can...
Mark's Meditation Process
There is an old expression, "Its not the son that will run the business into the ground, rather the grandson." Statistics demonstrate less than 10% of...
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This Month's Products
THE STRATOS ECO HIGH-EFFICIENCY RESIDENTIAL CIRCULATOR
automatically adjusts to system demands by means of ECM motor technology; pressure by-pass valves, balancing, over-pumping and noisy zones are all eliminated...
THE ESPREE HIGH-EFFICIENCY TOILET
exceeds all industry performance standards, saving more than 20% over typical 1.6 GPF toilets.
THE DUAL-FLUSH FLOWISE HIGH EFFICIENCY TOILET
allows users to select either a 1.6 GPF flush, or a 0.8 GPF flush. Available with an elongated bowl, the traditionally styled HET...
THE GRAIL FAUCET
features sleek lines and minimalist styling. It is offered in single- and dual-handle configurations, including wall-mount...
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