•Quality Service Contractors announced that water heater manufacturer and QSC Industry Partner A.O. Smith has become the QSC POWER TOOL sponsor for 2007. As such, A.O. Smith will support QSC programs and the implementation of those programs for QSC members.
•Construction Contractors' Alliance will present a day-long "Effective Negotiating" seminar March 8 by KARRASS Inc. Attendees will learn the principles, strategies and tactics of negotiation, and gain hands-on experience by applying these to real-life situations through practice negotiations. The seminar will be held during CCA's March 7-9 San Diego meeting, which will kick off with a tour in Corona, Calif., of Executive Plumbing Heating and Air, a charter member of CCA. For more information about CCA, contact Charlotte Perham at 800/533-7694 or [email protected], or check the CCA Website at www.phccweb.org/servicegroups/cca.cfm.
•Twenty business owners, project managers, estimators and superintendents spent four days at the PHCC Educational Foundation's January offering of the Essentials of PHC Project Management Course, a training program sponsored by American Standard and Trane. The session, held in Lansdowne, Va., demonstrated how effective planning can boost profits and productivity. American Standard and Trane also sponsor the Foundation's Business Owners Strategic Management Workshop. The workshop is scheduled for March 14-17 in San Jose, Calif., and is designed to teach contractor business owners and their key staff what they must do to keep their company competitive.
•Entrepreneur magazine named Mr. Rooter, a full-service plumbing and drain-cleaning company, to its 2007 "Franchise 500" and "Top Global Franchises" lists. Mr. Rooter ranked No. 164 on the "Franchise 500" list and No. 121 on the "Top Global Franchises" list. Mr. Rooter has five sister companies (Aire Serv, Glass Doctor, Mr. Appliance, Mr. Electric and Rainbow International) that made the "Franchise 500" list.
•The Linc Group has acquired Houston-based Air Tech Commercial Services, a company that specializes in indoor air quality. With the addition of Air Tech's two offices in Houston and Austin, Linc will now operate five company-owned locations in Texas. TLG is the parent company of Linc Network, franchisor of the Linc System.
•Five more contractors have qualified for the Mechanical Service Contractors of America's STAR program: Barr Engineering in Santa Fe Springs, Calif.; Bassett Mechanical in Kaukauna, Wis.; Control Services in Omaha, Neb.; Peterson Service Co. in Medford, N.J.; and United Air Conditioning Service in Baldwin Park, Calif. For more information, visit www.mscastar.org or contact Barbara Dolim at [email protected].