Industry News
We would like to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to this month's sponsor -- Oventrop. To learn more about this month's sponsor, please visit their web site at www.oventrop.com.
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Live Solar Installation Webcast with Bob ‘Hot Rod’ Rohr
Phc News and HVACTV.com have teamed up to bring you a live, interactive solar installation webcast, featuring noted columnist Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr. Hot Rod will conduct a solar domestic hot water (SDHW) pump and tank installation. The 45-minute live webcast will allow contractors to interact with Hot Rod LIVE while he is working at the job site! Peter Biondo, solar trainer extraordinaire of national fame and currently working with Oventrop Solar, will join Hot Rod to explain the ins and outs of selecting and designing a solar domestic hot water system SDHW. Then they will jump up on the roof to do an actual live installation on the HVACtv.com webcast.
Pre-register now at www.hvactv.com today!
Cant-miss trade shows on the horizon
K/BIS 2007 to draw 40,000+ to Las Vegas event (May 7-10) -- Look no further than the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference this May for big winnings in Las Vegas. An authoritative voice in the kitchen and bath industry for more than 40 years, the National Kitchen & Bath Association brings K/BIS to the Las Vegas Convention Center, May 7-10. As the premier showcase for the very latest products and cutting-edge design ideas in the kitchen and bath industry, K/BIS features the largest array of product displays and demonstrations, NKBA professional development courses, keynote speeches, conference sessions and an interactive roundtable event. An unparalleled forum for dealers, designers, architects, distributors, retailers and home centers, K/BIS is the world’s largest international trade event dedicated to the kitchen and bath industry. K/BIS 2007 will bring together more than 900 companies exhibiting their products and over 40,000 national and international industry professionals. For more info, www.kbis.com.
National Association Oil Heating Service Managers (NAOHSM) (May 20-24) -- There is something for everyone at NAOHSM’s 54th Annual Convention and Trade Show to be held in Hershey, Pa, May 20-24. NAOHSM’s mission is education. At the annual event they strive to offer managers and technicians a variety of quality seminars. Monday is dedicated to owners and managers and those classes are geared towards them – financial, GPS, creative financing for new equipment and credit cards to help manage receivables. Tuesday and Wednesday morning, technicians can attend a broad choice of seminars that will provide them with important NORA (National Oilheat Research Alliance) CEU’s. An air conditioning review class on Tuesday followed by a EPA Certification test on Wednesday have been added. All classes are Free thanks to the many Sponsors of Education. For more info, visit www.naohsm.org.
PHCC-GLAA -- 32nd Annual Southern California Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Industry trade Show (June 9 -- Long Beach, Calif.) -- The PHCC-GLAA trade show in Long Beach is a can’t-miss, life-improvement exercise. Exhibitors come from all over the U.S. and around the world. They are the companies who serve PHC contractor businesses. They do show-off stuff in a hands-on environment. They're manufacturers, specialty companies, distributors, reps, industry organizations, publishers, wholesalers, vehicle dealers, technology and service companies and more. The key is seeing what's new and what you can use to build stronger, smoother, business operations. Meeting people face-to-face, networking discussing topical issues is what is all about. Visit www.phccglaa.org/tradeshow for more information.
Buoyant construction hiring bolsters March jobs report
Washington -- According to The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), “Construction was the sparkplug for last month’s employment engine,” Ken Simonson, chief economist for AGC, said. Simonson was commenting on the April 6 employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
“Construction accounted for nearly one out of three net new jobs in March -- 56,000 out of 180,000 in the entire non-farm payroll sector -- even though the industry represents less than 6% of total employment,” Simonson remarked. “Part of the gain was a bounce back from a weather-induced dip in hiring in February.
“But the real news lies buried deeper,” Simonson contended. “The three categories of nonresidential construction -- nonresidential building, specialty trade contractors, and heavy and civil engineering — have added 3.4% to their ranks over the past year. That is more than double the all-industry rate of 1.4%. The 146,000 nonresidential construction jobs added in that time outpaces the 125,000, or 3.6%, lost in residential building and specialty trades.
“Costs are a significant concern, however, especially for public projects,” Simonson concluded. “The jobs report showed hourly wages in construction rose 5.2%, compared to 4% for all private production and non-supervisory employees. More worrisome are recent jumps in prices of steel, stainless, copper and diesel fuel. Materials and components are likely to wind up the year at least 6 to 8% higher than in December 2006.”
Wanted: Contracting All-Stars
Phc News needs your help! Phc News is conducting its second annual Contracting All-Stars segment in which the publication features individuals who go above and beyond in the workplace. Nominations criteria include: customer service skills, community involvement, dedication to the plumbing and heating industry, work ethic, etc. If you feel you know somebody who exemplifies any of these workplace characteristics, and what it takes to be an All-Star, please email Phc News chief editor John Mesenbrink at editor@phcnews.com for more details.New Products
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Eternal Hybrid water heater Eternal Hybrid is a single unit that combines the benefits of tank and tank-less. Eternal incorporates a small reservoir and produces endless hot water for multiple applications with consistent temperature and pressure to meet today’s high demand. The patented counter flow design achieves 86% efficiency to use less energy (and space) than a single tank. Durable stainless steel construction with robotic welding offers a lifetime no-leak warranty. Grand Hall. |
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98% thermally efficient water heater Armor features inputs up to 500,000 Btu/hr, a stainless steel heat exchanger, 5:1 modulating turndown and smart system operating control. Armor is available in five commercial water heater models, offering a choice of 150,000, 199,000, 285,000, 399,000 and 500,000 Btu/hr inputs. In addition, Armor is designed to be installed with a separate storage tank, which eliminates many potential problems encountered with traditional tank-type water heaters. The unique Armor design protects against the harmful effects of lime scale buildup, which can cause a traditional heater to fail in as little as two to five years and substantially increase operating costs. Lochinvar. |
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Evolution PRO Series disposers Feature MultiGrind and SoundSeal technologies, allowing users to grind nearly any food waste and hear almost nothing. The entire product line is engineered to deliver specific performance and benefits that meet the needs of each and every consumer. Nothing grinds more with less noise and it’s perfect for those who enjoy the very best kitchen appliances. The ultimate in performance, it allows you to grind almost any food waste from rib bones to corn cobs to celery and potato peels without jamming or clogging -- and is at least 60% quieter than a standard disposer. InSinkErator. |
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Solar panel/tank water heating system Indirect domestic hot water storage tank with one or two heat exchangers, paired with solar flat plate collector panels, builds an economical/reliable solar domestic hot water (dhw) system. The solar closed loop system includes collector panels and mounting hardware, a storage tank with heat exchangers, a pump station with expansion tank and various temperature/pressure gauges, pressure relief and check valves and a controller unit with corresponding sensors. Stiebel Eltron. |
Movers & Shakers
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At Grundfos, Wimmer is succeeded by Wierzbicki After 10 years with Grundfos Pumps Corporation, Larry Wimmer, president of Grundfos U.S. and president/CEO of Grundfos North America, will be retiring at the end of 2007. Under Wimmer’s direction, the North American region experienced widespread development, market growth, expansion of the sales force, greater investment in research and development, and company acquisitions including Alldos and PACO. Company growth and leadership will move to Dennis Wierzbicki who will assume the role of president/ general manager of Grundfos U.S., effective May 1, 2007. For the past three years, Wierzbicki has been directly involved in the firm’s acceleration and has advanced their sales efforts in the U.S. each year. |
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Uponor Names vice president of sales Uponor North America executive vice president Anders Tollsten announced that Jeffrey R. Davis has joined the company as vice president of sales and as a member of the Senior Management Committee. Reporting directly to Tollsten, Davis will be responsible for all Uponor sales activities in the United States and Canada, working with the company's seniorsales leadership team and its network of independent sales representatives. |