Some HVAC companies focus exclusively on home comfort. Others concentrate on commercial work. And then there are those that operate effectively in both markets. Bob Ives, president of Bow Plumbing and Heating Corp. in Bow, New Hampshire, explains that they specialize in home comfort, but their frequent high-efficiency boiler work makes his company a name …Read More
US Boiler Report
Alpine Multiple Boiler Installations
By Ron Beck, Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company Some large homes and many commercial boiler applications will include installations of multiple boilers. The Alpine high-efficiency condensing boiler will allow up to eight boilers to be piped and wired together, all controlled by a single master boiler. The master can …Read More
Folds of Honor
For many of us, Veterans Day serves as a brief reminder of the sacrifice that our past and present armed service members make in order to protect the freedom we all enjoy. For others, that sacrifice is an ever-present consideration. Military men and women have paid a toll for which we cannot reimburse them. But …Read More
Troops to Trades
As the bulk of skilled tradesmen and women in the United States approach a decade or less before retirement, fewer Millennials are pursuing a career in the trades despite rewarding pay and job security. According to ManpowerGroup, in 2012, 53% of skilled-trade workers in the United States were 45 years or older, and almost 20% …Read More
Business Basics: The ONLY Three Ways to Grow Assets
You can turn around a bad financial situation if you are willing to apply some ‘bare bones’ business basics. In business, there is ultimately one financial scorecard: The Balance Sheet. Every other financial report is a subset of the balance sheet. The Balance Sheet equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity Assets = Claims on the Assets. This …Read More
The Proper Disposal of Boiler Condensate
By Ron Beck, Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company The decision to install a high efficiency, modulating, condensing boiler inevitably leads to some responsibility regarding disposal of condensate. While visiting jobsites to assist contractors, I’ve seen a multitude of ways that condensate is removed from the boiler room to be …Read More
A New Paradigm
While hydronic system growth across most of the country is slow, Metro Detroit is seeing a bit of a water-side resurgence, at least in certain segments. And it’s appearing where people are demanding the best. “We’re installing more boiler systems now than ever before,” said Joe Sullivan, president of Paradigm Plumbing & Mechanical, Inc. “We’re …Read More
When Recruitment Efforts Go Big League
With cooling season winding down and the depths of heating season still a few months away, now might be as good a time as any to consider what your company is doing to keep the ranks full. Have you made a concerted effort at recruiting new employees in the past year? Could you use an …Read More
Tracking Trends of Success
There’s almost no limit to the type and variety of mechanical firms that install and service heating systems across this great nation. Family-owned, local, state-wide, nationwide, union, non-union, commercial-only, residential-only, industrial, full-service or tightly focused. What really separates them, however, is their reputation, stability, and profitability. The greatest disparity between them is not their size …Read More
3 Etiquette Skills Every Plumbing and Heating Business Owner Should Master
You can develop better relationships, make more sales, and enjoy less turnover when you are polite. Here are a few vital “how to” tips: 1. How to Shake Hands Stand about an arm’s length from the person whom you wish to meet. Extend your hand, fingers long, so that you can clasp the whole …Read More