
BNP
Media Plumbing Group Leader Bob Miodonski is in the process of making a press
connection at Viega’s continuing education event in Nashua, N.H.
Some quick trivia. Nashua,
N.H., is the only city to twice be named
Money magazine’s “Best Place to Live
in America.”
Nashua
also is home to
Viega’s Educational Facility, one of this industry’s continuing
education gems. The company recently hosted 17 media, advertising and
communications professionals for two days of information-packed classroom and
hands-on training sessions at the state-of-the-art facility.
And when I say information-packed, I mean
information-packed. Viega Manager of Training and Technical Support
Jason McKinnon presented a
tremendous amount of useful information on the company’s systems, applications
and construction practices for the residential, commercial and industrial
markets. McKinnon definitely knows his stuff.
I left the two-day session with not only greater knowledge about Viega’s
many products, but also about how those products are best used in many
different construction platforms.

BNP
Media Plumbing Group’s Mike Miazga learns how to thread pipe at the recent
Viega continuing education event in Nashua,
N.H. Photo courtesy of Viega.
McKinnon’s second-day industrial market presentation was of
particular interest as was his fire-protection solution talk. McKinnon noted
Viega provides a fire protection design service that is currently driving that
side of the company’s business.
The classroom was not the only location in the facility
where education was dispensed. I took part in numerous hands-on sessions,
including helping out on the installation of PEX tubing in a radiant-designed
ceiling. Teamwork on that job was an absolute must. Attendees also had the
opportunity on the second day of the event to use a pipe-threading machine and
thread a section of pipe. For someone that had never witnessed that process let
alone performed it, it was a definite eye-opener. The accompanying photo looks
like I actually know what I’m doing.
While McKinnon was lights-out in his presentation, a tip of
the hat also goes to Viega Product Trainer
Andy Richards, who was the main point man on the hands-on
portions of the event. Richards showed tremendous patience in running attendees
through the pipe-threading process.

PHCC
National Association Senior Director of Communication Charlotte Perham works
with Viega Product Trainer Andy Richards during Viega’s continuing education
event in Nashua, N.H.
The overview we received during our two days was only a taste of
what goes on in the facility throughout the year. The spacious building has a
large amount of classroom space as well as hands-on areas designed to best
educate the likes of contractors, engineers and wholesalers on Viega products
and systems.
And there are plenty of opportunities to learn. A quick
glance of Viega’s training Web page at
www.viega.net
shows some 15 courses scheduled during
the October through December 2012 timeframe on topics such as radiant
systems, fire sprinklers, geothermal and solar, commercial radiant heating and
cooling, and snow- and ice-melting systems.
For more on the continuing education event, you
can check out my video interview with
Jason McKinnon by
clicking this link.
Links