As PM staffers began discussing various story ideas for our 25th anniversary issue, one of the first items we decided on was recognizing the contractors who were the most influential in the plumbing and hydronic/radiant heating industries.
After a lot of brainstorming, we came up with the following people (in alphabetical order) whom we’d like to thank for their service to the industry:
1. John E. “Tripp” Ahern III: Heading up one of the oldest companies in the industry, Tripp Ahern has championed the green building movement. In fact, J.F. Ahern Co. had green in mind when it recently added on to its headquarters building in Fond du Lac, Wis. (See “Practical Green,” August 2008.)
We also wrote about Ahern and his company philosophy of “concentrating on the fundamentals” to increase the profitability of his company. This includes a broad training for J.F. Ahern employees (see “Focused Growth,” August 1998).
2. David Allen: An executive vice president at Seattle’s McKinstry Co., David Allen has been a vocal proponent of company branding, as well as the green construction movement. He has traveled around the country explaining the concept of branding to contractor firms and showing them how to define their image (see “Brand Power,” July 2000).
Allen has also gone on the road to discuss emerging markets in the green economy for mechanical contractors. (Update: Plumbing & Mechanical named McKinstry Co. its first Mechanical Contractor of the Year in 2015.)
3. John Barba: In recent years, John Barba has made a name for himself as a radiant and hydronics trainer. He has that unique ability to explain radiant and hydronic heat concepts in a way that everyone can understand. He worked for his family’s Massachusetts plumbing and heating business before striking out and working with several firms as inside sales/tech support and radiant designer. Barba then transitioned to training, first with Uponor and now with Taco.
He’s written many times for PM and our Radiant Heating Report. Here’s a sample:
4. Frank Blau: PM Editorial Director Jim Olsztynski said it all in this article.
5. George Brazil: One of the founders of Contractors 2000/Nexstar, George Brazil founded and still operates one of the nation’s largest plumbing-heating-cooling service firms operating throughout Southern California and into parts of Arizona. Among his pioneering innovations was developing a fleet of colorful cube service vehicles bearing the likeness of a youthful, uniformed George Brazil charging with a toolbox. Inventory is systematically arranged within the vehicles.
For those of you with old copies of PM, we ran a cover story on Brazil and his operation in October 1990. (Update: Plumbing & Mechanical wrote about Brazil’s unique marketing ideas in May 2012. He died in 2012.)
6. Jim Curry Sr.: Founder and operator of a Boston-area plumbing company later taken over by his son, Jim Curry Sr. served as a past president of PHCC-NA and spent many years defending consumer and industry interests on the Massachusetts Board of Plumbing Examiners.
7. Mike Diamond: A founding member and past director of Contractors 2000/Nexstar, Mike Diamond left that organization to help start Plumbers Success International. He is also the founder of service-and-repair contracting company Mike Diamond Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning and Electrical based in Los Angeles — “L.A.’s most famous plumber.”
He started his business at age 19, and rapidly grew the company by acquiring competing firms. He expanded from one location with 30 trucks to nine locations with 100+ trucks.
8. Mark Eatherton: The 2008-2010 winner of the Carlson-Holohan Award for Excellence (co-sponsored by Plumbing & Mechanical), Mark Eatherton wears many hats: contractor, teacher, writer, speaker. He is a licensed master plumber, he teaches hydronics at Red Rock Community College in Colorado, and writes for various industry publications.
He is also a proponent for green technologies; he spoke at last fall’s ISH North America trade show on the benefits of geothermal heat pumps.
Recently he announced that he would be leaving Denver-based Advanced Hydronics Inc. to increase his educational reach to contractors, wholesalers and owners. He also wants to continue offering his expertise regarding retrofit energy conservation efforts on multifamily buildings, as well as troubleshooting and design services.
For a humorous look at some of Eatherton’s more interesting service calls, check out this article from our archives — “It Can Happen To You!” (Update: Eatherton is now the executive director of the Radiant Professionals Alliance.)
9. Bill Erickson: A third-generation leader of Chicago-area-based C.J. Erickson Plumbing, Bill Erickson did much to keep the business his grandfather started in the forefront of the industry. He also supports his industry where and when he can, most recently promoting green plumbing and mechanical codes as chairman of IAPMO’s Green Technical Committee.
10. Dan Foley: An HVAC contractor turned hydronics and radiant master, Dan Foley has embraced the “wet side” of heating so much that he now trains other contractors. He is still a “scorched-air” contractor, but most of his business is installing and servicing high-end residential radiant/snowmelt systems.
In fact, Foley doesn’t consider himself or his company, Lorton, Virginia-based Foley Mechanical Inc., as either HVAC or hydronics/radiant — he considers himself a “comfort contractor” (see “The Comfort Contractor,” February 2006). (Update: Foley is now an integral part of ACCA’s Radiant & Hydronics Council.)
11. Patty Frank: The current chairperson of the Quality Service Contractors, Patty Frank has been involved in QSC and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors association for many years and is a strong supporter of the industry and her fellow plumbing service contractors. She is also one of the few “women in plumbing” who has a prominent position within the industry.