Heat pumps offer attractive solutions to energy-efficient heating and cooling, and the market is growing. According to a November 2021 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), nearly 180 million heat pumps were used for heating in 2020, as the global stock increased nearly 10% per year over the past five years.
The National Kitchen & Bath Association and John Burns Real Estate Consulting’s Kitchen and Bath Market Index Report released last fall shows continued demand for residential remodel services, despite the challenges facing the supply chain and ongoing price increases. In fact, the report shows that 89% of customers are shifting toward pricier items and high-end finishes. Among these increasingly popular higher-end products lies the growing customer desire for smart plumbing — Wi-Fi-connected, voice-activated and/or touchless — products.
There’s no doubt about it, concern over water quality is becoming more prevalent. One just had to walk the trade show floor during the 2022 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) to see plenty of new water filtration and management systems, some even dispensing sparkling water by user preference.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the world drastically changed as businesses shut down and employees moved to work-from-home settings. Once used mostly by the tech industry, video chat software companies such as Zoom, Go To Meeting and Microsoft Teams saw huge increases in demand as people began using these services for work, school and even to stay in touch with family members. Even doctor’s visits became virtual.
Let’s be honest. The trades are the inventors of 'remote work.' For decades, we’ve been dispatching remotely while technicians are awarded company vehicles to drive home each evening. They begin their mornings from the comfort of their own homes by receiving their work log for the day through walkie-talkie, text, email, slack, pager… remember those? Shoot, we’re awesome — others should take note!
We’ve all been taught that the most important things we can do in business are taking the best possible care of our customers and running the business operations as efficiently as possible, right?