Plumbing & Mechanical Contractor

RSS

Your energy drives the tone, the pace, and the performance of your team. If your goal is to create a culture where people show up strong, stay accountable, and do work they’re proud of—guess what? That starts with you showing up that way first.

When Brady Jolly steps into the office each morning, he’s carrying more than the responsibility of running a nearly 60-person business. He’s carrying forward the legacy of a company his parents founded back in 1979 — a company that has reinvented itself more than once and is today on a mission to "reimagine how the world experiences home services."

Explore the power of hands-on learning in the heating industry as seasoned experts share their insights on effective teaching. This editorial reflects on the impact of memorable seminars, the importance of understanding theory, and the art of listening in nurturing the next generation of skilled technicians.

Most crucial of all is developing a strong team of mentors who can help nurture aspiring technicians. This is often where the true value of an apprenticeship program is revealed. Most contractors have at least one veteran tradesperson about whom they would say, "I wish I had 10 of them!"

Not every ride-along ends in a hire, and that’s by design. Last year, a candidate with over 20 years of experience applied. On the phone, he nailed every question with the right answer and knew what to say to capture my attention. His resume looked solid, so I invited him for a ride-along. But when he joined our team, the cracks appeared.

Not every ride-along ends in a hire, and that’s by design. Last year, a candidate with over 20 years of experience applied. On the phone, he nailed every question with the right answer and knew what to say to capture my attention. His resume looked solid, so I invited him for a ride-along. But when he joined our team, the cracks appeared.

Women make up only 2-3% of the plumbing workforce and 8% of plumbing apprentices. In construction trades, they hold 3.9% of roles like plumber or pipefitter, a 32% increase since 2016, totaling over 314,000 tradeswomen, according to the Institute of Women’s Policy Research.

Millinocket is near utility-scale wind turbine farms where strong winter winds can lead to over-generation of electricity, surpassing local grid demand. While it might seem intuitive to shut down some generation equipment during such times, the process is not as simple as flipping a switch.

Meet 2025 Next Gen ALL-STAR: Brandon Walter

Meet 2025 Next Gen ALL-STAR: Brooke Vest