Guest Editorial

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Stanley Black & Decker recently released its Makers Index, a study that revealed many of the reasons young people aren’t currently considering jobs in the trades, which has left many businesses struggling to find good workers at various skill levels.

At one point, solar thermal systems were limited as to the temperature they could safely reach. Then High-Temperature Solar Thermal (HTST) Technology was invented. High temperate solar thermal can be used to generate steam.

The U.S. Labor Department’s recent Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) showed that there were 1.8 job vacancies for every unemployed person in February 2022, up from 1.7 the month prior.

There are multiple ways to dehumidify a space — mechanical, reheat and desiccant to name a few. The biggest issue has been that conventional air conditioning units are only 10% effective at removing humidity. Until now, standard de-humidification systems were expensive to purchase and install.

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!

It’s no secret that efficient fleet vehicles are a vital component of any successful plumbing or mechanical business. Field service vehicles not only increase new business through brand exposure while on the road; they serve the primary purpose of getting technicians and their equipment to and from job locations. 

The federal gift and estate tax exemption is currently the highest it has been since the tax was enacted over 100 years ago.

Not too long ago, the plumbing industry relied strictly on analog processes. Every job was manual, from installation and repair to dispatch, invoicing and accounting. In 2022, the plumbing profession now runs on advanced technologies that range from thermal-imaging leak detection to smart water heaters and trenchless pipe repair.

A lot of things are out of your control when working on a job involving multiple trades. Whenever I design any type of system, I always go down a list of “what ifs.” The “what ifs” are scenarios that can affect the performance of a system due to an unknown. This includes actions by other trades.

The recent passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents a tremendous opportunity to modernize the nation’s decaying infrastructure and bring long-outdated systems into the 21st century.