Articles by Kristen R. Bayles

Plumbing apprentice Charles Goede tested his skills against the world’s top young tradespeople, and returned home with a Medal for Excellence.

Technicians entered the trades to diagnose problems, fix equipment and provide customers with solutions … usually, it’s not to become salespeople. So, when an owner or service manager announces a new sales training initiative, the intended message and the one technicians hear can be quite different.

AHRI's monthly shipment reports include aggregated information supplied by member companies participating in its Statistics Program. The data represents shipments to customers within the 50 states and District of Columbia, including both domestically produced and imported equipment.

PVC antitrust litigation continues to develop as settlements top $415 million and plaintiffs identify six major distributors as alleged co-conspirators in the price-fixing case.

The PHCP-PVF industry has been fighting stereotypes for decades. Though the world seems to be coming around, and more people are recognizing the opportunities available in the trades, it hasn’t happened without a fight. And it certainly hasn’t happened overnight. That makes this contest, recognizing the people who decided to dedicate their careers — their life — to this industry, all the more important.

Casey Welch once thought home services might be a stop on the way to something more glamorous. Nearly 16 years later, she’s using creativity to make the trades stand out, generate opportunities for technicians and encourage more women to enter the field.

Justin Taylor grew up following his father through the supply house and always expected PHCP-PVF to become his career. Thirteen years later, he’s channeling that early connection and a competitive spirit into sales and lasting industry relationships.