Kristen R. Bayles

What's the best-paying state for a plumber?

Recent research from Construction Coverage shows which states and cities offer plumbers the highest wages.

April 3, 2026

Plumbing remains a stable and essential career, but the competition for talent is increasing. Contractors who understand regional wage trends and adjust accordingly will be better positioned to attract and retain the workforce they need.

And So It Flows Podcast

Podcast: Rethinking Upselling

It’s all about service, not sales

Kristen R. Bayles

April 3, 2026

Editor Kristen Bayles spoke with Blake Turner, master trainer at Nexstar, to discuss the misconceptions surrounding "upselling," and how through a few simple steps — focusing on communication, presenting options, and helping customers make informed decisions — contractors can improve both the customer experience and their business outcomes, without ever feeling like a salesperson.

Truck of the Month: Skagit Plumbing

This Sedro-Woolley, WA. based company's truck design encompasses all of the things that make their business unique.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 30, 2026

Designed by Lemon Seed Marketing, this trucks design is unique, bold and tells a story.

Editorial Opinion | Kristen Bayles

AHR and KBIS/IBS highlighted how AI, efficiency mandates and workforce evolution are converging on the jobsite

Tech takes the lead

Kristen R. Bayles

March 25, 2026

The conversation has clearly moved beyond connectivity for connectivity’s sake, and into something more actionable; and, with new expectations for energy-efficient and low-carbon systems, more necessary.

A construction worker writing on a clipboard

Job switching drives biggest pay gains in construction, new ADP data shows

A 6.6% job-switching pay premium signals deeper labor shortages in construction, and forces contractors to rethink retention and compensation.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 20, 2026

With skilled labor in short supply, contractors are facing rising wage pressure and a new reality: keeping talent may be harder than hiring it.

And so it flows - The Cost of Missed Calls

And So It Flows Podcast

Podcast: The cost of missed calls

How missing calls can affect your business, your revenue, and your reputation.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 17, 2026

In this episode of And So It Flows, Kristen Bayles spoke with Jane Blanchard, head of brand and marketing at Service Forge, about a challenge many contractors underestimate: the true cost of missed calls.

The end of reactive service

Sensorization, analytics, and service model transformation is changing the way that contractors react to, and are able to prevent, disruptions of service.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 12, 2026

In a data-informed environment, plumbing and mechanical systems become managed infrastructure — visible, measurable and continuously optimized. Contractors who embrace that reality position themselves not simply as technicians, but as long-term asset stewards in an increasingly performance-driven built environment.

A technician working on a Trane Technology product.

Dealer-led giving: inside Trane Technologies’ “Do What’s Right” program

Through its “Do What’s Right” program, Trane Technologies and its dealer network turn growth into goodwill, delivering more than 3,500 donated systems in a record 2025.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 11, 2026

Trane Technologies is reinforcing a simple but increasingly urgent premise: growth and goodwill do not have to exist on separate tracks.

Code literacy: the contractor's best advantage

Traditionally, code knowledge was defensive. Today, it's an offensive strategy.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 11, 2026

Codes are expanding into areas like resilience, electrification, water quality management and long-term accountability. No longer are they static rulebooks; they’re living frameworks shaping how systems perform over decades.

Several people at a table discussing business.

Growing without breaking the business: how mechanical contractors can scale responsibly

Project selection strategies for contractors looking to scale from Jason Richards, CEO of Foundral.

Kristen R. Bayles

March 9, 2026

It’s tempting to chase new work without fully evaluating whether the project aligns with operation capacity or financial structure. We’ve all heard, “bigger is better,” after all. However, contractors need to establish clear criteria before pursuing additional work. That includes evaluating a few key factors.