Reeves Journal articles from February 2004

Reeves Journal archives from February 2004

Building the future.(Pipeline)
February 1, 2004... I just returned from the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, where thousands of folks in the building industry converged to display their latest products, interact with fellow professionals and attend a vast array of seminars hosted by...

Payment problems on home improvement projects.(Legal Corner)
February 1, 2004... As most contractors know, several years back the California Legislature exercised its "infinite" wisdom, and limited the amount of money that a contractor may receive as a deposit or down payment on a home improvement project. The same statutes...

"Toilet-to-tap"water recycling idea resurfaces in San Diego.(News Connection)
February 1, 2004... A coalition of environmental activists wants the San Diego City Council to conduct a one-year study on the potential for using more of its reclaimed sewage water, including the possibility of adding highly treated reclaimed water to a drinking...

Two Texas wholesale PVF companies merge.(News Connection)(announced merger of two privately owned wholesale pipe, valve and fitting (PVF) companies Ameripipe Supply Inc and D-FW Supply Company Inc)
February 1, 2004... D-FW Supply Company Inc. of Dallas and PFV Supply Company of San Antonio, two privately owned wholesale pipe, valve and fitting (PVF) companies in the state of Texas, announced their merger in an all-stock transaction effective Jan. 1, 2004....

Lochinvar starts "touring" in Southwest.(News Connection: Lochinvar Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Embarking on its "Hot Water Solutions Tour" this winter in the Southwest, Lochinvar Corporation is taking to the streets in its new 27-foot demonstration van, traveling across the United States promoting the energy efficiency and innovative...

Contractors 2000 becomes Nexstar Inc.(News Connection)(name change)
February 1, 2004... Contractors 2000 recently changed its name to Nexstar Inc., and will be announcing its new direction at the upcoming Contractors 2000 Super Meeting in San Francisco. The Super Meeting, set for Feb. 19-21, will feature the rollout of some...

California home-building boom continues.(News Connection)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Although increases in mortgage interest rates are expected to bring about a modest slow-down in national home-building activity this year, California once again is likely to outperform the nation because it is one of the few spots in the...

Quickflash extends reach into Western markets.(News Connection)(Quickflash Weatherproofing Products Inc. )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Quickflash Weatherproofing Products Inc. announced it is relocating and expanding its reach beyond Southern California into Texas, Nevada and Arizona. Quickflash will move its headquarters from Huntington Beach, Calif., to Las Vegas in...

i2, Accubid join forces in marketing agreement.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... i2 Trade Service announced it has executed a signed marketing agreement with Accubid Systems Ltd. in a joint initiative to extend value to both companies' mutual contractor clients through the collaboration of industry standard pricing content...

Cristal de Lalique debuts in Los Angeles.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Cristal de Lalique, the most extraordinary collection of fine decorative plumbing fixtures and accessories ever to be crafted from THG in Paris, debuts in the Los Angeles area Feb. 26. This private VIP and media event will be held in the...

CCA meeting focuses on new construction.(News Briefs)(Construction Contractors Alliance)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Representatives from both a leading plumbing manufacturer and a real estate management company will discuss the future of the plumbing and mechanical new construction industry at the Construction Contractors Alliance (CCA), March 10-12 in San...

Contractors Services announces name change.(News Briefs)(changed its name to Success Group International)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Contractors Services, the parent company of Plumbers' Success International (PSI) and AirTime 500, announced it has changed its name to Success Group International (SGI). The change will not affect the operations of either PSI or AirTime...

Apprentice of the month.(News Connection)(Manuel Oroz wins)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Name: Manuel Oroz Employer: Medera Mechanical, Las Vegas Program: Currently in his fourth year of the Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association of Nevada Joint Apprenticeship Training Program; will graduate in 2004 ...

Messe Frankfurt Inc.(People)( appointment of Jennifer Jones )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Messe Frankfurt Inc. announced the appointment of Jennifer Jones as trade fair manager for the ISH North America show. Jones, who has more than 18 years of trade show experience, will coordinate the marketing and sales efforts for the ISH North...

Eljer Plumbingware Inc.(People)(promotions)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Eljer Plumbingware Inc. announced the following four promotions: Phillis Reed national sales director, Julie Swinyer to vice president-customer service and sales operations, Dale Laurence to sales/product manager-kitchen sinks, and Al Wildschut...

Everett C. Wilcox, chairman of the board of the Leonard Valve Company, celebrated his 65th year of employment with the company on Dec. 12, 2003.(People)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Everett C. Wilcox, chairman of the board of the Leonard Valve Company, celebrated his 65th year of employment with the company on Dec. 12, 2003. A group of employees joined Wilcox in celebrating this unique industry accomplishment. Leonard...

Calendar.(Calendar)
February 1, 2004... Feb. 18-21, 2004 Pumper & Cleaner Show Gaylord Opryland Resort & Conv. Center Nashville, Tenn. www.pumpershow.com questions@pumpershow.com 800/257-7222 Feb. 21, 2004 Southern California Plumbing-Heating-Cooling...

North ... to Alaska: cold nights and hot water--plumbing in the country's largest state.(State Lines)
February 1, 2004... The range of work for plumbing contractors in the state of Alaska is almost as vast as the state's 586,000 square miles of land mass. There are typical residential and commercial jobs along with a growing amount of government business and...

Evaluating service tech productivity (part II).(Service Sense)
February 1, 2004... Our topic the last couple of months has involved non-billable time in the service department. In December's article we found out that approximately 50 percent of a service techs' time was non-billable. The non-billable hours translate into the...

Cost management strategies.(Executive Briefcase)
February 1, 2004... The Navy has called Steve Lathrop to active duty for the next six to ten months, and he has requested that I fill in for him in Reeves Journal while he is gone. A daunting task, to be sure, for Steve's column has been very informative and...

Water-saving products in commercial retrofits.(Water Conservation)
February 1, 2004... Water--it's a plumber's lifeblood. Plumbers harness it, pump it, pipe it, channel it and often clean up after it. And although a huge percentage of the earth consists of water, plumbers and fixture manufacturers are still working at the...

Hot water recirculators gain in popularity.(Water Conservation)
February 1, 2004... Within the past 30 years, residential construction in the western states has exhibited a trend toward placing hot water heaters farther away from where people actually use the hot water. The result? Water is wasted when the user opens the tap...

Grease is the word: maintenance and compliance of grease interceptors is a major (and growing) business.(Grease Interceptors)
February 1, 2004... The bad news is that the arteries of America's water recycling infrastructure are being dangerously clogged with fats and grease. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The good news is that a multi-billion dollar business has been created to address...

Choosing pipe materials: the latest RJ Piping Materials Survey lets contractors speak out on their preferred materials for piping jobs.(Survey)
February 1, 2004... RJ's recent Piping Materials Survey indicated that 99 percent of respondents currently recommend, specify or purchase piping materials for their companies. The survey went out to 1,500 western state contractors and drew a response rate of 14...

CDA makes the case for copper.(Survey)(Copper Development Association)
February 1, 2004... Homebuilders know there are a thousand and one--or more--decisions that have to be made between the start and finish of any project. Consider today's choices in plumbing pipe. Plastic's low initial cost can be attractive to contractors who want...

Service & repair success: Neerings' "fire department logic".(Service & Repair)(Neerings Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.)(Company Profile)
February 1, 2004... When a person calls an emergency dispatcher to say their house is on fire, a quick-response team immediately comes together with fire-fighting personnel and equipment, racing to the fire. Imagine if a service contractor could model a business...

Getting where you want to go.(Business Strategies for plumbing industry)
February 1, 2004... Where do you want to go? Do you want to build a successful business that produces growing amounts of wealth for you and your family? Do you want to create the most dominant service business in your area? Do you want to create a business that...

Compensating sales people.(Marketing Mechanics)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Many contractors ask me how to compensate sales people. My answer is always: "it depends." The way that you compensate sales people is dependent on the type of sales. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For example, if the sales person is selling...

Selecting a drinking fountain.(Tech Topic)
February 1, 2004... Water coolers and drinking fountains have been providing refreshment to people in public spaces for many years. The term drinking fountain is often used to describe any type of product that dispenses potable water through a bubbler. Typically...

Retrofit kit.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The G2 Optima Plus battery-powered flushometer retrofit kit converts manual diaphragm model flushometers to touchless, sensor-operated G2 models with advanced electronics and a sleek high-tech appearance. The retrofit kit incorporates the...

Circular saw blades.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The Endurance carbide-tipped eight-inch metal cutting circular saw blades are ideal for ferrous and nonferrous metals. They provide fast cutting and extra long life, and resist bending and twisting, while delivering a straight and accurate cut...

Water heaters.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The manufacturer's eF series line has grown to seven models with the addition of one 100-gallon and three 60-gallon units. This series is now available in 60-gallon capacities with 125,000, 150,000 and 199,999 BTUs as well as in 100-gallon...

Shower doors.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... Available as part of the award-winning Paragon series, the manufacturer's frameless bypass shower doors now are offered with 1/4- and 3/16-inch tempered glass panels. The 1/4-inch frameless bypass door features a solid aluminum towel bar...

Bath/kitchen faucets.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... Interaktiv S, the newest addition to the company's Interaktiv line of decorative bath and kitchen faucets, radiates natural balance and contemporary flair. With its geometric yet fluid contours, this faucet line features sleek cross handles or...

Seismic retrofit bracket.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The B650 seismic retrofit bracket allows installers to quickly and easily brace and support existing trapeze supports. This bracket can be installed in three easy steps by contractors who need to retrofit existing nonseismic applications that...

Drain cleaning machine.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The powerful J-3080 Jet-Set water jet drain cleaning machine clears stubborn grease stoppages as well as lines clogged with sand, sludge and ice. This machine gives the operator the increased cleaning power of eight gallons per minute without...

Sink.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The striking and innovative Mystic sink's faucet and drain are positioned at opposite ends of the dramatic 40-inch-long sink span, and water cascades through the 8-inch-wide tapered preparation/work area, much akin to a stream or river. This...

Saddle boxes.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The Weather Guard deep saddle boxes provide an additional four cubic feet in storage over standard-sized saddle boxes. They are available in three finishes that are powder coated to provide lasting protection from the elements. These boxes are...

Band saw blades.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The Independence II and Independence EXS blades bridge the gap between traditional bi-metal blades and carbide-tipped blades. Using an innovative microstructure, the new Independence line of band saw blades combines a high-performance,...

Spool covers.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... DJ's Wire Wraps are durable canvas spool covers that keep spooled material untangled and spinning freely without unraveling. With reinforced wire guides and Velcro straps, Wire Wraps are simply wrapped around the spool and then easily attached...

Bathroom ensemble.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The company introduces the Allemande bathroom ensemble, one of four new artistically inspired lavatory collections. Optional lever or cross handles complement the family's strong hexagonal lines. The collection features a widespread lavatory...

Lavatory system.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The unconventional wave design of the Frequency lavatory system combines a Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant lower sink with a higher sink, making it ideal for washrooms in upscale retail centers, restaurants, offices, hotel lobbies and...

Water heaters.(New Products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The company introduces an all-new line of Sandblaster self-cleaning gas commercial water heaters. Among the many new features of the reengineered Sandblaster line is the Hydro Cannon, a self-cleaning technology. The Hydro Cannon, located at the...

Utility knife.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The manufacturer introduces the Klein-Kurve retractable utility knife, designed with a 10-blade storage compartment inside the handle. This is a heavy-duty, quick-change utility knife measuring seven inches in length. It comes with a plastic...

Undermount sink.(New Products)
February 1, 2004... The Model TU 34.18-R stainless steel undermount sink is designed to be a showpiece of style and function in the kitchen. The gleam of stainless steel is combined with rigorous quality controls to guarantee a sink that is not only eye-catching...

There's no such thing as a lucky "brake".(Vehicle Maintenance)
February 1, 2004... When it comes to achieving optimum performance and longevity for your company's fleet, there's no such thing as luck. And when it comes to brakes--one of the most vital operating systems in any vehicle--the more you know, the more time and...