Snips articles from November 2006

Snips archives from November 2006

Crossing over: copper used to restore 125-year-old cupola at Wisconsin seminary.(St. Lawrence Seminary)(Cover story)
November 1, 2006... It was going to take more than prayers to save the cupola atop the Laurentianum, the main building at St. Lawrence Seminary. While the cross-topped, metal-clad structure may have appeared OK to passersby, engineers had assured officials with...

Widespread distribution of sunshine: wholesaler group to visit Palm Desert, Calif., for convention.(Heating, Airconditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International held's annual meeting in California)
November 1, 2006... HARDI's annual convention will have some competition this year for members' attention: Election Day. The Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International's fourth yearly meeting will take place Nov. 4-7 in Palm Desert, Calif....

Making a splash: mechanical engineer controls humidity at Las Vegas water show.
November 1, 2006... While designing the HVAC systems for the new Wynn Las Vegas, the engineer, architect and mechanical contractor were confronted with rainstorms, rings of fire and water cannons. No, this wasn't Judgment Day for Sin City. All of it was just part...

Lake effects: metal designs highlight Milwaukee's Pier Wisconsin project.(lakefront development analysis)
November 1, 2006... What better place to learn about the Great Lakes than on the shore of Lake Michigan? That's part of the idea behind Pier Wisconsin, a $63 million attraction that rises off Milwaukee's lakefront. The 120,000-square-foot complex, which had its...

Trane helps mall replace old chiller plant.(applications in the field)
November 1, 2006... The Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke, Va., was in need of major renovations to keep current tenants and lure new ones to fill available space. Part of those renovations included a $1.8 million turnkey project from Trane to replace the building's...

Fans help Toyota parts facility save energy.(applications in the field)
November 1, 2006... A Toyota distribution center in Hebron, Ky., was able to reduce energy consumption with the installation of overhead fans from the Big Ass Fans Co. The center installed high-volume, low-speed fans ranging from 6 feet to 24 feet in diameter...

Power company recognizes HVAC Excellence.(association news)
November 1, 2006... The Tennessee Valley Authority has added HVAC Excellence certification to its list of requirements for its contractors. TVA provides power to 158 local companies for distribution in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, North...

Students awarded ARI scholarships.(association news)
November 1, 2006... Eleven students studying HVACR technology were recipients of ARI's 2006 Clifford H. "Ted" Rees Jr. Scholarships. The scholarships were established to honor Ted Rees, a former president of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute and...

Institute ranks best residential AC strategies.(air conditioning)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... A new report from the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute says the right windows and roof can make residential air-conditioning systems work best. "System Optimization of Residential Ventilation, Space Conditioning and...

Danfoss completes Scroll Technologies acquisition.(supplier news)
November 1, 2006... Compressor supplier Danfoss has completed its purchase of Scroll Technologies, the Arkadelphia, Ark.-based manufacturer of scroll compressors for HVACR applications. Terms were not disclosed. The move, according to Danfoss, will...

Innerlogic unveils new name, corporate identity.(name changed to Kaliburn)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Plasma cutting manufacturer Innerlogic will now be known as Kaliburn. The company's new slogan is "plasma cutting innovation." According to the company, this move represents a symbolic change within the company and in the plasma-cutting...

MegaFab announces company reorganization.(supplier news)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Dave Barber, president of MegaFab, recently announced the consolidation of the service departments of the manufacturer's three major machine tool brands: Whitney, Piranha and Bertsch. "The merger will better utilize company resources for...

Hardcast launches 'Spatter and Save' rebate.(supplier news)
November 1, 2006... Customers who purchase two drums of Hardcast's Speed-Tack duct insulation adhesive will receive a Graco spatter gun, three gallons of mineral spirits to prep for changeover, an empty five-gallon pail to use in flushing systems and a Hardcast...

CertainTeed offers Sprint, Nextel wireless service discounts.(supplier news)
November 1, 2006... Through a partnership with Sprint and Nextel, CertainTeed Corp. is offering distributors and dealers discounts on cell phones and wireless technology services. The new programs were created to help qualified CertainTeed customers save...

Trane Residential Systems wins builder's award.(supplier news)
November 1, 2006... David Weekley Homes, one of the largest privately owned homebuilders in America, gave Trane Residential Systems its Partners of Choice Award. The award is based on its quarterly National Trading Partners Survey where employees rate more...

Steel center offers online newsletter.(internet news)
November 1, 2006... Denman & Davis, a general-line independent steel service center, is offering "Serving Steel," a quarterly online newsletter. "The purpose of 'Serving Steel' is to share important industry news, company information and new product...

Insulation association overhauls online presence.(internet news)
November 1, 2006... The Reflective Insulation Manufacturers Association gave its Web site a new look and added several technical documents. New documents include "Required and Recommended Tests," and a recent study on the emissivity of interior radiation...

ASHRAE site features improved navigation.(new web site launched)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers unveiled a new Web site powered by Google. According to ASHRAE, a refined, Google-powered search engine will benefit site visitors by allowing them to search for...

Jetcam revamps Web site for mobile users.(internet news)
November 1, 2006... Jetcam International announced that its Web site has been redesigned for mobile devices such as cell phones and PDAs. It has launched a quick-access mobile home page, allowing prospective customers and resellers to get to the information...

ASHRAE offers building security Webcast.(internet news)
November 1, 2006... A free satellite broadcast, "Multiple Benefits Solutions for Enhanced Building Security" will be offered by ASHRAE Nov. 14. The broadcast is sponsored by ASHRAE's presidential and hoc committee on homeland security, under a grant from the...

FMA sponsors 2007 Metal Matters at Disney World.(meetings & conventions)
November 1, 2006... The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association will sponsor Metal Matters March 15-17, 2007, at Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Economic futurist Jeff Thredgold will deliver a keynote speech on the industry's...

Registration open for 2007 ACCA conference.(meetings & conventions)
November 1, 2006... Registration is now open for the 2007 Air Conditioning Contractors of America's annual convention, March 6-8 in Orlando, Fla. "This year we're traveling to the land of imagination and building our conference around the theme "imagination in...

International Builders' Show debuts technology pavilion.(meetings & conventions)
November 1, 2006... The National Association of Home Builders' 2007 International Builders' Show will feature NextBuild, a collection of exhibitors offering new technologies for the building market. The NAHB show will again come to the Orange County Convention...

AHR Expo wraps up Innovation Award submissions.(meetings & conventions)
November 1, 2006... The AHR Expo will once again honor manufacturers with the 2007 AHR Expo Innovation Awards. Submissions were due at the end of September, and winners are to be announced this month. The fifth annual competition is designed to encourage...

Sales school offers training, certification.(meetings & conventions)
November 1, 2006... More than 34 distributors from across the country gathered September 11-13 for an HVAC sales training school at the ABB low-voltage headquarters in New Berlin, Wis. The training sessions included instruction from training school instructor...

Lennox Industries names new regional director.(people in the news)
November 1, 2006... Tom Dowling was promoted to regional director for Lennox Industries' Southern commercial region. In the position, Dowling will lead the district and guide growth in the design-build and service-replacement markets. Seven districts will report...

La-Co Industries Inc./Markal Co.(appointment of Tony Blaskoski)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... La-Co Industries Inc./Markal Co. has named Tony Blaskoski as director of sales across all business units, including plumbing, industrial and agricultural. Blaskoski will oversee all sales in the United States and Canada. His responsibilities...

M.K. Morse Co.(appointment of Kent Hughes )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... M.K. Morse Co., manufacturer of saw blades, has named Kent Hughes as national sales manager of industrial products. Hughes is charged with directing the industrial sales team and marketing of the company. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I am...

Johnstone Supply.(appointment of Jim Adcox)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Johnstone Supply has promoted Jim Adcox to vice president of membership. Adcox will act as the corporate liaison to the Johnstone Supply members, each of whom are independent owners belonging to Johnstone Cooperative. [ILLUSTRATION...

Munters Moisture Control.(appointment of Jack C. Boyd III)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Munters Moisture Control has named Jack C. Boyd III as business development manager and Eddy Pokdula as national business development manager. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Boyd will be based in Munters' Memphis,...

Jackson Systems.(people in the news)
November 1, 2006... Indianapolis-based Jackson Systems has appointed Rodney Koon as controller, Shelia Neese as office manager and Bob Huxley as production specialist. The company is an HVAC manufacturer and wholesaler.

J.F. Ahern Co.(people in the news)
November 1, 2006... Dave Reinelt was named project manager at J.F. Ahern Co. The company is a full-service mechanical and fire-protection contractor with branches throughout the upper Midwest. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Reinelt was previously an assistant...

International Code Council.(people in the news)
November 1, 2006... The International Code Council board of directors promoted Chief Operating Officer Rick Weiland to the position of chief executive officer. Weiland will succeed James Lee Witt. "After a comprehensive, nationwide search that started with...

Industry People Group.(appointment of Angela Langrehr)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Industry People Group announced that Angela Langrehr is taking over responsibilities as the director of recruitment services. Industry People Group is the parent company for MepatWork.com, an online HVAC and sheet metal job board. Langrehr...

There's no stopping the train of change.(business management)
November 1, 2006... It's never easy to change. People get set in their ways. They figure out a way to do something and then stick to it. They think they have it all figured out until someone comes along with a new and better way. Then they're obsolete. And...

Ensuring your staff really functions as a team.(sales & marketing)
November 1, 2006... Why are some salespeople considered prima donnas? What is the reason for the conflicting feelings between inside and outside sales? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Why must salespeople always be concerned when they take a customer out for a...

Increasing sales, decreasing expenses and losing profits.
November 1, 2006... Imagine your financial statements say that a department or even worse, your company, is unprofitable. The first thing that usually comes to mind is to decrease overhead--cut salaries. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This is the expedient...

Word-of-mouth can carry more weight than the lowest rate.(construction business management)
November 1, 2006... Although I've spent 29 years writing about the construction industry, my most indelible impressions about it have been formed by eight expensive renovation projects done to the homes my wife and I have owned over the years. [ILLUSTRATION...

Grainger launches Tools for Tomorrow scholarship.(wholesaler news)
November 1, 2006... A program designed by facilities maintenance supplier Grainger, will award second-year college students with a scholarship and a career-related tool package. The American Association of Community Colleges and Grainger announced the...

Manufacturing technology up 24 percent in 2006.(wholesaler news)
November 1, 2006... July U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $278.47 million, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association and the Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total was down 14.6 percent from June, but up...

Meier Supply honors vendor, representative.(wholesaler news)
November 1, 2006... Meier Supply Co. presented Mueller Industries with its Vendor of the Year Award during the company's 16th annual golf tournament Aug. 25 in Johnson City, N.Y. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The yearly tournament hosts 135 players, consisting...

Ohio university now has stainless steel roof.(roofing news)
November 1, 2006... The campus at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, was designed to look like the hometown of St. Francis of Assisi, the university's patron saint. The design by MCF Architects specified Follansbee TCS II terne-coated stainless...

Red metal panels put on cancer center.(roofing news)
November 1, 2006... The new Benesse Oncology Center is easy to spot. Red metal wall panels complemented by long spans of glass top the new center, which provides comprehensive cancer treatment to central Indiana patients. Located in Intelliplex, a new...

New roof revives Gettysburg train station.(John Milner Architects contracted for the renovation of Gettysburg railroad station )
November 1, 2006... The Gettysburg railroad station will welcome tourists when it opens to the public Nov. 18--143 years to the day after Abraham Lincoln arrived there to deliver his Gettysburg Address. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new beginning comes after...

CertainTeed enters 'cool' roof market.(roofing news)
November 1, 2006... VALLEY FORGE, Pa. -- CertainTeed Corp. has unveiled its new Flintglas mineral-surfaced cap sheet with CoolStar energy-saving surface. CertainTeed said the new product was developed out of the growing interest to reduce the amount of heat...

Grainger.(ALASKA)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Grainger, a supplier of facilities maintenance supplies, opened a new and expanded showroom at the company's branch in Anchorage, Alaska. Grainger has done business in Alaska for the last 15 years, and serves customers such as the military,...

ABC Supply Co.(COLORADO)
November 1, 2006... Ken Hendricks, president of ABC Supply Co., was scheduled to speak at the Colorado Roofing Association's Oct. 27 membership luncheon in Denver. In his presentation, "Making it Big in the Roofing Industry," Hendricks was set to discuss his...

Trumpf Inc.(CONNECTICUT)
November 1, 2006... Trumpf Inc. has earned approval to construct a new laser facility at its campus in Farmington, Conn. The laser factory is designed to consolidate the company's local laser manufacturing, assembly, testing and sales operations. The facility...

Star Supply Co.(CONNECTICUT)(change of facility)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The Star Supply Co. in New Haven, Conn., has moved to a new 165,000-square-foot facility. Since November 1964, the company has been operating at 1040 State St., but will now do business at 118 Gando Drive. The new facility features more...

Commercial Roofing Contractors of Southeastern Michigan awarded.(MICHIGAN)
November 1, 2006... The Commercial Roofing Contractors of Southeastern Michigan awarded $1,000 scholarships to four students. This year's winners were Erin Thompson of Trenton, Mich.; Jennifer Tomczyk of Sterling Heights, Mich.; Darren Swan of Commerce Township,...

Detroit City Council.(MICHIGAN)
November 1, 2006... The Detroit City Council is considering an ordinance to require scrap metal dealers to keep a record of their transactions, the Associated Press reported. The move comes as the city, like many around the country, has been hit with rising...

Tab Hunter's One-Hour Air Conditioning and Heating and Tab Hunter's Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Nashville, Tenn.(TENNESSEE)
November 1, 2006... Tab Hunter's One-Hour Air Conditioning and Heating and Tab Hunter's Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Nashville, Tenn., have been purchased by Clockwork Home Services Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Tab Hunter will join Clockwork's...

Big Tex Air Conditioning Inc.(TEXAS)
November 1, 2006... Big Tex Air Conditioning Inc. in Houston was named the national Rheem Contractor of the Year for 2005. This is the third time in a row the company has achieved this recognition from Rheem. "Big Tex Air Conditioning consistently exemplifies...

HVAC.(VIRGINIA)
November 1, 2006... The HVAC program at Edison Academy in Alexandria, Va., was granted accreditation from HVAC Excellence. The academy completed a self-study comparing its program to national standards in the areas of curriculum, faculty, training facilities,...

Milwaukee Stove Furnace & Supply Co.(WISCONSIN)
November 1, 2006... Milwaukee Stove Furnace & Supply Co. recently presented a $10,000 check to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin. The check, which was presented prior to the start of the July 29 baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the...

Check valves.(new products)
November 1, 2006... These new 125WT cast iron double-door check valves are available in sizes ranging from 2 inches to 10 inches. The valves prevent severe water hammer from the backflow of a pressure tank when automatic controls shut down a fire pump. This...

Touch-screen thermostats.(new products)
November 1, 2006... Additional features have been added to the White-Rodgers line of 90 Series Blue touch-screen thermostats. The new 1F95-1277 offers a dual-fuel heat pump control along with universal applications for single state, multistate and heat pump...

Long-Nose Pliers.(new products)
November 1, 2006... This company has introduced three new Long-Reach Long-Nose Pliers, available in straight nose, 45-degree bent nose and 90-degree bent nose. The 45- and 90-degree bent-nose pliers are designed to reach around obstructions. According to the...

Cordless drill.(new products)
November 1, 2006... The new 9.6-volt cordless drill/driver from this firm features a rubber grip and a single-sleeve ratcheting chuck, which according to the manufacturer provides increased performance and versatility. The model DC750KA is designed for many...

Grilles.(new products)
November 1, 2006... This company is now offering a complete line of standardized grille models. The models range from simple bar designs to intricate geometric patterns. The aluminum grilles are available with bar spacing from 2 inches to 12 inches and depths from...

Data loggers.(new products)
November 1, 2006... These new data loggers provide wireless temperature and humidity monitoring. The Dickson D250 and D251 loggers allow technicians to create a monitoring network from a PC. According to the company, the device eliminates the need for manual data...

Air cleaners.(new products)
November 1, 2006... This company has made changes to three of its high-efficiency media cleaners, the DB-25-20, DB-20-20 and DB-25-16. The first modification elevates the air cleaner's outward appearance, while the second modification helps with installation. This...

13-SEER air conditioner.(new products)
November 1, 2006... The MicroChannel MiniCube 13-SEER air conditioner is the smallest 13-SEER system on the market, the maker says. Available in 1- to 3-ton sizes, the compact unit is designed for multifamily applications or anywhere cooling is essential and space...

Notcher.(new products)
November 1, 2006... As a supplement to its current line of metal fabricating machinery, this company is now offering the Americor LE Series of hydraulic fixed-angle notchers. In addition to the standard triangular notch, these machines also offer a copper station...

Duct liner.(new products)
November 1, 2006... This company has launched an improved version of its LinaTex textile fiber duct liner. It has fortified the liner's black, high-density glass mat airstream in order to increase durability and resistance to fiber erosion when exposed to the...

Damper.(new products)
November 1, 2006... This damper allows airflow to be adjusted and measured at one location, resulting in reduced field time and improved accuracy in air balance, according to the manufacturer. The Iris Damper uses interlocking steel plates and calibrated control...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
November 1, 2006... NOVEMBER 2-4 The National Roofing Legal Resource Center will host its 27th annual seminar at the Naples Grande Resort & Club in Naples, Fla. The event will provide information about current legal, contractual, technical, insurance and...

Wholesalers & Mfr. Reps. Directory.(Directory)
November 1, 2006... The following is a paid directory of distributors, wholesalers and manufacturers representatives, listed by state. To have your company included in this list, please call Sally Fraser at 248-244-6240. We urge our readers to contact these...

Thieves targeting air conditioners, homes, as copper prices hit record highs.(editor's page)
November 1, 2006... As a young couple walks down a nearly deserted downtown street one night, they make eye contact with a visibly nervous, trench coat-wearing man standing outside an apartment. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The woman clutched her purse a little...