Contractor articles from February 2003

Contractor archives from February 2003

Rhode Island snow melt is steaming.(Donovan & Sons installs heating system in area home)
February 1, 2003... NEWPORT, R.I. -- "The snow melt works so well you can see steam coming off of it," said Charlie McCarthy, the radiant heating guru for contractor Donovan & Sons, Middletown, R.I., about his firm's latest job at an upscale residence in Newport....

Encompass files Chapter 11.(Encompass Services Corp.)
February 1, 2003... HOUSTON -- Encompass Services Corp. has filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. The company was unsuccessful in its attempt to create a pre-packaged Chapter 11...

Most readers see increase in p&h service business in 2003.(plumbing and heating)
February 1, 2003... AN EXCLUSIVE SURVEY of CONTRACTOR readers shows that well more than half--62.3%--expect to see an increase in their plumbing-and-heating service business this year over 2002. Almost a third--31.5%--predict that their service business will be...

Masco buys Hansgrohe. (Industry News).(Masco Corp. has acquired a majority of the shares of Hansgrohe AG)
February 1, 2003... SCHILTACH, GERMANY -- Diversified bath-and-kitchen conglomerate Masco Corp., based in Taylor, Mich., has acquired a majority of the shares of Hansgrohe AG. After the European Union Commission on Competition in Brussels, Belgium, approved...

EMCOR acquires big facilities manager. (Industry News).(purchased facilities maintenance firm Consolidated Engineering Services)
February 1, 2003... NORWALK, CONN. -- EMCOR Group has purchased facilities maintenance firm Consolidated Engineering Services, a subsidiary of Archstone-Smith. CES provides an array of services including facilities management, operation and maintenance, mobile...

Bosch eyes Buderus purchase. (Industry News).(Robert Bosch )
February 1, 2003... FRANKFURT, GERMANY -- German industrial conglomerate Robert Bosch has announced that it is talking with Buderus shareholders about buying the company, according to Reuters news service. The negotiations would take months to complete, said...

New MCAA president Williams still loves to build. (Industry News).(Mechanical Contractors Association of America's new president will be Tom Williams)(Biography)
February 1, 2003... ATLANTA -- Tom Williams always wanted to be a contractor from the time he was studying engineering at Georgia Tech. Contracting provides real results that you can see and touch, he said. The incoming president of Mechanical Contractors...

Contractor infocus. (Industry News).(Water infrastructure spending over the next 20 years is ranked by type)(Illustration)
February 1, 2003... CONTRACTOR INFOCUS Water infrastructure spending over the next 20 years (Billions of dollars) Total $139.5 Combined sewer overflows $44.7 Wastewater treatment ...

Condo board hires plumber to stop DHW leaks. (Industry News).(Sun n' Surf condominium complex hires General Plumbing of West Palm Beach)
February 1, 2003... PALM BEACH, FLA. -- When a water heater fails, it can make a huge mess; when it fails in a multi-unit complex it can make a huge mess both for the unit it's in, and for the downstairs neighbors. At the Sun n' Surf condominium complex in Palm...

New I=B=R schools debut at AHR Expo. (Industry News).(Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association's Hydronics Institute Div. is resurrecting the schools)
February 1, 2003... CHICAGO--The Hydronics Institute Division of the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association is resurrecting its legendary I=B=R Schools with an all-new textbook and new instructors. HI introduced the revamped schools Jan. 27 at the 2003 AHR...

National Association of Oil Heating Service Managers.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The National Association of Oil Heating Service Managers will again hold seminars on the road in 2003. The association will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and to commemorate the milestone, will focus on the many responsibilities...

The U.S. International Trade Commission scheduled a public hearing Feb. 11 in Washington on its finding in its preliminary investigation that enough evidence exists of dumping of malleable iron pipe fittings by the People's Republic of China to begin the final phase of its probe.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The U.S. International Trade Commission scheduled a public hearing Feb. 11 in Washington on its finding in its preliminary investigation that enough evidence exists of dumping of malleable iron pipe fittings by the People's Republic of China to...

HVACR flow controls and components will be the topic of discussion in March when Emerson Climate Technologies and the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society present a one-day seminar titled "HVACR Flow Controls and Components".(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... HVACR flow controls and components will be the topic of discussion in March when Emerson Climate Technologies and the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society present a one-day seminar titled "HVACR Flow Controls and Components."The seminar will...

FMI Corp.(Project Management Academy has been launched)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... FMI Corp. has launched its Project Management Academy specifically to help less-experienced project managers. The academy will be held Feb. 9-12 at the company's headquarters in Raleigh, N.C., and will target the needs of specialty trade...

West Michigan Mechanical Contractors Association announced the winners of its annual Excellence in Mechanical Contracting awards on Dec. 10, 2002, at the association's Christmas party.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... West Michigan Mechanical Contractors Association announced the winners of its annual Excellence in Mechanical Contracting awards on Dec. 10, 2002, at the association's Christmas party. The award for community service was presented to Franklin...

The Associated Builders and Contractors.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Associated Builders and Contractors' annual national convention will be held March 12-16 at the San Diego Mariott Hotel and Arena. For more information, contact the association's meeting department at 703/812-2025 or visit their web site at...

Conflicting toilet test results still swirling about. (Industry News).(National Asociation of Home Builders Research Center and Consumer Reports get different results)
February 1, 2003... SCHAUMBURG, ILL. -- Clashing toilet test results are still creating controversy. In October, flushing tests conducted by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, Upper Marlboro, Md., and Consumer Reports, Yonkers. N.Y., came...

Local trade shows benefit `men in trenches'. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... VIA E-MAIL--It is with great anticipation that I look forward to your magazine each and every month. I eagerly digest each and every morsel of information I receive from CONTRACTOR and all the other fine industry newspapers and magazines...

Notes on a personal PM journal. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... VIA E-MAIL--I've been receiving CONTRACTOR magazine now for about six months and particularly enjoy H. Kent Craig's articles as they really tune into project management ideas and concepts. He mentions in his most recent column in the January...

Scalds require code changes. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... ST. LOUIS -- I enjoyed Dave Yates' article "Grab the (scalding) bull by the horns," part 1 and part 2 (November 2002, pg. 32, and December 2002, pg. 20). How true! I have been dealing with this problem for years, especially in heated...

Not-so-simple rules to turn around big firms. (Schmitt On Management).(Column)
February 1, 2003... BIG CONTRACTING firms are large moving objects and hard to turn around. You must first recognize and act on the suspicion that the people who got the company into its current state are not the ones to lead an aggressive recovery. The...

Yellow Pages level playing field for all firms. (Forum).
February 1, 2003... IT'S A QUESTION often pondered by small businesses: How can I compete with the powerhouse companies that dominate newspapers, television and direct mail? Mass advertising can be pricey and it's often not necessary when a business's target...

Mechanical Inc. buys Borg. (Forum).( Borg Mechanical Contractors Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... FREEPORT, ILL. -- Mechanical Inc., a division of The Helm Group, has acquired Borg Mechanical Contractors Inc. of Hillside, Ill. The Chicago-area HVAC and process-piping contractor, which will continue to operate under the Borg name, is...

Marketing service: our survey shows that contractors hope better marketing will increase their service business. (Service Survey).(Illustration)
February 1, 2003... Yellow Pages advertising continues to be the overwhelmingly favorite way that CONTRACTOR readers promote their service businesses, according to an exclusive survey that this magazine commissioned last fall to profile the plumbing-and-heating...

The big lie about free trade: turns out it's American workers who are waving goodbye to their jobs.
February 1, 2003... Though I am a congressman from Vermont, it outrages me that Maytag Corp. will shut down production at its refrigerator factory in Galesburg, IL, and lay-off the plant's 1,600 workers by late 2004. Maytag is using the North America Free...

Subs' coordination critical to smooth job. (Eatherton On Hydronics).(Column)
February 1, 2003... I RECENTLY FINISHED up the largest project on which I've ever bid and been accepted. It was a large (13,000-sq.-ft.) snow-melt system for a major player in the retail business. This project was located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado at...

Two products coordinate maintenance tasks. (Feldmans On Computers).(Techs4Biz's Pervidi and Link It Software Corp.'s EZ Maintenance are the products)(Column)
February 1, 2003... HERE ARE TWO products for automating work orders. Pervidi (Techs4Biz, www. techs4biz.com, 800/361-8725) is a work order and maintenance management system that combines desktop computer software and handheld software. It's designed to...

How to beat a lousy stock market. (Blackman On Taxes).(Column)
February 1, 2003... THE STOCK MARKET is lousy. So are interest rates. What to do? How and where do you invest your dollars to get a decent, yet safe, rate of return? Many of our clients have gone to commercial annuities, CDs or U.S. Treasuries. Safe, but no...

Product stops flushes. (Blackman On Taxes).
February 1, 2003... MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. -- Marketing firm Performance Marketing Communications has launched Flush-Stopper, a new product that helps ease the potty training burden by preventing automatic toilets from flushing "out of control" while being used by...

How PMs market their company. (Craig On Project Management).(Column)
February 1, 2003... IF YOU'RE A PROJECT manager, you might not think you actively engage in marketing your company to the outside world, but you do. Every single action and everything that you fail to do while performing your project management duties markets your...

2003 NSPC now available. (Craig On Project Management).(Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors--National Association releases the 2003 National Standard Plumbing Code )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... FALLS CHURCH, VA. -- Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors--National Association has announced the release of the 2003 National Standard Plumbing Code. The 2003 edition reflects revisions made to the 2000 NSPC and represents the most recent...

Ridge Tool Co. (Contractors).(Stites Plumbing owner Don Stites wins the grand prize)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Ridge Tool Co. announced that Don Stites, owner of Stites Plumbing, Springfield, Tenn., won the grand prize in the company's recent Rapidgrip/ Rookie-of-the-Year promotion. He received an all-expense-paid trip for two to the 2002 Major League...

Associated Builders and Contractors. (Contractors).(Edward L. Rispone has been elected national chairman)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The board of directors of the Associated Builders and Contractors has elected Edward L. Rispone, founder and chairman of the management board of Industrial Specialties Contractors, Baton Rouge, La., to serve as the 2003 national chairman....

Lakes Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. (Contractors).(Ron Newman is named HVAC Contractor of the Year)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Ron Newman of Lakes Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Spirit Lake, Iowa, was named the HVAC Contractor of the Year at the recent annual convention of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors--National Association. Newman is an active member of PHCC...

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Educational Foundation Board of Governors. (Contractors).(Richard E. Farrell becomes a member)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Richard E. Farrell is a new Contractor Founder and member of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Educational Foundation Board of Governors. Farrell is chairman of Day-Night Plumbing in Richmond Hill, N.Y., has been a member of the PHCC...

Murphy Co., Mechanical Contractors and Engineers. (Contractors).(Dave Hardin, new chief operating officer)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Murphy Co., Mechanical Contractors and Engineers, St. Louis, has named Dave Hardin chief operating officer. He will retain his current title of executive vice president. Hardin joined Murphy Co. in 1976 as an estimator.

EMCOR Group. (Contractors).(Michael T. Yonker appointed to the company's board of directors)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... EMCOR Group has elected Michael T. Yonker to the company's board of directors. He fills a position vacated by Kevin Toner, who has resigned; the number of directors remains at six. Yonker spent nine years as president and CEO of Portec Inc.

EMCOR-Gowan Inc. (Contractors).(Clinton O. Gowan Jr. receives SMACNA Contractor of the Year Award)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Clinton O. Gowan Jr. of EMCOR-Gowan Inc., Houston, received the SMACNA Contractor of the Year Award at the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association's 59th annual convention. Gowan's firm has been a member of SMACNA for...

S.I. Goldman/Comfort Systems. (Contractors).(Robert A. Parsons, new account manager)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Robert A. Parsons has been appointed account manager at S.I. Goldman/Comfort Systems in Longwood, Fla. He brings more than 25 years in the mechanical contracting industry to his new position as manager of client services.

Creative Specialties Manufacturing. (Manufacturers).(Mike Bauer, new marketing director)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Creative Specialties Manufacturing, a division of Moen, has promoted Mike Bauer to marketing director. Bauer formerly was director of operations and finance for the division, and has been with the company for the past three years. Brian Grant...

Brass Craft. (Manufacturers).(Richard Babb, new industrial/OEM sales manager)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Brass Craft has appointed Richard Babb as industrial/OEM sales manager--Western region, for the company's industrial/OEM products division. He has more than 15 years of sales management experience in the industrial and plumbing segments.

Walter Industries. (Manufacturers).(Brad Kitterman, new president of its pipe and foundry subsidiary)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Walter Industries has named Brad Kitterman president of its pipe and foundry subsidiary. Kitterman was formerly president of the North American Utilities division for Schlumberger Ltd.

Worthington Industries.(George Stoe, new president of Worthington Cylinder Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Worthington Industries has named George Stoe president of Worthington Cylinder Corp. Stoe most recently served as president of Zinc Corp. of America. Former president John Lamprinakos will head up the national and international sales and...

Automation Technologies. (Manufacturers).(Ken Graber, new senior public relations coordinator for the drives, motors and machines business area )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Ken Graber has been named senior public relations coordinator for the drives, motors and machines business area of ABB, Automation Technologies. Prior to joining ABB, Graber worked at Zigman Joseph Stephenson, starting in 1984 as a junior...

Victaulic Co. of Canada. (Manufacturers).(Gary Moore, new president )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Gary Moore has been named president of Victaulic Co. of Canada. Moore most recently served as vice president and general manager for Victaulic of Canada. He joined the company in 1988 as a sales representative in the Atlantic Canada region....

A.O. Smith Water Products. (Manufacturers).(Roy Wood, new director of customer and product support; Matt Schultz, new product manager)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A.O. Smith Water Products has announced two key marketing personnel appointments. Roy Wood has been promoted to director of customer and product support. He has been with the company for 21 years. Matt Schultz has been named product manager for...

ITT Industries. (Manufacturers).(Mark Handzel, John C. Everhart and Karl Buscher, new appointments at firm)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... ITT Industries has appointed three executives to new positions in its fluid handling division. Mark Handzel has been promoted to director of U.S. sales, HVAC and plumbing products. He has been with ITT Fluid Handling for more than 19 years,...

BlazeMaster Fire Sprinkler Systems. (Manufacturers).(Bob Waters, new regional sales manager)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Bob Waters has joined BlazeMaster Fire Sprinkler Systems as a regional sales manager for the group's Northwest territory. Shahzad Kazmi has joined the company as regional sales manager for the Central Midwest territory. Joseph DiNovo has joined...

Flo-Safe.(Rick Siberine becomes national sales manager)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Flo-Safe has appointed Rick Siberine to the position of national sales manager. Previously, he was Eastern area manager for the company.

Contractors benefit from end of dividend tax, AGC says. (People News).(Associated General Contractors)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- President Bush's proposal to end the taxation of corporate dividends to shareholders could benefit the roughly 60% of AGC member construction companies organized as privately held C corporations, Associated General Contractors...

Roto-Rooter service techs go wireless. (Industry News).
February 1, 2003... CINCINNATI -- Roto-Rooter Inc., a leading provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services in North America, announced Jan. 22 that it will equip its more than 1,500 field technicians at company-owned branches with a wireless solution to...

The J-3055 jet-set drain cleaning machine. (editor's choice).
February 1, 2003... THE J-3055 JET-SET DRAIN CLEANING MACHINE is designed to clear grease stoppages as well as lines clogged with sand, sludge and ice. Its 3,000 psi, 5.5 GPM pump is powered by a 16 hp engine with electric start. The machine comes with a removable...

This all-plastic basket strainer. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THIS ALL-PLASTIC BASKET STRAINER can protect pumps, meters and valves in piping systems moving ultra-pure or corrosive liquids by removing unwanted particulate matter from the flow. The heavy-duty strainer is a cost-effective replacement for...

The sureconnect faucet and toilet connector kit. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE SURECONNECT FAUCET AND TOILET CONNECTOR KIT eliminates guesswork by providing the user with everything they need to make a fast, reliable water connection. It includes a flexible water connector, appropriate adapters that fit almost any...

The glacier pedestal lavatory. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE GLACIER PEDESTAL LAVATORY is made of curved Starphire glass, producing the effect of frosted glass throughout. A cool, translucent white, it features clean, simple lines for a sophisticated, modern appearance. Porcher CIRCLE 104...

The monitor 1800 series jetted shower system. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE MONITOR 1800 SERIES JETTED SHOWER SYSTEM features two directionally adjustable jets in addition to the showerhead. An extra outlet allows for the installation of a handshower, showerhead or jet module. A six-position diverter enables the...

The checkmark workshirt. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE CHECKMARK WORKSHIRT is designed for employees with the most customer contact in the sales and service industries. The micro-check pattern is available in navy/charcoal and tan/spruce, in long- and short-sleeve styles. It is made from a...

This compact 1 1/8" rotary hammer. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THIS COMPACT 1 1/8" ROTARY HAMMER features a powerful 7.4 amp motor. The well-balanced tool functions as a drill, hammer with drill, and a chisel. It can deliver 0-980 RPM and 0-4,200 BPM and is ergonomically designed with a cushion grip and...

The SeeSnake line video inspection system. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE SEESNAKE LINE OF VIDEO INSPECTION SYSTEMS now carry the Underwriters Laboratories listing. They include the color SeeSnake system, monitor and VCR; SeeSnake power pack; black-and-white SeeSnake system, monitor and VCR; color video tool...

These new tubing cutters. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THESE NEW TUBING CUTTERS deliver a quick, clean cut for optimal flaring across all diameters of flexible gas piping. The smallest cutter is designed for tube diameters from 3/8" to 1" that are commonly installed on single-family, residential...

The husky truck body. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE HUSKY TRUCK BODY provides van-like protection and service body convenience. A large cargo area and versatile shelving system makes it ideal for contractors and service technicians. The truck body features double panel compartment doors,...

These oil/water separators. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THESE OIL/WATER SEPARATORS are rated at 1,750 GPM. They feature a vertical cylindrical perforated polypropylene olephillic media packs that attract oil and repel water, providing 60 square feet per cubic foot of coalescing area. Oil droplets of...

The series WV-DV boiler. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE SERIES WV-DV BOILER is direct-vent, cast iron and oil-fired for residential hot water systems, it comes fully packaged and ready to install. It is ideal for situations where a chimney is not available or where the existing chimney is no...

The ambiance steam bath. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE AMBIANCE STEAM BATH is designed to function as a private escape. Each base system can be modified with additional features at any time. The unit comes with a handheld remote control pre-configured to activate all options, which include CD...

The natural gloss shower alcove. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE NATURAL GLOSS SHOWER ALCOVE is a three-panel wall system made of compression-molded composite material. It is available in three molded-in solid colors and seven granite colors to match the company's line of shower floors. A sturdy...

Master builder 2003 business management software. (Products).
February 1, 2003... MASTER BUILDER 2003 BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE provides solutions for the home building, remodeling, plumbing, commercial construction and heavy construction industries. It helps organize by phases of the profit cycle--estimating, production,...

The caregiver 3060 showertub. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE CAREGIVER 3060 SHOWERTUB can replace a standard bathtub without major replumbing. Ideal for residential and commercial applications, the 4" high threshold reduces the difficulties of stepping over a 15" high bathtub apron. It is made of...

These large volume passive grease interceptors. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THESE LARGE VOLUME PASSIVE GREASE INTERCEPTORS prevent sanitary sewer blockages and protect a city's sewer system. They are ideal for food service facilities and large commercial or institutional kitchens. Highland Tank CIRCLE 117 ON...

This 1/2" electric drill. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THIS 1/2" ELECTRIC DRILL features a redesigned fan for cooler operation. It uses a magnesium bearing plate for lighter weight and longer life. It is ergonomically designed to minimize user fatigue and reduce the risk of repetitive motion...

The protote tool organizer. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE PROTOTE TOOL ORGANIZER has 12 external and 16 inside pockets of varying sizes to accommodate all types of tools. It is made of tough nylon webbing for years of trouble-free service. It features a flat, hard bottom, padded handles and an...

The side-mount operated electronic conversion kit. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE SIDE-MOUNT OPERATED ELECTRONIC CONVERSION KIT easily converts any manual diaphragm flushometer to water-saving electronics for use in healthcare, stadiums and commercial applications. No water shut-off is needed to install the kit or to...

CCST tubing cutters. (Products).
February 1, 2003... CCST TUBING CUTTERS come in different models to accommodate cuts with the outer plastic jacket on or off. They fit 1/4" up to 2 5/8" CSST flexible gas piping. They have been tested and are suitable for use with Gastite, Parker Parflex,...

The 18-V. DW929K-2 model compact cordless drill. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE 18-V. DW929K-2 MODEL COMPACT CORDLESS DRILL is designed for users who prefer a smaller tool for tight spaces but without sacrificing power. The smaller size clutch has 18 adjustable settings. The drill has a 3/8" keyless ratcheting chuck...

The acclaim tub/showers. (Products).
February 1, 2003... THE ACCLAIM TUB/SHOWERS are constructed of Vikrell solid material. They measure a spacious 60" by 30" and feature factory-installed stainless steel grab bars and plastic seats. The tub/shower includes a wide deck surface and molded-in shelf...

New pipe hanger catalog release first since company name change. (Literature Showcase).
February 1, 2003... The most comprehensive catalog of pipe hangers and supports available to the industry has been published by Anvil. Anvil, formerly known as Grinnell, is the recognized world leader in pipe hangers and supports, and offers the most complete...

Think all pipe and fittings are the same? Think again. (Literature Showcase).
February 1, 2003... You've seen it before. A joint in the plumbing system leaks, causing damage and construction delays. The pipe manufacturer blames it on the fitting maker--who blames it on manufacturer. It is possible to receive pipe and fittings that do not...

The cold-shot[TM] pipe freezing kit. (Literature Showcase).
February 1, 2003... THE COLD-SHOT[TM] FREEZING KIT from General Pipe Cleaners uses Carbon Dioxide ([CO.sub.2]) to freeze liquids in metal or plastic pipes, 1/8" through 2" in diameter. General Pipe Cleaners WRITE 126 ON INQUIRY CARD

New UL listed, Intumescent Metraflex Metraseal 120[TM]. (Literature Showcase).
February 1, 2003... NEW UL LISTED, INTUMESCENT METRAFLEX METRASEAL 120[TM], now with up to a 2-hour fire protection rating is the premier method to quickly fill the gap wherever round pipe penetrates floors, ceilings and walls. It is a re-usable seal that fills...

Service business can be as good as you make it. (Editorial).(Editorial)
February 1, 2003... SERVICE WORK, as opposed to new construction, is supposed to be about as recession-proof as you can get in the plumbing-and-heating business. At least, that's how the thinking usually goes. When an old water heater gives out and floods the...