Contractor articles from January 2001

Contractor archives from January 2001

ISH crosses Atlantic; U.S. show set for 2002.(International Sanitar Heizung Clima)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... CHICAGO -- Messe Frankfurt, organizer of the biennial International Sanitar Heizung Clima, or ISH show, in Frankfurt, Germany, has formed a partnership with the American Supply Association, the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating and the...

Builders swap faulty furnaces.(Consolidated Industries furnaces, Kaufman & Broad Home Corp., The Ryland Group, Shea Homes)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... LOS ANGELES -- Not all California homeowners with fire-prone Consolidated Industries furnaces will be left holding the bag. A number of California home builders said they would replace the furnaces for free. The U.S. Consumer Product...

Student survey surprise: Salary slips.(what students want from jobs with construction companies)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... GAINESVILLE, FLA. -- Graduate students and college seniors say they want more from contractors than a good salary and fancy title if they went to work for them. That's the finding of a survey conducted by Bradford Sims, an assistant...

Geothermal system to ease school's bills.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... Special to CONTRACTOR FOND DU LAC, Wis. -- Savings of a half-million dollars per year were enough to convince the school district here to use a geothermal system in its new 400,000-sq.-ft, high school. The system is being installed by Fond...

Service Experts forms charity SWAT Team.(will assist charitable organizations and local residents by providing free service )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... DALLAS -- Service Experts has launched a national community service initiative, known as the Service Experts SWAT Team, with a "Day of Service" benefiting individuals and organizations throughout the country. The Service Experts SWAT Team...

Channel conflict hinders growth.(relations between manufacturers and distributors )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... NEW ORLEANS -- Poor communication is not the only reason that relations between manufacturers and distributors are strained, consultant John Sedgwick told members of the Northamerican Heating, Refrigeration and Airconditioning Wholesalers...

Office construction spending soars.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... WITHIN THE COMMERCIAL construction market, growth in the office sub-sector continues to reign supreme. Through the first nine months of 2000, total spending for office building new construction and renovation work was running 13% ahead of the...

Lowe wins `Entrepreneur of Year'.(Jack Lowe Jr. of TDIndustries Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.--Although Jack Lowe Jr. was singled out as an "Entrepreneur of the Year" on Nov. 11 in a ceremony here, he said that TDIndustries' employees really deserve the honor. "I'm the one who received the award, but the ones...

HVAC equipment sales may cool down.(predictions for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning industry)
January 1, 2001... THE HVAC FORECAST for 2001 is "iffy" and it's likely that the market will not be as good as it was last year. On the plus side, as Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute Vice President Ed Dooley pointed out, we are in a full employment...

Modest growth seen for plumbing market.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... NO DECLINE HERE. Cautious optimism prevails that plumbing product sales will continue to grow in 2001, although the increases will be in single-digit percentages. Shipments of plumbing fixtures are projected to rise to $3.94 billion, about 4%...

IN BRIEF.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... The Quality Service Contractors' Power Meeting XIV, "Design Your Business for Success," will be held Feb. 13 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla. Two Disney Institute seminars will be held, and expert speakers, networking...

Industrial market sees upward move in 2001.(outlook for pipe, fittings, valves sector)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2001... FOR THE LAST SEVERAL years, members of the industrial pipe, valves and fittings industry have optimistically projected improvement in the market. But with the possible exception of stainless-steel companies -- which had nowhere to go but up --...

Lennox names Schjerven CEO.(Bob Schjerven appointed chief executive officer at Lennox International)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... DALLAS -- Lennox International Chairman John W. Norris Jr. announced that Bob Schjerven, formerly chief operating officer, has been appointed chief executive officer. Norris said he would continue as chairman. He also announced that...

One lawyer doesn't fit all of legal work.(selecting an attorney)
January 1, 2001... PICKING A LAWYER is like picking a new pair of shoes. You must pick the proper fit and appropriate model for the task to be done. No one lawyer is proper for all reasons. Most of the client dissatisfaction I have observed has been, quite...

CONTRACTOR LETTERS.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2001... Money is the root of efficiency RESTON, VA. -- I want the world to know the background behind the current rush to new efficiency standards. I was the only party with an independent view present at the recent public hearing. Everyone else...

Full boat.(Bassett Mechanical Corp.)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
January 1, 2001... BILL BASSETT, his father Charles and a group of employees bought Bassett Mechanical Corp. in Kaukauna, Wis., from Bill's Uncle Al in 1974. Much has changed since then. The company started with 32 employees and now has more than 300. The...

Preventive maintenance: Do job right electrically.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... THE ELECTRICAL SIDE of preventive maintenance is a bit more ethereal than doing mechanical servicing because usually you have nothing to lube, oil or clean. And while you have to take a lot of readings, seldom do you have any absolutely bad or...

NATE certification testing at AHR Expo.(North American Technician Excellence at Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating exposition)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... WESTPORT, CONN. -- Based on the success of last year's testing session at the AHR Expo in Dallas, North American Technician Excellence, an independent certification program for technicians in the HVAC industry, will again offer certification...

ICI sells refrigerant operations to Ineos.(Imperial Chemical Industries sells Chlor-Chemicals, Klea, Crosfield)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... LONDON -- ICI has agreed to terms with Ineos, a global chemical producer, for the sale of its Chlor-Chemicals, Klea and Crosfield businesses. The payment to ICI places a value on these businesses of $471 million in aggregate. Completion is...

In hot water.(heating system anecdotes)(Fiction)
January 1, 2001... "MR. LUNK IS on the board, you know. His term runs for two years. He's a lawyer, you know. He's also as red as a lobster. It happened in the shower. It was the shower water that did it. He's as red as a lobster and mad as hell." She had a...

Oral change orders can be expensive.(contract law and construction industry)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... MOST CONSTRUCTION-related contracts that you sign will contain a requirement that you get all authorization for extras in writing, generally before the work is done. In real life, however, the pace of work out in the field is often so fast and...

Code of standards is needed, and now.(hydronic heating systems installation)(Column)
January 1, 2001... EVERY ONCE in a while, I'll use this column as a soapbox to denounce some of the practices I see going on in the field. And believe me, I've seen some real atrocities. I've seen more bad and improperly installed hydronic heating systems...

Software keeps jobs organized.(Details 3.0, VirtualBoss)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2001... WHILE THE RECENT software trend has focused on Internet-based solutions for HVAC and plumbing contractors, there are still some "traditional" PC-based products that can streamline various daily tasks and provide help in managing everyday...

Some day, kids, this will all be yours.(inheritance taxes)
January 1, 2001... AN INTERESTING article in Newsweek entitled, "Darling, It'll All Be Yours -- Soon," got me thinking. The article explains how "the inheritance boom is quietly reshaping how we think about death." How true. When I began my professional...

Write effective ads to recruit managers.(help-wanted advertisements)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... How DID YOU wind up working for the company you're presently working for in the position you're currently in? Did you wander in off the street because you were looking for a job as a project manager or estimator and just stumbled across an...

Air Force One to purchase Star Mechanical Services.(mechanical contrators)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Columbus, Ohio -- Air Force One, a multi-state mechanical contractor offering engineering, construction and related services, announced its intent to acquire Star Mechanical Services, a competitor offering a similar portfolio of services. The...

Product NEWS.(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2001... For more information please use the reader service card The TMU Series 642 oval tub uses 60 air jets to provide a thorough, relaxing, full-body massage. Measuring 72-in. by 42-in. by 21-in. deep, the tub uses a 1-hp motor with an...

Contractors must adjust sights to focus on students' interests.(University of Florida survey)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... SINCE THE VOTING took place in Florida, contractors may want to demand a recount. But a survey taken at the University of Florida indicates that many contractors may be trying to attract students to work for them by using the wrong enticements....