Contractor articles from May 2001

Contractor archives from May 2001

DOE picks 12 SEER.(Department of Energy)(Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Energy in April rolled back proposed Clinton administration air conditioning and heat pump SEER standards to 12 SEER. On Jan. 19, the last day of the administration, outgoing Energy Secretary Bill...

`Plumbing giant' Moen dies.(Alfred M. Moen)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... DESTIN, FLA. -- Alfred M. Moen, 84, died April 17 at his home here. Moen is best known for his invention of the single-handle mixing faucet. Its creation eventually led to the formation of Moen Inc., one of the world's largest producers of...

Pento Media buys CONTRACTOR.(Penton Media Inc.)(Cahners Business Information (Newton Massachusetts))(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... CLEVELAND -- Penton Media purchased CONTRACTOR magazine from Cahners Business Information in a transaction that closed on April 10. Penton also publishes Contracting Business magazine. "Although the two magazines share some of the same...

2001 Book of Giants.(MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS)
May 1, 2001... CHICAGO -- There's a new largest mechanical contractor in the country this year as EMCOR surges back into the lead after losing the top spot to Encompass Services last year. EMCOR posted revenues last year of more than $1.66 billion. All...

All AMPAM signs point to national branding.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... ROUND ROCK, TEXAS -- Calling itself "America's No. 1 choice for residential plumbing, heating and cooling," AMPAM launched a national branding campaign in April. AMPAM's campaign includes new signs for all its locations and more than 2,000...

Remodeling trends slow down.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... THE U.S. COMMERCE Department reported that expenditures for improvements and repairs on residential properties during the third quarter of 2000 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $149 billion. This pegged July-September 2000 spending...

Nonresidential spending up 11%.(nonresidential construction)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... LAST YEAR'S most pleasant surprise was the strength of the nonresidential building sector, encompassing the broad swath of commercial, industrial and institutional work. The non-building sector grew quite a bit more slowly in 2000 than...

Project controls high energy costs.(George T. Wilkinson Co.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... BOSTON -- Mechanical contractor George T. Wilkinson Co. celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2001, and Northeastern University has been a GTW customer for 25 of those years. At an anniversary party April 21, Northeastern gave GTW President...

UL says a quarter of sprinklers flunk test.(Underwriters Laboratories Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... NORTHBROOK, ILL. -- Underwriters Laboratories continues to conduct operational testing on field samples of certain Model GB series fire sprinklers with O-ring water seals manufactured by Central Sprinkler Co. of Lansdale, Pa. These sprinklers...

Lennox reports loss, will restructure Retail unit.(Lennox International Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... DALLAS -- Lennox International Inc. announced that total company sales for the first quarter 2001 were flat vs. last year at $716 million. Company-wide sales, after adjusting for currency fluctuations, grew 2%. Revenues outside the United...

IN BRIEF.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... * Reuben Autery has retired as president of the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association. The new president is Evan Gaddis. During Autery's tenure, GAMA initiated Safe Guards, a program that relies heavily on plumbing and heating contractors to...

Apprentice contest deadline June 30.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... FALLS CHURCH, VA. -- Entries are being accepted until June 30 for participants in the Sept. 14 Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors - National Association's National Apprenticeship Contest in Reno, Nev. The contest, which will feature plumbing...

PMI panel to consider certifying products.(Plumbing Manufacturers Institute )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... SCHAUMBURG, ILL. -- At their spring meeting in March, members of the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute formed an ad hoc task group charged with investigating the possibility of establishing an alternative, PMI-based organization to be a...

Bob Gelman of GWS dies.(eneral Wire Spring Co.)
May 1, 2001... PITTSBURGH -- Bob Gelman, national sales manager for General Wire Spring Co., died April 1 after a long illness. He was 65. "Bob was a terrific sales manager, as well as a dear friend. He will be sorely missed," company President Lee...

John Hazen White Sr. of Taco dies at 87.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
May 1, 2001... CRANSTON, R.I. -- John Hazen White Sr., who built Taco into a leading manufacturer of hydronic pumps and related equipment, died on March 28. He was 87. At the time of his death, White was chairman of Taco, originally the Thermal Appliance...

AFSA convention to mark 20 years.
May 1, 2001... DALLAS -- At its upcoming convention and exhibition, the American Fire Sprinkler Association is planning, "AFSA: Celebrating 20 Years of Success, Shaping the Future." The convention is set for Sept. 12-16 in Boca Raton, Fla. This year's...

When your business really gets to be fun.(building a successful contracting business)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... THE QUESTION from a reader was simple but the answer is complex enough for me to want to share it with all of you. He asked, "When will this business really get to be fun?" These are my thoughts. I'll admit to some strong personal...

LETTERS.
May 1, 2001... More `rules of thumb' VIA E-MAIL -- I enjoy Dan Holohan's column in CONTRACTOR. His "Tom's Thumb" story (February, pg. 15) reminds me of a story my thermodynamics professor in college told during class one day back in 1976. At that...

ISH still awesome.(International Sanitar Heizung Clima - heating and plumbing exhibition)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... The giant show displays the highest tech, the most beautiful and some of the weirdest products in the world. FRANKFURT, GERMANY -- International Sanitar Heizung Clima lived up to its reputation as the world's biggest plumbing and heating...

Preventive maintenance -- what does it save?(Brief Article)(Column)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... I RECENTLY received an e-mail letter from a mechanical contractor in Memphis, Tenn., who asked if there are any figures available on how much a preventive-maintenance agreement saves commercial customers. I explained to him that if there were...

HVACR News Briefs.(Johnstone Supply Inc., Excellence Alliance Inc., Arzel Zoning Technology Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Johnstone catalog, stores now online PORTLAND, ORE.- Johnstone Supply, a national distributor of parts and products to the HVACR and appliance repair industries, has launched a custom-designed online ordering and local store Web site...

Bradford White `Toys' promotion.(Magnum Series marketing campaign)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... AMBLER, PA. - Bradford White Corp. has introduced its Big Fun Toys promotion, a program that allows plumbing professionals who purchase Magnum Series commercial water heaters the opportunity to earn merchandise. Through July 31, each purchase...

Plus S & H.(flat rating and job by mistake)(Short Story)
May 1, 2001... THE NEW STEAM boiler was as big as a small Dumpster and Jimmy looked at it with concern. Things weren't lining up as he had hoped they would. The old steam pipes looked like brittle bones and he wondered why he hadn't noticed that when he had...

How to figure flow rate and pressure drop.
May 1, 2001... IN LAST MONTH'S article (pg. 32), we covered the basics for determining the gallons per minute flow requirements of our sample system. Now, let's take a look at the other half of the pump's requirements, the amount of pressure it has to...

Mobile software aids service techs.(evaluating FieldCentrix Inc. and FieldCentrix Inc. products)(Software Review)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... HOT NEW technologies become mainstream pretty quickly these days. Handheld computers, while not exactly old hat, have been around long enough for software developers to create industry-specific software for niche applications. And service...

How you should handle construction lenders.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... CONTRACTORS MAY think that the owners with whom they negotiate call the shots. Often, however, the owner's lender may really be in charge by dictating terms in the construction contract through its loan agreement. The lender may force the...

Long-term care policy becomes new tax haven.(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... "IS IT WORTH THE COST?" asked Joe, a reader of this column. His wife, Mary, with noticeable anxiety in her voice, said, "I never want to ask the kids for help." Whether to purchase long-term care insurance was the subject of our conversation....

My idealized structure for a contracting firm.
May 1, 2001... IN PART 1 of my reply to project manager Kevin Smith (February, pg. 34), I talked about what a project manager's responsibilities should be and how he should manage his time, people, resources and jobs. In this month's column, I'll answer...

PEOPLE NEWS.
May 1, 2001... Contractors Tim Howald, president of Tweet/Garot Mechanical of Green Bay, Wis., was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the University of Wisconsin Construction Club. The award was presented at the club's annual banqueton March...

Product NEWS.
May 1, 2001... For more information please use the reader service card editor's CHOICE The Residential Gas -- High Input direct vent water heater is available in 50-gal., 65-gal. and 75-gal. capacities. It boasts an excellent recovery rate and a high...

What economic downturn? Contractors still find jobs.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... A MANUFACTURER ASKED me in early March how contractors are dealing with the economic downturn. "To tell you the truth," I told him, "I haven't talked to many that have slowed down. Most of the contractors I've spoken with still have more...

Hacker Industries puts its product `Behind Walls'.(display home shows products behind walls)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. -- Hacker Industries participated in the "Behind the Walls 2001" demonstration home in February at the International Builders' Show in Atlanta. Gyp-Span Radiant floor underlayment was installed as an integral part of the...