LANSDOWNE, Va. - Twenty-seven business owners, operations managers, project managers, estimators, and superintendents spent four days at the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors' - National Association (PHCC) Educational Foundation's Essentials of PHC Project Management course held earlier this month.

This training program, sponsored by American Standard and Trane Co., demonstrated to attendees how preplanning and a commitment to supporting field labor could drastically reduce wasted time and theoretically save businesses stunning amounts of money.

"Contractor business owners and project managers need to learn that success depends heavily on their planning and thinking skills," said Kirk Alter, director of the foundation's management courses and lead instructor for the course.

"American Standard and Trane are proud to sponsor this training program," said Joe Maiale, American Standard's vice president, wholesale sales Americas, Bath & Kitchen Division. "We know that professional, successful contractors are our best customers and that continuous training at all levels of the company is the secret behind most successful businesses."

The next Essentials of Project Management course will be held June 7-10 in Fort Worth, Texas. American Standard and Trane also sponsor the foundation's Owners Strategic Management workshop. The workshop is scheduled for March 29-April 1 in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is designed to teach contracting business owners and their key staff how to position their companies as the leading firm in their market.

For more information, visit www.phccweb.org/foundation.

Publication date: 01/30/2006