There has been a good deal of news lately about pirates raiding ships along the African coast. Bucking all authority and rule of law, these criminals capture sea-bound vessels filled with precious cargo. There is a version of this in our industry, though it may be more of a question of incompetence rather than out-and-out piracy.
Just a few years ago, the leased-space market was a difficult area to gain new work due to the difficulty of getting to the decision maker: the owner. In today’s real estate market, however, the power has shifted to the tenant in many of these situations, and with this shift has come a renewed opportunity for contractors to increase their revenue.
In these recessionary times, layoffs seem to be an unfortunately common occurrence. Just listen to the headlines; layoffs are popping up throughout the country. But how do you make sure that your job isn’t the next one on the chopping block? What steps can you take to protect your job and avoid becoming a layoff victim? Here are a few ideas.
Helpful items can come in small packages. “Many technicians have a hard time learning in the classroom environment.… This pocket guide helps them go into the field with the confidence they need to pinpoint problems immediately,” said Al D’Ambola, president of D’Ambola Associates.
HVAC contractor Alan Givens was recently invited to meet with President Obama at the White House. On April 10, Givens, the Virginia state president of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) Association received a call from Ike Casey, national PHCC executive director, asking if Givens could meet with the president on April 15.
To stay competitive in a sluggish economy, many construction companies are looking for ways to cut expenses by automating and streamlining processes. Harnessing the largest expense - payroll - is a good place to start.
“Welcome to Washington; we’ve changed the weather just for you.” Those were the words of notable journalist and publisher Llewellyn King as he addressed the group of manufacturer members attending the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute’s (AHRI’s) Public Policy Symposium.
Talk to reclaimers, wholesalers and, in fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and they will tell you contractors need to do a better job of bringing in HCFC-22 for reclamation to avoid a shortfall of the refrigerant by as early as 2010. Talk to many contractors and they will tell you the incentives to submit their refrigerant for reclaim just aren’t there yet.
The 2009 Momentum Conference by Honeywell attracted more than 300 controls contractors and Honeywell distributors from around the world. The company showcased many new products, loyalty program enhancements, and two new, dedicated resource Websites during the meeting, which was held in Dallas.
Steve Shirley, president of University Mechanical & Engineering Contractors, Inc., an EMCOR Company, knows BIM. The J.W. Marriott hotel staff wheeled in extra chairs, aisles were blocked, and yet people still lined up outside the doorway to learn about building information modeling - BIM.
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