Industry News

Partnership Forms to Meet Rising Demand for Skilled Trades Education at Community and Technical Colleges Nationwide

The Lowe’s Foundation is partnering with Metallica’s All Within My Hands and its Metallica Scholars Initiative. The Metallica foundation’s nationwide program is receiving a $500,000 donation to expand its support of skilled trades training for community college students as enrollments rise at vocationally focused schools.

The $500,000 donation from the Lowe’s Foundation will benefit hundreds of students at five community colleges. The donation will help fund critical training, equipment, recruiting and wraparound services. This complements the Lowe’s Foundation’s growing roster of Gable Grants recipients, which includes 11 other community colleges. The Associated General Contractors of America report that nearly 90 percent of contractors say they have trouble finding skilled workers, and an estimated half a million new skilled tradespeople will be needed to meet demand in 2024 alone, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors.

“Partnering with programs like the Metallica Scholars Initiative is key to the Lowe’s Foundation’s efforts to ensure the next generation of builders can meet the demands of our modern world,” said Janice Dupré, Lowe’s executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe’s Foundation. “As we bring our shared goal to life and strengthen the skilled trades pipeline, we’re excited to see students unlocking their full potential through these transformative careers.”

This Lowe’s Foundation’s donation supports the following community colleges:

• Pima Community College (Tucson, Arizona) will use its funding to support Metallica Scholars training for HVAC, carpentry, electrical and plumbing careers. The program also includes comprehensive career advising.
• College of Lake County (Grayslake, Illinois) will use its funding to recruit and retain a cohort of students who are training to join the local manufacturing workforce. The college will receive tools and a range of support for students pursuing certificates or degrees leading to HVAC, welding and automotive careers.
• San Juan College (Farmington, New Mexico) will use its funding to support students in traditional construction programs and automotive technology. With a priority on low-income individuals, the college offers a range of wraparound services, from tools and equipment to gas cards and books.
• Western Dakota Technical College (Rapid City, South Dakota) will use its funding to cover tuition, textbooks, tools and student services in its construction and plumbing programs.
• Milwaukee Area Technical College (Milwaukee) will use its funding to support hands-on career exploration and scholarships while it promotes “heavy metal” careers (automotive/diesel, HVAC, trucking and welding).

“Now entering its sixth year, the Metallica Scholars Initiative is an exceptional program focused on workforce education that has proven to be a galvanizing force across the community college ecosystem,” said Peter Delgrosso, executive director of All Within My Hands. “We are honored to partner with the Lowe’s Foundation to grow the trades while positively impacting many lives.”

The investment is the latest in the Lowe’s Foundation’s five-year, $50 million commitment to support the training of 50,000 people for skilled trades careers. Since 2023, the Lowe’s Foundation has awarded approximately $18 million in Gable Grants to 24 organizations offering innovative and scalable skilled trades training across the U.S. The next grant application cycle for community-based nonprofits will run from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31. To learn more about the pressing challenges facing the skilled trades, visit Lowes.com/Foundation.

Bryant is proud to name Cosby Heating and Cooling the 2024 Bryant Dealer of the Year, the highest honor a Bryant dealer can receive. Each year, this award recognizes a Bryant Factory Authorized Dealer (BFAD) whose hard work, expertise and business acumen distinguishes them as an industry leader. Bryant is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, and is celebrating its 120^th anniversary through ongoing charitable support for Feeding America.

As a Bryant dealer of over 45 years, Cosby Heating and Cooling has a demonstrated history of excellence, accruing 14 awards since inception, including the Bryant Circle of Champions, Medal of Excellence, and Pinnacle Award. With a Better Business Bureau A+ rating, Cosby is the area leader for service and installation of both residential and commercial. Their expertise encompasses all types of equipment: gas furnaces, air conditioners, heat pump systems, geothermal as well as boilers and oil furnaces.

In 2020, Cosby was one-of-forty HVAC companies nationally to receive White House recognition for their dedication to training, education, and career advancement opportunities for their employees. Additionally, Cosby believes strongly in giving back to the community that they serve. They are staples in their community, supporting organizations such as: 4-H, YMCA youth programs, Little League and Soccer, Habitat for Humanity, Mid-Ohio Food Bank, A Place for Grace, Shane Center for Equine Therapy as well as a yearly Gift of Heat installation.

“Cosby Heating and Cooling more than exemplifies what Bryant stands for, they set the bar,” said Nick Arch, Vice President and General Manager, Residential HVAC Solutions, Bryant. “As a smaller dealership, Cosby receiving the Dealer of the Year award reinforces that it isn’t the size of the business that makes them award-worthy, it’s the people. Their commitment to excellence in sales, service, and community is evident, and we are proud to have them as Bryant brand ambassadors. Congratulations to Paul, Barb, and the entire Cosby team!”  

For more information about Bryant visit www.bryant.com.

Southland and its Subsidiary, the Brandt Companies, Will Leverage ServiceTitan’s End-to-End Platform for the Commercial Sector to Increase Efficiency, Accelerate Profitable Growth, and Elevate Customer Satisfaction

ServiceTitan, a software platform built to power the trades, announced an exclusive partnership with Southland Industries, a leading commercial mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) contracting firm. This new partnership will deploy ServiceTitan’s platform across Southland’s subsidiary, The Brandt Companies, followed by Southland’s service division. ServiceTitan’s integration into Southland will help drive greater efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profitability for the company.

“ServiceTitan is purpose-built for the commercial contracting industry, with a proven track record of helping contractors optimize profit and accelerate their businesses,” said Alex Kablanian, General Manager of Commercial & Construction. “We are thrilled to partner with Southland & Brandt to supercharge their entire service operation – from the initial prospecting motion to managing work in the field through accounting, invoicing, payroll, and more. We’re excited to support one another, learn from one another, and help advance the commercial contracting industry together.”

Widely recognized as one of the largest MEP contractors in the United States, Southland Industries provides integrated, full lifecycle solutions that optimize the design, construction, operation, and efficiency of buildings. Through its partnership, Southland will now be able to leverage the full power of ServiceTitan’s technology suite for the commercial sector, including:

• Property intelligence to find and win new business by identifying the area’s best, high-intent prospects for outreach.

• Mobile-first field apps with OCR nameplate scanning, AI assistants, and tasking checklists to automate equipment maintenance and drive workforce productivity.

• Powerful accounting capabilities that optimize cash flow by centralizing AR and AP in one place for deeper, connected financial insights that integrate into ERPs.

• Innovative customer experiences that maximize their lifetime value by surfacing proactive equipment monitoring and self-serve options to track open contracts and request work orders 24/7.

• Real-time costing across every phase of work and AI-powered profit predictors to improve your bottom line and drive long-term profitable growth.

“The strength of ServiceTitan’s product functionality and enterprise-grade platform impressed us from the start,” said Butch King, Vice President of Service at Brandt, a Southland Industries company. “Not only are they committed to providing the best solutions today, but they are committed to evolving with market needs in the future to help us further optimize our business for years to come. More than anything else, it is clear to me that ServiceTitan’s passionate team members, track record of success, and a company culture that aligns with Southland’s will result in a really successful partnership.”

Trusted by thousands of commercial contractors across the United States, ServiceTitan empowers businesses throughout the entire property lifecycle, including service, replacement, and construction. Recently, ServiceTitan expanded its commercial services offerings through its acquisition of Convex, a leading sales and marketing platform, and utilized by one of Southland’s service teams. Convex’s technology is specifically built for the commercial services industry to deliver valuable tools for contractors that accelerate profitable growth.

Earlier this year, ServiceTitan released its second annual Commercial Service Report, underscoring the opportunity for the commercial services industry to adopt new technology and drive customer and business growth amidst changing market conditions.

“At ServiceTitan we’re laser-focused on empowering our customers to build a lasting legacy of success,” said Vahe Kuzoyan, President and Co-Founder of ServiceTitan. “We’re excited to leverage the depth and breadth of our technology platform built on our deep expertise within the contracting industry to drive immense value and greater ROI for Southland Industries.“

ServiceTitan and Southland Industries are both proud partners of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), sharing a joint mission to ensure all commercial contractors are equipped to deliver the best service and industry expertise to customers.

For more information about ServiceTitan visit: www.servicetitan.com, and find more information about Southern Industries at  at www.southlandind.com.

Partnership is Committed to Closing the Skilled Labor Gap and Continues SCC’s Alliance-Building Effort to Create a Skilled Career Recruitment Machine

Harbor Freight, America’s leading tool store for professionals and DIYers is the latest to join Skilled Careers Coalition’s growing list of partners as it continues to unify cross-sector stakeholders to close the skilled labor gap.

Launched in 2023, Skilled Careers Coalition (SCC) is quickly building an alliance of like-minded partners across business, industry, government, and education sectors with partners that include SkillsUSA, American School Counselors Association, and Warner Bros. Discovery. SCC recently added Harbor Freight Tools to the coalition starting with cross-promotional efforts to engage and inspire the next generation of skilled professionals.

SCC is aligning with Harbor Freight, which is joining SCC’s youth-directed entertainment brand and YouTube series SKILLS JAM during the SkillsUSA 2024 National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta, June 24-28. During the conference, the tools provider will be a presenting partner of SKILLS JAM’s game show, Double Down, providing remarkable prizes for student contestants.

“We’re excited to partner with the Skilled Careers Coalition (SCC). At Harbor Freight, we’re invested in helping the next generation of skilled professionals achieve their career goals,” said Brooke Niemiec, Vice President, Marketing, for Harbor Freight Tools.

“One of SCC’s priorities is to connect the disaggregated ecosystem of skilled careers across America by convening stakeholders to create a unified skilled careers sector,” said Mark Hedstrom, Co-Executive Director, Skilled Careers Coalition. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with Harbor Freight as we further SCC’s mission to close the growing skilled careers gap at scale to help America maintain her strong position in the global economy while enabling young people to find greater career fulfillment.”

In addition to its coalition-building efforts with businesses and industry, the organization also launched a mentorship initiative to connect trade masters with the next generation. Television personality and master carpenter Ty Pennington is the first to join what SCC is calling The Great Skills Transfer – a movement that is critical to preserving and passing on the knowledge and experience of skilled professionals from one generation to the next.

The skilled labor gap is impacting dozens of industries that rely on the skills and talents of workers across hundreds of disciplines. In manufacturing alone, unfilled jobs are expected to balloon to 3.8MM by 20331. Through strategic partnerships with Harbor Freight, SkillsUSA and others, Skilled Careers Coalition is building a skilled trade recruitment engine while helping to raise awareness among young people of the endless possibilities, financial success, entrepreneurial control, and career satisfaction that a skilled career offers.