Industry News

The newly established non-profit organization, She Built Foundation, encourages and inspires girls to take up building and construction careers

The She Built Foundation, a newly established nonprofit organization, is thrilled to announce its official launch and participation at the International Builders’ Show (IBS) during the last week in February. The foundation, founded by Mollie Elkman, author of The House That She Built, is dedicated to inspiring girls from a young age to explore careers in the building and construction industry.

Building on the success of Elkman’s book, The House That She Built, the She Built Foundation aims to spark curiosity and excitement in girls by connecting their interests with the idea of shaping physical spaces. By reaching girls at the beginning of their journey, the foundation aims to cultivate a robust pipeline of building and construction talent.

“We are taking action in response to the growing labor crisis facing the entire construction industry,” says Elkman. “While there certainly are solutions further down the pipeline, we recognize the need to engage girls at a young age and plant the seeds of curiosity and excitement. By creating a pipeline of talent through education, representation, and community engagement, we can future-proof the industry and ensure it reflects the diverse communities it serves.”

Challenging tradition: The She Built Foundation focuses on three key program areas: representation, education and skills, and community engagement. Through storytelling and content, the foundation challenges traditional ideas about who construction careers are right for, ensuring girls are aware of the opportunities available to them.

Additionally, the foundation provides curriculum and programs to nurture girls’ excitement and curiosity, allowing them to develop the skills necessary for a career in construction.

Finally, the foundation taps into the industry to establish ambassadors who serve as role models, mentors, and advocates within the community.

To accelerate its work, the She Built Foundation is raising $1 million to distribute copies of The House That She Built to nonprofit organizations across the country, develop curriculum for youth organizations such as the Girl Scouts and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and scale the She Built Foundation Ambassador program to reach more communities nationwide.

“We are excited to invite corporate partners who share our values and vision to join us in our mission,” says Elkman. “With their support, we can continue to drive awareness about the industry, develop an engaging curriculum, and expand our reach to inspire more young girls across the country.”

The She Built Foundation will have a prominent presence at IBS with a booth located at #C30 in the Central Concourse, just outside of Halls C3/C4.

“IBS presents an incredible opportunity to showcase the organization’s mission and engage with industry professionals,” says Elkman.

She Built Foundation Schedule of Events at IBS:

• Workforce Development Champions Forum – The Power of Women in the Industry: On Tuesday, February 27, from 3:30 to 4:30 PM, Elkman will be moderating this forum and interviewing influential women in the industry. The program will focus on workforce development and take place at LVCC – North 243. Click here for more information.
• Book Signing at the Oatey Co. Booth: The She Built Foundation is proud to announce a special book signing event in collaboration with Oatey. This event will take place in the Oatey booth (#N3227) on Tuesday, February 27, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Oatey, a proud supporter of the foundation, recognizes the importance of promoting and empowering women within the building and construction industry. Attendees will have the chance to engage with Elkman and receive a signed copy of her book.
• Panel Discussion at the MiTek Booth: On Wednesday, February 28 at 11:15 AM, Elkman will be part of a panel discussion at the MiTek booth (#C5837), sharing insights and expertise on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the industry. Following the panel discussion, Elkman will be available for another book signing, during which attendees will have the opportunity to receive a complimentary signed copy of The House That She Built.
• The Nationals^SM — National Sales and Marketing Awards: This is NAHB’s largest and most prestigious awards competition, paying tribute to superior sales and marketing achievements by individual professionals, home builders and their associates, and sales and marketing councils. The Nationals Awards ceremony is one of the highlights of IBS, drawing over 700 attendees for this black-tie multimedia celebration.

The She Built Foundation is a proud sponsor of the Nationals awards program. Award winners will also receive a complimentary drink on the foundation. The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday, February 28, from 5:00 to 9:00 PM at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Click here for more information.

The She Built Foundation is calling on industry professionals, organizations, and individuals to support its mission through donations and partnerships. “By joining forces,” says Elkman, “we can cultivate the next generation of builders and trades professionals to create a thriving construction industry that embraces diversity and representation.”

For more information about the She Built Foundation and to become involved, visit its new website at https://www.shebuilt.org/.

Domestic hot water (DHW) sizing and design is critical to optimize energy efficiency, reduce water waste, and improve safety.  Host Christoph Lohr, P.E. returns to the webinar series to detail the engineering methods that can help designers right-size their hot water return (HWR) system.  He will recap the September ’23 Coffee with Caleffi™ webinar (Ten Things to Know About DHW Return Design) and discuss three critical items regarding DHW return design:

• Balancing Valve Selection Impact on HWR System Sizes
• The Equations that Govern Right-Sizing Hot Water Return Systems (Hardy Cross Methodology)
• Pipe Routing and Plumbing Fixture impact on Hot Water Return System Design

Christoph is IAPMO’s Vice President of Technical Services and Research.  As part of his duties he provides industry leadership through participation in strategic industry initiatives, and provides technical support to all IAPMO’s business units as needed. Christoph has over a decade of experience in designing plumbing systems and has a reputation as a results-oriented expert, particularly in the realm of balancing waterborne pathogen prevention and water sustainability.  He is a distinguished graduate from the Virginia Military Institute, with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

Coffee with Caleffi technical training webinars are free and intended for contractors, designers and wholesalers.  By submitting your webinar registration, you are consenting to email communications to keep you up-to-date on industry news.

New AI-assisted smart cameras and vehicle telematics increase technician safety, reduce costs and optimize workflow

FieldRoutes, a ServiceTitan product and leading cloud-based and mobile SaaS platform for field service businesses, today announced an integration of ServiceTitan Fleet Pro with FieldRoutes’ software. This new, integrated solution enables pest control companies to manage their fleet more efficiently, leading to greater cost savings, improving driver safety improvements, and ultimately increasing ROI.

With the new integration, FieldRoutes customers can directly leverage Fleet Pro to manage and oversee operations across the entire fleet management lifecycle. Pest control businesses are able to access real-time and historical fleet data from a vehicle’s GPS system and AI-assisted smart cameras, which can streamline costs and improve overall performance. Using Fleet Pro can also help technicians minimize accidents by nearly 75%, reduce distracted driving, and encourage regular vehicle maintenance.

“Our customers are facing increasingly complex challenges, from staffing shortages to fluctuating fuel costs, adding pressure to their roles,” says Mark Tipton, CEO of Aspire Software. “Business owners have less time to focus on strategically planning daily routes, when to schedule vehicle maintenance, or where to cut costs. This integration enhances Aspire’s existing solutions, empowering our customers to meet the evolving market, ensure both driver and community safety, and propel them forward.”

Key capabilities of ServiceTitan’s Fleet Pro include:

• Eliminate Side Jobs – Detect and alert unauthorized vehicle usage through GPS tracking and geofencing.

• Maximize Billable Hours –  Receive regular service reminders to stay on top of maintenance and prevent unexpected breakdowns.

• Prevent Unsafe Driving – Stop distracted driving with real-time, in-cabin driver alerts.

• Protect Against Liabilities – Leverage video event capture in real-time with in-cabin alerts via text and email.

• Facilitate Driver Coaching – Driver scorecards track technicians’ distance, drive time, idle time, fuel use, and unsafe driving behavior.

Faced with continued labor shortages, increasing customer demands, and a focus on drivers’ safety, businesses are adopting these tools to stay competitive in the field, cut costs, and improve performance. According to a 2024 Fleet Technology Trends Report, 70% of fleets use fleet technology, with 50% for managing field service and workforce (scheduling, dispatch, communication). Of the fleets surveyed, 77% using video technology protected themselves from false claims, 48% lowered accident costs, and 44% reduced insurance costs.

“Our customers rely more frequently on real-time data and insights from their vehicles and fleets to make better-informed business decisions and enjoy a competitive edge,” says Anmol Bhasin, CTO of ServiceTitan. “We are committed to equipping contractors and technicians with the tools and technology they need to run and grow their businesses safely and efficiently. This new integration with FieldRoutes makes this goal even more attainable.”

For more information about ServiceTitan’s Fleet Pro capabilities, visit: https://www.fieldroutes.com/pro/fleet