Scholarship recipients span the country and represent the future of the plumbing, electrical and HVAC professions Housecall Pro, the go-to software platform for over 45,000 home service companies, has announced the winners of its 2025 Trade Academy Scholarship program. A total of 50 winners were selected from trade schools and programs across the United States Read more
Industry News
Scholarship recipients span the country and represent the future of the plumbing, electrical and HVAC professions
Housecall Pro, the go-to software platform for over 45,000 home service companies, has announced the winners of its 2025 Trade Academy Scholarship program. A total of 50 winners were selected from trade schools and programs across the United States, including students pursuing vocational training in the plumbing, electrical and HVAC fields.
“The skilled trades provide essential services to home and business owners across the country. To ensure continued access to those services, it’s vital to invest in the next generation of tradespeople,” said Roland Ligtenberg, Housecall Pro co-founder and SVP of Innovation. “Education in the skilled trades is not only important for bridging the skills gap but also for empowering students to pursue meaningful careers that make a positive impact in people’s lives.”
Since 2021, Housecall Pro has awarded more than a quarter million dollars in total scholarships, increasing the number of recipients year after year. The scholarships are provided in tandem with WD-40 — in its fourth year as a scholarship partner — and SupplyHouse, which is in its second year as a partner.
Recipients of the scholarship are all enrolled in vocational training for the spring semester. Each receives:
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- A $2,500 financial scholarship to their trade school or program, with $50K contributed by WD-40® and $25K contributed by SupplyHouse
- A Milwaukee M18 FUEL 2-Tool Combo Kit contributed provided by SupplyHouse
- Housecall Pro one-year Essentials membership
This is the first year in which HouseCall Pro has reached 50 total scholarships awarded, demonstrating a growing investment in the future of the skilled trades. It also marks the first time the Trade Academy Scholarship program, historically focused on the HVAC field, has expanded its pool of recipients to include students in the plumbing and electrical trades.
“The goal of the Trade Academy Scholarship program is to make a real difference in the lives of aspiring tradespeople, equipping them for lasting success in their training and ultimately in their careers,” Ligtenberg said. “We are thrilled to be empowering students spanning multiple essential trades.”
This year’s scholarship recipients include students from vocational schools and programs across the country spanning multiple generations. However, many qualify as members of Gen Z — further demonstrating that the Trade Academy Scholarship program is committed to the future of the trades.
“We’re seeing more and more evidence of Gen Z looking to the trades as a meaningful career path. Their commitment to mastering best-in-class digital tools suggests a real desire to make the trades more efficient and more accessible,” said Ligtenberg.
The scholarship program is just one example of the company’s investment in the future of skilled trade education. The Housecall Pro for Education program partners with trade schools across the country to equip students with the tools, technology and mentorship opportunities needed to jumpstart their careers. By integrating Housecall Pro into trade school curriculums, students gain real-world experience before they even enter the workforce.
For more information about Housecall Pro, visit housecallpro.com/.
Company recognized for its commitment to robust ethics, compliance and governance programs A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS), a leader in water heating and water treatment, announces today it has been recognized as a 2025 World’s Most Ethical Company by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. A Read more
Company recognized for its commitment to robust ethics, compliance and governance programs
A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS), a leader in water heating and water treatment, announces today it has been recognized as a 2025 World’s Most Ethical Company by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.
A. O. Smith has been recognized two years in a row and is one of only 12 honorees in the industrial manufacturing category. In 2025, 136 honorees were recognized spanning 19 countries and 44 industries.
“At A. O. Smith, ethics is the foundation of everything we do,” said Kevin Wheeler, chairman and chief executive officer. “Being named one of the 2025 World’s Most Ethical Companies is a testament to our team’s dedication to doing business the right way and living our values every day.”
The World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in Ethisphere’s proprietary Ethics Quotient®, which requires companies to provide 240+ different proof points on practices that support robust ethics and compliance; governance; a culture of ethics; environmental and social impact; and initiatives that support a strong value chain. That data undergoes further qualitative analysis by a panel of experts who spend thousands of hours vetting and evaluating each year’s group of applicants. This process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify best-in-class ethics and compliance practices from organizations across industries and from around the world.
“Congratulations to A. O. Smith for achieving recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies,” said Erica Salmon Byrne, chief strategy officer and executive chair, Ethisphere. “Behind this honor is a true dedication and a commitment to advancing business integrity. This approach is good for business — employees and other stakeholders value companies that prioritize the kinds of practices we measure with our process.”
To view the full list of this year’s honorees, please visit the World’s Most Ethical Companies website, at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees.
Watts has announced the grand prize winner of its 150th Anniversary Sweepstakes: Dave Plasschaert, an engineer from the Chicago area. Dave has won an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Boston, MA. His winning entry was earned through participation in the Watts Works Learning Program, which includes Lunch & Learns, in-person training at Watts Learning Centers Read more
Watts has announced the grand prize winner of its 150th Anniversary Sweepstakes: Dave Plasschaert, an engineer from the Chicago area. Dave has won an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Boston, MA.
His winning entry was earned through participation in the Watts Works Learning Program, which includes Lunch & Learns, in-person training at Watts Learning Centers and eLearning via Watts Works Online. His dedication to expanding his professional knowledge not only strengthened his expertise, but also secured him this exciting prize.
While the 150th Anniversary Sweepstakes has concluded, Watts remains committed to supporting industry professionals through its ongoing Learn & Earn program. Participants can continue earning tokens and tickets by learning about Watts’ differentiated products and solutions. Tokens can be redeemed for a variety of free lifestyle merchandise, while tickets provide entry into various sweepstakes held throughout the year.
For more details on upcoming sweepstakes and learning opportunities, visit watts.com/learnandwin.
Josam®, a Watts brand, has announced its inclusion in the Watts Works Online Learn & Earn Program, providing industry professionals with free, unlimited access to eLearning modules on Josam drainage products and solutions. This integration into Watts Works Online expands training opportunities, offering valuable product and application knowledge across a range of plumbing industry categories Read more
Josam®, a Watts brand, has announced its inclusion in the Watts Works Online Learn & Earn Program, providing industry professionals with free, unlimited access to eLearning modules on Josam drainage products and solutions.
This integration into Watts Works Online expands training opportunities, offering valuable product and application knowledge across a range of plumbing industry categories, including:
- Josam cast iron drains
- Josam stainless steel drains and push-fit pipe and fittings
- Josam PRO-PLUS® trench drains
With dozens of new Josam modules now available, learners can access high-quality training in both English and Spanish, designed to fit seamlessly into their schedules. As part of the Watts Learn & Earn Program, participants can:
- Register once for unlimited access, complete modules at their own pace, earn tokens for each course completed, and redeem tokens for free merchandise.
This opportunity is available to engineers, installing contractors, distributors and other plumbing industry professionals.
For more information and to register, visit training.watts.com.
More than 81,000 builders, remodelers, developers and other home building professionals filled the exhibit halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) hosted the 81st NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS), the largest annual light construction show in the world, Feb. 25-27. This marks the largest show in 17 Read more
More than 81,000 builders, remodelers, developers and other home building professionals filled the exhibit halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) hosted the 81st NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS), the largest annual light construction show in the world, Feb. 25-27. This marks the largest show in 17 years.
Attendees visited more than 1,800 exhibitors – including 750 new exhibitors – over 728,000 net square feet, exploring innovative building products and technology to advance the industry and enhance new homes.
“This year’s show surpassed our high expectations for attendance, exhibit space and educational opportunities,” said NAHB Chief Revenue Officer Geoff Cassidy. “Attendees saw the latest trends in home technology and resilience, and the latest advancements in building techniques.”
“There are a lot more people here this year, and they really did a good job of organizing like-vendors together to make it easier to check out the same kind of products,” said Josh Deal, a home builder at JNJ Enterprises in McKinney, Texas.
“Traffic has been incredible. We’re having great conversations, and everyone’s been super engaged,” noted Sarah Caperton, director of siding innovation and commercialization at LP Building Products.
DCW 2025 By-the-Numbers
- Over 124,000 DCW registered visitors
- More than 2,500 exhibitors
- Over 1.2 million net square feet of exhibit space
KBIS 2025 By-the-Numbers
- Over 43,000 KBIS registered visitors
- Nearly 700 KBIS exhibitors
- More than 500,000 net square feet of exhibit space
- Over 150 first-time exhibitors
- Nearly 270 international exhibitors
This year also marked the 12th anniversary of Design & Construction Week® (DCW), the co-location of IBS and the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show. DCW drew over 124,000 attendees, and nearly 2,500 exhibitors occupied over 1.2 million net square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibits.
IBS attendees enhanced their industry knowledge by attending any of more than 120 education sessions led by experts on a wide range of industry topics, including artificial intelligence, building technology, research and trends. Two demo zones featured live demonstrations of trending topics in residential construction, allowing building professionals to learn best practices for building more durable, efficient, higher-quality homes.
Attendees also took advantage of numerous networking events throughout the week and visited The New American Home™ that showcased cutting-edge building techniques, high-performance design, and the latest products and trends.
“There was so much to see and do, but the education was especially valuable. Each session had several really good nuggets of information that you can take and apply to different markets,” said first-time IBS attendee Ryan Darmetko, sales manager at Eastwood Homes in Charlotte, N.C. “We knew the show was going to be big and busy, but it was all very well organized and 100% worth the investment of coming.”
Next year, DCW will take place in Orlando, Feb. 17-19. Learn more about the show at www.BuildersShow.com.