Industry News

Leaders from Skilled Trades Industries Unite to Combat Labor Crisis in U.S. and Canada

Mechanical Hub Team August 23, 2023

NEST, the pioneers of integrated facilities management, has teamed up with leaders across the construction, retail, and skilled trades industries to create the Skilled Trades Advisory Council (STAC). Aimed to combat the crisis facing skilled labor in the U.S. and Canada, STAC’s founding advisors will leverage their resources, knowledge, and network to elevate the skilled trades Read more

NEST, the pioneers of integrated facilities management, has teamed up with leaders across the construction, retail, and skilled trades industries to create the Skilled Trades Advisory Council (STAC). Aimed to combat the crisis facing skilled labor in the U.S. and Canada, STAC’s founding advisors will leverage their resources, knowledge, and network to elevate the skilled trades as high-paying, honorable, and often heroic career paths, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, janitorial, construction, and other essential jobs that require a rejuvenated workforce.

Founding STAC advisors include:

  • Rob Almond, CEO of NEST
  • Sara Angus, Director of Construction, Starbucks
  • Julie Starzynski, Director of Construction & Design, Floor & Decor
  • Andrew Brown, Founder and CEO of Toolfetch
  • Sarah Hammond, Owner and President of Atlas and Treasurer of Women in HVAC
  • Kam Washington, Owner of PMA Construction
  • Kate Cinnamo, Executive Director of Explore the Trades
  • Mónica Muñoz, Senior Director of Capital Programs at DaVita Kidney Care
  • Mary Gaffney, President of NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation and GEM Mechanical Services

“I’m encouraged that so many others share my passion for growing the trades and ending the stigma that surrounds jobs in the industry,” said Almond, who spearheaded the initiative. “STAC is a way for many of us to work together and find ways to encourage youth to consider a career in the skilled trades. There are many viable, lucrative, and creative opportunities to explore.”

According to online recruiting platform Handshake, the application rate for young people seeking technical jobs dropped by 49% in 2022 compared to 2020 (source). Staffing firm PeopleReady estimate 40% of the 12 million people in the skilled trades workforce are over the age of 45, with nearly half of those workers over the age of 55 (source).

Associated Builders and Contractors reported that the construction industry will need to attract an estimated 546,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2023 to meet the demand for labor (source).

“The U.S. and Canadian workforces are struggling to fill a massive gap in the skilled trades, and we need to unite as an industry to reverse the trend,” added Almond, who is based in the Philadelphia area. “This group of founding advisors shares that passion across many sectors that make up the industry.”

To learn more about the Skilled Trades Advisory Council, follow STAC on LinkedIn or the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Top Tips for Putting AI to Work

Mechanical Hub Team August 23, 2023

Author: Michele Windsor, Vice President of Implementation and Training, Successware There is no doubt artificial intelligence (AI) is getting a lot of attention these days, and home service contractors are asking themselves a lot of questions about how, or even if, to use these tools in their business. Fear or uncertainty of the unknown can Read more

Author: Michele Windsor, Vice President of Implementation and Training, Successware

There is no doubt artificial intelligence (AI) is getting a lot of attention these days, and home service contractors are asking themselves a lot of questions about how, or even if, to use these tools in their business.

Fear or uncertainty of the unknown can cause us to feel stressed, but using AI to help your business run more efficiently does not need to create tension. These tools can help your team communicate with customers, schedule and dispatch with ease, and even manage and predict inventory needs. Let’s discuss a few examples.

Chatbots for the CSR Win

Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) are our front line and have a lot of responsibility as the one customers talk to first. When they answer the phones, they also have simultaneous tasks to complete such as looking up the customer’s record, active agreements, inventory that needs to be available related to their job schedule, etc.

One of the best examples of how AI tools can help a business – particularly in making the CSRs job go more smoothly – is also one that has been around the longest. Chatbots are everywhere we go online these days, prompting us to engage right off the bat. As technology is getting smarter, there are more and more analytics going into this exchange.

For instance, once you’re connected with a customer online and have their caller ID, AI gives you the ability to link directly to their service record. The chatbot can immediately offer options based on what it’s accessing in that record. What does this mean for the CSR? Time – and customer frustration – saved. The CSR doesn’t have to ask the customer to repeat their history, and they can make more immediate, positive connections, such as thanking them for their years of patronage.

As these chatbots grow smarter with algorithms and analytics and help us access more information, CSRs will see they have more time to address the main, more complex issues for the customer. For instance, AI can provide insight to predict customer trends based on seasonality. CSRs can then seamlessly ask the right questions and make the right decisions, and all the customer has to say is “Yes, thank you very much!”

Smart dispatching and inventory

Smart dispatching is an area in which AI algorithms can really help by recommending best dates and job times based on the customer’s location, service requests, the technician’s skills and their availability on the days the customer is requesting. AI can analyze historical information and identify patterns so much quicker than a human can.  While we have to go back and look at several screens and review spreadsheets to figure out what that pattern looks like, AI can do it in seconds.

Also, don’t forget about inventory. AI breaks down seasonal trends and historical data to tell us we have X parts in our warehouse and we have X customers who are going to need this part. Analyzing the trends, AI can tell you you’re going to have X calls coming up in a certain timeframe. With this knowledge, you can have data-driven predictions about when you are going to need those parts before you need them, and you can safely invest in the inventory because the trend data supports it.

Putting AI to Work on Your Website

Many businesses today already have some form of AI on their website, even if it’s just a simple form collecting basic customer and visitor information. Many have business software that goes beyond that to handle the scheduling. Customers can log in and see their job history, scheduled jobs and equipment, and they can decide how they want to move forward. Online scheduling capability is one step forward to getting technicians out the door that much faster.

AI Offers Support, Not Replacement

There’s a lot of conversation in the media and in workplaces around the potential for AI to replace workers, so it’s important for business owners to squash those fears and reservations about embracing the technology. Communicate with employees, especially CSRs, that incorporating AI capabilities into their workflow will offer them a new level of support.  They will be able to schedule more jobs and get off the phone quicker so they can go to the next job. For those on commission, that should be music to their ears. And for the company as a whole, it’s going to make everyone better.

Find The Balance

For all its strengths, technology can still be a bit impersonal if we rely on it too much. Using AI to its fullest is a balance game. Make sure you’re following up online interactions with a personalized email. It can be an automatic step sent through your system; the key is to communicate with the customer in an individualized manner.

Getting Started

Jumping into AI can be daunting. First and foremost, do your research. Really understand what AI is. It’s not going to replace all of your staff. AI is an intelligence behind the scenes that does some manual work to allow your staff to spend more time with your customers. Do your research on how this can help you. For dispatching, it can reduce the administrative burden on dispatchers. It can optimize your customers’ needs in real time by offering them the things they want most. It can get your technicians out the door faster and increase your profitability.

Do what you can to quell the fears with your employees. It’s not about a robot taking their job. It’s about getting resources in place to optimize your business so that your customers win, your employees have enhanced tools to do their jobs and your profitability increases.

Michele Windsor is an experienced leader with over 23 years’ experience within the software vendor space. She has expertise in management and optimization and has conceptualized and executed enterprise solutions for high-profile corporations. Michele is focused on increasing business efficiencies, growing revenue and improving operational processes. As Vice President of Implementation and Training at Successware, she is committed to a seamless customer journey and creating customers for life by helping them understand how to use Successware products to increase their business productivity.

Goulds Water Technology Factory School Completes First Female-Only Class

Mechanical Hub Team August 23, 2023

For the first time ever, women took over the Goulds Water Technology Factory School this past June. That’s when the school hosted the first female-only option of its Residential Water System Product Application & Troubleshooting course. The focus of the female-only course sought to empower women through tailored education opportunities that support the unique experiences Read more

For the first time ever, women took over the Goulds Water Technology Factory School this past June. That’s when the school hosted the first female-only option of its Residential Water System Product Application & Troubleshooting course. The focus of the female-only course sought to empower women through tailored education opportunities that support the unique experiences that women may face in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

“It was really all about creating the right environment and making it more comfortable,” said Tom Stephan, training manager at Goulds Water Technology. “The level of comfort encouraged a culture of sharing information and asking questions. They [attendees] were very interested in helping each other succeed and sharing stories that led to a lot more discussion and collaboration.”

Once announced, registration for the women-only training filled up within weeks, with 25 women from around the country ultimately enrolled in the class. Throughout the training, attendees supported each other, sharing valuable insights from their own work experiences and building a network of professionals to reach out to in the future.

Feedback from those who attended the class was overwhelmingly positive. Jennifer Gould from Gould Well Drilling Inc. said, “There was a great advantage to come to this. It was interesting to see with the women-only aspect and how the women were able to have the instructor bridge several topics to be more appropriate for the attendees.”

Michelle McDonal really appreciated all the women who attended. “I like the feedback and seeing everyone from different locations excited me,” McDonal said. “I’ve been in the industry for 31 years, so just knowing more women are in the industry now then there was 30 years ago is a big deal.”

The initiative has empowered women to pursue further education in an environment where they feel valued and comfortable asking questions, resulting in a significant shift in the dynamics of technical training. Inspired by the success, Goulds Water Technology is committed to maintaining the momentum by staying connected with the inaugural class through online training sessions. They also have plans to expand this initiative into the future. Recognizing the clear demand for tailored training, the school plans to introduce female classes into its schedule for 2024.

The Goulds Water Technology Factory School is open to distributors, dealers and original equipment manufacturers with at least one year of industry experience.

Peterman Brothers sponsors Military and First Responders’ Day at Indiana State Fair

Plumbing Perspective August 16, 2023

Active military personnel, veterans and first responders receive free admission to the fair with their families on Aug. 18 Peterman Brothers, a leading HVAC and plumbing company serving the Greater Indianapolis area, is honoring the sacrifice of active and former military personnel and first responders at the Indiana State Fair on Friday, Aug. 18. First Read more

Active military personnel, veterans and first responders receive free admission to the fair with their families on Aug. 18

Peterman Brothers, a leading HVAC and plumbing company serving the Greater Indianapolis area, is honoring the sacrifice of active and former military personnel and first responders at the Indiana State Fair on Friday, Aug. 18.

First responders and current and former members of the military who present valid ID at the gate will be admitted free with their families on Military and First Responders’ Day, sponsored by Peterman Brothers.

“We want to pay tribute to the people who put their lives on the line to protect us and preserve our freedoms,” said Chad Peterman, president of Peterman Brothers. “The Indiana State Fair is a great event that represents the deep values we share in the Indianapolis area. That makes it a great occasion for us to express our gratitude to the neighbors who lay it all on the line and let them know how much we care and appreciate what they do.”

In addition to Military and First Responders’ Day, Peterman Brothers will have a booth at the fair through Aug. 20. Attendees can stop by to register to win prizes or find out more about the company.

The Indiana State Fair takes place through Aug. 20. For more information about the fair, please visit www.indianastatefair.com.

Peterman Brothers is available to help with any plumbing or cooling needs. For more information, call (260) 201-3070 or visit www.petermanhvac.com.

Lowe’s Donates $1 Million to Continue to Help Maui Recover from Catastrophic Wildfires

Mechanical Hub Team August 16, 2023

Frontline associates providing essential supplies and support as Lowe’s offers critical relief to affected communities Lowe’s announced it will donate $1 million to continue to support relief and recovery efforts across Maui after deadly wildfires caused catastrophic destruction to homes and businesses on the island. The donation will assist Lowe’s disaster relief partners including the Read more

Frontline associates providing essential supplies and support as Lowe’s offers critical relief to affected communities

Lowe’s announced it will donate $1 million to continue to support relief and recovery efforts across Maui after deadly wildfires caused catastrophic destruction to homes and businesses on the island. The donation will assist Lowe’s disaster relief partners including the American Red Cross and Lowe’s nonprofit Pro customers, helping these organizations provide food, emergency shelter, relief supplies and comfort to those affected by the wildfires.

“The scope of the devastation in Maui is heartbreaking. We continue to send our thoughts and prayers to the people of Hawaii who have lost loved ones, have been displaced and all who have been impacted by this tragedy, including our associates,” said Marvin Ellison, Lowe’s chairman and CEO. “We are grateful for the tireless efforts of first responders and community members who have been on the ground helping since last week, and we will continue standing by them and our frontline associate to support the recovery of our neighbors, friends and family on the island.”

A woman digs through rubble of a home destroyed by a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

In immediate response to the wildfires, associates from Lowe’s of Kahului in Maui assisted local police, fire department and community members with donations of water, propane, barbecue grills, popup tents, tarps and many other essential supplies to help residents. Lowe’s Emergency Command Center continues to expedite generators and additional emergency supplies to assist with immediate needs and support long-term recovery.

Lowe’s Command Center has also deployed a 20-person Emergency Response Team to Lowe’s store in Kahului to help with recovery efforts over the next two weeks. These specially trained store associates and district leaders are voluntarily leaving their home stores from Oahu and the Big Island to provide additional customer and associate support.

The company is also expanding financial assistance provided to associates through the Lowe’s Employee Relief Fund. Lowe’s is doubling the company’s match, contributing $2 for every dollar an employee donates. Additionally, Lowe’s has provided hotels for displaced store associates and meals for all associates and their families in Kahului. The store in Kahului is also hiring additional associates to support ongoing community needs and help Maui rebuild. Anyone who is interested can go to joinlowes.com to apply.

Individuals can team with Lowe’s and the American Red Cross to provide assistance by donating at Lowe’s American Red Cross Online Donation Site. Visit Lowe’s Newsroom for updates on Lowe’s relief efforts and continued community support.

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