People in the News

The leading provider of digital solutions for field service teams names experienced service technology leader Strickland Tudor executive VP of sales and promotes Stacey Bright to CMO XOi, the leading provider of technician-first smart technology for commercial and residential field service companies, continues building the industry’s top leadership team with the addition of veteran service Read more

The leading provider of digital solutions for field service teams names experienced service technology leader Strickland Tudor executive VP of sales and promotes Stacey Bright to CMO

XOi, the leading provider of technician-first smart technology for commercial and residential field service companies, continues building the industry’s top leadership team with the addition of veteran service technology executive Strickland Tudor and the promotion of Stacey Bright to Chief Marketing Officer.

Tudor, who has more than 25 years of experience driving the digital transformation of the skilled trades, will serve as XOi’s executive vice president of sales. In his new position, he will lead the development and implementation of XOi’s growth strategy, supporting the company’s continuing expansion and its reimagining of technology for field service contractors.

“Strick has unique skills and experience in this industry,” Salow said. “His extensive background serves as the foundation for an exciting vision of the future that aligns with XOi’s mission.”

Strickland most recently served as vice president for Schedule Engine, an innovative technology solution for contractors. Before that, he served in various executive leadership roles for Enterprise Holdings, the most successful provider of transportation and mobility solutions in the world.

“XOi is investing in the unprecedented opportunities that emerge as our industry continues to experience tremendous rapid change,” Tudor said. “The company has a solid foundation of success based on prioritizing the experience of technicians in the field. By empowering the hard-working men and women on the front lines of our industry, we’re in position to reach more markets and accelerate growth and innovation into the future.”

Bright has proven to be a dedicated, visionary leader in the SaaS Marketing space for more than a decade. She served as XOi’s vice president of marketing before rising to her new position. As CMO, she will continue to put emphasis on driving demand generation, brand awareness in vertical and adjacent markets, and XOi’s future-focused digital strategy.

“Stacey’s unwavering commitment to driving top-line growth and brand enhancement has positioned XOi as an industry leader in field service technology and propelled Stacey into a role as a trusted, valued member of XOi’s C-suite leadership team,” said Aaron Salow, founder and CEO of XOi. “We would not be here without her, and she is absolutely critical to getting us where we’re going.”

Before joining XOi in 2019, Bright served as a marketing executive for Built Technologies and Fleet One.

“I’m thrilled and humbled by this new opportunity,” Bright said. “At XOi, we’re building a team for the future, and we’re committed to transforming the trades through innovative, technician-focused digital solutions that drive productivity and revenue and help business owners overcome the ongoing labor shortage.”

XOi provides field service contractors and their teams a suite of premium tools for managing and leveraging data from current jobs as well as historical projects, including powerful data collection, virtual support and mentoring, and real, actionable insights. XOi users report, on average, a 20% reduction in the amount of time it takes to complete tasks, an additional $1.4 million in new replacement and preventive maintenance contract revenue, and a 40% reduction in second truck rolls.

For more information about XOi, visit https://xoi.io.

RLS hosted its first pressing competition at the 2023 AHR Expo in Atlanta in February. It was a fun and exciting event, with teams of three competing to be the fastest at forming the letters “RLS” out of copper tube and RLS press fittings. A total of six teams competed, three on Monday and three Read more

RLS hosted its first pressing competition at the 2023 AHR Expo in Atlanta in February. It was a fun and exciting event, with teams of three competing to be the fastest at forming the letters “RLS” out of copper tube and RLS press fittings.

A total of six teams competed, three on Monday and three on Tuesday. RLS named six team captains, who were then able to choose any two additional competitors to complete their teams. The two winning teams that completed the project the fastest are listed below.

Team 1 (Monday): Jeff DeMassari (@jeffjdemhvac), Michael Flynn (@flynnstone1) and Ben Thomson (@hvac_strong)

Team 2 (Tuesday): Jamie Christensen (@northwest_hvac), Justin Angelo (@truebluemechanical) and Michael Flynn (yes, he was on both winning teams!)

A big shout out and thank you to all of our six team captains, and to our referee, Robert Villagomez (@p.e.hvac):

Jeff DeMassari – @jeffjdemhvac
Jamie Christensen – @northwest_hvac
Shav Jumaev – @hvaclyfe101
Gabriel Gonzalez – @Hvac_sg
Pat Finley – @commercial_kitchen_chronicles
Lance Robinson – @solderweldhvac

Uponor North America (Uponor) recently announced Jon Sillerud, Vice President, Operations, has agreed to accept the additional responsibilities of leading the Supply Chain function for the company, effective immediately. He has been filling the Supply Chain leadership role on an interim basis for several months, proving his experience and extensive knowledge make him the ideal Read more

Uponor North America (Uponor) recently announced Jon Sillerud, Vice President, Operations, has agreed to accept the additional responsibilities of leading the Supply Chain function for the company, effective immediately. He has been filling the Supply Chain leadership role on an interim basis for several months, proving his experience and extensive knowledge make him the ideal person to lead both functions. His new title is Vice President, Integrated Supply Chain, Uponor North America.

Since 2017, Sillerud has led North American Operations, a critical function that includes manufacturing, maintenance, quality, process engineering, real estate, security, and safety. In his newly expanded role, he will also guide the Supply Chain strategy and team, building partnerships with suppliers and leading continuous improvement initiatives that cover supply planning, production scheduling, distribution, transportation, and inventory.

“Under Jon’s leadership, our business will accelerate its lean manufacturing journey and ensure we continue to drive our growth trajectory under the priorities of safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and continuous improvement,” says Andres Caballero, President, Uponor North America. “I am thrilled to have Jon expand his leadership role and look forward to the success he will bring for the Integrated Supply Chain functions in North America.”

For information about Uponor products, systems, services, and solutions, visit uponor.com.

An industry leader in innovative plumbing and hydronic technology and products, Caleffi North America, Inc. announces the hire of two employees in the support of the company’s exponential growth.  Jacob Hicks, Product Manager, will drive market research and new product introductions.  Pat Cholka, Quality Manager, will focus on ensuring superior caliber products that our customers Read more

An industry leader in innovative plumbing and hydronic technology and products, Caleffi North America, Inc. announces the hire of two employees in the support of the company’s exponential growth.  Jacob Hicks, Product Manager, will drive market research and new product introductions.  Pat Cholka, Quality Manager, will focus on ensuring superior caliber products that our customers have come to depend upon.

Graduating summa cum laude from Northern Illinois University at Dekalb in 2017, Hicks has been driven to excel.  His natural technical abilities coupled with a thirst for knowledge have fueled his passion for product management.  He is a solution-finder with a keen eye on solving customer quandaries.  States Hicks, “Caleffi has a rich history in developing and releasing industry impacting products, a commitment to educational excellence and the encouragement of employee success.  It was a simple choice to join the growing company, a decision that I couldn’t be happier with.”  Hicks reports to Kevin Freidt, Director of Product Management and Technical Services.

For 25 years Cholka has invested and refined his skill in the management of quality systems and procedures for the production of superior product performance, supplier conformance and ISO 9001 compliance.  Cholka has a deep appreciation for industry relationships, reflecting an important symmetry with Caleffi.  “Quality reaches further than product conformity.  It also focuses on supply chain relationships.  Without the cultivation of relationship, you cannot be successful,” stated Cholka.  He reports to Mike Schreiner, Chief Technology Officer.

Join us in welcoming Jake and Pat!  To learn more about Caleff employment opportunities, please contact us at (414) 238-2360 or hire.us@caleffi.com.

The Maryville, Tenn.-based public relations agency commemorates a decade serving those in the skilled trades industry across the country Ripley PR, an elite, global public relations agency specializing in the home service industry, marks its 10th anniversary in business by celebrating a decade of providing strategic public relations solutions to clients around the world. The Maryville, Tennessee-based PR Read more

The Maryville, Tenn.-based public relations agency commemorates a decade serving those in the skilled trades industry across the country

Ripley PR commemorates a decade of providing public relations services for the skilled trades, franchising, B2B technology and manufacturing industries.

Ripley PR, an elite, global public relations agency specializing in the home service industry, marks its 10th anniversary in business by celebrating a decade of providing strategic public relations solutions to clients around the world.

The Maryville, Tennessee-based PR agency was founded in 2013 by CEO Heather Ripley after she decided it was time to leverage her experience and success in marketing and PR to create a world-class agency in her own back yard.

“This anniversary not only marks a milestone in Ripley PR’s professional existence but commemorates the date when I decided to follow my dreams,” Ripley said. “We’ve seen great achievements and growth throughout the years thanks to the fantastic team we have in place, and we now serve contractors and B2B companies in the skilled trades industry from Georgia to California, and from Virginia to New York. We are proud of our journey and hope to continue to provide success to our clients for many years to come.”

Ripley started that journey as an assistant buyer for a national department store before catching the communications bug. She spent the next decade managing PR and marketing campaigns for a variety of companies, including Clockwork Home Services and its three franchise brands, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Mister Sparky. It was at that organization that Ripley first learned how impactful public relations could be to the home service industry.

Heather Ripley

She continued to work for other organizations throughout the Southeast until 2013 when she decided to come back to her hometown of Maryville and open her own public relations agency. Beginning with zero clients, Ripley got to work building a PR company that would help home service business owners grow to the next level and achieve their dreams.

In addition to the skilled trades, Ripley PR also specializes in promoting and growing franchising brands and companies in B2B and construction technology and industrial manufacturing industries.

Ripley PR is now considered the No. 1 home service PR agency in the country. The agency has been named to the Forbes list of America’s Best PR Agencies for 2021 and Entrepreneur’s Best PR Agencies for Franchise and is the second largest PR agency in the Knoxville, Tennessee market. The agency offers strategic communications for its clients, including brand awareness campaigns, crisis management, media relations and social media strategies.

In 2021, Ripley released “Next Level Now: PR Secrets to Drive Explosive Growth for Your Home Service Business” through Advantage/Forbes Books as a way to help home service business owners understand how PR can help them improve their brand awareness. She was also nominated as a finalist for the 2020 Blount County ATHENA Awards and was named to the 2021 PHC News’ Top 10 Women in PHCP.

Ripley is also a regular contributing writer for a variety of trade publications such as Entrepreneur, For Construction Pros and Franchising USA. She has also been a guest on dozens of industry podcasts such as the Business Savvy podcast, Mechanical Hub’s Appetite for Construction, Home Service Success, Power Women of the Trades and PHCPPros: Off the Cuff.

To learn more about Ripley PR, visit https://www.ripleypr.com or call (865) 977-1973.