Malco Tools

Malco to provide tools to be used in championship skills-testing event, highlighting top tradespeople from across the US 

Malco Tools, one of the nation’s leading solution developers and manufacturers of a variety of high-quality tools for the HVAC trade, announced that it is partnering with the ServiceTitan Elite Trades Championship Series (ETCS) to sponsor the 2024 ServiceTitan HVAC National Championship.

During ETCS, top tradespeople from across the U.S. go head-to-head in a series of challenging and skill-testing events throughout the year, culminating in one final round of competition for the top 10 HVAC professionals and top 10 HVAC apprentices in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September 2024. Malco will provide tools for the finalists to use during the championship, where they will prove their skills in a custom-built arena by installing equipment in a short timeframe while being judged on their workmanship, proper tool usage and safety.

“We are excited to help power the exciting ServiceTitan Elite Trades Championship Series to shine a spotlight on the high-quality skills HVAC tradespeople use on the job every day,” said Rebecca Talbot, vice president of marketing for Malco Tools. “HVAC pros are incredibly skilled, and Malco is proud to support a platform that allows them to showcase their expertise in their craft.”

The ETCS program was built to celebrate the importance and incredible range of skills the people in the trades implement every day that keeps the country running. ETCS is dedicated to showcasing the incredible career opportunities in the industry, growing local and national support for all of the trades and developing new platforms that expand the awareness of the amazing stories of the men and women in the trades.

Malco is a strong supporter and advocate of careers in the trades, donating significant quantities of in-kind products and apparel annually to a variety of skilled trade education programs, competitions and events across the country. Malco also coordinates the “Head of the Class” Student Recognition Program that partners with education programs in the U.S. to recognize high-achieving students and entire graduating classes in the HVAC/sheet metal and building construction fields. To date, Malco has reached more than 85,000 trade students through Head of the Class.

For more information about Malco Tools, visit www.malcotools.com. For more information about the ServiceTitan HVAC National Championship, visit www.hvacnationals.com.

Malco Tools, one of the nation’s leading solution developers and manufacturers of a variety of high-quality tools for the HVAC and building construction trades, has been named a 2024 Minnesota Manufacturing Award winner from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

For the second time since 2018, Malco has been named Manufacturer of the Year in the medium-sized business category. The awards celebrate the successes and contributions of leading manufacturers to the region’s economy.

Malco, which employs 150+ associates at its plant in Annandale, is a 100% employee-owned employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) company. Malco aims to be a destination company in central Minnesota and has made many significant positive changes to the business to achieve this goal, including setting new company core values and an internal “Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good” campaign to renovate workspaces, promote employee collaboration and wellbeing, and give back to the community.

Since its last Manufacturer of the Year award win, Malco has welcomed a new leadership team and strategic board members focused on driving measured and strategic growth, and strengthening the brand as it expands its product lines.

“Earning this recognition is such an honor, and an amazing way to celebrate the entire team’s work over the years to strengthen our internal culture, improve processes and bring in strategic experts to help guide our growth, all while maintaining our commitment to developing and manufacturing the highest quality tools for skilled trade pros,” said Rich Benninghoff, president and CEO at Malco. “We are immensely proud to once again be recognized among the leading manufacturers in the state of Minnesota who are doing fantastic work and promoting our local manufacturing industry.”

Malco is also a strong advocate for trade careers, donating significant quantities of in-kind products and apparel annually to national skilled trade education programs, competitions and events. Malco has also reached 85,000+ vocational students through its national “Head of the Class” Student Recognition Program, partnering with educators to recognize high-potential students and entire graduating classes in the trades.

Malco celebrates a safety-first culture, continuously maintaining its OSHA Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (MNSHARP) recognition since 2004, and earning the Minnesota Safety Council’s Governor’s Safety Award 13 times in the last 20 years.

Additionally, Malco is transitioning to environmentally-friendly recyclable packaging materials with significantly less plastic, reducing waste, conserving resources, and lessening its environmental impact.

Malco will be profiled in the July 19 issue of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and more information about the award can be found here.

For more information about Malco Tools, visit www.malcotools.com.

Malco Tools, one of the nation’s leading solution developers and manufacturers of a variety of high-quality tools for the HVAC trade, announced the winners of its New Product Ideas Contest, which aimed to solicit ideas for new products from trade pros in the field.

First place was awarded to Aurelio “Cheekz” Godina from Nebraska, who submitted an idea for a new duct notcher. “Malco’s tools have been a part of every stage of my career and life,” Godina says. “I am happy and thankful that there is a company like Malco who is changing the game with every new tool designed by their team.” As part of Godina’s prize, he joined Malco as a VIP guest at the 2024 AHR Expo in Chicago.

Additionally, Randy Allender of Massachusetts took home the second-place prize for his idea to add a light accessory for Malco’s popular TurboShear™ line. Allender is a Malco “super fan,” previously having participated in Malco’s Head of the Class program, which recognizes outstanding students in HVAC programs around the U.S. Allender also advocates for the trades as an HVAC instructor at local trade schools, and has chosen to further invest in the future of the industry using a portion of his prize winnings to purchase popular Malco tools for use in the classroom.

“We thank both Aurelio and Randy for entering our new product ideas contest,” said Rebecca Talbot, vice president of marketing at Malco. “At Malco, we highly value feedback and always encourage input from the field for innovative new high-quality tools that bring value to hard-working trade pros.”

Malco encourages trade pros to submit feedback on existing products, as well as ideas for new product innovations, on its website at www.malcotools.com/ideas.

For more information about Malco Tools, visit www.malcotools.com.