Stop by the RIDGID booth to try out their latest drain cleaning, diagnostic, and pressing solutions ELYRIA, OHIO – February 11, 2025 – RIDGID®, a part of Emerson’s professional tools portfolio, announced their participation in the WWETT Show, Feb. 18-20, in Indianapolis. This year’s in-booth experience will include demos of a new game-changing handheld cordless drain Read more
Industry News
Stop by the RIDGID booth to try out their latest drain cleaning, diagnostic, and pressing solutions
ELYRIA, OHIO – February 11, 2025 – RIDGID®, a part of Emerson’s professional tools portfolio, announced their participation in the WWETT Show, Feb. 18-20, in Indianapolis. This year’s in-booth experience will include demos of a new game-changing handheld cordless drain cleaner, along with their latest underground technology and pressing solutions, an exclusive show meetup for industry pros with the chance to win one of three RIDGID tools, and the first chance to enter to win a spot at the 2025 RIDGID Experience.
“WWETT will be the first place to experience our new K-46 Cordless SinkSnake™, a handheld drain cleaner that features an industry-first integrated, multi-position kickstand that alleviates the challenges of working under cramped vanities and in tubs,” said Jeff Albertini, product management director, underground technologies and licensing, RIDGID. “It’s been designed to significantly improve ergonomics when drain cleaning in sinks, tubs, vanities, and showers and our team is excited to be able to share it with those attending WWETT.”
Along with the K-46, RIDGID invites tradespeople to stop by the RIDGID booth (#2605) to experience their other drain cleaning, inspection, pipe rehabilitation, and pressing tools, including these latest solutions:
o NEW SeeSnake® microDRAIN APX CSx Via™ System – This kit features the SeeSnake microDRAIN APX, an inspection camera ideal for small pipes and tight turns with a flexible push cable and compact camera head to navigate small-diameter pipes, p-traps, and narrow bends where other systems struggle. Equipped with TruSense® technology and auto-image rotation, this inspection camera provides bright, clear images with real-time angle and orientation feedback. Paired with the CSx Via, the system offers a flexible, bring-your-own-screen solution to stream, capture, and share inspection images.
o FlexShaft® KM-1004 Milling Machine – This innovative hybrid milling machine provides heavy-duty milling and a wall-to-wall clean on 1 ¼ to 4-inch pipe up to 80 feet with unmatched efficiency. With cordless freedom, plug-in capability, first ever FlexShaft cable counter, and best-in-class durability, the FlexShaft KM-1004 Milling Machine allows users to adapt to tough jobsite conditions and makes in-field serviceability effortless.
o SeeSnake Mini Pro Inspection Camera with TruSense Technology – The first reel of its kind to provide digital self-leveling without mechanical rotation to maximize uptime, the small, yet rugged Mini Pro is designed to inspect up to 200 feet of 1 ½ to 8-inch pipe with its mid-flex push cable that can navigate hard 90-degree bends. Its innovative 25 mm digital self-leveling camera head always keeps the in-pipe image upright and, when paired with a TruSenseenabled monitor, the Mini Pro delivers the industry’s best in-pipe image with superior clarity, detail and fewer blown-out areas and sections of the pipe that are too dark to see.
o K-4310 FXP™ Drum Machine – The K-4310 features an industry-first cable counter that provides real-time, in-pipe cable distance in 3 to 10-inch lines for faster locating and diagnostics. Ideal for residential and commercial plumbing and drain cleaning projects, its powerful brushless DC motor spins at 230 RPM allowing you to tackle tough jobs with less required maintenance. The battery-powered K-4310 is also the newest addition to the FXP Technology Platform, delivering cordless freedom and powerful performance.
Other RIDGID drain cleaning, diagnostic, and press tools will also be available for demo including sectional machines, drum machines, jetters, SeeSnake® camera systems and locators.
Along with product demos, RIDGID is hosting a booth meetup on Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. where industry pros will have the chance to win a K-46 SinkSnake™, K9-204+ FlexShaft® Drain Cleaning Machine or microDRAIN APX and Via Kit. Additionally, the first day of the show will kick off the RIDGID Experience 2025 and the RIDGID WWETT booth will be the first opportunity for attendees to enter for their chance to win a spot on the eighth annual, all-expenses-paid trip to RIDGID headquarters. Throughout the show, attendees can also scan their badge to enter to win one of three K9-102+ FlexShaft Drain Cleaning Machines.
Thu, Feb 27, 2025 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CST Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6255693841565296736?source=evite1 Coffee with Caleffi™ Complimentary Technical Training Webinar Plumbing Codes and Certificates: Safety Essentials Technical Content Level: Fundamentals Join us for the first Coffee with Caleffi of the year, featuring Chris DeMarco, Regional Field Manager for IAPMO in the Mid-Atlantic region. In this Read more
| Thu, Feb 27, 2025 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CST |
Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6255693841565296736?source=evite1
Coffee with Caleffi™ Complimentary Technical Training Webinar
Plumbing Codes and Certificates: Safety Essentials
Technical Content Level: Fundamentals
Join us for the first Coffee with Caleffi of the year, featuring Chris DeMarco, Regional Field Manager for IAPMO in the Mid-Atlantic region. In this webinar, Chris will explore the critical role of codes, standards, and third-party certification in the plumbing and mechanical industry and why they are essential for safety, quality, and compliance. Participants will gain insights into:
→ How do codes ensure safety and quality?
→ What does an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) do?
→ Why is third-party certification important?
→ How can professionals influence code development?
→ What are common code violation myths?
With more than eight years of experience at IAPMO, Chris began in Business Development, assisting manufacturers in navigating the complexities of Third-Party Certification. As Regional Manager for IAPMO’s Field Services, he fosters the adoption of IAPMO and ASSE Codes and Standards across his region while collaborating with industry partners, trade organizations, and various stakeholders. This session is an invaluable opportunity for anyone involved in plumbing and mechanical systems to understand the regulatory landscape that ensures safety, quality, and compliance.
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. A Certificate of Attendance is emailed to attendees following the webinar for continuing education consideration.
Prizes include a 2025 Can Am Defender, a Traeger Grill and Malco Shopping Sprees 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, today announced its 75th Anniversary Sweepstakes. Entrants have a chance at prizes including a 2025 Can Am Defender, a Traeger Read more
Prizes include a 2025 Can Am Defender, a Traeger Grill and Malco Shopping Sprees
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, today announced its 75th Anniversary Sweepstakes. Entrants have a chance at prizes including a 2025 Can Am Defender, a Traeger Grill and Omaha Steaks gift card, Malco $500 and $250 shopping sprees, as well as Malco’s Limited Edition Camouflage Andy™ Snips and C-RHEX® Cleanable, Reversible Hex Drivers.
“We are excited to celebrate Malco’s 75th anniversary with a sweepstakes that marks the legacy and longevity of our company and community,” said Rebecca Talbot, vice president of marketing at The Malco Group. “Our dedication to producing innovative, dependable and high-performance hand tools for the past 75 years has positioned us as a leading innovator and manufacturer in the industry. This sweepstakes is a great way to honor that legacy and provide trade professionals a chance to win outstanding prizes.”
Entrants can purchase* any new Malco tool from Feb. 3-April 3, 2025, and register the tool on Malco’s Sweepstakes website for a chance to win. There is a limit of one entry per day, up to 10 entries per person for the entire sweepstakes.
Malco’s 75th Anniversary Sweepstakes offers a range of prizes including:
- Grand Prize: 2025 Can-Am Defender with Flip Windshield – Hard Coated ($19,000 retail value)
- 1st Prize: Traeger Grill Ironwood 650 + $500 Omaha Steaks Gift Card
- 2nd Prize: $500 Malco Shopping Sprees (3 winners)
- 3rd Prize: $250 Malco Shopping Sprees (5 winners)
- Malco tools (350 winners)
The sweepstakes kicks off a year of celebration around Malco’s 75th anniversary. The company was founded in 1950 when Mark W. Keymer invented and manufactured a pipe crimper for installing sheet metal ductwork used in forced air heating systems. Today, Malco Tools offers hundreds of other innovative HVAC and building trade products.
Please visit www.malcosweepstakes.com for official rules and regulations and an alternate method of entry.
For more information about Malco Tools, visit www.malcotools.com.
*NO PURCH. NEC. Open to legal residents of 50 U.S./D.C., 18+. Void where prohibited. Begins 2/3/25 and ends 4/3/25. Subject to Rules incl. alternate methods of entry: https://tinyurl.com/ywehb9uc. Sponsor: The Malco Group dba as MalcoTools, Inc.
Acquisition expands product offering for the rehabilitation and replacement of lateral and mainline underground infrastructure HammerHead Trenchless, a division of The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC), today announced that it has acquired the assets of ProKASRO Services USA, the distributor of ProKASRO Mechatronik GmbH and market leader of robotic solutions and rehabilitation equipment for repairing underground water Read more
Acquisition expands product offering for the rehabilitation and replacement of lateral and mainline underground infrastructure
HammerHead Trenchless, a division of The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC), today announced that it has acquired the assets of ProKASRO Services USA, the distributor of ProKASRO Mechatronik GmbH and market leader of robotic solutions and rehabilitation equipment for repairing underground water and wastewater infrastructure. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
ProKASRO Services USA is known for its industry-leading robotics, UV pipe lining solutions and lateral rehabilitation technologies. Based in Centennial, Colorado, its expanded line of trenchless solutions enable utility contractors the ability to rehabilitate underground wastewater and water pipelines without the need for digging or disruption to outdoor environments.
“We are excited to announce the acquisition of ProKASRO Services USA,” said Jeff Gabrielse, General Manager of HammerHead Trenchless. “This acquisition aligns with our strategic growth initiatives and helps expand our business into new markets with the leading technologies and brand reputation of ProKASRO. With the addition to the HammerHead Trenchless portfolio, we believe we are best positioned to offer a full suite of trenchless pipe rehabilitation and replacement products for contractors from laterals to mainlines in both the CIPP and pipe bursting markets.”
Through this acquisition, HammerHead Trenchless will market these products under the ProKASRO USA brand name and serve the U.S. market with continued operations in Colorado. “With service facilities now in both Wisconsin and Colorado, HammerHead is positioned geographically to maintain customer expectations for quality and further expand the HammerHead legacy of customer service, support and innovation,” said Gabrielse.
For more information on the full suite of HammerHead Trenchless products visit www.hammerheadtrenchless.com.
The intelligent jobsite technology innovator secures record funding from KKR to expand data gathering and enrichment solutions XOi, a leading provider of jobsite-focused technology solutions for the field service ecosystem, today announced the acquisition of Specifx, an on-demand data enrichment and metadata retrieval platform for field service equipment. The acquisition was enabled by an investment from Read more
The intelligent jobsite technology innovator secures record funding from KKR to expand data gathering and enrichment solutions
XOi, a leading provider of jobsite-focused technology solutions for the field service ecosystem, today announced the acquisition of Specifx, an on-demand data enrichment and metadata retrieval platform for field service equipment. The acquisition was enabled by an investment from funds managed by leading global investment firm KKR. The funding from KKR marks the most significant milestone yet in XOi’s journey to build out its system of work for the field service ecosystem.
This strategic investment from KKR, along with the acquisition of Specifx, enable XOi to amplify its use and capabilities across the field service industries, furthering its mission of serving stakeholders throughout the ecosystem, including technicians, field service providers, distributors, and OEMs.
“As the challenges of maintaining and manufacturing field service equipment grew more complex, we pushed ourselves to evolve our product alongside the demands of the industry,” said Aaron Salow, founder and CEO of XOi. “KKR’s strategic partnership will help us meet and exceed every stakeholder’s expectations of sustainability, profitability, and transparency.”
“We believe XOi’s comprehensive software stands apart in the field service space not only because it allows technicians to view and adjust multiple workflows in one efficient platform, but also for its ability to normalize and enrich field service asset-specific data,” said Jake Heller, Partner and Head of KKR’s Technology Growth team in the Americas. “The addition of Specifx further enhances XOi’s database offering. We look forward to working with the entire XOi team as they continue to innovate for their customers across the field service ecosystem.”
Prior to this acquisition Specifx helped expand XOi’s groundbreaking Insights product, which provides unique asset origination, performance, and diagnostics information. Now, the combined resources and capabilities of the two companies empower XOi to deliver a unified framework of proprietary and operational data to fuel faster and more meaningful innovation to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing industries.
“Today marks a defining moment in our growth and we are thrilled to join forces with XOi,” said Ryan Martineau, founder and CEO of Specifx. “XOi’s extremely impressive platform, coupled with a shared mission and common customer base, allows us to accelerate our vision of next generation, asset-centric solutions that simplify the day-to-day operations for our customers.”
“We are humbled by the role we have been able to play in changing this industry and the skilled trades for the better, and we are excited to drive the mission forward for years to come,” said Aaron Salow, founder and CEO of XOi. “Our vision has never been clearer, and our passion for the trades has never been stronger.”
KKR is funding this investment primarily from its Next Generation Technology III Fund.
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC served as legal advisor and Raymond James Financial, Inc. served as financial advisor to XOi. Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to KKR.