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
Industry News
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.
Applications are available now for the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association (PHCC) Educational Foundation 2025 scholarship program. The organization plans to award 65 scholarships totaling $150,500 to plumbing and HVACR apprentices working for PHCC—National Association members, trade school or community college students taking plumbing or HVAC classes and college students pursuing majors directly related to the plumbing-heating-cooling Read more
Applications are available now for the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association (PHCC) Educational Foundation 2025 scholarship program. The organization plans to award 65 scholarships totaling $150,500 to plumbing and HVACR apprentices working for PHCC—National Association members, trade school or community college students taking plumbing or HVAC classes and college students pursuing majors directly related to the plumbing-heating-cooling industry.
In the application process, scholarship candidates answer questions about their involvement in the trades and future career goals. They are asked to supply a letter of recommendation, which apprentices can secure from their PHCC member contractor employer, while students enrolled in trade schools or colleges can obtain it from a teacher or academic advisor. Scholarship amounts vary between $1,500 and $10,000, with most scholarships valued at $3,000. The deadline for all required documents to be turned in is May 1st, and the application form can be accessed at phccfoundation.org/scholarships.
The scholarships are funded by contractor donations to the PHCC Educational Foundation and by these corporate sponsors: A. O. Smith, Bradford White Corporation, Delta Faucet Company, Ferguson Cares Foundation, Home Depot Pro, InSinkErator, RIDGID, Scorpion Home Services Marketing, State Water Heaters, and Sterling (a Kohler Brand).
Contractor business owners want to ensure that apprentices and technicians are invested in their training and commonly will require new hires to pay for their own classes. This can be difficult for employees who are also supporting a family or stretching their finances on entry-level earnings. The Foundation’s scholarships can provide a bridge to the point where their growing skills deliver the job earnings needed to self-fund the rest of their training. “And for employers who pay for their employees’ training, our scholarships can free up training funds the company can reinvest in other areas,” added John Zink, the Foundation’s VP of Development and Communications.
New funding expands foundation’s roster of funded partners to 52 organizations offering scalable training programs in dozens of states The Lowe’s Foundation announced nearly $9 million in Gable Grants to strengthen 15 nonprofits on the front lines of a growing skilled trades workforce movement. From Alaska to Mississippi, each organization is helping prepare new tradespeople Read more
New funding expands foundation’s roster of funded partners to 52 organizations offering scalable training programs in dozens of states
The Lowe’s Foundation announced nearly $9 million in Gable Grants to strengthen 15 nonprofits on the front lines of a growing skilled trades workforce movement. From Alaska to Mississippi, each organization is helping prepare new tradespeople as rising wages fuel more career opportunities. Over the past 12 months in construction alone, average hourly earnings have risen 4.4%, according to Associated Builders and Contractors.
“We listen closely to contractors and know that many candidates don’t have the necessary skills to fill the wide range of open trades positions,” said Janice Dupré, Lowe’s executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe’s Foundation. “Through modern training methods, these nonprofits are unlocking the workforce’s potential while building an economy that rewards skills, not just titles or four-year degrees.”
Since 2023, the Lowe’s Foundation has awarded over $34 million in Gable Grants to help educate and advocate for the next generation of skilled tradespeople. The grants support training programs focusing on carpentry and construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and appliance repair.
“We are grateful for the support of the Lowe’s Foundation and their Gable Grants that will help fund the training of the next generation of skilled trade professionals,” said Jim Tobin, CEO of the National Association of Home Builders. “All of these deserving grant recipients play a pivotal role in helping to strengthen the residential construction workforce, and we stand in support of their efforts.”
The new Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grants support the following community-based nonprofits:
Alaska Works (Anchorage, Alaska) will expand its free, hands-on construction training program in Anchorage, Fairbanks and the Mat-Su region. The expansion includes additional funds for carpentry, plumbing and electrical training to include building maintenance and additional support for participants.
Hope Renovations (Carrboro, North Carolina) plans to double its number of skilled trades graduates by offering more cohorts at its Raleigh and Durham locations. Its pre-apprenticeship program empowers individuals to enter the construction industry while offering critical home repairs for adults aging in place.
Latino Academy of Workforce Development (Madison, Wisconsin) will support various cohorts of students through a bilingual skilled trades program featuring industry-recognized safety certifications, blueprint reading, financial education and more. For over a decade, the nonprofit has worked closely with employers and regional workforce development boards to support over 10,000 individuals in south-central Wisconsin.
Moore Community House (Biloxi, Mississippi) will build on its construction program with an electrical 101 course, specific to residential construction. The nonprofit will also grow its pre-apprenticeship course through modules that introduce masonry, flooring, roof framing, HVAC and plumbing.
Next Step of West Michigan (Grand Rapids, Michigan) will equip its new training facility to continue construction on dozens of tiny and small homes through a seven-week training program. The nonprofit offers on-the-job training and employment opportunities in construction, carpentry and wood product manufacturing.
Nontraditional Employment for Women (New York) plans to recruit and train more than 300 individuals annually for building and construction trades careers. The grant will also support individualized employment plans, peer support and mentoring events as the nonprofit expands its size and operations.
North Alabama Homebuilding Academy (Huntsville, Alabama) will reach hundreds of new aspiring skilled trades students across Alabama through new satellite programs and a 16-session course. The course culminates with a job fair featuring local employers who have immediate hiring needs and is supported by the Huntsville Madison County Builders Association, a chapter of the National Association of Home Builders.
SER Metro-Detroit Jobs for Progress (Detroit) will expand ReBuild Detroit, a free eight-week apprenticeship readiness training program licensed by the state of Michigan. The program offers industry-recognized credentials, including OSHA 30, and career pathways in the skilled trades through SER’s extensive network of employer partners.
Trade Institute of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh) will increase the capacity of its 10-week, tuition-free masonry and carpentry training program by 25% while exploring expansion beyond Pittsburgh. The grant will also support new instructors and case managers to help remove barriers to employment through holistic services like life coaching and therapy.
Uncommon Construction (New Orleans) will enhance its alumni Career Pathways program, develop certification curriculum for adults and complete renovations to its new training facility. The organization offers on-the-job training to support safe and affordable housing in the area.
Additionally, the Lowe’s Foundation has awarded a Gable Grant to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) as a new national nonprofit partner. BGCA will use its grant to enhance skilled trades job readiness programs for young adults (ages 16-24) at three pilot club locations in Hobe Sound, Florida; Madison, Wisconsin; and Seattle.
The foundation has also renewed partnerships with national nonprofits Goodwill Industries International, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and SkillsUSA. These partnerships will continue to support a variety of skilled trades training programs, including wraparound services and targeted workforce development in communities impacted by natural disasters.
The next Gable Grant application cycle for community and technical colleges will run from March 1 to March 31. To learn more about eligibility guidelines and the pressing challenges facing the skilled trades, visit Lowes.com/Foundation.