Industry News

Reins, a pioneering technology firm dedicated to empowering privately owned businesses through alternative equity solutions, announces a new partnership with The Blue Collar Success Group, an international coaching and business development organization focused on the skilled trades. As part of the partnership, it will be a preferred vendor for the organization’s broad membership, introducing skilled trade business owners from across the world to innovative employee retention solutions.

“The Blue Collar Success Group knows how to coach business owners to build sustainable growth, to dominate within their markets and ultimately to live the kind of lives they want—and they also know the skilled trades inside and out,” said Chris Buttenham, co-founder. “This is an organization that’s helped countless entrepreneurs and technicians turn their business dreams into realities, and we’re pleased to be a part of that.”

Blue Collar Success Group Services

The Blue Collar Success Group extends its services throughout the United States, Canada and Australia, supporting its membership with custom solutions—ranging from one-on-one coaching to live training sessions, seminars and events.  Members also receive recommendations on the best resources and vendors to help them scale their growth.

“We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions for the home service contractors we serve, which is why we love highlighting innovative tools like the Reins Modern Agreement for Rewards and Equity (MARE) program,” said Chris Crew, president of The Blue Collar Success Group. “For contractors who are looking for outside-the-box options to attract, motivate and retain top talents, this is truly remarkable and proven to work in our industry.”

Phantom Stock

With innovations like MARE, Reins provides skilled trade business owners with unique options to incentive employee tenure and performance, providing a sense of “skin in the game” through phantom stock offerings. Phantom stock allows business owners to provide their employees with the benefits of ownership without having to navigate the hassle of traditional ownership offerings.

For more information, visit https://www.myreins.com.

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Seattle Kraken and the Tacoma-based home service company says that giving back to the community is its mission and encourages others to donate to the hospital’s uncompensated care fund 

Harts Plumbers, Electricians and HVAC Technicians, a Tacoma-area top-rated home services provider founded in 2013, is pleased to announce it has raised nearly $13,000 for Seattle Children’s Hospital Uncompensated Care Fund through a collaboration with the Seattle Kraken, a professional National Hockey League team, and iHeartRadio, a division of iHeartMedia Inc.

“We are honored that we can provide this donation to ensure that families whose children need the hospital’s services can focus on caring for their loved ones instead of worrying about the costs of care,” said Dan Hartsough, co-owner of Harts Plumbers, Electricians & HVAC Technicians. “At Harts, it’s our priority to give back to the community. By spotlighting a popular sports team in our donation efforts, we are also able to increase awareness about the Uncompensated Care Fund and its goal to care for this area’s children regardless of their families’ ability to pay.”

As part of the collaboration, Harts donates $50 for every goal scored by the Kraken. During the 2024-25 season, the Kraken scored 253 goals, resulting in a total donation of $12,650.

In 2024, Seattle Children’s Hospital provided $310.6 million in uncompensated care. The Uncompensated Care Fund allows the hospital to recover some of those costs through private donations.

In addition to its fundraising efforts with the Kraken, Harts has also developed an independent $50/$50 offer to encourage its customers to join them in supporting Seattle Children’s Hospital. When a customer donates a minimum of $50 to the fund during a service call, they receive a $50 discount on that day’s services.

“This encourages our customers to donate all year long,” Hartsough said. “We enjoy working with the community to help families get the care or services they need. Opportunities like this help us create a bond with the community we serve.”

Harts Plumbers, Electricians & HVAC Technicians provides residential plumbing services, top-notch electrical services, and outstanding heating and cooling services throughout the greater Seattle, Tacoma and now Tukwila areas. Earlier this year, the company was named to the Inc. 5000, a ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America, for the fifth time.

To learn more about Harts Plumbers, Electricians & HVAC and the services it offers, call them at (253) 470-8766. This month, the company has published an electrical safety and inspection guide for homeowners on their blog at https://hartsservices.com/blog/electrical-safety-inspection/.

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“Malco Tools Day” proclaimed during open house & ribbon-cutting ceremony at renovated headquarters in Annandale, Minn. 

Malco Tools, one of the nation’s leading solution developers and manufacturers of high-quality tools for the HVACR and building construction trades, celebrated its 75^th anniversary on May 17, 2025, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house at its newly remodeled building in Annandale, Minn. 

The celebration was attended by employees, Annandale community members, and local dignitaries and representatives from the U.S. Senate, Wright County and the City of Annandale, which officially proclaimed the date “Malco Tools Day.” 

Malco Tools was founded in 1950 by Mark W. Keymer, a young steel supply salesman, who invented a pipe crimper for installing sheet metal ductwork used in forced air heating systems. The company started in a small garage in Minneapolis before moving to its current headquarters in Annandale, where the company now employs 170+ associates. Keymer was later inducted into the Minnesota Inventors’ Hall of Fame in 2007.

Malco recently completed a substantial building remodel as part of its “Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good” initiative, and welcomed the community to experience the updated workspaces and see how Malco manufactures and ships its products from Central Minnesota. 

“Malco’s 75^th anniversary serves as a tribute to 75 years of hard work and progress – a true celebration of American manufacturing, rooted in Minnesota and powered by our people,” said Rich Benninghoff, CEO of The Malco Group. “This milestone also serves as a celebratory turning point as we look ahead to the future. We are all energized by what’s ahead for The Malco Group.” 

Malco became an employee-owned ESOP in 2015 after the Keymer family sold their final shares back to the company. The company remained employee-owned until late 2024, when Malco Tools was acquired by Aspen Pumps Group, providing significant value to the hundreds of employee-owners who are still employed by Malco today. 

With a continued focus on people, Malco Tools was named as a Top Workplace by The Star Tribune in 2024 and was also one of just 1,500 companies nationwide to receive a Top Workplace recognition from USA Today in 2025—further demonstrating the company’s commitment to creating an outstanding culture and workplace.

Now, Malco looks ahead to its next 75 years in business as part of The Malco Group, a specialized portfolio of North American brands providing high quality products and solutions to professionals in the HVACR industry. 

For more information, visit the Malco Tools website.

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Watts will host an ASPE-accredited continuing education webinar titled “Next-Gen Data Center Cooling: Mastering Valve Selection for Maximum Efficiency & Sustainability” on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. This webinar is part of the ongoing Watts® Works℠ Engineer Webinar Series and is specifically designed for facility engineers, design engineers, process engineers, piping engineers, and mechanical contractors focused on improving efficiency, performance, and sustainability in mission-critical cooling applications.

Latest Developments in Data Center Cooling Solutions

The webinar will explore the latest developments in liquid cooling technologies, including immersion and direct-to-chip cold plate systems. Attendees will gain expert insights into how thoughtful valve and strainer selection can maximize system efficiency and reduce environmental impact. The webinar will also cover techniques for proper valve integration to help minimize downtime and improve overall reliability, as well as the growing role of smart and connected solutions in cooling system design.

CEUs

As part of Watts’ commitment to professional development, participants will earn 0.1 ASPE continuing education units (CEUs) for their participation in the webinar.

For more information, visit watts.com/DataCenterCoolingCEU.

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