Ninth Annual Competition to Uplift Tradespeople Across the Nation has qualifying event kick off this Spring for opportunities to compete for national title and more than $250,000 in prizes on Sept. 12-15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. Intersport announced highly-anticipated competition details for its ninth annual Elite Trades Championships Series (ETCS) with an expansion of ServiceTitan’s support Read more
Industry News
Ninth Annual Competition to Uplift Tradespeople Across the Nation has qualifying event kick off this Spring for opportunities to compete for national title and more than $250,000 in prizes on Sept. 12-15 in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Intersport announced highly-anticipated competition details for its ninth annual Elite Trades Championships Series (ETCS) with an expansion of ServiceTitan’s support as title sponsor, the qualifying events schedule and the launch of a new website. The dynamic platform aims to grow the trades and celebrate highly skilled tradespeople across the country who have traditionally not received the recognition they deserve.
There are approximately 15 million tradespeople in the United States, according to YouGov, yet demand for the trades has skyrocketed due to a shortage tradespeople. Now backed by the leading software powering trades businesses, the ServiceTitan ETCS aims to inspire future generations and address this growing labor gap by spotlighting the invaluable contributions and talents of tradespeople through four competitions:
- Ninth annual IDEAL National Championship for electricians
- Fourth annual U.S. Auto Tech National Championship driven by Yokohama
- Third annual ServiceTitan HVAC National Championship
- Second annual Plumbing National Championship
“The men and women in the skilled trades are remarkable individuals who power our world through their essential skills and tireless dedication to their craft,” said Scott Mendel, ETCS general manager. “We are thrilled to have ServiceTitan expand their partnership, as they share our commitment to creating a platform that uplifts and celebrates the indispensable skills and contributions of America’s tradespeople.”
An unmatched experience for the nation’s top tradespeople
About 50 elite professionals and apprentices will be named finalists, receiving an all-expenses paid trip to the ServiceTitan Elite Trades Championship Series at the West Palm Beach Convention Center. The September 12-15 competitions will showcase their skills in a custom-built arena. Bragging rights as the top tradesperson in the country for their field and a share of more than $250,000 in cash and sponsor-provided prizes are on the line.
“When people think of competing for hundreds of thousands of dollars at a national championship, they don’t often think about the trades,” said Tom Howard, ServiceTitan vice president of customer experience. “The ServiceTitan Elite Championship Series promotes our mission to empower and support hardworking contractors everywhere. We look forward to expanding our role in ensuring tradespeople continue to receive the national platform and recognition they deserve for providing essential services that keep our world running.”
Qualifying events free to tradespeople across the nation
More than 10,000 entries are received from skilled tradespeople in the first round of ServiceTitan ETCS event qualifiers, vying for a coveted finalist spot at the annual competitions. Challenges vary by field during each round, leveraging a combination of digital and hands-on tests evaluated for speed, skill, safety and accuracy. Qualifiers for the auto and HVAC competitions are open now, kicking off with a free online test that takes as little as five minutes to complete. Details for the electrical and plumbing qualifiers, along with all qualifier timeframes and the number of participants who advance each round for the respective competitions, are available on elitetrades.global.
Enriched learning for future generations
The platform’s mission to encourage future generations to join the trades and close growing skilled labor gaps is supported by the return of the second annual ETCS Student and Apprentice Trades Education Summit. The inaugural event welcomed more than 1,000 aspiring trades leaders, who experienced hands-on educational sessions featuring industry leaders, networking opportunities and a chance to witness the competitions firsthand.
More information and signup to receive updates for the 2024 ServiceTitan ETCS, including details for 2024 qualifiers and exclusive content, are available at elitetrades.global. This enriched website serves as a one-stop resource for all ServiceTitan ETCS news and details, including competition qualifier details, exclusive content, sponsorship opportunities and more.
Uponor North America has again been honored with two Governor’s Safety Awards by the Minnesota Safety Council. The company’s Apple Valley campus won its fifth Governor’s Safety Award, recognized at the Bronze level this year, and the Uponor Lakeville Distribution Center won its fourth award, achieving the highest level of Diamond. The annual Governor’s Safety Awards Read more
Uponor North America has again been honored with two Governor’s Safety Awards by the Minnesota Safety Council. The company’s Apple Valley campus won its fifth Governor’s Safety Award, recognized at the Bronze level this year, and the Uponor Lakeville Distribution Center won its fourth award, achieving the highest level of Diamond.
The annual Governor’s Safety Awards, which date back to 1934, recognizes Minnesota employers for safety and health excellence in protecting employees from injuries, illnesses, and incidents. Organizations with an incident rate below those of the State and National rates in their industry are awarded for their efforts.
“Safety is the #1 priority across the Integrated Supply Chain organization,” says Jon Sillerud, vice president, Integrated Supply Chain. “We start every shift-change meeting with the safety topic, and in 2023, we made enhancements to our safety program and placed emphasis on improving our safety culture. We also launched a Mission Zero program to raise awareness of safety with all employees. In 2023 we reduced our Lost-Time-Incident Frequency rate by 48 percent, which was a huge improvement. For 2024, we have comprehensive plans to further reduce our Lost-Time-Incident Frequency rate by 20 percent as we move closer to our aspirational goal of zero workplace accidents.”
Sillerud went on to say that as a nine-time recipient of this award, Uponor attributes this recognition to not only raising employees’ awareness and improving its safety culture, but also to a system of extensive self-audits, inspections, and risk assessments, as well as a newly implemented computer-based training.
To see a complete list of award recipients, visit MinnesotaSafetyCouncil.org.
Homeowners ranked “online search & reviews” as the top ways they find home service providers Jobber, the leading provider of operations management software for home service businesses, today announced the launch of two Marketing Tools—Reviews and Campaigns—designed to help home service businesses in industries such as cleaning, contracting, landscaping, tree care, painting, HVAC, roofing, and Read more
Homeowners ranked “online search & reviews” as the top ways they find home service providers
Jobber, the leading provider of operations management software for home service businesses, today announced the launch of two Marketing Tools—Reviews and Campaigns—designed to help home service businesses in industries such as cleaning, contracting, landscaping, tree care, painting, HVAC, roofing, and more, grow simply by leveraging the power of their existing clients. Jobber extends its functionality beyond supporting the core workflow for these businesses, now allowing them to run key elements of their marketing like automating online review requests and running targeted email campaigns—all within Jobber.
“The online shopping experience has come to home service, with homeowners sourcing and comparing providers on Google the same way they do with physical products,” said Sam Pillar, CEO & co-founder of Jobber. “Entrepreneurs are in a constant state of juggling time and financial resources to grow their businesses. Jobber Marketing Tools makes marketing foolproof for home service pros.”
Getting more 5-star reviews with less effort
According to a recent Jobber survey of 500+ U.S. homeowners and renters responsible for making decisions on home services:
- When considering a home service business, 98% said it is important the business has recent reviews
- 70% of respondents will not seek a quote from a business with a rating of less than 4 stars
- 65% require a business to have more than 50 reviews to consider working with them
The home service category is a competitive marketplace and online reviews are critical to the decision-making of homeowners. With Jobber’s new Reviews tool, service pros can stand out on Google and meet homeowners’ high expectations by automating review requests to their preferred clients as a part of their existing Jobber workflow.
“A few years ago we lost all of our reviews because of an issue with Google; that was really hard, especially as a service business,” said Paul Ricard, owner of Grill Tanks Plus based in Boynton Beach, FL. “Now, with Reviews embedded into our workflow in Jobber, we’ve been able to 10x the number of reviews! Clients are able to share how amazing our work truly is, which also boosts the morale of our team who love to see their hard work recognized. I would most definitely recommend Jobber Reviews.”
“When I’m looking for services I Google providers near me to see their reviews, and I need to read ten or more recent ones with depth to them,” said Joe H, homeowner in Rancho Cucamonga, California. “Customer service is such a big part of these services, so I’m looking for if they’re approachable, friendly, and if I feel I can trust them before I decide to reach out.”
Turning ‘old’ customers into new work using powerful email Campaigns
According to Jobber’s survey:
- Email is the #1 preferred channel for respondents to receive marketing communications from a home service business
- When it comes to topics for these communications, 92% of respondents expressed interest in receiving info related to promotions, new service offerings, and home maintenance tips and reminders
Home service businesses spend a significant amount of time and budget to build a strong customer base—yet staying top of mind and maximizing revenue with existing customers is often overlooked. Jobber’s Campaigns tool makes it easy for service pros to create targeted, branded emails that re-engage their existing clients and promote their services. Businesses can send as many email campaigns as they need to as many (or as few) clients as desired.
“Jobber’s Campaigns tool is easy to use because everything is formatted for you,” said Jeff Parks, owner of Blooming Valley Landscaping based in Scottsdale, AZ. “I just changed a few lines and the email campaign was ready to go in minutes. I booked four jobs off my first campaign to fill a couple of gaps on my calendar. I definitely recommend Jobber Campaigns to other businesses—I guarantee there is work out there waiting for you!”
“In Vegas, air conditioners break all the time, so getting emails from service pros that remind me about offerings, products, and costs are really helpful,” said Vincent G, a homeowner in Las Vegas, Nevada. “I like email because it’s less invasive than text and phone calls and I’m not on social media very much.”
Jobber customers on most plans can purchase Reviews and Campaigns as add-ons. To learn more about Jobber’s new Marketing Tools, visit: https://jobber.com/features/marketing-tools/
Falls Church, Va. — For plumbing and HVACR contractors who are eager to make a difference, the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association (PHCC) is providing a timely opportunity to for them to do so by educating lawmakers during the May 21-22 PHCC Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. As part of the conference, PHCC will facilitate visits between PHCC Read more
Falls Church, Va. — For plumbing and HVACR contractors who are eager to make a difference, the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association (PHCC) is providing a timely opportunity to for them to do so by educating lawmakers during the May 21-22 PHCC Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.
As part of the conference, PHCC will facilitate visits between PHCC members and the offices of their elected representatives. The policy priorities for this year are:
- Protecting America’s energy future through fuel choice,
- Educating lawmakers on the costs and realities of building electrification,
- And supporting workforce programs and registered apprenticeships.
First-time attendees shouldn’t be nervous, as the event will provide personalized coaching by PHCC’s federal lobbyists, an easy-to-use app to help you navigate your Capitol Hill visits, and much more.
In addition to hearing from PHCC’s and other industry experts, attendees will hear from this year’s keynote speakers:
- Rep. Martin Frost (D-TX)
- And Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA).
These speakers will provide an objective overview of the state of politics during this pivotal election cycle. A complimentary copy of their book, The Partisan Divide, will be given to all conference attendees.
Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is continuing its commitment to support training the workforce of the future by providing strategic in-kind grant funding to the Center for Employment Training (CET), a national nonprofit technical training school. The grant, which stems from Bradford White’s signature charitable giving Read more
Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is continuing its commitment to support training the workforce of the future by providing strategic in-kind grant funding to the Center for Employment Training (CET), a national nonprofit technical training school.The grant, which stems from Bradford White’s signature charitable giving initiative, Industry Forward®, includes the purchase of nine 50-gallon AeroTherm® heat pump water heaters, which will be used at nine CET training centers across northern and southern California for their training programs.
Additionally, as part of this workforce education grant, Bradford White training experts will lend their expertise throughout the year to CET students by providing in-person and online training to further advance their knowledge and allow them to be prepared for future conversions to this energy-efficient technology in California.
“At Bradford White, we are committed to partnering with organizations that are strengthening our communities and supporting the workforce of the future by helping to create a skilled trades talent pipeline right here in the United States,” said Rebecca Owens, senior manager of communications for Bradford White. “Through Industry Forward®, we are providing these heat pump water heaters and offering CET students new opportunities to gain critical skills in heat pump technology and increase their knowledge through hands-on, real-world learning so they are prepared to compete for good-paying jobs.”
This grant will allow CET to expand its training program capacity as it grows programs in high-demand, high-paying careers to provide economic advancement opportunities to populations that have been marginalized and overlooked.
“Thanks to the generosity of Bradford White, we can offer essential training in heat pump technology, which offers incredible promise in the energy efficiency arena,” said Senobio Aguilera Instructional Resource Coordinator and Trainer with CET. “This donation will empower our students to acquire key skills using the latest industry-relevant equipment and enhance their competitiveness in the workforce upon graduation.”
The heat pumps will be placed at nine of CET’s schools in California: Coachella, Colton, El Centro, Oxnard, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Maria, Soledad and Watsonville. At these sites, students will learn safety, basic electricity, equipment and plumbing/HVAC maintenance, repair and more.
Bradford White partners with nonprofit organizations and technical schools to educate individuals and families on the importance of the skilled trades and the role that industry professionals provide in the health, safety, sanitation and infrastructure of their communities through strategic grant funding, which supports workforce development training and education programs and industry career opportunities, events and partnerships.