Industry News

P1 Service Group, an industry-leading growth partner that provides world-class resources to its home service partner companies across the country, announced a partnership with Portland-based Sky Heating, AC, Plumbing & Electrical, launching P1’s family of companies into the Pacific Northwest.

Sky Heating, AC, Plumbing & Electrical has offered expert home service solutions to homeowners across Oregon and Southwest Washington since 1979. With physical locations in Portland, The Dalles, and Gresham, the company has continuously added services and solutions to help meet the needs of their expanding customer base and supported their communities through The Home Builders Foundation, Meals on Wheels, Dash for Kids, and other organizations.

“Sky demonstrates the values we seek in home service partner companies,” said P1 CEO Jeff Belk. “We quickly noticed the level of care and commitment Sky had for their team, and it was clear that they are an ideal partner company for us. Together with our team at P1, I’m confident that Sky will continue growing throughout the Pacific Northwest.”

Sky’s president, Travis Smith, recognized there was a ceiling given his existing resources that would ultimately prevent his team and company from reaching their full potential. He wanted a partner that would prioritize the development of his team and help them deliver their outstanding service to more homeowners across Oregon, Southwest Washington, and beyond.

“I saw the point coming at which we would reach a leadership lid at Sky, and I immediately started to search for a true partner that would ensure my team’s growth was not limited,” Smith said. “Our two primary goals were to find a company that believed in our employees first and that would empower them to grow both personally and professionally. From the first moment we discovered P1 Service Group, we knew we found a fit. Since partnering with P1, we’ve continued to grow and develop leaders from within our company at a level higher than previously possible.”

Third annual list recognizes 241 private companies putting purpose ahead of profit

Interplay Learning, the leading provider of online and VR training for the essential skilled trades, has been named to the Inc. 2022 Best in Business list in the Prosperous and Thriving ($5-$50 million in gross revenue) category. Inc.’s Best in Business Awards honor companies that have made an extraordinary impact in their fields and on society.

The list, which can be found in the Winter issue of Inc. magazine (on newsstands Dec. 13), recognizes the most dynamic companies of all sizes and industries that have had an outstanding influence on their communities, their industries, the environment, or society as a whole.

Interplay Learning builds better training, better careers and better lives for its customers and their employees. Its award-winning online and virtual reality training for the essential skilled trades, including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, solar, multifamily maintenance and facilities maintenance workforces, is scalable and more effective than traditional training methods. By leveraging immersive learning technology, Interplay’s customers are able to train and practice hands-on learning from a desktop, phone, tablet or in virtual reality, resulting in a highly trained employee who is job-ready in weeks, not years.

“Inc. magazine is dedicated to showcasing America’s most dynamic businesses and the great things they do,” said Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. “The Best in Business awards shine a light on those that have gone above and beyond their original mission to make a social, environmental or economic impact benefiting those around them.”

Rather than relying on quantitative criteria tied to sales or funding, Inc.’s editors reviewed the companies’ achievements over the past year and noted how they made a positive difference in the world. They then selected honorees in 55 different categories — from advertising to sustainability to retail, and more — and in age-based, revenue-based, size-based, and impact-based categories. The applicant pool was extremely competitive — a huge success for the 241 companies honored in the list’s third year. Honorees for gold, silver, bronze, and general excellence across industries and categories are featured online at inc.com/best-in-business.

“Interplay Learning invests in the communities we serve through transformational career training,” said Doug Donovan, CEO of Interplay Learning. “We believe in the power of training to not only improve people’s lives but to tackle key social issues, such as poverty, inequality, and unemployment. Helping businesses, educational institutes and communities overcome critical workforce challenges also extends direct benefits to technicians and students who gain the confidence they need to thrive in their careers. The positive impact is being felt throughout the industry and beyond as we work to create better lives and better careers for everyone.”

For more information, visit www.interplaylearning.com.

Indianapolis — Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment and Transport (WWETT), the world’s largest annual trade show for wastewater and environmental service professionals, today unveils its conference program. The event takes place February 20-23, 2023 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. Register to attend here.

Marc Acampora, VP & Market Leader of the WWETT Show, said, “We are delighted to bring wastewater and environmental service professionals together with the leading minds in the industry to help drive their businesses forward. There will be a tremendous amount of learning, exploring, networking, and fun to be had this winter in Indianapolis.”

The WWETT accredited conference program delivers unparalleled education including nearly 100 sessions across 21 tracks targeted to municipalities, plumbers, portable sanitation professionals, septic contractors, sewer contractors and wastewater professionals.

Chad Williams, resilience speaker, bestselling author and Navy SEAL, will deliver the keynote address. Williams draws from his experience in military to provide a Navy SEAL’s perspective on issues related to effective leadership, resilience, teamwork, overcoming adversity and motivation.

Conference program highlights:

• Seven national associations leading education
• Two Technical Tours
• Women in the Industry Networking event
• New to the industry networking event

• New Diversity Track
• Four-hour Confined Space Entry Training
• Two workshops on Management/Leadership
• Eight-hour certification classes led by National Association of Wastewater Technicians and Portable Sanitation Association International

Many sessions count toward fulfilling required continuing educational units (CEUs) and professional development hours (PDHs). Learn more here.

In addition, the Expo Hall will showcase new and innovative products from 500+ exhibitors such as Federal Signal, Environmental Solutions Group, Satellite Industries, Vac-Con, Inc and CUES, Inc.

Additional event highlights:

• The NAWT Shootout brings awareness to the updated Federal Regulations regarding Pre-Trip inspections. It also gives individuals who will be testing soon for their CDLs an opportunity to practice their Pre-Trip Inspections and those that already have their CDLs an opportunity to learn what the new regulations cover and how to respond to road-side inspections. The top four individuals with the most correctly identified problems will be named winners.
• The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) will be conducting the National Backhoe ROE-D-HOE® Championship Competition. The three-day open event allows attendees who are skilled backhoe operators compete by using the backhoe bucket to skillfully and smoothly move small objects such as a golf ball or bowling pin in an extreme race against time. The competition is timed and will culminate with the contestants with the top three times winning belt buckles in addition to up to $1,000 in cash prizes.
• WWETT Talks Live is a new interview series that will feature bite-sized insights from the wastewater industry’s most innovative leaders. It will cover the state of the industry, which trends to adopt and which ones to avoid, leadership and roles in company structures, becoming a multi-dimensional operation, trials and tribulations of expanding and the importance of your work and community impact.
• Operators Without Borders provides certified, volunteer water and wastewater operators who can support utilities in developing countries following emergency and disaster situations to ensure that safe drinking water and wastewater management services are resumed. On February 21 at 4:00 p.m., a special Happy Hour General Session will be hosted at booth #2149 in the Expo Hall to discuss the current situation of water and wastewater utilities in Ukraine and how we can help.
• WWETT will show the documentary Sh*t Saves the World, which provides an intriguing and humorous glimpse into our species’ impact on the Earth by exploring how one of the most simple and obvious solutions to aid the environment may lie in what we often look down upon as waste.
• IndyHumane has been committed to helping central Indiana’s pets in need since 1905. The organization’s locations collectively support an average of 10,000 animals each year, roughly 90 percent of which are adopted. In booth #5935 in the Expo Hall there will be dogs and kittens to meet, play with and adopt.
• The Welcome Party takes place February 21 at 5:00 p.m. at The Grand Hall @ Downtown Union Station.

Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is providing critical support for the fight against hunger this holiday season with a $30,000 contribution to Philabundance.

The donation, part of Bradford White’s 30^th anniversary celebration, will help Philabundance’s year-end food distribution program which provides holiday food items to individuals and families struggling with food insecurity in the Greater Philadelphia area, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania. Bradford White team members are also participating in Philabundance’s virtual food drive Nov. 16-Dec. 2.

“Bradford White is committed to helping build stronger communities and ensuring our neighbors have the opportunity to experience a happy holiday season,” said Rebecca Owens, senior manager, communications, at Bradford White. “We’re proud to work with Philabundance to serve families in need and demonstrate our ongoing support for the communities where we live and work.”

Philabundance was founded in 1984 with the simple belief that no one should go hungry while healthy food goes to waste. Philabundance’s mission is to drive hunger from our communities today and to end hunger for good.

For more information about Philabundance, visit https://www.philabundance.org/.

For more information about Bradford White Corporation, visit https://www.bradfordwhitecorporation.com.