When she was young, Sara Mazin moved around a lot. That’s because her family wanted the best opportunities for her that she coundn’t have in a third-world country. Born in Mauritania, North Africa, and after just one month, Mazin initially moved to Berwyn, Ill. and lived there until she was 16. She moved across the country to Irvine, Calif. to live with her sister so she could have a fresh start, and graduate high school.

As a young adult, Sara entered the trades by completing nine months at the now closed WyoTech College in Long Beach, focusing on the plumbing trades. Right after finishing the program, at the age of 19, Mazin was hired as a plumbing apprentice at Rescue Rooter Riverside. “I was bored, frankly,” says Mazin. “But by the time I worked my way up to plumbing service tech after six months, that’s when I fell in love with the trade.”

Working for the company was a good experience, but Mazin felt it was too big for her so she looked for a smaller company to work for where she could continue to learn, and have more opportunities. Mazin spent eight years with Kalka Plumbing Heating and Air as a plumbing service technician and field supervisor before she left to start her own company—Sara’s Best Plumbing, Orange County, Calif. Some two short years later, Sara runs a successful plumbing service and repair company with five employees.

You see Sara is a fast riser. What started as digging trenches, Sara worked her way up to the top, becoming a licensed Master Plumber. “When I realized I had that really strong passion for the trade, I had a vision to build a company that would impact not only my family, but other families throughout the plumbing trade and industry,” says Mazin.

Sara started Sara’s Best Plumbing in 2022, and early on, “I was extremely nervous to get the phone to ring,” says Mazin. “At first, I reached out and networked with everyone I knew. I focused on developing my online platforms—Instagram, facebook, Yelp, TikTok—to reach as many people as I could. I also focused on registering as a certified contractor with all the major manufacturers in the plumbing industry.”

Mentoring and Moving Forward

Mazin has gained such an admiration for the trades over the years. “I have so much respect and appreciation for the trade. There is literally nothing that I do not like about the trade,” she says.

Mazin recalls some of her mentors to help her get to where she is today. Thomas Gillespie, former plumbing manager at Kalka Plumbing and current GM at NexGen, taught Sara a lot of the sales and service and side of the industry. Kevin Kalka, owner of Kalka Plumbing really taught Sara a lot about the trade and plumbing. And lastly, Sara’s brother Abdul and sister Amna are mentors and role models in both business and life.

Loving the the problem-solving side of the trade and being able to solve problems for her clients, Sara absolutely considers herself a mentor. “I love leading by example, and passing on my knowledge and experience. I have always done that with my previous coworkers and now my employees at Sara’s Best Plumbing. I wish I was more of a mentor to women and would love that opportunity,” says Mazin.

And while Sara welcomes the role of mentoring for women, “I think the industry needs to be more diverse in bringing more minorities to leadership roles. They, in turn, can be role models for more people,” says Mazin. “It is really hard being what you haven’t seen. Meaning, we need more women/minorities in roles of leadership to open up more opportunities.”

In her “spare” time, Sara likes to be active: go on hikes, workout and trying any new activities. To decompress, she enjoys listening to music, cooking, and watching Netflix. Her bucket list items include 1) Going on a Safari in Africa 2) Sitting courtside at an NBA Game and 3) Visiting Italy or Fiji.

And while every day Sara is thankful everyday for the opportunities given to her, the last time she said “Today is a great day, ‘It was on the 4th of July when I got to spend time and hang out with my family eating BBQ’d and watching fireworks.’”

Designed to use one-third the electricity of traditional residential electric water heaters, new product ensures dependable, efficient hot-water delivery.

Noritz America, a leader in tankless water heaters and high-efficiency combination boilers, recently previewed its new, ENERGY STAR-certified Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater for residential domestic hot water applications.

Making its debut in Chicago at the 2024 AHR Expo in January, this newest addition to the Noritz offering consumes up to one-third of the electricity required by a standard residential electric water heater with a resistive element, yet maintains the same level of hot-water delivery. The “hybrid” designation denotes the inclusion of dual 4.5-kilowatt electric elements positioned at the top and bottom of the tank to provide backup water heating or accelerate recovery times when necessary.

Set for an official launch on July 1, the new Hybrid Electric Heat Pump unit efficiently transfers heat from air to water, resulting in substantial energy savings for consumers seeking to reduce their utility bills. The Hybrid Electric Heat Pump is eligible for government rebates of up to $3,000, the kind of incentive that has made heat pump installations so attractive for both contractors and homeowners.

Handling hot water temperatures ranging from 50°F to 160°F, the product will be available in four sizes, with the model numbers here indicating the gallon storage volumes: (NHP50, NHP65, NHP80, and NHP120). The 120-gallon model, still a rarity in today’s market, is available by special order. UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) ratings range up to 3.48, highlighting its energy efficiency when compared to similar products in the market.

“At Noritz, our dedication to providing our customers with diverse water heating solutions drives our innovation,” explains Jason Fleming, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Noritz America. “The introduction of the Hybrid Electric Heat Pump not only addresses recent market and regulatory shifts nationwide, but also offers a product designed to save energy, lower maintenance and operating expenses for customers, and streamline installations and servicing for contractors.”

Key Features

• Cement lining: The specially formulated cement lining of the unit’s storage tank is designed to prevent the corrosive effects of hot water. By negating the need for a sacrificial anode rod, the lining all but eliminates maintenance requirements and the necessity for regular checks. (Neglecting to replace the anode rod can lead to premature tank failure in a conventional electric water heater.)
• Five operating modes: The Hybrid Electric Heat Pump offers users five different ways to operate the unit, depending upon user demand and current conditions: hybrid (standard), electric only, heat pump only, super (for high-demand situations), and vacation.
• First Hour Rating: The Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater’s first hour ratings are 58 gallons (NHP50), 70 gallons (NHP65), 86 gallons (NHP80), and 105 (NHP120).
• High-pressure rating: The unit has a pressure rating of 150 pounds per square inch (psi) WP and 300 psi TP. A temperature and pressure relief valve comes with the unit, pre-installed.
• Warranties: The cement-lined tank and all parts are covered by ten years of protection, plus a one-year warranty on reasonable labor.
• Approvals include AHRI, UL1995, CSA 22.2 No. 236, Low Lead.

For more information on the new Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater, visit: https://noritz.com/heatpump/

There’s a number out there that is pretty remarkable: 65% of construction workers that took their own life sought some sort of medical help within one month prior to the event.

As we near the end of Men’s Mental Health Month—recognized every year in the month of June—suicide rates among construction workers are at an alarming level. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 6,000 construction workers died by suicide in 2022. In fact, the CDC found that men working in construction have one of the highest suicide rates by population: their rate of suicide is about four times higher than the general population and is the second-highest rate of all workplace industries at 45 per 100,000.

But why is the suicide rate so much higher in construction than other professions? Fact is, construction is an at-risk population for suicide. “Construction is a perfect storm for a predisposition for depression and suicide,” says Dr. Dan Carlin, MD, Founder and CEO of World Clinic / JobSiteCare, a resource to create safe workplaces and deliver great healthcare on the job.

Mental health is no different than, say, heart disease or diabetes. It is a dissolution of brain tissue. “If you are thinking of killing yourself, your brain is not working in a healthy manner,” says Carlin.

Crescendos and Dislocations

So, throw it back to that stat thrown out at the beginning of this article: Is there any relevance to that, you ask? Well, yes. A connection can be made between injury and suicide. Construction jobs in general can be tough on the body, and for those injuries that happened as a direct result of the work, individuals tend to self-medicate for the chronic pain. And, that can come in the form of prescribed drugs, illicit drugs (opiates, for example) and alcohol. But as the medication wears off, withdrawal sets in and the brain becomes vulnerable, with bad feelings magnified.

“Self-reliance and stoicism form a unique crescendo,” says Carlin. And men, more than women, fall into these characteristics. Especially in a male-dominated industry such as construction, the psychosocial aspect sees men focusing on things, whereas women tend to concentrate on people. Men are programmed to just shake things off in the face of adversity; address challenges in a more stoic nature. “Women are much more aware with other people than men.” says Carlin. “Men normally don’t look to others to talk. Men are more mission-focused—get the job done, on time.”

Often is the case in construction, one works long, rigorous hours, and often times away from family for long stretches of time. New projects arise and those old jobs come to an end—or one leaves one job for another that pays 20% more but loses that support network, which creates physical dislocations, says Carlin, and that usual social network goes away, resulting in less contact with family. Because the work dynamic has changed, this can lead to a dislocation to the family network, which can lead to friction and a sense of heightened vulnerability.

And let’s not forget COVID. “COVID was a tremendous paradox that has driven a lot of this due to social isolation, leading to depression and anxiety,” says Carlin.

Social Acceptance

Are we at a place in time where men in particular are more comfortable talking about mental health? It’s getting to a level of acceptance. “We’ve made a lot of progress but we aren’t all the way there yet. It’s not a sign of weakness. We need to be strong to share enough and aware enough to ask,” says Carlin.

Thomas Young, TY Custom Builders and Motherflushers Plumbing, agrees, saying, “I definitely think it’s more acceptable to talk about it. I think the people that are open about their issues or some of the people that are probably the ones that are dealing with it more than anybody. It shouldn’t be ‘hey, I’m an adult or I’m a man and I’m gonna deal with this on my own.’”

Easier said than done, some of the ways to reduce stress and damaging brain tissue is to cut back, be it work hours or substance abuse. Steps to increase brain health include exercise—which helps relieve stress, burning off anxiety—eating well and having a rhythmic day.

“When I’m overworked/stressed, I will just unplug, perhaps binge watch a show, and reach out to someone that helps bring peace,” says Young.

And that reaching out could include social media. “Social media has helped me create great friends,” says Young. “I have friends that live in different countries and will reach out, which can mean a lot.”

But, as we all know, social media, while supportive in so many ways, can have its negative rabbit holes. “With hateful comments and bullying, it was something that bothered me a lot in the beginning and I’d delete right away, but most the time,” says Young, “I can laugh it off or even engage back and it can help engagement.”

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this. According to Carlin, “The nature of the cure starts at a community level where we need the confidence to ask, ‘how are you doing?’” Carlin says it’s important to establish relationships, and find an opportunity to talk about mental health when the time is right. “We can all learn to be a better listener and share stories about problems we all have as a community. We need to come to an awareness that the solution is us,” says Carlin.

Back in the day he was known as DJ Reggie Nell, and he could spin records with the best of ’em. A former DJ while working in the trades, Germaine Nelson, president, Capitol Plumbing & Heating, Bowie, Md., now is a full-service residential plumbing OG, specializing in water heaters, waste and venting for the surrounding DC area.

Nelson started his plumbing career back in high school, working with his uncle at a plumbing company during the summer. He also worked on pluming through his high school vocational program. “I went to school for a half day, then went to the job site the second half,” says Nelson. As soon as Nelson graduated, he started as an apprentice full time. “Seventeen years later, I own a plumbing company—started it from the ground up,” continues Nelson.

Early in his career, Nelson throws kudos the owner of 3D Plumbing, a small plumbing company for which Nelson worked. “The owner Dennis took me under his wing, and we still talk often. I consider him a mentor to this day,” says Nelson.

It wasn’t necessarily all smooth sailing. Throughout the journey, Nelson worked for a well-known company in the area as a service tech. They wanted to expand in a different part of the area, so he was tasked with building that area up, with the current contacts that he had.

Impressively, Nelson made more than $500,000 for that company within six months. “I asked for a raise, and the owner told me, ‘I can’t justify it but I can get you a new truck.’ At that moment, I knew it was time to go. I gave my two weeks’ notice,” says Nelson.

Nelson’s advice for anyone thinking about starting a company? “I would say just do it. You will have bumps and bruises along the way, but through dedication and consistency, you’ll succeed. Don’t give up on your vision.”

Challenges/Rewards

The most challenging aspects of the job, says Nelson, can be dealing with customers. “You have to learn how to put yourself in their position and understand what their needs area.”

Conversely, Nelson says it’s rewarding when you face a difficult challenge, but you overcome it with patience and skill. “I tell people all the time, plumbing is not hard, but finding a solution is the ultimate reward. You can sleep at night knowing you’re making a difference in society.”

And, according to Nelson, it starts early for those thinking of entering the trades, “Learn as much as you can because you will not know it all. Find your niche within the trade and foster that skill,” says Nelson.

Social Media

Nelson (@capitolmech) admits that social media has helped tremendously with making business connections and long-lasting friendships. “If it wasn’t for social media, I would not know about different trade shows, certain tools that makes the job easier and certain companies. I dedicate a lot of time to social media, more than I should, but it’s a lifestyle at this point,” says Nelson.

Through time and dedication on social media, Nelson has become an ambassador for various plumbing manufacturers. “Being an ambassador for different companies is special,” says Nelson. But he also says that it’s big task when a number of companies want to hire you as an ambassador because of your social media footprint. “Oatey, for instance, has really opened the door for a lot of these opportunities.”

And throughout this rise in popularity and visibility with social does Nelson consider himself a mentor to others? “I do consider myself a role model, not by choice, but through social media,” says Nelson. “I feel like I’ve been put into that position.”

When he’s not hard at work on the job or posting to IG, you’ll find Nelson spending time with family, attending his son’s baseball games, bowling, getting together with friends, or perhaps you’ll see him soaring in the sky fulfilling his bucket list of skydiving. Nevertheless, “It’s extremely important to make an effort to put work down and be intentional about taking care of your mental health, and being there for those who really depend on you,” says Nelson.