In an unprecedented time, newly elected PHCC president Joel Long says it’s time stop living in fear, and getting back to work is a top priority. Recently, Mechanical Hub had the chance to talk with Joel Long, co-owner of GSM Services, Gastonia, N.C., and PHCC president-elect. Running the nearly 100-year-old business with his brother Steven Read more
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In an unprecedented time, newly elected PHCC president Joel Long says it’s time stop living in fear, and getting back to work is a top priority.
Recently, Mechanical Hub had the chance to talk with Joel Long, co-owner of GSM Services, Gastonia, N.C., and PHCC president-elect. Running the nearly 100-year-old business with his brother Steven. Joel started to work for the family business during high school summer breaks and fell in love with the business. After high school, Long attended North Carolina State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Civil Engineering and Construction and started working for the family business upon graduation. In the following Q&A, Joel talks about his vision for PHCC and some critical issues facing contractors today.
MH: What does the position of PHCC president mean to you?
LONG: I am honored to have this opportunity to serve our industry and association after it has given so much to our company and to me personally. I am thrilled to such a big opportunity to continue the work of those who have served before me and to make a little progress for our members and partners.
We are in a unique position to understand the depth of caring from the PHCC family. As many may know, tragedy befell GSM Services in April of this year with the murder of two of our coworkers. It was devastating to say the least, but PHCC members supported these two families on a massive scale and proved once again there is more good in the world than evil.
MH: What are some things you can take from your career that you can apply in the next chapter as president of PHCC?
LONG: There is nothing quite like the experience you gain while growing up in businesses like ours and then growing into a leadership position in that same business. I have spent a lot of time at the state and national levels seeing what works, what causes issues, and what is broken. I am going to use that experience to hopefully continue to move us forward.
MH: How do you think being in the trades will guide you as the next president of the PHCC?
LONG: I think I fell in love with our trade because the people at all levels are just the best of America. I have always loved how we have a “can-do” attitude and can conquer anything while focusing on our families and doing what is right. PHCC will be operating that same way in my year as president like we have since our founding.
MH: The last 18 months has been quite the experience. What do you tying will be some of your initiatives going forward as we seem to be moving post-COVID?
LONG: I would say we may look back and see these two years as some of the most challenging in our careers. Our members faced many challenges related to the pandemic and PHCC was able to provide a ton of assistance on those fronts.
Our members were deemed essential during the pandemic and continued to send our workforce into client’s homes and businesses as the disease raged. Protecting both customers and coworkers was a major concern all-across the country. PHCC got out front early with our Covid Recovery Center and our members were able to use our center to stay informed of changes and best practices to overcome the pandemic issues. We will be continuing that effort.
I also believe it is time to get back out on the road and live without fear. We are going to lead by example and get our association moving back in a pre-pandemic mode. We must be as safe as possible and respect the concerns of the public, but at the same time we must get back to work on a full-size scale!!!! It’s time to go!
MH: What is your vision to take PHCC to the next level?
LONG: PHCC is a federation of state and local associations and I believe it works best when each level is openly communicating and helping each other reach our individual and combined goals. Communication and collaboration are key to our mutual success. There are so many different opportunities across the country, and we must be very nimble and targeted in our approach to help our partners. We are here to serve our contractor members first and foremost, but our customers are also our state associations. Strengthening those relationships and building on small successes is how we will take PHCC to the next level.
MH: What are some critical issues facing contractors today?
LONG: I have heard from contractors all over the country and they are concerned about how they are struggling to get back to work through all the roadblocks we have been facing this past year or so. We will obviously continue to see the pandemic making us adapt our businesses going forward, but there are also opportunities for growth all around if we continue to search for them. I encourage our members to use PHCC and our members as resources to help find new growth opportunities and information to help your business thrive.
MH: How do we find and inspire the next generation of coworkers?
LONG: I love the movie The Untouchables with Kevin Costner and Sean Connery. One of my favorite scenes is when they are trying to find uncorrupted new recruits for the Treasury Department and they decide to go to the academy to get untainted recruits. We need to do the same to find the next generation.
Before the pandemic, PHCC had developed our online apprenticeship program and we were already having good success in giving students a pathway for a career. As the pandemic grew, our members really started using this as a recruiting tool to convince high school students and their parents that a career in our industry made a ton of sense without the college debt.
I believe today’s youth is looking for a career that helps them grow intellectually, gain financial independence, give opportunities to improve the world, and have opportunities for career advancement. We must continue to get he word out about how our industry can help them achieve their goals.
We must also continue to expand these efforts by widening the exposure of this program to other avenues on a state be state level. We will be encouraging our chapters to partner with as many local school districts, community colleges and HBCU’s about how to expand our opportunities.
MH: Finally, what do you like to do in your spare time?
LONG: I am a sports nut and love college football. I have followed NC State athletics since elementary school and continue to follow today, and as I say every year, this is the year we win the College Football National Championship! Eventually I’ll be correct, right? Also, if you bump into me and have an extra hour, just ask me about being at State when Jim Valvano was our basketball coach.
I also love fishing. Grew up with my father fishing on many Saturday mornings, and I love the time to unwind and reflect from the business. I also love the variety of fishing in N.C. We have wonderful fishing in the intercoastal waters, fresh water lakes all over the state, and my current favorite, trout fishing in the North Carolina mountains.
Rinnai America Corp. announced the acquisition of Industrias MASS, the leader in the commercial water heater market in Mexico. This acquisition marks the first by Rinnai America Corporation and follows the launch of its Strategic Business Initiative announced earlier this year, meant to accelerate the company’s presence via acquisitions and partnerships Read more
Rinnai America Corp. announced the acquisition of Industrias MASS, the leader in the commercial water heater market in Mexico. This acquisition marks the first by Rinnai America Corporation and follows the launch of its Strategic Business Initiative announced earlier this year, meant to accelerate the company’s presence via acquisitions and partnerships.
Acquisition will expand residential and commercial single-room AC solutions Rheem has announced its intent to acquire Friedrich Air Conditioning, a 138-year-old manufacturer of premium air conditioning products, from Monomoy Capital Partners. Friedrich is a manufacturer of room air conditioning, dehumidification and air purification products for residential and commercial applications. It is a recognized industry leader Read more
Acquisition will expand residential and commercial single-room AC solutions
Rheem has announced its intent to acquire Friedrich Air Conditioning, a 138-year-old manufacturer of premium air conditioning products, from Monomoy Capital Partners.
Friedrich is a manufacturer of room air conditioning, dehumidification and air purification products for residential and commercial applications. It is a recognized industry leader in high-end air conditioning solutions designed for single-room use in hotels and multi-family buildings.
Founded in 1883, the company is based in San Antonio with manufacturing in Monterrey, Mexico and distribution centers in Texas and New Jersey.
“Friedrich has steadily innovated its residential and commercial offerings and grown its market share,” said Mike Branson, President, Global Air at Rheem. “They will bring a unique air conditioning product portfolio along with specialized products to the Rheem family of brands. Friedrich’s product offerings, company history and industry expertise make this acquisition a perfect fit for Rheem. Together, we will harness the power of our talented workforce and enhance our ability to deliver reliable and energy-efficient products that our customers and contracting partners expect.”
Upon the close of the acquisition—which is subject to additional regulatory approval—Friedrich will be a standalone business unit within the Rheem Global Air business.
Top water heating manufacturer joins non-profit service organization for shared focus on education and workforce development Bradford White Corporation announces a partnership with Plumbers Without Borders, a grassroots non-profit organization working to increase global access to safe water and sanitation. The partnership affirms Bradford White’s commitment to impactful engagement within the industry and supports Plumbers Without Read more
Top water heating manufacturer joins non-profit service organization for shared focus on education and workforce development
Bradford White Corporation announces a partnership with Plumbers Without Borders, a grassroots non-profit organization working to increase global access to safe water and sanitation.
The partnership affirms Bradford White’s commitment to impactful engagement within the industry and supports Plumbers Without Borders’ ongoing contributions to professional training, promoting careers in the trades and maintaining the industry’s commitment to the highest standards of quality for products and services.
“Plumbers Without Borders is a unique organization that demonstrates the generosity and goodwill of the hard-working men and women in our industry,” said Carl Pinto, Jr., senior director of marketing communications for Bradford White. “Our company has always been dedicated to social leadership and to strengthening the plumbing and water heater industry. Helping uplift the work of Plumbers Without Borders not only supports their noble work around the world, it’s an investment in showcasing the essential nature of the work we do every day.”
Plumbers Without Borders was founded in 2010. The organization connects volunteer plumbers and other skilled tradespeople with projects around the world that are establishing safe plumbing and sanitary systems and promoting related health and safety education. Plumbers Without Borders selects partners based on quality, service, craftsmanship and training.
“It’s an honor to partner with Bradford White Corporation,” said Domenico DiGregorio, president and co-founder of Plumbers Without Borders. “Our mutual respect for quality, craftsmanship, professional training and workforce development creates a great platform for advancing our collective work toward improving lives and health around the world by increasing access to safe water and sanitation.”
The new floor-standing FT Series Combination Boiler and Water Heater is the only residential combi boiler that delivers uninterrupted home heat and on-demand hot water simultaneously. Laars Heating Systemsannounces the launch of its powerful, ultra-high efficiency floor-standing FT Series Combination Boiler and Water Heater, the only residential combi boiler that simultaneously supplies abundant home heat Read more
The new floor-standing FT Series Combination Boiler and Water Heater is the only residential combi boiler that delivers uninterrupted home heat and on-demand hot water simultaneously.
Laars Heating Systemsannounces the launch of its powerful, ultra-high efficiency floor-standing FT Series Combination Boiler and Water Heater, the only residential combi boiler that simultaneously supplies abundant home heat and endless hot water without interruption.
“Home heat and hot water are critical to health and comfort in our daily lives,” said Chuck O’Donnell, director of marketing for Laars Heating Systems. “The Laars floor-standing FT Series Combination Boiler and Water Heater, like the rest of the FT Series of products, is built to meet the needs for space heating and domestic hot water reliably, efficiently and economically.”
The FT Series Combination Boiler and Water Heater includes a unique, integrated domestic hot water mini-indirect tank that delivers stable hot water on demand. Advanced smart technology coordinates uninterrupted space heating with domestic hot water demand and ensures continuing hot water supply for multiple heating events.
With industry-leading capacity, the FT Series Combination Boiler and Water Heater can deliver six gallons per minute of hot water in the first minute and 5.2 gallons per minute continuous delivery at a 70°F temperature rise. Other features include domestic hot water recirculation compatible; built-in low loss header for ease of installation; robust stainless-steel fire-tube heat exchanger; top piping connections for flexible installation; and large front access for service and maintenance.
“The Laars floor-standing FT Series Combination Boiler and Water Heater offers a unique combination of performance, efficiency and convenience,” O’Donnell said. “Based on extensive feedback from heating professionals, multiple features have been incorporated that make installation and service straightforward and accessible, and also provide options for homeowners.”
For more information, visit http://www.laars.com.