Malco to provide tools to be used in championship skills-testing event, highlighting top tradespeople from across the US 

Malco Tools, one of the nation’s leading solution developers and manufacturers of a variety of high-quality tools for the HVAC trade, announced that it is partnering with the ServiceTitan Elite Trades Championship Series (ETCS) to sponsor the 2024 ServiceTitan HVAC National Championship.

During ETCS, top tradespeople from across the U.S. go head-to-head in a series of challenging and skill-testing events throughout the year, culminating in one final round of competition for the top 10 HVAC professionals and top 10 HVAC apprentices in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September 2024. Malco will provide tools for the finalists to use during the championship, where they will prove their skills in a custom-built arena by installing equipment in a short timeframe while being judged on their workmanship, proper tool usage and safety.

“We are excited to help power the exciting ServiceTitan Elite Trades Championship Series to shine a spotlight on the high-quality skills HVAC tradespeople use on the job every day,” said Rebecca Talbot, vice president of marketing for Malco Tools. “HVAC pros are incredibly skilled, and Malco is proud to support a platform that allows them to showcase their expertise in their craft.”

The ETCS program was built to celebrate the importance and incredible range of skills the people in the trades implement every day that keeps the country running. ETCS is dedicated to showcasing the incredible career opportunities in the industry, growing local and national support for all of the trades and developing new platforms that expand the awareness of the amazing stories of the men and women in the trades.

Malco is a strong supporter and advocate of careers in the trades, donating significant quantities of in-kind products and apparel annually to a variety of skilled trade education programs, competitions and events across the country. Malco also coordinates the “Head of the Class” Student Recognition Program that partners with education programs in the U.S. to recognize high-achieving students and entire graduating classes in the HVAC/sheet metal and building construction fields. To date, Malco has reached more than 85,000 trade students through Head of the Class.

For more information about Malco Tools, visit www.malcotools.com. For more information about the ServiceTitan HVAC National Championship, visit www.hvacnationals.com.

Easily and quickly cut tubing – even in confined spaces – with the AutoCut^® family of copper and plastic tubing cutters from General Pipe Cleaners.

Offering true “one-hand” operation with no knobs to turn, AutoCut tools for copper tubing are more compact and convenient than using conventional copper tubing cutters. And, AutoCutPL^® plastic tubing cutters offer a similarly fast, easy way to cut PEX and CPVC-CTS plastic tubing.

Just close the gate over the tube and, while squeezing the gate closed, rotate AutoCut in the direction of the arrows. The hardened steel cutting wheel automatically tightens as you twist, quickly producing clean, uncrushed, square cuts in as little as one rotation.

Great for use in tight workspaces, AutoCut solutions let you cut tubing with less than one inch of clearance. Both AutoCut and AutoCutPL come in three sizes – 1/2”, 3/4”, and 1”. They fit in the palm of your hand. Carry one of each in your toolbox!

Get hundreds of cuts with accuracy and ease. The handy blade guard protects your fingers – and easily replaceable AutoCut blades – from workplace and toolbox damage.

For more information, contact the Drain Brains^® at General at 800-245-6200, or visit https://drainbrain.com/autocut

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.

We have to admit, as a society most Americans have become lazier, or perhaps we’ve been conditioned to expect more, faster, with little effort as possible. Literally never having to leave the house for items delivered to your front door is just one shining example. But, hey, what’s not to like?

Yet, this begets a larger problem. Because homeowners can get something cheaper delivered to them in a relatively short amount of time lends itself to receiving, what I call, in some instances, junk. Eliminating the professional plumbing installer is a problem in and of itself, but do we really know where these items come from? Take, for example, products within our own plumbing and HVAC markets? Tools, fittings, pumps, plumbing fixtures, etc., are now “flooding” the streets with no real traceable origin, and no compliance or testing to boot.

The issue of counterfeit or noncompliant products on various e-commerce platforms is a real concern of the industry. A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Plumbing Industry Leadership Coalition (PILC) and this topic of conversation came up; it was presented to the attendees that on behalf PILC—of what I call all of the acronyms in the industry (ASPE, PHCC, IAPMO, PMI, etc.)—a letter was being drafted to legal counsel at Amazon, for example.

In fact, one of the charter members of PILC mentioned that they had purchased 25 showerheads off of an e-commerce site. These items claimed to be nearly 2.0 gallons per minute, and when measured at local testing facilities, approximately 20 out of the 25 fixtures were actually near a 6.0 gallon per minute measurement. That’s a huge discrepancy.

And that’s just it. Getting stuff delivered to your door—relatively quickly and cheaply—can be good for your endorphins, but it also can be a huge problem. There is no testing, certification or compliance happening from these “third-party vendors.” As mentioned above, it can cause harmful risks, and could potentially cause a water sustainability problem. Again, therein lies the problem.

Realistically, what can be done about it? PILC suggests a number of action items, which include implementing a stricter verification process, ensuring that all legal and safety standards by either requiring certification or at least to verify that certification claims are true, and provide better transparency: provide clear information about the compliance and certification of products, making it easier for consumers to make informed decisions.