HVAC

Price Increase is on Select Residential HVAC and Supply Products

Trane Technologies’ Residential HVAC business today announced a price increase of up to 10 percent on select residential heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment. The increase applies to Trane^®, American Standard^® Heating & Air Conditioning, RunTru^™ by Trane, and Ameristar^™ by American Standard equipment, and related parts and supply brands. The price increase for residential equipment and select parts and supplies will take effect on products that ship on or after January 9, 2023.

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.”

Central Florida plumbing and HVAC company to celebrate rapid expansion, company culture.

Mechanical One, a leading HVAC, gas and plumbing services provider, will change lives when it awards mortgage-free homes to two employees this holiday season. The winners will be picked in a lottery during an event on December 3 at the Hard Rock Live at Universal Orlando Resort. More than a thousand people are expected at the event, which will include a speech from Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.

At the time of the home giveaway announcement in December 2021, there were 65 employees working at the company. That number has grown more than 500% in just the past nine months. With demand for HVAC, gas and plumbing services growing to meet housing needs in Central Florida, Mechanical One is meeting builders’ needs with its expanding workforce.

“We build communities at work, but we want to better communities during that time outside of work. Investing in our employees has been one of our top priorities. We see each employee as a family that our company is supporting, rather than an individual who is coming to work each day,” said Mechanical One President Jason James.

The company offers day one health insurance options that also include coverage for mental health. Mechanical One also gives employees access to free financial education tools. In order to qualify for the free home giveaway, employees must be employed at Mechanical One for a year, take a financial education course and complete 20 hours of community service.

Mechanical One first opened its doors in July 2021. The company serves top homebuilders, such as Pulte, Lennar and Taylor Morrison. With a presence throughout Central Florida and the Treasure Coast, employees work on HVAC, plumbing and gas for thousands of homes each year.

To learn more about Mechanical One, visit their website.

A Rolls Royce with a Veto Pro Pac tool bag in the trunk. Now that’s pretty drippy. For Moe Hirsch, Moes Consulting and Mechanical Services, Rockland County, N.Y., his bucket list item is a good representative mix of work and swaggy.

Hirsch basically started off in the trades when he joined his cousins, who were plumbers, for a few days and he immediately loved the excitement. Eventually, when things began to slow down, “I went out on my own using the heating knowledge I had learned. I had the mentality that if someone was going to figure it out, it might as well be me.”

From there, Hirsch grew into a plumbing, heating and cooling company, and two years ago began distributing and installing Cummins generators. Currently, the company focuses on the mechanical trades but offers property services to its clients as well.

Hirsch says he’s learned a lot from so many that narrowing it down would be impossible to credit everyone. Having said that, “The trade leaders for me were Dan Holohan, Mark Eatherton, Bob Hot Rod Rohr and John Siegenthaler. In the business world, Grant Cardone and Brandon Dawson have showed me what my true potential is. You really can learn something from everyone,” says Hirsch.

In addition to meeting and helping so many people, another rewarding aspect of the trades is that it can be very profitable. And while you can be in the trenches working hands-on, says Hirsch, you can use your skills to be a great manager, assistant or other asset to a company. “It’s not all wrenching knowledge. Business to me is 33% knowing your trade, 33% knowing business management, fact finding and sales, and the other 33% is just being a genuine, kind person.”

How can the PHVAC industry do a better job attracting people to the trades? Hirsch, you could say, practices what he preaches. As he prepares for every job, Hirsch makes sure he has his MacBook, latest smart phone, his personal CO detector and his loaded Veto bag, and says, “Make trades cool again; show kids the cool stuff. If they’re into muscle cars show them a tradesman driving his mustang to work. If they’re techy, show them someone performing a diagnostic using a computer.”

Moreover, social media, whose influence on young people can’t be denied, has opened many doors for tradespeople. “Social media is a free outlet to showcase your work—you can share your work, learn from others and link up with locals. Plus, social media can make the sale easier. The client feels they know you and is more willing put their trust in you,” says Hirsch.

As far as balancing work/leisure time, “I don’t balance them,” says Hirsch. “I try to do both to the max.” And that includes spending time with his wife and kids, training his new Golden Retriever, Marshmallow, and, of course, bumping into clients and seeing their happiness.