Apple Valley, Minn. — Uponor North America (Uponor) held a ceremonial “pipe-cutting event” to mark the opening of its $5.5 million, 25,000-square-foot expansion to the Hutchinson, Minn., facility. This new space will increase the company’s PEX-a pipe extrusion production capacity by more than 10 percent, while growing highly skilled jobs in Hutchinson in the coming Read more
HVAC
Apple Valley, Minn. — Uponor North America (Uponor) held a ceremonial “pipe-cutting event” to mark the opening of its $5.5 million, 25,000-square-foot expansion to the Hutchinson, Minn., facility. This new space will increase the company’s PEX-a pipe extrusion production capacity by more than 10 percent, while growing highly skilled jobs in Hutchinson in the coming years.
Michael Rauterkus, president and CEO, Uponor Group, (center) joins business leaders as he cuts the ceremonial PEX-a pipe to mark the opening of the company’s $5.5 million, 25,000 sq. ft. expansion in Hutchinson, Minn.
The expansion project broke ground in July 2021 with PCL Construction as the general contractor, Tekton Engineers as the structural engineer, Focal Point Partners as the electrical subcontractor, and Legend Companies as the mechanical subcontractor. The renovated space will allow Uponor to move forward with a major investment in next-generation extrusion technology.
Michael Rauterkus, president and CEO, Uponor Group, took part in the event. This was his first trip to visit Uponor facilities across North America since joining the company in August 2021. He toured the Hutchinson production facility, met with team members, and helped cut the ceremonial pipe.
“Today was a special day for Uponor North America,” Rauterkus said during the event. “Seeing this investment become a reality and knowing what is possible from a manufacturing potential, I am certain Uponor will continue to make positive impacts on the Hutchinson area. I am eager to see what happens next with this team.”
“This expansion reinforces our commitment to Hutchinson and the team members who help us deliver for our customers. I want to thank our construction partners for their efforts in designing and building this space, as well as our global partners across Uponor who saw the potential in what our Hutchinson team could achieve with this major investment,” said Jon Sillerud, vice president, Operations, Uponor North America.
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), the region’s premier provider of residential and commercial plumbing, HVAC, and Electrical service and repair, was included among Ruud’s “Top Market Maker” winners and honored as the #1 Top Ruud ProPartner for 2021. This award follows Hiller’s six first-place recognitions among Ruud’s list of Most Reliable Contractors. The Read more
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), the region’s premier provider of residential and commercial plumbing, HVAC, and Electrical service and repair, was included among Ruud’s “Top Market Maker” winners and honored as the #1 Top Ruud ProPartner for 2021. This award follows Hiller’s six first-place recognitions among Ruud’s list of Most Reliable Contractors.
The Ruud Market Makers award recognizes exceptional U.S.-based contracting businesses for sales, customer support, and overall service excellence. Through their strong vendor relationships with Ferguson Enterprises (Nashville) and Coburn Supply (Memphis), Hiller was ranked among the Top 10 “Market Makers” for 2021.
Above this honor, Hiller was named Ruud’s “Most Valuable Player”, recognizing their “overall stellar performance” as the #1 Top Ruud ProPartner of 2021. The company was honored via email announcement in February, then via live announcement at the 2022 International ProPartner Conference at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 7 and 8, 2022. Chief Executive Officer, Jimmy Hiller and Chief Operating Officer, Jimmy Hiller, Jr. accepted the award in person at the event.
“We couldn’t be more grateful to receive the MVP recognition from Ruud this year”, remarked Jimmy Hiller, founder and CEO of Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. “In partnership with our wonderful distributors, we are able to provide Ruud’s exceptional equipment to so many families across the southeast. Ruud’s commitment to installation and maintenance excellence,” he continued, “parallels our own high quality and service standards, so we are exceptionally thankful for this award, that acknowledges this commitment.”
Launched in 1990 with a single employee and just $500, Hiller was founded on the tenets of professionalism, exceptional levels of customer satisfaction, and a dedication to high quality work. As a result, Hiller has grown exponentially, operating across 15 locations in 7 states with a fleet of over 500 trucks.
Ruud, part of the Rheem family of brands, provides Ruud-branded heating, cooling, and water heating products for residential and light commercial use to professional installers across the United States and Canada. Named for water heating pioneer, Edwin Ruud, the brand was acquired by Rheem in 1960. To learn more, visit www.ruud.com. Founded in 1925, Rheem is the only manufacturer in the world that produces heating, cooling, water heating, pool/spa heating and commercial refrigeration products. Rheem, headquartered in Atlanta, has an international presence in 14 countries. To learn more, visit www.rheem.com
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical provides residential and commercial service and repair throughout Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, Northern Alabama, Northern Georgia, Southeastern Arkansas, Northeastern Mississippi, and Northwest Florida. As the homeowner’s premier provider of choice with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, Hiller is Tennessee’s largest residential and commercial plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical services provider. Hiller, a 12-time honoree to the Inc. 5000 List, employs more than 700 associates, boasts a fleet of 500 “Happy Face” trucks across 15 locations, and has responded to over 1.5 million service calls. Hiller is a proud sponsor of the Nashville Predators, the Tennessee Volunteers, and the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Xylem Bell & Gossett recently reopened the Little Red Schoolhouse, the company’s suburban Chicago training center for professionals dedicated to the plumbing and hydronic HVAC industries. Xylem Bell & Gossett’s Little Red Schoolhouse in Morton Grove, Illinois, has been an industry icon in education for over 60 years, having trained more than 62,000 engineers, contractors Read more
Xylem Bell & Gossett recently reopened the Little Red Schoolhouse, the company’s suburban Chicago training center for professionals dedicated to the plumbing and hydronic HVAC industries.
Xylem Bell & Gossett’s Little Red Schoolhouse in Morton Grove, Illinois, has been an industry icon in education for over 60 years, having trained more than 62,000 engineers, contractors and other hydronic HVAC and plumbing professionals have been educated in the proper design, installation and maintenance of hydronic and steam systems.
The Little Red Schoolhouse offers training covering a wide range of seminars tailored to different occupations within the industry, and is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).
“Industry professionals recognize the value of in-person training, and we are happy to welcome them back to the Little Red Schoolhouse,” said Mike Licastro, director of training. “Whether it’s manufacturers’ representatives, engineers or contractors, our goal is for training to provide a knowledge base that makes them better equipped to perform their daily job duties related to hydronic and steam product application and system design.”
Instruction at the facility is well known for taking a systems-based approach that teaches students not only about individual components, but also how those components work together once installed in a complete plumbing and HVAC system.
Xylem Bell & Gossett, through the Little Red Schoolhouse, has a long history of providing industry professionals with the in-depth hydronic system design knowledge they need to confidently and expertly help their customers. The learning center was updated in 2019 to ensure Bell & Gossett’s mission of education continues to add value to and advance the industry.
Along with cutting-edge technology, Bell & Gossett has reinforced its emphasis on hands-on training with dedicated space for three new demonstration areas that feature functional displays of equipment for a variety of commercial and industrial applications, including variable speed controller technology, plumbing products and service and maintenance.
Little Red Schoolhouse second quarter schedule
- Design and Application* (April 26-29)
- Modern Hydronic Heating Systems – Basic Seminar* (May 10-12)
- Large Chilled Water System Design* (May 24-26)
- Plumbing System Design (June 7-9)
* Seminar approved by GBCI to provide credit toward the credential maintenance requirements of the LEED Associate and LEED AP certifications
To learn more about the Little Red Schoolhouse, enrollment, course descriptions and online courses, please visit www.bellgossett.com.
A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) announced today that Eddie Goodwin, senior vice president, president of Lochinvar, will retire July 1, and Stephen O’Brien, chief operating officer, has been named the successor. “Since joining the company over 40 years ago, Eddie’s vast experience and steadfast leadership has helped shape Lochinvar into the industry-leading, high efficiency boiler and Read more
A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) announced today that Eddie Goodwin, senior vice president, president of Lochinvar, will retire July 1, and Stephen O’Brien, chief operating officer, has been named the successor.
“Since joining the company over 40 years ago, Eddie’s vast experience and steadfast leadership has helped shape Lochinvar into the industry-leading, high efficiency boiler and water heater manufacturer it is today,” said Kevin Wheeler, chairman, president and CEO. “He has built a strong team committed to designing, manufacturing and selling high quality, innovative products that meet our customer’s needs. We thank him for his vision and commitment to our customers, our employees and the A. O. Smith values over the past four decades.”
Eddie Goodwin
In his new role, O’Brien will build on the strong foundation Goodwin and his team have established, by implementing the strategic vision for the organization and further expanding Lochinvar’s innovative product lines. O’Brien has served as chief operating officer for Lochinvar since August of 2021 and is uniquely qualified to assume the role of president going forward. O’Brien joined Lochinvar from Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS) and prior to that, worked for A. O. Smith Electrical Products Company for 14 years before the company was sold to Regal Beloit Corporation. He holds an MBA from the University of Dayton in Ohio and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from State University of New York at Potsdam.
Stephen O’Brien
“With his extensive experience in the HVAC industry, his strong leadership skills and focus on customer satisfaction, Steve is the ideal person to lead our Lochinvar business unit going forward,” Wheeler added. “I am confident the transition will be seamless, and Steve’s extensive background and business development skills will further strengthen Lochinvar’s channel partnerships and our presence in the market.”
Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business to Co-Host March Workshop on Business Cash Flow Management The Home Depot® is launching a series of virtual workshops designed to help Pro contractors manage and grow their businesses. The retailer is hosting free, interactive livestreams offering expert lessons taught by industry experts. The workshops will run every other month Read more
Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business to Co-Host March Workshop on Business Cash Flow Management
The Home Depot® is launching a series of virtual workshops designed to help Pro contractors manage and grow their businesses. The retailer is hosting free, interactive livestreams offering expert lessons taught by industry experts. The workshops will run every other month.
Built exclusively to help Pros run their businesses more efficiently and profitably, each virtual workshop takes a deep dive into topics that Pros want to hear. Themes include best practices in social media for business, managing business expenses, home improvement industry trends and more.
The March 8th workshop “Money in. Money Out. Manage Your Cashflow to Boost Your Business’ Success” is focused on managing expenses and maximizing net operating income. Dr. Jonathan Clarke from The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business and The Home Depot Credit team will discuss cash flow management tips to boost business success.
The Home Depot began its in-store workshop programs in 1997 with the launch of its Kids Workshop program. Currently, there are three different virtual livestreams for DIYers including Homeowner 101, DIY Workshops and Seasonal Workshops.
In addition to the new Pro Virtual Workshops, The Home Depot helps Pros through its Pro Xtra™ loyalty program which offers members-only benefits including credit offerings, volume pricing, exclusive product offers, paint rewards, perks and more.
Pro contractors with a Home Depot Pro Xtra membership can register for upcoming workshops by visiting https://www.homedepot.com/c/pro_workshops.
For more information on Pro Xtra, visit www.homedepot.com/ProXtra or by visiting the Pro Desk at a local Home Depot store.