HVACR

We’re proud to announce that RLS XL fittings (1-5/8” and 2-1/8”) were recognized for excellence in product design in the 2022 Dealer Design Awards Program, presented by The Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration (ACHR) NEWS magazine. An independent panel of contractors served as judges in the contest, which had 132 entries.

The NEWS Publisher Sarah Harding stated, “These awards give us a unique opportunity to recognize the outstanding research and development efforts that go into many of the products serving the HVACR industry and the awards issue gives our readers an opportunity to read about innovative installation and service solutions.”

Our XL fittings line – consisting of couplings, elbows, tees and reducers – won Silver in the HVAC Commercial Equipment category. The XL line was launched in early 2022 to offer the same time-saving and reliability benefits as all RLS fittings, but in larger sizes for commercial contractors who install or maintain large HVAC and refrigeration systems, such as grocery stores, cold storage facilities, large multi-family residential buildings, etc.

“RLS is honored to be one of the 2022 Dealer Design Awards winners,” said Paul Schubert, president of RLS. “We’re proud to be pioneers in the HVAC/R industry and to continue to develop innovative, reliable products that help contractors work faster and get the job done right.”

Entries accepted through August 9th

The AHR Expo (International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition) is now accepting submissions for the 2023 Innovation Awards. Exhibitors are encouraged to enter recent or upgraded products for the competition. Entries are welcomed through August 9, 2022. The 2023 AHR Expo will return to Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center February 6-8, 2023. To request more information about the Innovation Awards, or to receive forms for entry, please email Kim Pires at kpires@iecshows.com.

“If Vegas is any indicator of what’s ahead for HVACR then Atlanta will certainly be an impressive showing,” said show manager Mark Stevens. “Our ten category winners and 2022 Product of the Year winner, Danfoss, blew us away with innovative solutions that demonstrate just how revolutionary the technology within this industry is becoming. It’s really a remarkable gauge of just how fast this industry is moving,” continued Stevens.

The Innovation Awards aim to honor the most inventive, useful and original products, systems and technologies in the marketplace. Exhibitors are encouraged to submit products and technologies to showcase solutions for new and existing challenges and new avenues for industry growth.

Once submitted, all entries are evaluated by a panel of third-party ASHRAE members with over 20 years of professional engineering experience. The panel uses a review process to tally points based on application, innovation, value and market impact. Winners are then selected in ten industry categories, including building automation; cooling; heating; indoor air quality; plumbing; refrigeration; software; sustainable solutions; tools and instruments; and ventilation. An overall Product of the Year will be selected from the pool of category winners and will be announced at the show in Atlanta.

The Innovation Awards as an investment in our workforce

In 2022 AHR Expo introduced a workforce development program in which entry fees from the Innovation Awards program were used to support a local dual-HVAC high school. With the success of the awards in Vegas, AHR Expo was able to donate $25,000 directly to the program as well as host 25 students for a field trip on the show floor. In 2023, AHR Expo aims to work with the Atlanta Public School district to award donation funds to a similar program, with the hopes of growing into other areas of service within HVAC including computer programming and engineering.

“This industry is special,” said Stevens. “If you’ve been to the AHR Expo you understand the feeling of community and connectedness−even more now than ever coming out of the challenging years behind us.

“We are poised to build a fantastic future with HVACR leading the transformation of our built environment. The Innovation Awards lend a preview of this and it is encouraging to see how we are moving forward as an industry. Manufacturers continue to exceed expectations by showing up, making improvements and pushing forward; and while we award only ten companies, we see hundreds in our submissions. We can’t wait to see what’s to come in Atlanta,” concluded Stevens.

How to enter the 2023 Innovation Awards

The awards extend an opportunity for manufacturers to validate their dedication and hard work with strategy, planning, execution and market realization through the recognition of the industry’s most prestigious award. Winners are encouraged to learn more about the awards and view the 2022 winners on the Innovation Awards webpage. All applicants can submit their entries via the dedicated portal. The deadline for entry is August 9, 2022. Questions can be directed to Kim Pires at kpires@iecshows.com.

There are many benefits to participation, including:

• Winners and finalists will be recognized at the 2023 show with special booth signage
• Finalists will be announced on social channels one week before winner announcements, extending the opportunity for exposure longevity
• All winners will be invited to celebrate with their colleagues and industry leaders at a closed reception
• Winners will be interviewed for a custom video months before the show and will be featured on the AHR Expo website and social media channels, as well as in industry media coverage
• Winners will be encouraged to promote their win on their communication channels

Registration for the 2023 AHR Expo is open and available on the AHR Expo website.

Attendees are also encouraged to sign up for the show newsletter to receive updates as they happen.

ABOUT THE AHR EXPO

The AHR Expo is the essential event for HVACR professionals, attracting the most comprehensive gathering of the industry from around the globe each year. The show provides a unique forum where manufacturers and suppliers of all sizes and specialties come together to share ideas and showcase the future of HVACR technology. Since 1930, the AHR Expo has remained the industry’s best place for OEMs, engineers, contractors, facility operators, architects, educators and other industry professionals to experience everything new in HVACR and build relationships. The AHR Expo is co-sponsored by ASHRAE and AHRI and is held concurrently with ASHRAE’s Winter Conference. The next show will take place February 6-8, 2023, in Atlanta.

For more information, visit ahrexpo.com and follow on Twitter and Instagram.

One of the most noteworthy impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the national labor shortage and the widespread media attention it has earned.

According to Newsweek, there were 10.4 million job openings in the United States in September, but fewer than 8 million unemployed workers. That gap has placed enormous stress on the overall economy, from manufacturing and distribution to the retail and service sectors, as suppliers struggle to meet consumer demand.

For those in the skilled trades industries, this story is familiar. They have faced a chronic version of the overall labor shortage for decades.

Demographic challenges and misconceptions

The average age of skilled workers is now 43, according to one estimate from Angi. With fewer young people entering the trades every year, the situation is expected to get worse. The approaching wave of baby boomer retirements will only add to the problem.

For manufacturing, construction, and field service companies, the skilled trades crisis poses major ongoing challenges. It’s hard to maintain productivity and customer service while you’re understaffed or experiencing frequent turnover. Projects are often delayed because workers aren’t available. Revenue is lost for multiple reasons: worker inexperience, inefficiency, long work hours, or jobs that have to be postponed or turned down.

Unfortunately, many high school students and recent graduates who might thrive in the trades never consider a career in those industries. The message that college is the only path to success has become ingrained in our culture in the last 30 years. Despite the rising cost of higher education and the increasing number of students who never earn a degree, the college journey has eclipsed all other options.

In addition to highlighting the labor crisis, recent circumstances have demonstrated that manufacturing, distribution, and residential and commercial service jobs are a critical part of the national economy. These industries played a key role in public health and safety during lockdowns and periods of social distancing and quarantines. Many products and services provided by the HVAC and PHCC industries proved to be essential during the pandemic and have remained critical economic drivers as communities have reopened.

This national spotlight on the essential nature of the trades offers an opportunity to reorient public perception and correct the misconceptions that have contributed to the skilled trades labor gap.

Closing the gap

In response to the growing labor gap, trade organizations have partnered in recent years with vocational schools, employers, manufacturers, and public agencies to promote the trades as a viable alternative to a four-year degree. Their combined efforts are focused on the many immediate advantages offered by a skilled trades career:

• High wages
• On the job or employer-funded training
• Lack of student debt
• Immediate available positions
• A wide variety of vocational options and career trajectories
• Entrepreneurial opportunities

Additionally, advocates and thought leaders are making the case for other long-term strategies that will create a more effective and reliable talent pipeline. Among those ideas is diversification. Many communities have traditionally been underrepresented in the trades; focusing recruitment, outreach, and marketing efforts in those communities can build trust and allow the trades industries to connect with vibrant new pools of talent.

Immediate solutions

Those efforts, however, will take time to pay off. In the meantime, employers are still faced with a labor crisis of historic proportions and the urgent need to operate efficiently in order to remain competitive in this challenging economic climate.

In order to maintain productivity throughout the remainder of the pandemic and during recovery, many employers are looking for immediate solutions. While there is no magic bullet that will compensate for a labor shortage, there are a number of new and emerging tools available that can help companies boost efficiency and productivity so they can continue to deliver results for their customers.

The pandemic has focused a spotlight on the importance of the technology revolution that was already underway among skilled service providers. Some of the major technology trends and developments that have been accelerated by the pandemic and its fallout are:

• Mobile and remote capabilities: As COVID-19 forced many employees across multiple industries to work cohesively without a physical office, technician mobile apps and other remote technologies have become invaluable to commercial contractors of all types. Today, various mobile applications give teams remote work capabilities that weren’t possible a decade ago.
• Modular construction: The modular construction market is seeing an increase in business, which is in response to combined cost-effective construction technology and labor shortages. Modular and offsite construction continues to grow and contribute to less expensive housing and commercial construction. In addition to their convenience, other benefits of modular projects include the ability to more effectively regulate worker safety within ventilated and climate-controlled workspaces. These advantages also further help workers comply with social distancing guidelines.
• Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence (AI) is capable of lowering the cost of construction and service while helping teams successfully plan and schedule projects. AI is frequently used in software to conduct analyses and simulations in a variety of hypothetical situations and environments. In turn, AI is invaluable in developing new safety protocols and minimizing the risk of workplace injuries. Its role is expected to continue to rise in response to the workforce shortage exacerbated by COVID-19 shutdowns.
• Integrated software solutions: The number of contractors who still rely on pencil and paper or spreadsheets for record-keeping and accounting has steadily dwindled over the last decade, and sharply declined during 2020. Simply switching from manual job management to an enterprise solution can generate major gains for most businesses. A single all-in-one platform is critical for efficiency; requiring technicians to move back and forth between multiple apps not only takes up precious work time, it can serve as an obstacle to adoption.
• When actionable data from across departments is collected and accessible in real time, all parties involved in a project benefit. Up-to-the-minute insights and transparent communication empower purposeful, immediate decision-making and fast, accurate execution.

Resolving the labor shortage that has challenged the skilled trades will be a win not only for the industries involved. The long-term strategies currently being deployed will expand the choices available for young people and dismantle the preconceived notion that a college degree is required for success. By opening up opportunities for vocational training and apprenticeships in place of a university program, we can ensure young people are on the right track from the start. Presenting the trades as a viable option could also help reduce the national burden of student debt and alleviate college dropout rates.

In order to find and implement a comprehensive solution, it is imperative that we examine and assess our educational pipeline and deliver an authentic message about the advantages and opportunities of skilled trades careers. Innovation is the key to ensuring America’s workforce is prepared and supported.

For more information on this subject, visit www.buildops.com.

Jobber, the leading provider of home service management software, today announced the general availability of new features that make it easier for homeowners to reward their service pros directly with tips and support their businesses through referrals to friends and family. These features are designed to help service pros better meet increasing consumer expectations for seamless, technology-enabled service experiences.

“Building a reputation for excellent customer service doesn’t happen overnight,” said Sam Pillar, CEO & co-founder of Jobber. “Businesses that use Jobber understand the importance of prioritizing the customer experience, and we want to make sure that their efforts don’t go unrewarded. Jobber now helps keep your team motivated to prioritize customer service by being able to earn tips and helps you grow your business through customer referrals when you’ve delivered an excellent customer experience.”

Tip collection on online payments

Jobber’s tipping feature makes it easier for home service businesses to motivate high-performing team members in industries where it is customary to tip, such as residential cleaning, window cleaning, lawn care, and pool and spa servicing. Each business owner controls when to offer their customers the ability to add a tip. When enabled, the option to tip appears during the payment process when a homeowner pays their invoice online with Jobber Payments. Homeowners can choose a percent-based tip (10%, 15%, or 20%) or fill in a custom amount.

This feature also allows managers to identify strong performers by tracking which team members are receiving tips and for how much. When tipping has been presented as an option, nearly one in four (24%) of homeowners opt to provide a tip. In the past five months, Jobber has facilitated the collection of nearly $3M in tips for service pros.

“Taking payments with Jobber makes it very convenient for my customers because I can just send the invoice and the customer can pay it online,” said Irene Zibin, owner of eSunshine Cleaning in Abbotsford, B.C. “My team loves the addition of the tip function, which has led to some pretty good tips—big tips.”

Homeowner Referrals to Grow Your Business

The referrals feature allows homeowners to promote the good work of a home service business to friends and family. The ‘refer a friend’ prompt is displayed to homeowners in Jobber’s online customer portal, encouraging them to share booking links via email, text, or social media. New leads show up in Jobber tagged with information on the client who referred them, so businesses can reward customers for their advocacy.

“People want to do business with those they trust,” said Nick Tandeski, owner of Driveway Envy, serving the Twin Cities Metro area in M.N. “When clients refer us to other homeowners it dramatically increases our chance of winning that business and retaining them as a client. So far, everyone referred through Jobber has ended up doing business with us.”

To learn more about Jobber and how these new features improve the customer experience, visit: https://getjobber.com/why-jobber/