RIDGID®, a part of Emerson’s professional tools portfolio, announced their participation in the WWETT Show, Jan. 25 – 27, in Indianapolis. This year’s in-booth experience will include demos of their latest underground and pressing technology solutions, the opportunity to network with other pros during an exclusive show meetup and the first chance to enter to win a spot at the 2024 RIDGID Experience.

“RIDGID is taking cleaning, inspecting and patching to the next level and our team can’t wait to meet with the plumbers and drain cleaning professionals at WWETT to share our latest solutions,” said Jeff Albertini, marketing director, plumbing and mechanical, RIDGID. “We also can’t wait to host an exclusive in-booth meet up for industry pros to connect with each other and to offer the possibility of winning a new K9-204+ FlexShaft Machine.”

RIDGID invited tradespeople to stop by the RIDGID booth to experience their innovative drain cleaning, inspection, pipe rehabilitation, and pressing tools, including these latest solutions:

• NEW: FlexShaft® KM-1004 Milling Machine – This new innovative milling machine provides heavy-duty milling and a wall-to-wall clean on 1 ¼ to 4-inch pipe up to 80 feet with unmatched efficiency. With cordless freedom, plug-in capability, first ever cable counter, and best-in-class durability, the FlexShaft KM-1004 Milling Machine allows users to adapt to tough jobsite conditions and makes in-field serviceability effortless.
• NEW: K9-204+ FlexShaft Machine – This upgraded version of the K9-204 FlexShaft Drain Cleaning Machine has latches around the perimeter to provide easy access to the inside of the machine, an improved cable clamp for increased cable protection, and on-board hex key storage. The K9-204+ can be used on 2 to 4-inch pipe and includes 70 feet of 5/16-inch cable. A full range of chain knockers and accessories are available.
• RIDGID Pipe Patching System – An all-inclusive, start-to-finish solution for faster and simpler trenchless repairs, the Pipe Patching System is the most versatile system on the market, offering more types of repairs with less materials and equipment. Featuring a durable fiberglass patch, it is ideal for repairing small sections of damaged pipe in residential, commercial, and industrial settings.
• SeeSnake® Mini Pro Inspection Camera with TruSense Technology – The first reel of its kind to provide digital self-leveling without mechanical rotation, the small, yet rugged Mini Pro is designed to inspect up to 200 feet of 1 ½ to 8-inch pipe with its mid-flex push cable that can navigate hard 90-degree bends. Its innovative 25 mm digital self-leveling camera head always keeps the in-pipe image upright and, when
  paired with a TruSense enabled monitor, the Mini Pro delivers the industry’s best in-pipe image with superior clarity, detail and fewer blown-out areas and sections of the pipe that are too dark to see.
• K-4310 FXP™ Drum Machine – The K-4310 features an industry-first cable counter that provides real-time, in-pipe cable distance in 3 to 10-inch lines for faster locating and diagnostics. Ideal for residential and commercial plumbing and drain cleaning projects, its powerful brushless DC motor spins at 230 RPM allowing you to tackle tough jobs with less required maintenance. The battery-powered K-4310 is also the newest addition to the FXP Technology Platform, delivering cordless freedom and powerful performance.

Other RIDGID drain cleaning, diagnostic, and press tools will also be available for demo including sectional machines, drum machines, jetters, SeeSnake® camera systems and locators.

Along with product demos, RIDGID had several other booth experiences, including hosting a booth meetup where they will gave away a K9-204+ FlexShaft Machine. Additionally, the first day of the show kicked off the RIDGID Experience 2024 and the RIDGID WWETT booth was the first opportunity for attendees to enter for their chance to win a spot on the seventh annual, all-expenses-paid trip to RIDGID headquarters. Throughout the show, attendees scanned their badge to enter to win one of three K9-102 FlexShaft Machines.

RIDGID also took their social followers to WWETT virtually on their social channels and with drain cleaning professionals Evan Berns (@re.plumb) and Nick Parlet (@plumbingsk8r) who will shared their WWETT show experience on their social media channels too.

To learn more about RIDGID purpose-built tools they had at WWETT, contact your local distributor or visit RIDGID.com.

Huge Commercial Heating System Retrofit!

The Hub is on the road in Missoula, Montana for five days to pipe up 1.2M Btu’s of hot water heating for a 45+n unit condo property.

The Hub’s Eric Aune joins the Mickelson Plumbing crew for an intense but fun project in this episode of our ‘Hub On The Road’ series.

In this video we showcase the reliable MegaPress IPS fitting system. We rely on the RIDGID propress tools and press booster for assembly of the piping connected to the Viessmann Vitocrossal 200 commercial hot water boilers.

Thanks to our partners for making this project possible. It’s with their support we were able to produce this educational video showcasing some world-class plumbing & hvac products and tools.

Please checkout our partners here:

Viega LLC  Ridge Tool Company (RIDGID Tools)  Viessmann Manufacturing

When he is not performing wildcats on his snowboard or running ollies on his skateboard, Nick Parlet @plumbingsk8r keeps busy with his residential service plumbing company, Tidy Pipes Plumbing, Webster, N.Y.

 As a third-generation union plumber, Parlet’s dad and his grandfather encouraged him to join and learn the trade, so at the age of 22, Nick joined the local plumbing union. Nick began doing two years of pre-apprentice work and then started his five-year apprenticeship. After five years of schooling, Nick became a journeyman and worked commercial new build construction. Parlet eventually ended up working in the commercial plumbing service, and after doing that for many years—as well as doing side jobs for family and friends—he decided to open his own residential plumbing company, Tidy Pipes Plumbing.

“To be honest, I didn’t know if there was ever a time that I was certain about going on my own; however, with growing on social media with Plumbingsk8r and meeting a ton of great people in the industry, it was clear that there was more money to be made owning your own. My wife and I—spur of the moment—bought a truck on a random Tuesday, and the rest was history,” says Parlet.

Being on his own with the new company came a new wave of excitement knowing that each call Parlet received would grow his business further. “Interacting with my own customers was really exciting; I felt a greater sense of accomplishment and purpose for each job that I went to,” says Parlet.

Joining the union proved beneficial for Parlet. “There are many benefits as a union member, especially for those going into the trades young. They offer coverage for health and dental insurance, as well as retirement options and pension plans. There is also the perk of having your education and schooling provided for you if you go through the full apprenticeship program. It’s just nice knowing there is a group of people keeping your best interest in mind when you are first coming into the trade,” says Parlet.

For those interested in getting started in the trades, “Go for it!” says Parlet. “Consider the benefits for your future and remember that the trades pay. It is knowledge that will never go out of style. Tradesmen will always be import in the future and AI can’t take your job.”

So how does this translate to how we as an industry getting more people interested in the trades? “If there was more focus on the money to be made, I think there would be a lot more interest. There are always jokes about plumbers, and they have this stigma surrounding them that they are low paying job, but in reality you can make the same amount and in many cases more than someone who is 3-5 years out of college,” says Parlet.

The Balance

Believing in the notion that stress is a killer, Parlet is trying to stay level headed about keeping the right work life balance. First and foremost, Nick loves spending time with his wife and kids, and he knows full well that he does not want to shave a few years off his short time on earth just to make a few extra bucks. “Starting my company has been very challenging for balancing everything because I want to please all of my customers, and that sometimes means working late and working weekends, but I am confident that this is just part of the start-up process,” says Parlet.

Social Connections

As time went on, the confidence grew. And, once Nick started growing on social media and was asked to be part of the Oatey ambassador program, he says he met so many great people, good friends to this day that all became mentors.

Nick (r) with Evan Berns at Oatey

“My buddy Thomas Young, aka TYCustoms, Nick from Cheddars Plumbing Co, Jake from MotherFlushers, and Roger Wakefield all instilled a lot of confidence in me and really made me realize that I was capable of owning my own company as well. I hope to be a role model in showing the younger generation that there are other options besides college and that the trades are always growing and need workers,” says Parlet.

“Huge shout out to everyone at Oatey, by the way! Amanda, Alyssa, Katherine, and Tyler, you guys are awesome! They have really helped to push me further into the spotlight of the plumbing social media community and for that I am very thankful. Because of Oatey I was able to meet some of my best friends today.”

Speaking on the importance of social media, “About a year and a half ago, my good friend Brian was constantly sending me TikTok plumbing videos through text messages,” recalls Parlet. “After a few times of clicking the links, I was locked out of watching the TikTok videos unless I downloaded the app. So, I downloaded the app and without putting any thought into the name so I created @plumbingsk8r.

The Hub’s Tim Ward (l) and John Mesenbrink (r) share a laugh at the RIDGID afterparty during PHCC Connect in Cleveland.

“At that time, I was really only posting on my personal Instagram page. One day I was bored, I posted what I did at work to my Instagram story. I was shocked at the response I got from my friends that were not in the trades. My friends were actually interested in what I did for a living and would often ask me for help with their own plumbing issues. I started putting a little more though into filming my plumbing videos and edits. One night, Brian told me I should post one of my videos to the TikTok and I was a little hesitant at first but I eventually did. The next morning, I woke up at my video had 75,000 views. I was shocked. I posted another one and it didn’t do so good. I posted one more and that one took off as well.

“Every day, I would post what I did at work and I started to gain a little following. I reached out to other plumbing content creators and ended up building some good friendships. We would talk a lot about content creating but also about being a business owner. A lot of them sparked the idea of opening my own company at that time. I enjoy everything about plumbing, including meeting other people who are more knowledgeable about the trade than me. Social media has become a tool I’ve been able to use to learn more than I ever thought I could about the plumbing and the business side of things.

“There have been so many times I’m on a job and think to myself. ‘I bet TY would know the answer to why this is doing that.’ So, I call up my buddy that lives on the other side of the country and sure enough he knows exactly what I’m talking about.

“As for the time I put into my videos today, I try to post at least once a day. I try to film jobs that at different such as pouring a lead joint because you do see that very often. The filming process does not take much extra time but the editing and cross posting process can take anywhere from 30 mins to five hours per video. If I don’t feel creatively motivated, I will not edit or post that day. In a sense, social media has become a 2nd job for me but it’s a job that I can do when I feel like it so there is no pressure. I’m just having fun with it and meeting as many people as I can,” says Parlet.

In conclusion, when Nick started his plumbing career in commercial new construction, he felt as if he was not challenged enough. “I learned a lot about installation but not as much about what I was actually installing. In order to be a good service plumber, you need to know how everything works in order to properly diagnose and fix the problem. “Every service call that I go on has its own challenges and when I find the solution to the problem, fix the issue and put a smile on my customers face, that is the rewarding part.”

Oh, and that name @plumbngsk8r? “I have been skateboarding since I was 10 years old and I still really enjoy skating and filming with my friends,” says Parlet.

You’ll see Nick if you attend the 2024 WWETT Show, KBIS in Vegas, “and I was recently picked to attend the RIDGID Experience, which I am extremely excited about, and I’m hoping to get to the ‘holy grail’ of power tools event, the Milwaukee Pipeline.

RIDGID® Experience Goes Global: European Guests Visit Elyria, Ohio Headquarters—Participants from eight countries received a behind-the-scenes tour during the three-day trip to Elyria, Ohio.

RIDGID®, a part of Emerson’s professional tools portfolio, recently hosted the first RIDGID Experience Europe Edition 2023, an all-expenses-paid, three-day VIP trip to the company headquarters in Elyria, Ohio. The event welcomed a total of nine trade professionals from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom.

RIDGID Experience Europe included exclusive opportunities and team building events that highlighted the brand’s commitment to the trades. Hands-on experiences included a factory tour that invited each guest to build their own iconic RIDGID customized pipe wrench, and time in the research test lab working with innovations in the product development pipeline. “Our guests got a sneak peek at what’s coming from RIDGID, and we loved hearing their opinions on how these tools can help them maximize their time on jobsites,” said Michael Lucas, marketing manager RIDGID Europe. “Getting this global perspective is so important and hearing it in person is really special to our teams.”

The trip was modeled after the North American RIDGID Experience now heading into its seventh year in2024.RIDGID selected attendees from a pool of hundreds of professional tradespeople.

“Our annual RIDGID Experience event is a highlight of our year, and being able to bring some of Europe’s biggest RIDGID fans to our headquarters for a similar experience was a thrill for us,” said Becky Brotherton, director of brand and engagement marketing, RIDGID for Emerson. “RIDGID tools are used on jobsites around the world, but there’s something special about stepping on the manufacturing floor and talking with the people who make them. Our guests are always impressed with how much pride goes into manufacturing the tools they use every day.”

Emerson’s professional tools business, which includes RIDGID as well as the Greenlee® and Klauke® brands, provides the industry’s broadest portfolio of advanced, reliable tools and technologies for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing trades globally.

Visit www.emerson.com/professionaltools for more information. RIDGID®, Greenlee® and Klauke® are trademarks of Emerson or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks belong to their respective holders.