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RIDGID^® has awarded four scholarships to students enrolled in plumbing apprentice programs. In partnership with the Educational Foundation of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC), the scholarship recipients will receive up to $1,000 in tuition assistance as well as $1,500 in RIDGID tools.

There are as many as 3.1 million trade jobs available currently with an additional 2.1 million jobs to fill in the next two years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The scholarship program, administered by PHCC and supported by RIDGID since 2011, is designed to attract new talent essential to the future of the plumbing, heating and cooling industry.

“The need for tradespeople is growing and RIDGID has been a long-time supporter of programs helping to fill the gap. We’re proud to be able to provide these scholarships to help not only train professionals but also set them up with the quality tools they will need to enter the industry,” said Christopher Burton, RIDGID Global Director of Brand Management.

The 2016 scholarship recipients are:

• Jose Avila of San Diego, Calif. is working for PHCC member company The Brinks Group, Inc. He is studying plumbing at the PHCC Academy of San Diego.
• Devon Moyer of Lauries Station, Pa. is working for PHCC member company Tim Beil Plumbing. He is studying plumbing at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute.
• Spencer Sarjeant of Atlanta, Ga. is working for PHCC member company Plumb Works, Inc. He is studying plumbing at PHCC Academy of Georgia.
• Brendon Webb of San Diego, Calif. is working for PHCC member company The Brinks Group, Inc. He is studying plumbing at the PHCC Academy of San Diego.

RIDGID has a long history of supporting trade education through tool donations and monetary support to trade schools. In addition, the company provides ongoing training around the world at one of 14 training centers to distributors, employees and local vocational and high school students. In 2017, the company will announce additional initiatives to drive awareness and combat the trade shortage trends.

For additional information about RIDGID, please visit RIDGID.com, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, or call toll-free: 1-800-769-7743.

About RIDGID^®

RIDGID is a global manufacturer of more than 300 dependable and innovative tools, trusted by the professional trades in over 140 countries. RIDGID products are designed to help professionals in the demanding commercial, industrial and energy markets install and maintain the world’s infrastructure with greater certainty and efficiency. Headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, RIDGID is a business unit of Emerson™, a global innovator in technology and engineering.

About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets around the world. The company is comprised of five business segments: Process Management, Industrial Automation, Network Power, Climate Technologies, and Commercial & Residential Solutions. Sales in fiscal 2015 were $22.3 billion. For more information, visit Emerson.com.

©2016, RIDGID, Inc. The Emerson logo and RIDGID logo are registered trademarks of Emerson Electric Co. or RIDGID, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Milwaukee Tool continues to rapidly expand their Layout and Measurement offering with the introduction of Open-Reel and Closed-Reel Long Tapes. Designed from the ground-up to address common user frustrations with long tapes currently available on the market, the new Milwaukee Long Tapes provide ultimate durability and accuracy.

“One of the most frequent concerns with today’s long tapes is their tendency to jam during use due to debris on the blade being taken up into the mechanism. This causes long tapes to fail prematurely, which contributes to downtime on the jobsite,” said Brandon Miller, Group Marketing Manager for Milwaukee Tool. “Our industry-first, patent-pending Grime Guard™ blade cleaning system features a wiper that keeps dirt, mud, and other jobsite contaminants out of the housing and internal components of the long tape as its reeled in – providing a much longer life for the tool.”

To survive the demands of the jobsite, both 100ft and 300ft Open Reel Long Tapes include reinforced metal handles and a 3:1 planetary metal gear system that distributes force evenly, and puts less stress on internal components to prolong life. Exclusive to the Open Reel Long Tapes is a proprietary blade manufacturing process that combines a steel blade with extruded nylon coating. This design provides 50% less stretch for best-in-class accuracy and blade durability resulting in up to 10X longer blade life. The 100ft Closed Reel Long Tape is constructed of a durable metal frame housing to help protect the tool from drops.

Available in November 2016, the new measuring wheels confirm Milwaukee’s unrelenting commitment to providing solutions that solve key industry frustrations, while increasing jobsite productivity.

Open Reel Long Tape Options

100ft Open Reel Long Tape               48-22-5201 ($29.99)

300ft Open Reel Long Tape               48-22-5230 ($49.99)

*30M and 100M Open Reel also available

Closed Reel Long Tape Options

100ft Closed Reel Long Tape             48-22-5101 ($19.99)

*30M Closed Reel also available

At their annual Manufacturers Representative National Sales Meeting in Memphis, TN, Milwaukee Tool recognized several agencies and individuals for outstanding achievement within the PHVAC channel.

Award recipients were measured on a number of criteria including consistent year-over-year sales growth and product knowledge/training, as well as promotional and merchandising executions that maximize and accelerate profitable wholesaler sell through.

“We are relentlessly committed to leading in this industry by delivering the most robust new solutions with disruptive innovation and best-in-class performance to enhance end-user productivity,” said Gene Wilson Vice President Plumbing & HVAC Channels for Milwaukee Tool. “We are proud to partner with Manufacturer Reps that clearly understand and share this vision.”

Milwaukee would like to once again congratulate the following recipients for demonstrating the ability to communicate Milwaukee’s commitment to the PHVAC contractor and their preferred distribution, the PHVAC wholesaler.

• Agency of the Year: Summit Sales Inc. (Covering Kansas, Missouri)
• Power Tool Accessory Agency of the Year: Mitchell Enterprises (Covering Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma in HVAC)
• Sales Person of the Year: Marty McNee, Summit Sales Incorporated (Covering St. Louis)
• Power Tool Accessory Sales Person of the Year: Lauren Butler, TM Sales Inc.(Covering Denver and Colorado)
• Inside Sales Person of the Year: Jennifer Austin, Marsh & Moore Inc.(Covering Florida)
• Special Recognition Award: Jared Mullen, AH Deveney, for his dedication to Milwaukee Tool

Milwaukee Tool is breaking barriers in the press tool market with the introduction of the new M18™ Short Throw Press Tool, the industry’s first press tool optimized for residential installations. The new tool is the fastest press tool on the market, pressing 40% faster than competition. Delivering force optimized for PEX installation, and eliminating downtime caused by calibration intervals, the M18™ Short Throw Press Tool reduces cost of ownership and maximizes productivity for the residential installer. With the new press tool platform comes jaws unique to the new tool, the first of which are compatible with the Viega PureFlow™ Pex Press System.

“The residential space has largely turned toward PEX tubing due to its cost, speed of installation, and lack of corrosion versus copper. Today, in order to join many PEX fitting systems, users have pressed manually with large, cumbersome hand tools, or invested in hydraulic press tools designed to press metals,” said Alex Boll, Product Manager for Milwaukee Tool. “The lightweight, in-line design of the new M18™ Short Throw Press Tool enables the installer to press with just one hand. And, with a 3 second cycle time, and the ability to press 400 1” connections on a single charge, this new tool allows residential installers to do their job faster and easier than any solution they’ve had up until now – without paying for more force than is needed.”

The new M18™ Short Throw Press Tool delivers peace of mind, even on the most critical jobs. With no calibration interval, the new tool delivers consistency in installation over the entire life of the tool. A pre-press battery check prevents the user from starting a press the tool cannot complete due to insufficient battery charge, while Auto-Cycle ensures a full press every time and indicates to the user via a green light that the connection is complete.

Powered by Milwaukee REDLITHIUM™ batteries, the new M18™ FORCE LOGIC™ Press Tool is fully compatible with the entire M18™ line, now offering more than 100 power tool products.

*PureFlow Plumbing Systems offer three forms of ViegaPEX tubing: ViegaPEX, ViegaPEX Ultra and FostaPEX. Unlike copper, all forms of Viega tubing offer proven resistance to chemically aggressive water conditions and temperature aging for longer life expectancy. Viega tubing meets strict ASTM standards in addition to UPC and international codes for potable water systems.

Highlights

• Delivers force optimized for low force applications
• Capability to complete 400 1″ connections on a single charge
• 40% faster than competition
• No calibration interval
• Pre-press battery check prevents user from starting a press the tool cannot complete due to insufficient battery charge
• Auto-Cycle ensures full press every time

Specifications

• M18™ Short Throw Press Tool w/ Viega PureFlow™ Jaws (2674-22P)
• Force: 7,200lbs
• Pipe Capacity: Up to 1”
• Approx. Cycle Time: 3 Seconds
• Auto Cycle: Yes
• Length: 13.6”
• Weight: 4.8 lbs J
• aw Warranty: 2 Year