In The News
- Mar
- 14
Posted on March 14, 2012 by John OReilly
Eric Skare
Eric Skare, product manager of Fire Safety at Uponor, was recently accepted to the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) Standards Technical Panel (STP) for 1821, the standard for safety on Thermoplastic Sprinkler Pipe and Fittings for Fire Protection Service. The STP serves as the consensus body to review and vote on proposals to UL standards prior to publication.
A Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) and volunteer firefighter for more than 10 years, Skare has extensive fire protection industry experience, which also includes managing the AquaSAFE™ multipurpose residential fire sprinkler system business for Uponor.
“Eric’s acceptance onto this important panel further establishes Uponor’s support of, and contribution to, the fire protection industry,” says Jayson Drake, senior product manager of Plumbing and Fire Safety at Uponor.
Skare is a professional member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) and the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA). He serves on the NFPA Technical Committee for Residential Sprinkler Systems as well as the Residential Committee for NFSA and is the chair of the Fire Sprinkler Product Line Committee for the Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association (PPFA). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, and a master’s certificate in Project Management from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
- Mar
- 10
Posted on March 10, 2012 by John OReilly
Ben Wirick of FRG
Despite the vital importance of hot water to restaurant operations, getting the right quantities to right outlets at the right temperatures – especially during operational peaks – is an anxious, uphill battle for many managers. But a new and innovative approach to restaurant water heating that melds all of the necessary components into a single, prefabricated, ready-to-install package is boosting system performance, longevity and energy savings for a growing number of proprietors. This successful strategy is the subject of a cover story in the February 2012 issue of pme magazine.
Developed by Facilities Resource Group (FRG) of Grandville, Mich., the innovation is an engineered rack system that combines one to six tankless water heaters from Noritz America with all the necessary components – all mounted to a mobile aluminum frame and finished off with insulated copper tubing.
This type of multi-unit apparatus can be seen in numerous commercial installations around the country. The true breakthrough by FRG was its decision to leverage the inherent advantages of multiple tankless water heaters into a turnkey service program that caters specifically to the rigorous demands of fast-food and casual-dining restaurant chains. Instead of shipping one or more tankless units to a job site for installation by a local contractor, FRG takes direct control of the transaction by:
Ben Wirick with prefabbed tankless system
• designing and fabricating the water heater racks in its western Michigan facility;
• shipping them in FRG trucks to wherever the restaurant is located nationwide;
• personally participating in the installation of the rack with a qualified local contractor, usually after work hours, so that the restaurant suffers no down time;
• coordinating post-installation service work, either with the installer or another service company that has participated in a Noritz commercial tankless training program.
“Restaurant operators are concerned about not just the lost dollars and cents they can count [because of a malfunctioning water heating system], but also the less-tangible losses,” says FRG director of mechanical sales and engineering Benjamin C. Wirick. “If they must shut down for even half a day, will disappointed customers opt for a restaurant down the street and never come back? They don’t want to take that chance.”
Click here to learn more about FRG and this exciting new approach.
- Mar
- 6
Posted on March 6, 2012 by Joel Williams
The potential productivity gains offered by automatic taping and finishing tools from Ames Taping Tools are highlighted in the March cover story of Walls & Ceilings Magazine
, which profile an often overlooked means of greater efficiencies – and profits – that can be found in the maintenance of the tools themselves.
The gold standard for any finisher is a clean, fully calibrated tool. These job-ready tools maximize the contractor’s time actively finishing—and can boost productivity by up to 15 percent. Using an average hourly labor rate of $47, this enhanced performance translates into $282 extra per worker, per week. For a crew of three, top-quality tools can help generate an additional $44,000 in billings annually.
Given this sobering economic reality, how does a contractor decide whether to own or rent his automatic tools? What productivity measures does he use to guide his choice?
Well, that depends. Owning a set of taping tools is ideal for a contractor who properly maintains his investment through routine cleaning, lubricating and replacement of standard wear parts. But for his equally conscientious counterpart who must share tools across a jobsite, a rental arrangement assures that no matter who last ran a particular tool, it can be changed out, at no cost, for a clean and fully-calibrated tool.
Unfortunately, the real productivity thief is found in between these two scenarios. The contractor who purchases tools—with the best intentions—but, due to work load or compressed schedules, cannot properly maintain them is forced to make due. He must compensate for a poorly performing or broken tool by working additional hours or overstaffing a job.
In the end, tool ownership—just like the chosen finishing method—is the responsibility of each individual contractor.
Larger operations typically leverage the efficiencies and services associated with rental agreements, while many individual contractors prefer the familiarity of their own tools.
Click here to learn more.
- Feb
- 29
Posted on February 29, 2012 by John OReilly
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of its entry into the U.S. tankless water heating market, Noritz America Corporation recently unveiled a 10-month contractor appreciation promotion designed to recognize and reward members of its ongoing PROCard Program, as well as to attract additional professional installers to the group.
By submitting warranty registrations on Noritz products installed between March 1 and December 31 of this year, participating contractors will earn chances to win prizes in monthly and quarterly drawings. All participants will also be eligible for the grand prize drawing in January 2013 when the winner will receive a new Yamaha Rhino 700cc fuel-injected, side-by-side utility vehicle, valued at $19,000.
Promotional rules: The 2012 PROCard Promotion is open to all program members in the United States and Canada at www.noritz.com/10-year-promo/. To join PROCard, interested contractors should visit procard.noritz.com or call (866) 766-7489.
All participants can enter as many warranty registrations as they wish each month to be eligible for the monthly drawings. They are also automatically entered for the three quarterly drawings as well as for the grand prize drawing.
- Current members will earn one chance in the monthly, quarterly and grand prize drawings for each warranty registration submitted from March 1 through December 31.
- Members who submitted fewer than five warranty registrations in 2011 will earn five chances for their very first warranty registration during the 10-month promotion and one chance for each subsequent registration.
- New program members will earn 10 chances for their very first warranty registration during the promotional period and one chance for each subsequent registration.
- Feb
- 17
Posted on February 17, 2012 by John OReilly
On Feb. 14, more than 60 pre-engineering students from Henry Sibley High School in Mendota Heights, Minn., visited the Uponor North American headquarters in Apple Valley, Minn., to learn about new innovations in radiant heating and cooling, as well as plumbing and fire sprinkler systems, using crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) tubing.
The students’ visit was in conjunction with a push to encourage more science and technology education in Minnesota schools. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who visited Uponor on Jan. 11 to promote business innovation, also spoke in an online column about the importance of technical schools and the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) network in Minnesota.
To download the full press release and several hi-res images, please visit…
http://uponor.oreilly-depalma.com/2012/sibley-students-visit-us.shtml
- Feb
- 16
Posted on February 16, 2012 by John OReilly
Uponor has named Bill Gray president of Uponor North America, effective Feb. 15, 2012. He is also a member of the Uponor Group executive committee.
Gray has served as the vice president for UNA Sales since June 2011, where he was responsible for the leadership of all Uponor North American sales efforts in the United States and Canada. Previously, he was general manager for Uponor Ltd. in Canada for three years where he oversaw all Canadian operations, including sales, marketing, demand management and technical and customer service.
To download the full press release and a hi-res image, please visit…
http://uponor.oreilly-depalma.com/2012/bill-gray-president-us.shtml
- Feb
- 13
Posted on February 13, 2012 by Joel Williams
My deck is aching for a little spring cleaning. Every time I walk our dog, I see the discoloration and grime from the mold growth and mildew that result from the lack of a southern exposure. Our newest client, Wet & Forget, has an outdoor stain remover tailor-made for millions of homeowners like me.
The environmentally gentle, scrub-free exterior stain remover safely and gently removes unsightly moss, mold, mildew and algae stains on siding, roofs, decks, concrete and any outdoor surface imaginable. Check out these amazing before and after images from this composite deck – all without harmful bleach or back-breaking power washing. The beauty of this non-caustic, non-acidic, bleach-free cleaner is that it requires no scrubbing, no rinsing and no elbow grease.
Simply apply with a pump garden sprayer, then sit back and let Mother Nature do the rest. Results can be seen within days for those less contaminated areas and over several months for more distressed areas.
This product delivers on the “maintenance free” promise of composite decking materials. Spring cleaning, here I come.
- Feb
- 2
Posted on February 2, 2012 by Joel Williams
Uponor has expanded its reach into Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean with Victory Management Solutions, Inc. VMS will rep Uponor radiant heating and cooling, plumbing and fire sprinkler systems for commercial and residential applications.
“With this new partnership, we’re well positioned to educate a new market that has very little exposure to PEX products and systems,” says Bill Gray, vice president, Uponor Sales. “VMS is well known for supporting project work and will help us pursue opportunities that are ideal for our radiant heating and cooling, plumbing and fire sprinkler systems.”
- Jan
- 27
Posted on January 27, 2012 by Joel Williams
Uponor North America has named Charlie Harte as general manager of Canada. Reporting to Bill Gray, vice president, Uponor Sales, Harte will be responsible for the sales and marketing leadership of the Uponor Canadian business, ensuring that sales targets and customer satisfaction levels are met.
“The Canadian market is extremely important to Uponor North America; we need a leader who will balance the unique needs of the market with the operational requirements of a global company,” Gray says. “After an extensive search, Charlie Harte is the perfect candidate, with the skills, experience and vision to lead the Canadian team to the next level.”
A results-oriented sales and marketing professional with a strong record of achievement in Canada and the U.S., Harte has a progressive history of sales and marketing success. He is a seasoned veteran in the home and commercial building markets, with 20 years of sales and marketing experience. Most recently, Harte was director of The Home Depot field sales, recruiting and new-business development with Techtronic Industries Canada, Inc.
Harte will be based in Uponor’s Mississauga, Ontario, office. He is a graduate of the University of Glamorgan with a degree in Marketing and Finance as well as a marketing management certificate from York University.
- Jan
- 25
Posted on January 25, 2012 by Joel Williams
The potential efficiencies of water boosting systems from Grundfos are highlighted in the January cover story of Plumbing Mechanical Engineer, which profiles one apartment building’s jaw-dropping energy savings achieved through variable speed pump technology.
In fact, talk about putting your money where your mouth is– this project’s contractor was so confident in the potential energy savings that he paid for the new system himself — all in an effort to convince building management to invest in the efficient technology.
The gamble paid off in spades.
An independent project audit vindicated the daring claim by documenting a 90 percent energy savings over a one-week period in September 2010, and a 26-month payback period.
Moreover, the drop in power consumption translates to an annual utility cost reduction of nearly $18,160. Total project savings are estimated at $275,000 over the average 15-year pump lifespan. Despite removing 70 HP from this system, the computerized control, demand-based performance of the new pumping station averages just 30 percent capacity.
