According to a Gallup study, only one in three workers in the U.S. strongly agree that they received recognition or praise for doing good work in the past seven days. At any given company, it's not uncommon for employees to feel that their best efforts are routinely ignored.

As members of Congress debate the very science behind “climate change,” there are a slew of cities — and now one state — taking matters into their own hands and enacting natural gas bans for new construction buildings.

As I write this month’s column, I’m attending Plumbing Manufacturer’s International annual Manufacturing Success conference in Louisville, Kentucky. PMI has done a great job with its programming content this year, especially with keynote presenter Andrew Winston, a corporate environmental strategist and author, who discussed how today’s companies are now expected to take a stand against the world’s social and environmental problems — and in doing so, earn a profit.

Does anybody else feel like 2022 just flew right by, or is it just me? It seems too early for Christmas decorations and music — just a few short weeks ago, Michigan was still having 70-degree weather! But ‘tis the season!

As the water receded from Lake Mead this past year, all the major news headlines focused on the human remains it revealed. Very rarely did any mention the ecosystem in crisis as trees, fish and other aquatic creatures, birds and other species are dying out as they are left out to dry.

When I first started working for Plumbing & Mechanical’s sister publication, The ACHR NEWS in 2014, I was often the only woman in the room at industry events. Those first few conferences were just a bit intimidating. In fact, it wasn’t until a HARDI annual conference that I first met other women in the industry — shout out to Colleen Keyworth, director of sales and marketing for Online-Access and immediate past president of Women in HVACR, for her immediate friendship then and for all the years since!

BNP Media’s Plumbing Group is finally settling back in after a whirlwind of travel this past month. We’ve been racking up those frequent flier miles attending NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), IMARK Plumbing, the AHR Expo and the WWETT show. While there was a ton to see at each event, for the purposes of this column, we’re going to focus on KBIS.

Last month, the Biden-Harris Administration announced it is proposing the first-ever national drinking water standard for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The proposal, if finalized, would regulate PFOA and PFOS as individual contaminants, and will regulate four other PFAS — PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX Chemicals — as a mixture.

Many of us have heard the term, ‘The Great Resignation,’ in describing the massive amount of employee turnover the last few years. In 2021, federal data shows nearly 50 million workers left their jobs for various reasons — higher pay, new career opportunities and more. With an already strained job market in the skilled trades, employee retention is more important than ever.

A few weeks back I was having a conversation with a plumbing and HVAC contracting business owner. During the beginning of our discussion, he abruptly told me, “I just use ChatGPT to do your job.”

In my years in the workforce, I’ve had jobs with amazing bosses and managers. On the flip side, I’ve also had terrible managers who made me question whether or not I wanted to stay in that organization.

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the number of teenagers who have driver’s licenses have declined. You wouldn’t think this matters to the home service contracting industry, but it does.

Fall is conference and tradeshow season in the plumbing and HVAC world.

Plumbing and HVAC contractors can help alleviate financial worries by offering multiple financing options.

Plumbing and HVAC contractors need to market themselves to potential employees just like they market to their customers.

Generosity is the new marketing. In this era of social media, charitable companies can earn an enhanced brand reputation as being a “good” company and will make people want to do business with them.

When a plumbing contracting company wants to grow, it can expand its geographic area by opening a new location, adding a new trade, or buying out another business.

The construction industry is often associated with strength, resilience and tough work. However, there has been an alarming rise in mental health challenges. MCAA is taking that to heart with the first-ever public release of its suicide prevention video.

As a writer covering HVAC and plumbing, I was often the only woman in the room. But that's changing, and more women are finding success in these industries. As Judaline Cassidy said, "Jobs don't have genders."

Dive into 30 years of plumbing safety with the ICC! The code gurus celebrate their anniversary and sponsor "American Plumber Stories" to inspire future generations.

There is a growing trend in the skilled trades, with more people turning away from the traditional four-year college path.

Who can be nominated? Any professional working in any aspect of the plumbing industry, including plumbers and pipefitters, contracting business owners, professional engineers and plumbing designers, wholesalers, manufacturers and manufacturers reps.

Embracing new technology can be challenging, but it can boost sales and productivity. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can revolutionize how plumbing contractors operate by enhancing employee capabilities.

I reached out to some of the best coaches in the industry for some perspective on communicating clearly and effectively with customers and each other and best practices for how contractors should handle communication breakdowns.

Last month marked the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the most significant U.S. federal action on climate change. With over $369 billion allocated to energy and climate programs, the IRA has driven unprecedented growth in renewable energy, boosting solar, wind, and battery storage, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and lowering energy costs.

Retaining skilled employees is vital for plumbing and HVAC contractors. High turnover leads to disruptions and decreased customer satisfaction. To address this, many are finding innovative ways to encourage retention, including unique approaches from new companies.

Glad to see your post Nima. I was wondering about you. Season's greetings to you

Maria shares a Tulip Tie-Dye kit perfect for summer vacation crafting!

Kids bored and driving you crazy? Maybe the Fashion Loom rubber band loom is the solution to parental peace!

"20 Ways to Draw a Butterfly and 44 Other Things With Wings" by Trina Dalziel is a straightforward book that shows different ways to draw winged creature using simple shapes.

Maria shows you how to create a gothic candy bowl project for Halloween with dollar store supplies!

Maria heads to the dollar store for materials for a fun Halloween candy container!

Maria visits her local dollar store to find supplies to finish her Halloween DIY witch's costume!

Maria takes a look at a great crafty holiday gift idea for kids - Duck Tape!

Looking for holiday gift ideas? Maria's easy Ice Resin earring tutorial may be the perfect gift for someone special!

Maria kicks off a series on how to choose a planner to get you organized in the new year!

The A5 planner world has a new player for 2016 with the introduction of the completely customizable Simple Stories Carpe Diem planner.

Maria takes a look at the CHA Mega Show 2016 Hot Product Sneak Peek event, and shows readers a few of the products featured from Boye, Offray, and Adtech.

Maria checks out the new mixed media Seth Apter The Altered Page line from Spellbinders at the CHA Mega Show 2016!

Maria takes a look at more products from the Hot Product Sneak Peek at CHA Mega Show 2016, including the PenBlade and Beadalon's Bangle Bracelet Weaver.

In 2016, Krylon is introducing new spray paint products that are fabulous for both indoor home decor projects and outdoor projects around your home.

Maria shows how she made a custom leather DIY traveler's notebook to fit some journals that she bought that were an odd size.

Here is an easy DIY charm tutorial! I'll show you how to make charms yourself and how to change out charms for your Midori Traveler's Notebook and other traveler's notebooks. This easy how-to project just requires a few supplies and tools to make a personalized planner charm.

Maria uses a half pumpkin to make a Fall door decoration!

It's not too late to decorate your porch for Halloween...this quick and easy Halloween pumpkin diorama will make a great weekend project!

This really easy Christmas Paperclip kids project can be used to decorate their notebooks & planners!

Maria unboxes the February 2017 kit called "Fresh Picked" from the new subscription box for planner lovers by Mommy Lhey Designs.

DALLAS, Tuesday, April 26, 2022 – Earlier today, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its final recommendations on low-dose aspirin therapy for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults: people who have a history ...