Ricci Hancock helps manage and run his father’s plumbing, heating and AC full service and repair business.

Named after a local mountain and using the colors of the state’s only four year university, Aspen Mountain Plumbing’s trucks remind all the locals of home. 

A third generation plumber, Mitch Kenney started out working at his father’s company in Colorado, then branched out and tried a couple different entrepreneurial opportunities. 

Being an avid surfer in a community that revolves around the beach and ocean, Josh Martin, president and owner, knew “Seaside Plumbing” would be the perfect name for his company.

“Anything worth doing is worth doing right.”

That’s the slogan of Pataskala, Ohio-based Crawford Mechanical Services (CMS). 

People join the trades for many reasons, family business, a desire for little to no school debt, etc. 

At age 62, Paul Cleary has been in the trades for 44 years. He went to vocational school in Connecticut and then joined the union after high school. 

Patrick Jorge Besinga, president/CEO of Works Plumbing, and his wife, Margaret Besinga, vice president/COO, grew up in the Philippines, and both hold a college degree in business and marketing. 

This month, CEC Facilities Group celebrates 12 years in business. 

After working together at a national plumbing franchise, Jeff Morgan and Bob Miller knew there had to be a better way to treat plumbers. So, in 1997, they decided to leave and start their own company, and Morgan Miller Plumbing was born.

Known as “The Temperature Experts,” Shelby Township, Michigan-based Koz Heating & Cooling was founded just eight years ago — the culmination of Michael Kosmalski’s dream to one day own his own HVAC company.

“The right call any time of year” is the perfect slogan for Asheville, North Carolina-based Four Seasons Plumbing. The company was founded in 2006 by husband and wife team, Max Rose and Rachel Rose, thanks to a monetary gift from Max Rose’s grandmother.

Southern Trust Home Services began life on a farm. An electrician by trade, Ted Puzio founded his contracting business in 1995 while raising his two teenage sons. Then named TP Electric, Puzio and his sons renovated and flipped farmhouses before building a two-story facility to both live in and use as a workshop.

What do logging and plumbing have in common? Jon Hatch for one. After a friend told him about a plumbing apprenticeship opening 15 years ago, Jon Hatch made the jump to the plumbing industry. 

For the past 15 years, Steve Baker had a plan to start his own plumbing company. Last year, that dream was finally achieved with the opening of Gideon Plumbing in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada.

After working for a plumbing company who wouldn’t give him a day off, Levi Torres and his wife, Cassi Torres, decided to start their own plumbing business in 2012. The couple wanted a company that supported its employees and served every customer with professionalism and respect, and High 5 Plumbing was born.

After learning the trades during two tours in the Navy Seabees, Guy M. Cooper Sr. decided to start his own business — Guy M. Cooper Plumbing & Heating was founded in 1930. While the mechanical contracting firm has a long, storied history of providing high quality work and high quality jobs for all its employees, the third-generation owners Gary Cooper and Glenn Cooper decided it was time for a rebrand in 2021.

Edwards Plumbing & Heating, a third-generation contracting business, was founded back in 1948 by Charles W Edwards. Charles Edwards, a pipefitter by trade prior to WWII, became a Navy Seabee, building runways in the pacific.

It’s not often that a 27-year-old decides to start his own contracting company, but in the case of Ryan Osterkamp, that’s exactly what happened.

With homes now doing dual duty as both a residence and a workplace, many people are spending double the time in the same space. This lifestyle shift has launched a home-renovation trend for people who are looking to change their current living spaces to better align with the needs of life and work in one place.

Ever since the RPA was formed, members have taken advantage of the great benefits the alliance has to offer, such as codes and standards advocacy, a job center network, obtaining and creating valuable education, the annual Radiant Flooring Guide, newsletter subscription, discounts for IAPMO products and services, access to webinars and more. RPA members are professionals from all facets of the radiant profession, including manufacturers, installers, engineers, architects, students, apprentices and inspectors.

The luxurious Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, New York, was once a waterfront barrel and rope factory. This renovated structure now has 72 boutique guest rooms. As part of the update, it was important to retain the character of the original turn of the century building, which opened in 1901. In order to convert the cold, utilitarian factory space into comfortable rooms, a major mechanical update was required. By adding radiant floor heat, they were able to meet and exceed the comfort benchmark of a modern-day hotel while balancing for energy efficiency.

The first snowflakes hit the ground in Park City, Utah, in late October, before a single peanut butter cup hit the bottom of the Halloween bag. The first snow of the 2022 season dumped 10 inches of fresh powder on the town on Oct. 23, giving skiers and winter sports enthusiasts an early start to their activities.

Radiant heating and cooling systems are not new to the North American market, but there’s a strong trend toward incorporating both, especially for tightly controlled environments such as commercial spaces.

Within the halls of our recent meetings, the RPA community witnessed a defining moment. Committees were not just formed; they were crafted as engines of change.

Hiller announced a five-year partnership with The University of Alabama’s Athletic Department and Crimson Tide Sports Marketing.

Andrew Wilson and Alex Phrommany were honored as the 2024 Plumbing Apprentice of the Year and HVAC Apprentice of the Year, respectively. 

Giglio is a dedicated member of PHCC of Louisiana’s leadership, currently serving as president-elect after more than a decade of work on the chapter’s Board of Directors

Included in Interplay’s career development platform, SAM provides technicians with immediate guidance to help them gain skills faster and learn more efficiently in a more engaging manner. S

For the past five years, Carter has been fulfilling his dream as an instructor at Gar-Field and currently has 80 students enrolled as first- and second-year students. 

Xylem, in conjunction with its Goulds Water Technology brand, is engaged in regular water well initiatives to provide secure water access to rural areas, striving to increase public awareness of the challenges surrounding lack of water access.

This year, High 5 pLUMBING ranked No. 7 in the small business category.

These changes will unify the Conformity Assessment Group, merging testing and certification services under one roof to provide consistent, gold standard- level customer service across all departments and all office locations.

The award is presented every two years to a nominee with attributes including technical mastery and a passion for hydronic technologies, demonstrated leadership as an educator and mentor, and an aptitude for cultivating fundraising opportunities for industry causes.

 The 71st Annual Meeting of the Membership will be held as part of the PMI25 Manufacturing Success Conference from Nov. 3-6, 2025, at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. 

An electrician walked into the equipment room to diagnose and repair an electrical problem in the school. 

Armstrong introduces Design Envelope Permanent Magnet pumps (up to 60hp), delivering 20% lower operating costs and highly accurate flow metering (+/- 5%).

Taco Comfort Solutions/Hydroflo VT Series vertical turbine submersible pumps provide excellent reliability and ease of installation.

Government planners, taking their queues from politicians and advocacy organizations, have steered the future of energy supply away from fossil fuels and toward renewably-sourced electricity. It’s happening on every level from the feds right down to local city councils.

Hydronic-based heating and cooling systems stand ready to offer plenty of design and performance benefits. One of them is the potential for thermal storage.

In rural upstate New York, residents harvest trees for firewood using chainsaws and hydraulic splitters. I burn about two face cords annually in my wood stove, enjoying its warmth during winter and relying on it during power outages caused by outdated utility lines.

In 2024, the North American air-to-water heat pump market saw significant expansion, with nine new offerings introduced at the January AHR show by companies new to this category. By year's end, at least 18 companies either have or plan to offer these pumps in the U.S. Read the list of these companies as of mid-2024.

Many pieces of news go viral within the plumbing industry. However, every now and then, something happens that reaches far outside of our industry bubble. This was certainly the case as the tributes remembering legendary businessman Herb Kohler circulated throughout national news outlets and social media everywhere.

Late last year, LIXIL made headlines when it announced the acquisition of Basco, a U.S.-based shower door manufacturing company.

RainStick Shower co-founders Alisha McFetridge and Sean McFetridge share a longtime passion for water conservation. In 2019, the two began building the North American Market’s first water circulating shower. Supply House Times Chief Editor Natalie Forster sat down with Alisha McFetridge to dive into RainStick Shower’s backstory and plans for the future.

Multiple generations living together under one roof, has challenged traditional ideas about space utilization and functionality.

A thriving plumbing business relies on a collaborative team spanning various functions. Facing challenges like labor shortages and limited resources, many contractors struggle to expand into new markets. Adding a franchise can accelerate growth, minimize risk, and unlock fresh opportunities by leveraging established systems and resources.

Selected as one of 33 projects in the U.S., the funding will be matched by Kohler investment to support the Electric Boiler & Microgrid project at its manufacturing site in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Customer segments serviced by Toronto-based Crownhill include public sector agencies, industrial products, consumer goods and e-commerce.