Our training at The Blue Collar Success Group focuses on three crucial areas: scorecards, processes, and organizational charts. These components are essential for clarity, motivation, and accountability. This month, we will focus on organizational charts.

Processes are the third component of our success strategy — organizational charts, scorecards, and processes. Two months ago, I began a three-part series to focus on each of them. This month, we are going to bring that strategy full circle by discussing processes.

Here are a few insights I'd like to share on how to lead our businesses with confidence, regardless of what's happening in the broader world.

As I write this, I cannot believe next week is Thanksgiving, and after that, just a few short weeks left until Christmas. 

Nine individuals have been indicted on a total of 42 counts related to a series of alleged actions and inactions that created the historic injustice of the Flint Water Crisis.

The American Supply Association (ASA) recently joined the Alliance for Water Efficiency in its appeal to the United States Department of Energy related to allowable flow-rate changes for multi-head showers, and the subsequent negative affects it will have on business operations for ASA members, as well as overall negative water-efficiency consequences that will result.

Abacus Plumbing's whole-house carbon water filtration, softener and reverse osmosis equipment can dramatically reduce water contaminates.

“Water quality has grown 300% across the U.S. since the pandemic began,” says Glen Blavet, founder and CEO of HALO Water Systems. “People are at home, and they’re looking to improve their quality of life and their health, so they’re looking at the water they’re drinking out of the tap.”

Puronics is a residential and commercial water treatment products and services provider operating four company-owned service centers.

Lead contamination in drinking water poses serious health risks, and even low levels of lead exposure can cause permanent cognitive, academic and behavioral difficulties in children.

To earn the certification, professionals must have at least two years’ experience in the field and complete the self-paced, online Water Treatment Design course before passing the WQA certification exam.

The Drinking Water Treatability Database presents an overview of different contaminants and possible treatment processes to remove them from drinking water.  

Disinfection byproducts (DBP) are becoming a matter of renewed concern in the regulatory and scientific world. It is necessary for all of us to understand the reasons and facts behind such new activity in this field. 

Installing a reverse osmosis (RO) system for a homeowner is not a once and done event. Just like any other kind of water treatment technology, RO systems require regular maintenance.

The WQA Board of Directors officially approved the relocation plan in April 2019, after more than two years of research and planning, and the former headquarters was sold to another Lisle-based association in March 2020, right as the coronavirus pandemic hit.

There’s no doubt about it, concern over water quality is becoming more prevalent. One just had to walk the trade show floor during the 2022 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) to see plenty of new water filtration and management systems, some even dispensing sparkling water by user preference.

When you talk about water scarcity and the lack of clean drinking water, most people think about third-world countries. They don’t realize that there’s a growing threat to clean water right here at home in the United States. Look at the February train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, where a fire forced the controlled release and burn of toxic chemicals to avoid an explosion. The resulting contamination killed thousands of fish in nearby streams and ignited concerns over soil and water quality.

A proposed series of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that set maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other so-called ‘GenX chemicals’ are set to go into effect in the fall.

Plumbing & Mechanical and PM Engineer Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke sits down with Legionella expert Dr. Janet Stout, PhD, to discuss best practice strategies in the plumbing industry for implementing risk assessments and Water Management Programs.

Check out the ways in which these companies are getting involved, making changes and learn how you can too.

Franklin Water Treatment provides products, services, and system solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial point-of-use and point-of-entry water treatment products, in a wide variety of markets and applications.

Water scarcity is a growing issue globally. Some regions are adopting water reuse and rainwater capture solutions. Onsite water reuse can help save money, reduce water demands, and manage stormwater flows. With onsite water reuse, you can reuse up to 95% of a building's wastewater.

Leading up to the SDWA anniversary in December, AWWA will continue to recognize the Act’s significant contributions to improving and protecting water quality and emphasize the need for continued investment and scientific evaluation to address emerging challenges.

Builders often overlook local water chemistry when selecting materials. Water chemistry and plumbing materials require more attention.

UFI provides filtration solutions to domestic and international customers servicing food, beverage, potable and wastewater applications.

Point-of-use (POU) water disinfection isn't just about public health; it's also an essential engineering strategy in modern water systems, tackling waterborne diseases by ensuring safe drinking water directly at the point of consumption.

NSF International Standard 53 is internationally recognized as the benchmark for water filtration systems’ effectiveness in reducing specific health-related contaminants. 

The APEX Awards are based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence. 

Appendix M of the IAPMO Uniform Plumbing Code, or the Water Demand Calculator, was integrated into the California Plumbing Code on July 1. It provides a new method for sizing water pipes in residential buildings. For Villara Corp., a leading plumbing and HVAC contractor in Northern California, it remains business as usual, having used the calculator for over five years to construct over 5,000 single-family homes.

Caleffi's new AutoFill has a fill rate of 5.5 GPM and maintains stable system pressure, ensuring consistent results without the need for constant monitoring.

With user-friendly plug-in installation and energy-saving thermostat control, the system is ideal for preventing ice from forming inside 3/4-inch to 6-inch diameter water lines in temperatures below -40°F (-40° C).

The simplicity of the patented Centra-lok design is also intended to offer a cost-effective vinyl-by-vinyl containment system for commercial, industrial, and municipal water and wastewater applications.

T&S offers two versatile hand wash sink options, each available in single or two-hole configurations, with both sensor and manual faucet options, providing flexibility to accommodate various installation requirements.

Education enhanced my earning potential. I became a more skilled technician, gained knowledge about new and emerging technologies, and became a much more valuable asset to my employers. Throughout my journey, I met numerous mentors in various aspects of the PHVAC trades and established insider contacts that proved to be invaluable.

Efficient fleet management is essential for plumbing and HVAC contractors looking to optimize operations and improve service. Customizing fleet vehicles to meet specific company needs is a key strategy. Modern upfitting now includes advanced technology and ergonomic designs, creating mobile workstations that boost efficiency on job sites.

Last week, we did a simple oil to gas steam boiler replacement. The customer (Mike) has been a family friend of my parents for more than 60 years. Mike’s grandfather built the house back in the 1920s. The home is currently occupied by Mike’s daughter and her two teenage grandchildren.

In the world of business, challenges are inevitable. Economic shifts, changing consumer demands and unforeseen crises are part and parcel of running a company.

Recognizing that pipe joints are the most common source of premature leaks and system failures, IPEX has designed Centra-lok to minimize maintenance, repair and installation costs.

Your vehicles are a projection of your brand into the market.

The IDS Ultra qualifies for federal tax credits and state rebates as an Energy Star V6.1 Cold Climate-certified product.  

The product launch also includes a new size, the EZ71 (photo left). All three EZ Series models, including the popular EZ98DV and the EZ111DV, will continue to carry a 25-year warranty on both their primary and secondary stainless steel heat exchangers. 

The improved ease of sizing these units makes it easier for customers to adopt commercial heat pump technology and allows them to take advantage of local HPWH rebates.

Darrell Jones found himself in quite a pickle back in 1986. At the time, Jones was working for close friend and mentor Louie Garner at Garner’s contracting business.

Stuart’s Plumbing has been a family business for more than 28 years. The company was established in 1990 by the late Stuart Baldick Jr. But after 10 years of owning the franchise, he decided to branch out and establish his own brand.

Maloney Plumbing was founded by William “Duke” Maloney and his wife, Mary Maloney, in May 1964 after the couple gave up farming in Idaho to move to Phoenix.

When Brooklyn, New York, native Yuda Best turned 28, he moved to Miami and opened his own plumbing business. Now, two years later, Oasis Plumbing going strong.

“Don’t call the average Joe, call NixCo.”

After returning from Vietnam, Paul A. Campione Jr., a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, came home to his wife and worked many odd jobs until he got into the plumbing industry.

U.S. Navy Veteran Brian Beltz got his start in the trades during his service as an interior communications electrician stationed on the destroyer, the USS John Hancock.

David Sparling started working for his father’s plumbing company in 1979. By the time Sparling took over the small family business, known as Sparling Plumbing, he decided he needed to start fresh. So he folded Sparling Plumbing and founded Safari Plumbing in 2006.