Industry News

The Caleffi Green was introduced to North America at the recently held AHR Expo in Chicago.  The global initative defines a path forward with a multi-faceted plan of action for sustainability. An executive leadership team from the company’s Italian headquarters attended AHR to launch the initiative. Federica Beretta, Brand and Content Marketing Manager from Caleffi S.p.A Read more

The Caleffi Green was introduced to North America at the recently held AHR Expo in Chicago.  The global initative defines a path forward with a multi-faceted plan of action for sustainability.

An executive leadership team from the company’s Italian headquarters attended AHR to launch the initiative. Federica Beretta, Brand and Content Marketing Manager from Caleffi S.p.A. stated, “We have launched a project called The Caleffi Green and we have been spreading it out all over the world.  Sustainability is not only about processes and products, it is also about people.  Every action is important.”

Caleffi’s global commitment to sustainability and resiliency is not new. Manufacturing is accomplished in an energy conscious manner, while prioritizing a healthy work environment for employees.  For example, air pollutant emissions during the brass forging process are maintained 33% below the maximum particulate matter regulations in effect in Italy.  More specifics can be found in the recently published Caleffi Group Sustainability Report.

As a reflection of Caleffi’s dedication to reducing its carbon footprint, a North America facility expansion will incorporate photovoltaic panels set to provide over 80% of the building’s electricity demands. In addition, over 90% of the building’s materials and labor will be regionally sourced.

Additionally, the North American group will expand the Caleffi Cares program to include a Volunteer Time Off (VTO) policy. Each member of the team has enormous potential to make an impact in their community. Milwaukee-based and remote employees have paid time to volunteer with the charities and organizations that make a positive impact in their families and communities.  At the end of the year, Caleffi will hold a company-wide Lunch and Learn where employees can report on how they spent their time and share success stories.

Count on Caleffi to continue to support the industry with non-proprietary educational resources in our commitment to Excellence in Education.  To design, install and service the best-case, energy efficient and water conscious systems there is no room for gaps in stakeholder training.  It is in the collaboration of ideas and technologies from design to installation.  We are committed to help all stakeholders achieve these lofty goals with resources such as the semi-annual idronics™ journal and Coffee with Caleffi™ webinar series.

In partnership with Pennsylvania’s Energy Coordinating Agency, company donates eight water heaters to families in need during Random Acts of Kindness Week. Ambler, Pa. — Eight low-income Philadelphia families are receiving new energy efficient water heaters, thanks to a generous donation from Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks Read more

In partnership with Pennsylvania’s Energy Coordinating Agency, company donates eight water heaters to families in need during Random Acts of Kindness Week.

Ambler, Pa. — Eight low-income Philadelphia families are receiving new energy efficient water heaters, thanks to a generous donation from Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks.

The donation, which comes during Random Acts of Kindness Week, stems from Bradford White’s signature charitable giving initiative, Industry Forward®. Eight 40-gallon water heaters are being provided to very deserving families who have contacted Philadelphia’s Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) Heater Hotline. ECA is an Industry Forward® partner that has a strong history with Bradford White.

Rich-Tomkins, a manufacturer’s representative for the company, helped coordinate the product delivery and ECA’s trained staff, which helped identify families most in need, will be installing the water heaters.

“At Bradford White, giving back to our communities and providing help to those in need, is part of our mission and core values as a company,” said Rebecca Owens, senior manager of communications for Bradford White. “By providing water heaters to several families in need during Random Acts of Kindness Week we hope to inspire others to show kindness and give back as well so we work together to make a positive impact on people’s lives. We are truly grateful to partner with ECA and provide essential hot water to families who have been without for far too long.”

ECA’s Heater Hotline team receives numerous calls each week from low-income families who have no hot water because water heater replacement is not covered under other low-income programs. Such calls often come from senior citizen homeowners or families who resort to the dangerous practice of heating water on a range for bathing and household cleaning.

The Philadelphia Emergency Water Heater Fund, created by ECA in 2022, has already used its allotted funding for the year and Bradford White stepped up to assist when it heard of the need.

“We are deeply appreciative of the continued partnership with Bradford White and their generosity through their innovative Industry Forward® program,” said Steve Luxton, ECA chief executive officer. “There are so many families in need of hot water and Bradford White’s continued support to lend a hand and give back to families in need is so important. They are a true partner to Philadelphia families, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet.”

Bradford White has partnered with ECA on several recent projects, including a $50,000 Industry Forward® grant to help ECA launch a pilot internship program for young people and emerging workers from Philadelphia’s disadvantaged communities to receive training on heat pump water heater installation and maintenance.

Domestic hot water (DHW) sizing and design is critical to optimize energy efficiency, reduce water waste, and improve safety.  Host Christoph Lohr, P.E. returns to the webinar series to detail the engineering methods that can help designers right-size their hot water return (HWR) system.  He will recap the September ’23 Coffee with Caleffi™ webinar (Ten Things to Read more

Domestic hot water (DHW) sizing and design is critical to optimize energy efficiency, reduce water waste, and improve safety.  Host Christoph Lohr, P.E. returns to the webinar series to detail the engineering methods that can help designers right-size their hot water return (HWR) system.  He will recap the September ’23 Coffee with Caleffi™ webinar (Ten Things to Know About DHW Return Design) and discuss three critical items regarding DHW return design:

  • Balancing Valve Selection Impact on HWR System Sizes
  • The Equations that Govern Right-Sizing Hot Water Return Systems (Hardy Cross Methodology)
  • Pipe Routing and Plumbing Fixture impact on Hot Water Return System Design

Christoph is IAPMO’s Vice President of Technical Services and Research.  As part of his duties he provides industry leadership through participation in strategic industry initiatives, and provides technical support to all IAPMO’s business units as needed. Christoph has over a decade of experience in designing plumbing systems and has a reputation as a results-oriented expert, particularly in the realm of balancing waterborne pathogen prevention and water sustainability.  He is a distinguished graduate from the Virginia Military Institute, with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

Coffee with Caleffi technical training webinars are free and intended for contractors, designers and wholesalers.  By submitting your webinar registration, you are consenting to email communications to keep you up-to-date on industry news.

New AI-assisted smart cameras and vehicle telematics increase technician safety, reduce costs and optimize workflow FieldRoutes, a ServiceTitan product and leading cloud-based and mobile SaaS platform for field service businesses, today announced an integration of ServiceTitan Fleet Pro with FieldRoutes’ software. This new, integrated solution enables pest control companies to manage their fleet more efficiently, leading to greater cost Read more

New AI-assisted smart cameras and vehicle telematics increase technician safety, reduce costs and optimize workflow

FieldRoutes, a ServiceTitan product and leading cloud-based and mobile SaaS platform for field service businesses, today announced an integration of ServiceTitan Fleet Pro with FieldRoutes’ software. This new, integrated solution enables pest control companies to manage their fleet more efficiently, leading to greater cost savings, improving driver safety improvements, and ultimately increasing ROI.

With the new integration, FieldRoutes customers can directly leverage Fleet Pro to manage and oversee operations across the entire fleet management lifecycle. Pest control businesses are able to access real-time and historical fleet data from a vehicle’s GPS system and AI-assisted smart cameras, which can streamline costs and improve overall performance. Using Fleet Pro can also help technicians minimize accidents by nearly 75%, reduce distracted driving, and encourage regular vehicle maintenance.

“Our customers are facing increasingly complex challenges, from staffing shortages to fluctuating fuel costs, adding pressure to their roles,” says Mark Tipton, CEO of Aspire Software. “Business owners have less time to focus on strategically planning daily routes, when to schedule vehicle maintenance, or where to cut costs. This integration enhances Aspire’s existing solutions, empowering our customers to meet the evolving market, ensure both driver and community safety, and propel them forward.”

Key capabilities of ServiceTitan’s Fleet Pro include:

  • Eliminate Side Jobs – Detect and alert unauthorized vehicle usage through GPS tracking and geofencing.

  • Maximize Billable Hours –  Receive regular service reminders to stay on top of maintenance and prevent unexpected breakdowns.

  • Prevent Unsafe Driving – Stop distracted driving with real-time, in-cabin driver alerts.

  • Protect Against Liabilities – Leverage video event capture in real-time with in-cabin alerts via text and email.

  • Facilitate Driver Coaching – Driver scorecards track technicians’ distance, drive time, idle time, fuel use, and unsafe driving behavior.

Faced with continued labor shortages, increasing customer demands, and a focus on drivers’ safety, businesses are adopting these tools to stay competitive in the field, cut costs, and improve performance. According to a 2024 Fleet Technology Trends Report, 70% of fleets use fleet technology, with 50% for managing field service and workforce (scheduling, dispatch, communication). Of the fleets surveyed, 77% using video technology protected themselves from false claims, 48% lowered accident costs, and 44% reduced insurance costs.

“Our customers rely more frequently on real-time data and insights from their vehicles and fleets to make better-informed business decisions and enjoy a competitive edge,” says Anmol Bhasin, CTO of ServiceTitan. “We are committed to equipping contractors and technicians with the tools and technology they need to run and grow their businesses safely and efficiently. This new integration with FieldRoutes makes this goal even more attainable.”

For more information about ServiceTitan’s Fleet Pro capabilities, visit: https://www.fieldroutes.com/pro/fleet

The not seasonally adjusted national construction unemployment rate at 4.4% was unchanged in December 2023 from the previous year, according to a state-by-state analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors. The analysis also found that 25 states had lower unemployment rates over the same period, four were unchanged Read more

The not seasonally adjusted national construction unemployment rate at 4.4% was unchanged in December 2023 from the previous year, according to a state-by-state analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors. The analysis also found that 25 states had lower unemployment rates over the same period, four were unchanged and 21 states were higher.

National NSA payroll construction employment was 230,000 higher than in December 2022. Starting in February 2022 through December 2023, seasonally adjusted construction employment exceeded its pre-pandemic peak of 7.6 million.

In December 2023, 31 states had lower construction unemployment rates compared to December 2019, three states’ rates (Missouri, Oklahoma and Oregon) were unchanged and 16 states had higher rates.

“Continued high interest rates have been a drag on plans for new construction,” said Bernard Markstein, president and chief economist of Markstein Advisors, who conducted the analysis for ABC. “However, industry employment remains healthy, as builders work on their backlog of projects and employers fill some of their advertised positions. Nonresidential construction activity and employment is benefiting from federal funding and tax incentives for manufacturers, as well as funding for state and local infrastructure projects.”

Recent Month-to-Month Fluctuations

National and state unemployment rates are best evaluated on a year-over-year basis because these industry-specific rates are not seasonally adjusted. However, due to the shifting effects on the economy from high interest rates, energy price fluctuations and other national and international developments, month-to-month comparisons offer insight into the variable economic environment impact from these factors on construction employment.

In December 2023, 32 states had lower estimated construction unemployment rates than in November, 17 states had higher rates and one (Maryland) had the same rate.

The Top Five States

The five states with the lowest estimated NSA construction unemployment rates for December 2023 were:

  1. Maryland, 0.5%
  2. Georgia, 1.7%
  3. Utah, 1.9%
  4. Delaware and Tennessee (tie), 2.1%

Maryland and Georgia each posted their lowest December NSA estimated construction unemployment rate on record. Utah had its second lowest December rate, behind last year’s 1.8%. Delaware and Tennessee both came in with their lowest December rate on record for the second time (Delaware matching its December 2018 rate and Tennessee its 2022 rate). Note that Delaware’s unemployment rate is for construction, mining and logging.

The Bottom Five States

The five states with the highest December 2023 estimated NSA construction unemployment rates were:

  1. Vermont, 7.3%
  2. Illinois, 7.5%
  3. Alaska, 9.4%
  4. Connecticut, 10.5%
  5. Rhode Island, 11.3%

Alaska posted its lowest December NSA estimated construction unemployment rate on record and had the largest monthly decline in its rate (down 4.8%). Vermont had the third largest year-over-year drop in its unemployment rate, down 2.6%, behind South Dakota (down 3.4%) and Minnesota (down 2.8%).