Industry News

Mt. Laurel, N.J.—NADCA, the HVAC Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Association, recently announced the recipients of its 2017 Safety Awards. As the world’s most respected authority on the inspection and cleaning of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, NADCA presents its Safety Awards to contractors who have shown a verifiable commitment to employee, customer and community safety throughout the year. The awards were presented at NADCA’s 29th Annual Meeting & Exposition from March 19-21 in Palm Springs, CA.

“NADCA members are committed to adhering to the highest standards, while keeping safety as a top priority,” said NADCA Executive Director Kristy Cohen. “The Safety Awards recognize those companies who have gone above and beyond this commitment, ensuring safety for their employees and customers.”

Companies recognized with NADCA’s Safety Award include:
Agbayani Construction Corporation
Air Duct Services, division of BMCA, Inc.
Air Gott Services, Inc.
AirTek Indoor Air Solutions, Inc.
Alliance Environmental Group, LLC
C&S Draperies, dba Coit Services of Modesto
Core Mechanical, Inc.
Cross Environmental Services, Inc.
DDI
Duct Clean Corporation
Duct Doctor USA of Charlotte
Ductz of Greater Portland
EMS Ice, Inc.
Envirobate, Inc.
K-tech Kleening Systems, Inc.
PART, LLC
Proac Corporation
Providet Service Associates, Inc.
Richard’s Hood & Duct Cleaning Service
Rosa Maria Lopez, dba RML Company
Safety King, Inc.
ServiceMaster by A-Town/Hi-Tech
TDIndustries
The Air Company
Total Duct Cleaning
Ventilation Power Cleaning
The criteria for NADCA’s Safety Awards are based on regulations and recommendations from the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. The awards are presented annually. Recipients of the Outstanding Safety Award are companies who have been recognized with the NADCA Safety Award for at least three consecutive years.

Companies recognized with NADCA’s Outstanding Safety Award include:
AFTERDISASTER
Air Management Industries
Air Quality Control Environmental, Inc.
American Engineering Corporation
Aqua Pro, Inc.
Chemiclene, Inc.
Clean Air Systems of LA, Inc.
Delta Industrial Services, Inc.
Duct & Vent Cleaning of America, Inc.
Duct Doctor USA
Ductworks, Inc.
Environmental Services, Inc.
Guardian Services
Hughes Environmental, Inc.
Kleen Air Service Corporation
LCS Kleen-Aire, Inc.
Mavo Systems
Mighty Ducts, Inc.
Mighty Ducts, LLC
Power Vac America, Inc.
Productive Air Duct Cleaning
Professional Duct Cleaners of Michigan, LLC
R. Carter & Associates, Inc.
RHP Mechanical Systems
Sani-Vac Service, Inc.
Service-Tech Corporation (FL)
Service-Tech Corporation (OH)
SMS Indoor Environmental Cleaning, Inc.
Tidewater Environmental, Inc. dba SanAir Indoor Air Quality

HVAC system cleaning is the process by which heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems are cleaned to remove excessive accumulations of dust, debris, and biological contaminants. With heightened public awareness of the dangers of indoor air pollution and the need for energy efficiency, the demand for professional HVAC system cleaning has increased dramatically.

“NADCA members adhere to ACR, The NADCA Standard, for the assessment, cleaning, and restoration of HVAC systems and safety is a top priority,” added Cohen. “When looking for a contractor, we recommend that consumers always reference the NADCA website to locate a member company in their region.”

Marcum LLP released its annual analysis of job trends in the construction industry, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The 2017 Marcum JOLTS Report, published by the national accounting firm’s Construction Services Group, found significant growth in construction jobs last year, a trend that continued strongly into the first two months of 2018. Marcum also found that construction unemployment climbed in tandem, as job seekers returned to the construction market after years of flat to negative industry growth.

According to the report, 2017 ended with a gain of 250,000 construction jobs, for a total of 7.05 million, up from 6.8 million in December 2016. Job growth was steady throughout 2017, and this trend has continued into the New Year with 40,000 net new jobs added in January, followed by 61,000 net new jobs in February.

“Given strong backlog and elevated architectural billings, construction has predictably emerged as a major source of job creation in America… No major industry was more prolific than construction in terms of creating jobs in February,” said Anirban Basu, Marcum’s chief construction economist and author of the study.

At the same time, the construction unemployment rate ballooned from 4.5 percent in October 2017 to 7.8 percent in February 2018. Mr. Basu attributes the increase both to seasonality and to renewed confidence in the construction industry. “Many people left the industry in 2008, 2009, and 2010 as construction swooned. Some retired. Others left for jobs in retail, energy, or distribution. The data are consistent with the notion that some of these workers are returning to construction,” he wrote.

Unfilled job openings in the industry have remained steady at 200,000 since the end of 2016, reflecting severe shortages of skilled labor. Accordingly, net hires (hires minus job separations) continued to slow in 2017, hovering at an average of 15,000 in December.

“With skilled construction workers remaining scare, it makes sense that the pace of construction industry separations remains low. In other words, construction firms are holding onto their workers,” Mr. Basu wrote.

Looking ahead, he predicts that the combination of capital availability and confidence in the economy should fuel significant numbers of construction starts in 2018, with the demand for skilled construction workers continuing to be elevated. “The hope is that more workers return to the industry and that others postpone retirement in order to participate in the best period for construction since prior to the Great Recession,” Mr. Basu said.

He foresees higher steel and aluminum prices, resulting from inflation triggered by new tariffs on imports of these commodities. The inflated cost of construction materials and products such as vehicles should be expected, and faster increases in interest rates could bring the current economic expansion – and the rebounding construction industry — to a halt.

For the complete 2017 Marcum JOLTS report, visit www.marcumllp.com/construction.

Washington, D.C. — In what represents a landmark victory for IAPMO and numerous industry partners who have worked diligently to promote the program’s myriad benefits, Congress will vote on a massive spending bill that will ensure the U.S. EPA’s WaterSense program is funded for the remainder of fiscal year 2018. The omnibus spending bill includes language stipulating that EPA “maintains funding for the WaterSense program at the fiscal year 2017 level.” IAPMO has maintained fierce support of WaterSense for more than a decade.

A true public-private partnership, WaterSense is a voluntary product efficiency labeling program that identifies efficient and high-performing water-consuming products. While EPA spends approximately $3 million a year to administer the program, it has saved consumers more than $33 billion in water and energy bills since the program’s inception in 2006. The program is widely supported across the building industry and has enjoyed bipartisan support on Capitol Hill throughout its existence. This support is not only due to the program’s successful outcomes, but also because of the quality and integrity of the products bearing the WaterSense label, which are the result of federal government oversight and third-party certification.

Because of the value of WaterSense to their business, employees, communities, and customers, more than 1,700 manufacturers, water and energy utilities, distributors, state and local governments, non-profit organizations, trade associations, and retailers nationwide have partnered with the program.

“IAPMO and its many industry partners have worked tirelessly to show the broad support this important program enjoys,” said Dain Hansen, IAPMO senior vice president of Government Affairs. “This coalition includes diverse voices — manufacturers, contractors, home builders, and environmental advocates; groups from across the political spectrum. For Congress to include such an explicit provision supporting WaterSense is a victory not only for U.S. business, but also for each homeowner who will continue to see water savings and ultimately lower utility costs.”

Modeled after the ENERGY STAR program, WaterSense seeks to protect the future of the U.S. water supply by offering consumers a simple way to make product-purchasing choices that conserve water with no sacrifice to quality or performance. Services and products earning the WaterSense label have been certified to be at least 20 percent more efficient than average products in the same category without affecting performance. Such products include toilets, urinals, showerheads, bathroom faucets, landscape irrigation controllers and pre-rinse spray valves.

IAPMO R&T is a leading provider of WaterSense product certification in the nation and has been a U.S. EPA licensed provider, accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), since 2007, certifying the first high-efficiency toilet (HET) to the standard in April of that year. To date, IAPMO R&T, part of The IAPMO Group, has certified thousands of such water-efficient products to the WaterSense specifications.