Industry News

Trusted manufacturer renews support with $17,000 grant to expand nonprofit’s educational outreach in raising awareness of skilled trades opportunities.

Ambler, Pa. — Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, has partnered with Explore The Trades for the second year in a row as they continue to bridge the technical talent gap by raising awareness of career opportunities in the skilled trades and support the next generation of industry professionals.

Explore The Trades, founded in 2005, is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the trades with students in kindergarten through 12th grade throughout the United States and Canada. Through educational resources, the organization’s mission is to give educators, students and parents a foundational understanding of the plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical trades.

Philadelphia’s Mayfair Elementary School has been able to provide materials to students interested in the skilled trades thanks to the “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” equipment grant program.

Through a grant from its Industry Forward® charitable giving program, Bradford White Corporation is donating $17,000 to Explore The Trades to support the organization’s expansion of its poster kit program, which has delivered more than 3,500 kits to North American classrooms since July 2021. The expansion includes a Spanish translation of the posters kits as well as an infographic series aimed at ages 5-11.

“We’ve already reached more than 700,000 students through our poster kit program — and we’re thankful for that — but widespread awareness of the trades is slow-going,” said Kate Cinnamo, executive director at Explore The Trades. “This expansion will give us the opportunity to connect with Spanish-speaking and English as a second language learners, which is so important with the K-12 Hispanic student population in the United States growing to nearly 30%. Bradford White’s support helps us reach this new audience, as well as introduce young learners to the trades in a simple, friendly way.”

Through Industry Forward®, Bradford White partners with nonprofit organizations and technical schools to educate individuals and families on the importance of the skilled trades and the role that industry professionals provide in the health, safety, sanitation, and infrastructure of their communities through strategic grant funding that supports workforce development training and education programs and industry career opportunities, events, and partnerships.

“We’re grateful for the top-of-mind awareness Explore The Trades is bringing to skilled labor, and we’re proud to be able to help them expand their reach,” said Rebecca Owens, senior communications manager for Bradford White. “Introducing the career and financial opportunities that exist within the skilled trades to today’s youth is a vital component when it comes to staffing these essential positions in the future. We applaud organizations like Explore The Trades for ensuring that introduction is happening.”

For more information about Bradford White Corporation, visit https://www.bradfordwhitecorporation.com.

For more information about Explore The Trades, visit https://explorethetrades.org/.

Home Service businesses to benefit from focus on maintenance projects as homeowners regain financial flexibility

Jobber, the leading provider of home service software, today released its latest Home Service Economic Report: 2024 Q3. The report features expert insights and proprietary data aggregated from more than 250,000 residential cleaners, landscapers, HVAC technicians, electricians, plumbers, and more, who run their businesses using Jobber.

The U.S. Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate cuts are already showing early signs of impact on consumer spending, bringing cautious optimism for the home service industry. After a slower first half of 2024, Jobber’s data shows increased momentum through the end of Q3, signaling a gradual recovery fueled by improved financial flexibility for consumers. These findings are also supported by the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (MCSI), a monthly survey based on interviews that measure U.S. consumer attitudes towards personal finances, business conditions and economic activity.

“As we move through the second half of 2024, we’re seeing encouraging signs for the home service category—especially as financial conditions continue to improve and consumer confidence grows,” said Sam Pillar, CEO & co-founder of Jobber. “At Jobber, we’re committed to helping small home service businesses capitalize on these opportunities, and the data we’re seeing suggests a path toward sustained growth in the months and years ahead.”

Demand for Home Service Outpaces Consumer Goods

Despite fluctuations in new work volume, consumer demand for home services held steady in Q3, with spending on services outpacing consumer goods. Higher average invoice sizes helped stabilize revenue, balancing the variability in new work. As interest rate cuts improve disposable income and consumer sentiment, household spending power is expected to rise, potentially driving further growth in home service demand.

Economists anticipate that the interest rate cuts will continue into 2025, providing greater affordability in areas like mortgage rates and financing for home improvements. This environment is expected to boost activity across both the housing and home service markets as consumers look to invest in essential home maintenance and renovation projects.

The housing market remains closely tied to demand for home services, and recent data indicates a promising future for this sector. While certain indicators, such as construction spending, new permits, and housing starts, have shown temporary stagnation, the cumulative effect of rate cuts is projected to revitalize the market by mid-2025. Rising home equity and expected increases in home improvements will drive demand for both discretionary and essential projects, pushing projected annual spending to $477 billion by Q3 2025, nearing previous peak levels.

Jobber’s report includes insights on the four key segments within the home services category, revealing trends in consumer spending and business resilience:

• Green: The Green segment, which includes lawn care and landscaping, saw early growth in 2024, though activity slowed in Q3 except for July. Despite economic pressures, median revenue remained stable as homeowners prioritized smaller, recurring outdoor maintenance over large renovations.
• Cleaning: Cleaning services, including residential and commercial cleaning, have seen rising median prices but declining volumes in 2024. While new work scheduled fluctuated due to reduced consumer spending, service providers have maintained stable revenue growth by increasing prices and focusing on premium offerings.
• Contracting: The Contracting segment, covering services like electricians and HVAC, experienced a downturn in new work scheduled by late Q3. Nonetheless, median revenue stayed steady, likely due to pricing adjustments and a shift toward higher-value projects.
• Construction: Construction services, including residential and commercial projects, have seen an improvement in median revenue as consumer spending shifts toward maintenance and improvements. However, new work scheduled continued to decline in Q3, reflecting cautious spending amid the gradual economic recovery.

“The 2024 Q3 Jobber Home Service Economic Report shows a promising outlook for the home services sector as interest rate cuts start to boost consumer spending and demand,” said Abheek Dhawan, Senior VP, Strategy & Analytics at Jobber. “With rising home equity and a shift toward maintenance projects, we anticipate steady growth as financial conditions improve. The sector is well-positioned to benefit from an aging housing stock and increased focus on essential updates, setting the stage for sustained demand and expansion through 2025 and beyond.”

To download the Jobber Home Service Economic Report: 2024 Q3, visit: https://getjobber.com/home-service-reports/nov-2024/

New features, driven by feedback from thousands of Housecall Pro customers, help streamline operations and enhance revenue potential even in the slowest seasons

Housecall Pro, the premier software platform serving over 45,000 home service companies, announces today a rollout of new product features and enhancements that spotlight the company’s dedication to providing home service pros with the tools they need to streamline operations, improve efficiency and grow revenue.

“Our primary driver has always been to find and create solutions to the challenges home service business owners are facing, whether that’s daily challenges or even seasonal ones,” said Ian Heidt, President and Co-founder of Housecall Pro. “Thanks to feedback from more than 8,000 pros, we were able to prioritize the products and features that will help them the most. From attracting more loyal customers to getting through the slow season, our updates are designed with their needs in mind.”

Ongoing updates are intended to help users grow revenue, manage jobs, get paid and run their businesses more efficiently.

Several features have been added or updated, including but not limited to:

• New and improved online booking tool: Customers can now book from any device, day or night, with the all-new free online booking tool, to help increase the number of bookings for contractors. This feature also simplifies recurring appointments with new integrations featuring Reserve with Google and Customer Portal.
• Dashcam + Vehicle GPS tracking: The latest update features 24/7 video monitoring for vehicles, allowing contractors to see what’s happening inside and out of their trucks. This feature also promotes driver safety by automatically recording clips of unsafe behavior and disturbances.
• Improved price book: Housecall Pro has introduced a new collection of common industry services to their price book featuring homeowner-friendly descriptions, giving service technicians a clear way to communicate the value they offer homeowners.
• Offline viewing for scheduling: Poor cell reception no longer hinders technicians from accessing scheduling data with the new offline feature. This feature allows technicians to access stored job data with minimal interruptions, even in areas with no Wi-Fi or cell reception.
• Pipeline improvements: Contractors can set up both text and email automations to ensure no customer or opportunity falls through the cracks. This improves efficiency and consistency by automating routine tasks, such as follow-ups and notifications, and ensures that communication with leads and jobs happen on a regular schedule. The bulk archive feature is another addition designed to reduce clutter by allowing contractors to quickly clear out completed or outdated items from their list.

The latest round of updates comes on the heels of Housecall Pros’ AI Team launch in May, which gave home service pros the opportunity to expand their capacity, thanks to on-demand artificial intelligence team members.

As Housecall Pro continues to evolve, more updates are scheduled including:

• Housecall Pro Accounting.
• Optimized and segmentable invoice reporting.
• Improved interactive voice response (IVR) that assists in blocking spam.

“Home service pros are some of the hardest working people on the planet,” Heidt said. “That’s why we continue to offer solutions that will help them streamline their operations, work smarter, provide for their employees and grow their businesses. Everything we do is to help home service businesses not only succeed but thrive. At the end of the day, that’s how we measure our success.”

For more information about Housecall Pro, visit https://www.housecallpro.com/.

U.S. Boiler Company recently hosted a Hops & Heat learning event at Trillium Brewing Company in Canton, MA.  This is the second event of its kind U.S. Boiler Company has hosted in New England.

Heating contractors attended the event to learn about high efficiency heating equipment, including the Ambient Air-to-Water Heat Pump, Citadel commercial condensing boiler, Alta self-adaptive boiler, and the Ambient electric boiler.

More than 70 contractors attended.  Raffle prizes were given away and attendees played a variety of games for an opportunity to win Carhartt tool bags, van wrap packages and a smokeless firepit from Solo Stoves.

“I attended the event because I have a passion for learning about products,” said George Narváez, owner of Littleman Heating in Framingham, MA.  “It builds my knowledge and confidence when speaking to customers, doing installations or servicing.”

“I enjoyed getting an up-close look at an Alta boiler that was opened for display,” he continued.  “The team was fantastic and happy to answer all my questions.”

U.S. Boiler Company will hold more Hops to Heat events in 2025.  For more information or training opportunities, visit www.usboiler.net to learn more.