Plumbing is perhaps the least glamorous of all the skilled trades, subjected to endless potty humor. That is unfair, because plumbing is also the most fundamental of all the trades. Long before humans discovered electricity or devised central HVAC, ancient civilizations in Greece and Rome recognized...

Infrastructure has been a hot topic in the news and political landscape in recent months, and for good reason. However, infrastructure does not only pertain to bridges, roads, and waterways. One often overlooked, but nonetheless crucial component of a healthy infrastructure system is plumbing. As we...

I’m sure most of you understand that the trades entail rugged working conditions with more hazards than you’ll find at a desk job. The good news is that deaths and injuries are steadily diminishing. A big reason is that insurance companies lead the way in compelling jobsite safety. It is in their...

Like many young men in high school, Gabe played sports and hoped that his athletic talent would be his key to a college education. While he didn’t know what his major would be, he was sure of one thing: he had no desire to sit at a desk or spend his days in an office. […]

Working in the trades is a rewarding experience. You closely interact with customers, playing both technical and customer service roles. You are also able to set flexible hours, and you aren’t stuck sitting behind a desk for the rest of your life. If this sounds like the lifestyle and work culture...

The name Charlie Horton means nothing to most of you reading this. But he meant a lot to me, and he was a great friend of the trades, so I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce him to you. Charlie was the founder of industry-leading trade magazines Supply House Times and Plumbing & Mechanical...

The coronavirus pandemic has brought our country – the world in fact – to its knees in a way almost nobody alive has witnessed in our lifetimes. Too many people are getting sick and dying, and our economy is facing its biggest challenges since the Great Depression. Businesses everywhere are shutting...

STEM and the Skilled Trades Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are the essential building blocks of careers that cross industries and impact our daily lives in different ways. STEM is the foundation of technical careers that propels our future workforce forward to stability, career growth...

April 22 marks the 50th Anniversary of an annual celebration that has come to be known as Earth Day. On April 22, 1970, some 20 million Americans, about 10% of the population at the time, took to demonstrations on college campuses and the streets in hundreds of cities to protest environmental degradation...