Cheap Is As Cheap Does
I was at a daughter’s house recently when she talked about an HVAC service firm that a day before had fixed her balky air conditioning system amid the sweltering summer heat. It was a company I recommended to her because I knew the owner and had used their services. My daughter spoke about how pleased […]
True Grit
One of the reasons why trade workers are in short supply is because the trades have a reputation as being “gritty” work. The word gritty in this context gets interpreted as hard and dirty. I won’t sugarcoat it. To some extent, this is true. Trade work does involve more physical effort than desk jobs, and […]
Did You Know College Scholarships Are Taxable?
I didn’t, not until reading an article that appeared in the May 23, 2020 edition of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The U.S. Tax Code runs to tens of thousands of pages in volumes that occupy an entire bookshelf in tax accountant offices. Even the best among them have trouble keeping up with all the […]
Numbers Tell A Story
I read a lot, always have. Much of my reading is to satisfy personal interests and has little application to my professional life, but I always have my eyes peeled for bits of information that are relevant to the things I write about for trade audiences. In that vein I will share with you some […]
Charlie Horton’s Legacy
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 […]
Blanton’s Air, Plumbing & Electric Visits Local Elementary Students
At Blanton’s Air, Plumbing & Electric in Fayetteville, NC, the team had an extraordinary day with local elementary students! Along with a showcase of cool tools, the students received awesome coloring books and a visit from Coolidge. It’s never too early to “explore the trades”!
Are You Meant To Be An Entrepreneur?
Take a look at the great startup unicorns out there and it’s easy to see why so many people want to become an entrepreneur. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has become the wealthiest person on the planet, with a net worth of $130 billion.Google says that Elon Musk has a net worth of $19.2 billion. There […]
The Skilled Trades Go High Tech
One of the biggest myths of working in the trades is that it involves a lot of physical grunt work. The image most of the public holds of trade workers is of a muscular individual who gets paid more for brawn than brains. If that was ever true, it’s certainly not the case anymore. The […]
Companies Galore Look For Skilled Trade Workers
I’m a news junkie. As a journalist by calling, that’s to be expected. My daily reading list (mostly online nowadays) includes the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Economist magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune (my hometown daily newspapers) and a local suburban newspaper to keep up with neighborhood goings on. Plus, I visit […]
Message To White House: We Need More Plumbers
Message To White House: We Need More Plumbers Several months ago I wrote about a movement afoot to boost apprenticeship training. This was highlighted by President Trump signing an Executive Order directing the Departments of Labor and Education to look at new ways to jump start apprenticeship in high schools. Momentum towards that goal continued […]