Making Decisions After the Sale
This blog post was originally written by Patrick Lange of Business Modification Group published on June 9th, 2025 and is shared here with permission. Preparing to sell your business is a process that takes careful planning over months, if not years. In addition to tightening up operations, addressing structural or management issues, and making sure your books […]
Giving Back Helps You Tell a Great Story about Your Business
This blog post was originally written by Patrick Lange of Business Modification Group published on June 9th, 2025 and is shared here with permission. When someone is interested in buying your business, they look at a wide variety of factors. Their primary goal is of course, to make money, but they also want to know […]
Can You Be a Jack of All Trades?
The Skilled Trades: Can You Be a Jack of All Trades? Smart homes blur the lines between skilled trade workers in HVAC, electrical, and plumbing. Modern technology forces an interaction among these trades more than ever before. Home appliances and many plumbing fixtures require electricity to operate, so even plumbers and HVAC technicians must understand […]
Explore The Trades Visits Bemidji High School
This past May, the Explore The Trades team visited Bemidji High School in northern Minnesota—one of our 2023–2024 Skills Lab equipment grant recipients. What we found was nothing short of inspiring. The school hosted a special event to highlight the incredible year-long efforts of its students: the construction of a full-scale home for the Bemidji […]
Industry Pioneer JJM Alkaline Technologies® Celebrates 20 Years of Manufacturing Condensate Neutralizers
Company observes major milestone while renewing commitment to serve heating and plumbing industries with the best acidic condensate treatment solutions JJM Alkaline Technologies®, the industry pioneer and leading manufacturer of condensate neutralizers, is celebrating 20 years of delivering the best solutions on the market for the treatment of acidic condensate produced by high-efficiency, gas-fired heating appliances […]
Trades Talk – June 2025
Explore The Trades and Ferguson Expand Skilled Trades Education with Grants to 10 Schools This past National Skilled Trades Day, Explore The Trades and Ferguson announced the latest recipients of the Skills Lab equipment grants—awarding 10 schools with the tools they need to launch or grow a skilled trades program. Since its start in 2021, […]
Here are the Top 10 Trade Schools in the Country
Here are the Top 10 Trade Schools in the Country Skilled trade schools offer students an opportunity to gain practical, hands-on training and education in their chosen career path. Technical and trade schools boast lower tuition costs and a shorter degree track, allowing graduates to enter the workforce as soon as possible. With an […]
Trades Talk – May 2025
Happy National Skilled Trades Day from Explore The Trades! Join us in celebrating the trades and the professionals who keep our communities running. Explore The Trades and Ferguson Grow Skilled Trades Education with New Grants to 10 Schools Celebrating Expansion and New Opportunities for Trades Education The “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” […]
Bridging the Skilled Gap: The Importance of Partnerships Between Education and Industry
Bridging the Skilled Gap: The Importance of Partnerships Between Education and Industry In today’s fast-changing job market, traditional education alone is not enough to prepare students for the workforce. With a skilled labor shortage, Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are stepping up to fill this gap by providing students with the skills they […]
Women in the Trades: How to Start a Skilled Trades Career
Women in the Trades: How to Start a Skilled Trades Career If you’re a woman exploring career options, consider adding the skilled trades to your list of options! Jobs in the trades, like plumbing, HVAC, and electrical work, for example, offer something that many traditional career paths don’t: stability, high earning potential, and the […]