John W. Danforth announces key promotions

John W. Danforth Co., one of the largest mechanical contractors in the northeast, recently announced the promotion of three long-time team members to vice president roles with the company. Mike Bement was named vice president, shop operations, Rich DeLotto was named vice president, operations and Patrick Moran was named vice president, virtual design and construction.

“Mike, Rich and Pat have been exemplary leaders for our team and have made important contributions to our success throughout their careers at Danforth,” said Patrick McParlane, Danforth president and COO. “We are confident that they will continue to excel in their new roles and help us continue to build on our 138-year legacy of leadership and success in the mechanical contracting industry.”

Bement joined Danforth in 1993 and has been director of shop operations since 2016. In his new role, he will use his more than 28 years of industry knowledge and experience to increase opportunities for success through active engagement and participation early in the construction and acquisition phase of select projects. He will also continue to drive innovation and efficiency across Danforth’s fabrication shops in Buffalo, Rochester and Albany, implementing industry-best processes and procedures.

Since joining Danforth as a project administrator in 2007, DeLotto has become one of the company’s most experienced operational leaders, most recently serving as senior project executive, the company noted. In addition to leading Danforth’s Buffalo operations group, he has managed multi-million-dollar projects out of the company’s Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse regions, and is currently in a leadership role on a major healthcare project in Utica, New York. In his new role, DeLotto will be accountable for maintaining operational excellence across the organization and will continue to collaborate with all departments to ensure the operations group consistently delivers industry-leading experiences every day.

Moran has been with Danforth for more than 30 years and most recently served as director of virtual design and construction building information modeling. He is regarded as one of the leading VDC professionals in the industry and has been a key contributor on several projects across New York state worth between $30-$100 million. In his new role, Moran will be integrated into the early stages of construction and acquisition, partnering with Danforth’s project management team to ensure the company is utilizing VDC to gain a competitive edge in the most cost-effective way, the company explained. He will also continue to oversee VDC operations, assigning projects, maintaining VDC standards, and continuing to develop an industry-leading team of VDC professionals.

Founded in Buffalo, New York in 1884, Danforth has more than 1,000 employees across a geographic footprint that includes its Buffalo headquarters and regional operations in Rochester, Syracuse, Poughkeepsie, Albany, New York, and Columbus, Ohio. Danforth operates an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, giving the company’s workforce an ownership stake in the company.

IAPMO Group hires VP

The IAPMO Group hired John Watson as vice president of industry relations and business development. Watson has more than 30 years of plumbing industry experience in product development and compliance management. Prior to joining IAPMO, he was the senior manager of compliance and sustainability for Elkay Mfg. Before that, he was the director of water efficiency and technical services for Sloan Valve. He also held several positions at Chicago Faucet, where he started in engineering and completed his tenure in operations.

“John is well-known and respected in the industry, and his manufacturing experience will serve IAPMO well in our efforts to further enhance and solidify our relationships with customers,” IAPMO Executive Vice President of Industry Relations and Business Development Lee Mercer said.

Watson earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration and management from Elmhurst University and an associate of applied science degree in engineering design/drafting from Triton College, both in suburban Chicago.

He is involved in multiple professional volunteer associations, serving on the ASME A112 Main Committee, the ASME/CSA Joint Harmonization Task Group (JHTG) for plumbing products, and several ASME working groups, and is a member at large of the KCMA A161.1 Standards Committee. He is also a past board member of Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) and served on several Water Quality Association (WQA) committees when he was active in the WQA.

“I’m happy to be part of the IAPMO team, where I plan to use my knowledge in product compliance, engineering and manufacturing to bolster industry initiatives and client services that provide added value,” Watson said. “I’m looking forward to continuing my work within the industry, albeit from a slightly different perspective, but with the same intent of providing insight and value to this wonderful industry.”

Uponor earns top workplace honor

Uponor North America recently was named to the Top Workplace USA 2022 list for companies with 500-999 employees.

This award is based entirely on feedback from an employee engagement survey conducted by an independent, third-party research company, Energage, and celebrates companies that prioritize creating a people-centered culture and giving employees a voice.

This honor marks the first time Uponor has been recognized as a Top Workplace in the U.S., and the eighth time the company has been recognized as a Top Workplace in Minnesota since 2012.

The survey asked employees to rate Uponor on 15 drivers related to engaged work environment, company culture, leadership and overall job satisfaction. Rankings for Top Workplaces lists are based on companies meeting criteria built upon more than 15 years of engagement survey data from more than 70,000 global companies.

“We are so humbled that our employees’ anonymous feedback resulted in Uponor being recognized as a top workplace in the U.S.,” Interim Uponor North America President and Vice President Finance John Reutter said. “We pride ourselves on having a very distinct employee-driven culture, and strongly believe that if we take care of our employees, they, in turn, will ensure positive experiences for our customers. The fact that we’ve been recognized by employees as a top workplace in our state, and now in the U.S., indicates we’re on the right track.”

Of the Uponor employees surveyed, 84% said they would recommend the company to their family or friends looking for work; 84% believed the company is headed in the right direction; nearly 75% said their work meets or exceeds their expectations, and more than 80% said Uponor motivates them to give their best each day.

“The culture we’ve maintained over time — not just during this tumultuous period of the pandemic — is a direct reflection of the people who work at Uponor,” added Jen Hauschildt, vice president, human resources, Uponor North America. “We’re so proud that our flexible, yet accountable and collaborative work environment continues to hold our company up as an employer of choice in Minnesota, and across North America.”

To learn more about Top Workplaces USA 2022, click here.

New Flat Rate announces upgrades

The New Flat Rate, the price generating software for home service contractors, continues to display its dedication to the home service industry by implementing upgrades that will improve efficiency for contractors using the system by 80% or more, the company noted.

Two of the major upgrades include the module builder and the optimized publish functionality. With the module builder, The New Flat Rate can address member needs by easily adding new verticals to their software upon request.

The New Flat Rate has thousands of menu pricing pages with thousands of tasks, which originally caused slower response times. With optimized publish functionality, publish speeds have been increased 10 times across the board and have reduced wait times for price updates by at least 80%.

“To ensure we stay true to our goal of making the contractor’s life easier and more profitable, it’s our responsibility to continually optimize our software to make processes faster and more convenient, all while staying in front of industry changes,” said Danielle Putnam, president of The New Flat Rate. “These upgrades will help our contractors more effortlessly increase profits for their services. We are excited to continue meeting the needs of our members as the industry continues to evolve.”

These upgrades come on the heels of The New Flat Rate’s Housecall Pro integration, which eliminated manual data entry while seamlessly passing information between the two apps with the click of a button.

Additional upgrades for The New Flat Rate software include:

• Customizable technician pages;

• Multiple material increases to keep up with changing market demands;

• The implementation of the Data Integrity Project, which reduces unnecessary data that comes from demonstrating or training with the app;

• Smoother ServiceTitan Pricebook setup, which improves internal efficiencies when setting up The New Flat Rate prices in members’ ServiceTitan Pricebook; and

• Mobile App and Admin Dashboard End User License Agreements.

“With each passing year, our company continues to evolve and find new ways to innovate our software,” Putnam said. “The new upgrades are a direct response to the ever-changing home service industry. We want to ensure our software, first and foremost, removes the sales pressure from the technician to automate the sales process and provide convenient choices for homeowners and the end customer while providing the best information and experience for our members. These upgrades are the latest in a series of improvements planned throughout the remainder of the year.”

For more information about The New Flat Rate, please visit thenewflatrate.com.

Western Specialty Contractors hires new manager

Western Specialty Contractors announced the hiring of Jason Paoli as regional business development manager in Chicago.

In his new position, Paoli is responsible for maintaining existing client relationships, and identifying and developing new clients throughout the Chicago region. He will also collaborate with sales and project management team members to ensure that sales and profit goals are met, in addition to developing various sales tactics to remain competitive in the industry.

Paoli has 10 years of commercial property management experience. Prior to Western, he served as a real estate services administrator for CBRE in Northbrook, Illinois, and as an assistant property manager for NAI Hiffman, Colliers International and Sterling Bay, all in Illinois.

“We are excited to have Jason join Western’s team in Chicago,” said Tanya Shepherd, director of business development. “His prior experience in commercial property management gives him tremendous insight into the unique needs of facility managers in the Chicago area. We are grateful he decided to make the career change and we look forward to hearing his ideas for business development.”

T&S Brass completes first expansion phase

T&S Brass and Bronze Works has completed phase one of the two-part expansion and renovation of its headquarters and plant in Travelers Rest, South Carolina.

The project’s initial phase, which kicked off in late 2020, added 53,000 square feet of space to the facility, creating new distribution space, as well as a training room, additional offices and other facility enhancements.

Phase two of the project, which is currently ongoing, will convert the former shipping and receiving dock area into additional manufacturing space to increase capacity, as well as adding new signage, fencing and campus wayfinding markers.

“These projects enable T&S Brass to meet the growing needs of our customers in the U.S. and around the world,” said Michael Williams, operations manager for T&S. “We’re very excited about the changes and improvements that will enhance the work environment for our team while supporting the success of T&S.”

The projects are part of a $10.3 million improvement project, first announced in September 2019. The construction project’s start was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but is expected to meet its original completion date of fall 2024.

Aliaxis announces Virginia acquisition

Aliaxis SA, a global manufacturer and distributor of advanced piping systems, announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Harco, a producer of fittings located in Virginia.

This move is part of Aliaxis’ “Growth with Purpose” strategy. Through this acquisition, Aliaxis further expands its presence in the United States. Harco, a U.S. manufacturer of gasketed fittings, brings more than 55 years of industry expertise. Harco’s annual revenues were roughly $75 million in 2021, Aliaxis noted. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approval.

“Harco is a well-established brand in municipal, irrigation and agriculture end-markets,” Aliaxis CEO Eric Olsen said. With this acquisition, we will continue to strengthen our presence in the US. Harco will be part of IPEX, Aliaxis’ leading brand in the region, and will result in an expanded product portfolio to a broader customer base. We are pleased to welcome Harco to the Aliaxis family.”