Obituary: PHCC Past National President Joe Schmitt

It is with great sadness that the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors — National Association (PHCC) reports the passing of Past National President Joe Schmitt (2008-2009) of Englewood, Ohio. He was a member of PHCC since 1968 and was a highly respected leader in the plumbing-heating-cooling industry. Schmitt died April 2. He was 89.   

“Joe Schmitt’s steady leadership was just what PHCC needed during the economic crisis that began in 2008,” said PHCC National President Joel Long. “He was the ‘calming force’ during turbulent economic times and the initiatives he created had a lasting positive effect on PHCC for many years.” Schmitt served as president of PHCC of Ohio from 1989-1991, and was a partner of Joe Schmitt & Sons Plumbing & Heating, in Englewood. The PHCC “A Heritage Unique” history book reports that as an experienced business owner, he was a specialist and teacher of the art and science of backflow prevention. One of his first actions was to ask the PHCC — National Association board of directors to approve a strategic plan that was both simple and workable and focused on the core mission of supporting members.  

Achievements during his term in office included:

• Producing numerous business-building programs that members could use to ‘survive and thrive’ in trying times — and position their companies for an expected upturn;
• Advocating to secure favorable small business and personal tax breaks in the federal stimulus package;
• Facilitating an invitation for a PHCC member to meet with President Obama and also participate in a press conference highlighting the tax credits in the stimulus package;
• Maintaining an active role in “green” construction and the water and energy conservation arenas; and
• Launching the PHCC Educational Foundation’s first online plumbing home study program, a precursor to a popular program in place today.

Schmitt passed down a love of the p-h-c profession to his son Ron Schmitt, who now runs the family business. Ron is a current member of the PHCC National board of directors.

He is survived by his sons: Joseph Schmitt of Springfield, Ronald Schmitt of Brookville and Dave (Terry) Schmitt of Butler Twp.; grandchildren: David (Brittany), Justin (Victoria), Kassandra (T.J.), Josh, Eric and Megan; great-grandchildren: J.J., Logan, Grace, Payton, Paisley, Noah, Taylor, Gavin and Maddie; sister: Charlotte Dalton of Middletown; nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife: Dorothy “Dottie” (Peck) Schmitt; parents: Lawrence and Etta (Broshear) Schmitt; siblings: Margie Walen, Dorothy Dahling, Lawrence Schmitt Jr.; and grandson: Shaun Wasmuth. A celebration of life was held April 7 at the Kindred Funeral Home, in Englewood, Ohio. The funeral service took place April 8, at St. Paul Catholic Church, in Englewood, Ohio, where Schmitt was a founding member.

Bell & Gossett’s Little Red Schoolhouse reopens for in-person training

Xylem Bell & Gossett recently reopened the Little Red Schoolhouse, the company’s suburban Chicago training center for professionals dedicated to the plumbing and hydronic HVAC industries. Xylem Bell & Gossett’s Little Red Schoolhouse in Morton Grove, Illinois, has been an industry icon in education for more than 60 years, having trained more than 62,000 engineers, contractors and other hydronic HVAC and plumbing professionals have been educated in the proper design, installation and maintenance of hydronic and steam systems.

The Little Red Schoolhouse offers training covering a wide range of seminars tailored to different occupations within the industry, and is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

“Industry professionals recognize the value of in-person training, and we are happy to welcome them back to the Little Red Schoolhouse,” said Mike Licastro, director of training. “Whether it’s manufacturers’ representatives, engineers or contractors, our goal is for training to provide a knowledge base that makes them better equipped to perform their daily job duties related to hydronic and steam product application and system design.”

Instruction at the facility is well known for taking a systems-based approach that teaches students not only about individual components but also how those components work together once installed in a complete plumbing and HVAC system.

Xylem Bell & Gossett, through the Little Red Schoolhouse, has a long history of providing industry professionals with the in-depth hydronic system design knowledge they need to confidently and expertly help their customers. The learning center was updated in 2019 to ensure Bell & Gossett’s mission of education continues to add value to and advance the industry.

Along with cutting-edge technology, Bell & Gossett has reinforced its emphasis on hands-on training with dedicated space for three new demonstration areas that feature functional displays of equipment for a variety of commercial and industrial applications, including variable speed controller technology, plumbing products and service and maintenance.

Little Red Schoolhouse second-quarter schedule:

• Modern Hydronic Heating Systems — Basic Seminar* — May 10-12
• Large Chilled Water System Design* — May 24-26
• Plumbing System Design — June 7-9

* Seminar approved by GBCI to provide credit toward the credential maintenance requirements of the LEED Associate and LEED AP certifications

To learn more about the Little Red Schoolhouse, enrollment, course descriptions and online courses, visit www.bellgossett.com.

Sloan partners with The Water Council’s WAVE program

Sloan announced its partnership with The Water Council as the inaugural member of its recently-launched WAVE program.  

A water stewardship initiative, the WAVE program provides companies like Sloan — a Water Council member since 2011 — with ways to improve their water stewardship efforts.  

These efforts are then independently verified by SCS Global Services, an international leader in third-party sustainability verification. Verified companies can confidently state they are credibly and strategically addressing water challenges and opportunities where it matters most.  

“Water is earth’s most precious resource, and it’s important to understand and prioritize our water risks and shared water challenges in order to become better stewards,” said Patrick Boyle, Sloan director of sustainability. “Sloan’s historic partnership with The Water Council’s WAVE program provides us with an exciting opportunity to lead by example by communicating our corporate water stewardship efforts.”  

The six-step methodology for improving, reporting, and reorganizing effective corporate water stewardship includes:

• Understanding water uses, impacts and risks;
• Approving a corporate water stewardship policy;
• Prioritizing sites where water-related risks can be mitigated; and
•  Communicating a corporate action plan, goals and timeline.

“Sloan is a market leader and global influencer when it comes to sustainability, and we’re proud to welcome them as the first official WAVE client,” said Dean Amhaus, The Water Council president and CEO. “We designed WAVE to benefit a variety of companies, whether you’re just starting on your water stewardship journey or already addressing water risks like Sloan.”

Aliaxis completes acquisition of Harco

Aliaxis SA, a global manufacturer enabling access to water and energy through inventive fluid management solutions, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Harco, a producer of fittings located in Virginia. Harco will join Aliaxis’ North American IPEX business, thus further strengthening the company’s position in the United States, the company explained.

“As part of our Growth with Purpose strategy, North America is a priority growth market for Aliaxis,” said Eric Olsen, CEO of Aliaxis. “Acquiring a well-established company in municipal, irrigation and agriculture end-markets allows us to offer an expanded product portfolio to a broader customer base in the U.S.”

“We are very happy to welcome more than 200 new colleagues,” said Alex Mestres, divisional CEO for Aliaxis in the Americas. “This joining of two great companies provides us with an exciting opportunity to combine the strengths and experiences of both the IPEX and Harco teams to continue providing industry-leading customer service.”

TDIndustries earns ABC top performer designation

TDIndustries announced it has earned a spot on the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) 2022 Top Performers List. TD is ranked No. 12 on the Top 200 Performers List. The list ranks ABC’s commercial and industrial contractor members that build long-lasting, high-quality construction projects, based on work hours.

“TDIndustries invests in and attributes its successes to its people, and its value proposition gives its employees purpose, delivers quality to their clients and strengthens their bottom line,” ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman said. “Congratulations to TDIndustries for raising the bar in developing people, winning work and delivering that work safely, ethically and profitably.” In addition to ranking No. 12 overall, TDIndustries is also recognized as:

• 1 Top Plumbing/HVAC Contractors; and
• 3 Top Trade Contractors.

TDIndustries also placed among new ranking categories this year — ABC’s Top Performers by Market:

• 3 Top High Tech Contractors;
• 3 Top Sports Complex Contractors;
• 4 Top Education Contractors;
• 5 Top Health Care Contractors;
• 5 Top Hospitality Contractors;
• 5 Top Office Contractors; and
• 6 Top Entertainment Contractors.

“ABC’s focus on people for this year’s Top Performers List resonates strongly with me and our entire executive leadership team at TDIndustries,” TD CEO Harold MacDowell said.  “Amid record labor challenges and unique working conditions in the past year, our mission to provide outstanding career opportunities by exceeding our customers’ expectations through continuous aggressive improvement is never more important than it is today.”

To learn more about TD, its latest projects and more, visit tdindustries.com. To access the complete list of ABC 2022 Top Performers, visit abc.org/topperformers.

Watts hires new senior product manager

Steve Hocurscak has joined Watts as senior product manager, regulators and automatic control valves (ACVs). He will have overall responsibility for Watts Regulator and ACV product management, as well as for developing and executing new strategies focused on business growth.

Steve brings with him to Watts extensive experience in product management for large product portfolios across several industrial verticals. He worked previously in leadershiplevel product and business management roles for valve companies, such as Metso and Neles.

Caleffi names new Mid-Atlantic rep

Caleffi North America has selected Harry Eklof & Associates to represent its complete catalog of products in Delaware, eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, southern New Jersey and Virginia. Harry Eklof & Associates has three locations, including a training facility located in Landover, Maryland. Distributors, contractors and engineers throughout the region can conveniently attend product demos, contractor certification classes and educational seminars. They also offer a full menu of virtual training opportunities.

“As a family-run business that was established in 1968, Harry Eklof & Associates is well-positioned to lead Caleffi’s sales and training efforts in the Mid-Atlantic region. For nearly 55 years they have had a strong focus on the contractor market segment, developing a loyal following by offering top notch training throughout the region. Distributors are also well supported with Eklof’s three regional distribution centers,” said Roger Corrente, director of sales, Caleffi.