Viega announces two key hires

Viega announced new leadership for its sales and marketing operations. Scott Wallace was named chief commercial officer and Jared Mackrory was named marketing director.

“Having the right leadership team in place is crucial for the growth and well-being of any organization,” Viega CEO Markus Brettschneider said. “I’m pleased to have found two new members of that team in Scott and Jared. They bring a breadth of experience and knowledge that will help take Viega to the next level.”

As chief commercial officer, Wallace sets the go-to-market strategy and oversees the sales and marketing departments. He brings to Viega experience across multiple industries and companies in wholesale and distribution, omnichannel and retail sales, and is experienced in data-driven sales management.

Before coming to Viega, he worked at Danone, Kellogg Co. and Procter & Gamble in a variety of sales management positions. He holds a bachelor’s of science in systems engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, an MBA with global leadership concentration from the University of Texas at Dallas and a master’s in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University. A former captain in the U.S. Army, he is passionate about leadership, Viega stated.

“I’m thrilled to join such a dynamic and fast-growing team. I look forward to serving our customers and leading our team to unlock accelerated growth,” Wallace said.

As marketing director, Mackrory is responsible for driving marketing strategy and leading the department. He brings to Viega a variety of experience in brand management, including work in developing, launching and managing consumer products in many categories. His specialties include brand management, project management, consumer products, new product development and direct sales.

Prior to Viega, Mackrory worked in shopper marketing at Danone, as well as in multiple marketing and management positions at Kimberly-Clark. He holds an MBA in marketing and a bachelor’s of science in business management.

“I’m excited to join the company that brought pressing to North America, and I look forward to making the benefits of that technology available to even more users,” Mackrory said.

Rinnai names VP of innovation

Rinnai America announced Renee Eddy joined the organization as its vice president of innovation.

“My passion is transforming data and technologies into cool, new products and that passion is sure to come through while at Rinnai,” Eddy said. “I look forward to driving development for innovative technology, leading the team towards new idea creation and outside of the box thinking.”

Most recently, Eddy was director of innovation, methods and operations at Eaton, leading up to 200 employees. During her time at Eaton, she created the innovation, methods and operations team from the ground up, developing a strong, collaborative culture within R&D across 26 divisions. Prior to her time at Eaton, Eddy developed products across a number of industries for Fortune 100 companies and customers, including residential and commercial HVAC, transport refrigeration, telecommunications and aerospace.

“Renee’s diverse product knowledge in a variety of industries is invaluable for Rinnai,” said Frank Windsor, president of Rinnai America. “Her vision and expertise will spearhead the development of technologies in new markets, aiding in Rinnai’s growth strategy, as well as producing products that support our commitment to creating a healthier way of living.”

RLS moving to new St. Louis campus

RLS LLC, manufacturer of the Rapid Locking System line of flame-free press-to-connect fittings for HVAC and refrigeration systems, is moving into a new 80,000-square-foot multipurpose facility in St. Louis, Missouri, which will serve as its corporate headquarters and will include a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, training center and showroom.

RLS will be relocating manufacturing from Shelbina, Missouri, where it has been sharing a plant with its sister company Cerro Flow Products. Both are part of the Plumbing and Refrigeration sector of Marmon Holdings, a Berkshire Hathaway company. All RLS operations are planned to be consolidated into the new building by the end of 2021.

“We’re very excited to have manufacturing, office staff and training all under one roof,” said Paul Schubert, president of RLS. “The larger, upgraded facility will significantly increase our production capacity to meet the growing demand for our products, and the new training center will allow us to regularly educate HVAC/R contractors and distributors on our patented press technology, which is easily identified by our unique double circular press and flares.

“As more and more contractors discover the many benefits of using press fittings over the traditional brazing process, they continue to choose the time-tested and field-proven technology provided by RLS. As a result, we are continuing to invest in the facilities, equipment and people needed to meet demand.”

Nexstar Network announces partnership with XOi Technologies

XOi Technologies, a complete system of record and enablement for field service data collection and indexing, announced a strategic partnership with Nexstar Network, a business coaching/education network for HVAC, electrical and plumbing contractors.

The partnership promises to ease the skilled trades labor shortage gap by instantly providing education, coaching, documents and technical manuals directly to field service technicians through XOi’s Vision app.

According to a survey conducted by staffing leader PeopleReady, the skilled trades are in dire need of trained workers, with a particularly high demand for apprentice-level and skilled labor positions. Research shows there are currently 500,000 job vacancies in the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) sectors, with the number expected to increase 21% by 2022, Nexstar noted.

“XOi has demonstrated that they’re devoted to arming technicians with the tools and data insights needed to bring training, knowledge, and expertise to every jobsite,” said Julian Scadden, president and CEO of Nexstar Network. “As we look for innovative ways to solve the trades gap and improve technician training throughout the MEP industry, the need for technology cannot be ignored. This partnership will put Nexstar’s professional training directly into the hands of the onsite tech at the moment he needs the expertise.”

XOi’s technician-first application leverages innovative AI, optical character recognition (OCR), data science and virtual intelligence technologies to allow field techs to safely capture crucial jobsite information, launch on-the-job remote support, access relevant equipment specifications and contextual data insights, and provide visual documentation to verify recommended and completed work.

Nexstar has been a trusted partner in helping nearly 800 independent residential service contractors improve their businesses since 1992. Nexstar members benefit from comprehensive business training, proprietary processes and systems and dedicated business, call center and marketing coaches, it noted.

“In today’s economic climate, contractors are looking for ways to assist their current labor market by bringing the skill and knowledge of their most experienced technicians to the jobsite through remote video support to reduce the need to roll a second truck,” said Aaron Salow, XOi founder and CEO. “By marrying Nexstar’s proven training and growth programs with XOi’s patented technology, we will empower technicians with the tools, data and resources needed to solve the industry’s greatest challenge — the skilled trades gap.”

Moen honored by David Weekley homes

Moen has been named one of the winners in the 17th annual National Preferred Partner Survey conducted by David Weekley Homes, one of the nation’s largest privately-held home builders. The survey recognizes field and manufacturing partners that have consistently operated at world-class levels, as determined by the home builder’s supplier evaluation platform, Moen explained. This comprehensive process evaluates companies in the areas of quality and customer service. David Weekley Homes presented Moen with the award for this significant achievement at a ceremony on Aug. 24.

“At Moen, we’re committed to going above and beyond for our customers, always thinking about what’s next to bring them the latest thoughtfully designed innovations while maintaining the highest level of quality and customer service,” said Mark Davis, senior strategic account manager at Moen. “We are so incredibly honored that David Weekley Homes has chosen to recognize our dedication by naming Moen as a National Preferred Partner.”

The National Preferred Partner Survey format was updated in 2020, with the new system featuring two questions with a 1-to-5 rating. The survey is sent to David Weekley Homes team members who are currently doing business with partners in their market. Every quarter, partners are shown their results and ranking relative to National Preferred Partners in their industry as well as the contact information for each David Weekley Homes team member who completed an evaluation for them.

The evaluation process involves a comprehensive system of feedback and discussion to measure excellence. Partners that receive the highest scores throughout the year are presented with the prestigious National Preferred Partners Award. While 140 companies were evaluated, only 12 — including Moen — were named National Preferred Partners in the manufacturing category, rising to the top of the ranks for exemplifying best-in-class support and superior products.

“Our reputation has been built on providing our homebuyers with a quality product and a positive customer service experience. As a National Preferred Partner, Moen has played a critical role in helping us acquire and maintain that reputation,” said John Schiegg, vice president of supply chain services for David Weekley Homes. “Simply put, our National Preferred Partners like Moen help to make our homebuyer’s dreams a reality. We are so thankful to Moen for a job well done.”

BrassCraft announces anniversary sweepstakes

BrassCraft Manufacturing Co., a manufacturer of quality rough plumbing products sold to professionals under the BrassCraft brand, announced a nationwide sweepstakes in honor of the company’s 75th anniversary. The sweepstakes, open to professional plumbers and contractors in the United States, will run for 75 days, from Sept. 1 to Nov. 15, and result in 10 winners pocketing $7,500 for a total of a $75,000 cash giveaway.

“For 75 years, we have worked to provide leading quality solutions that embody true craftsmanship,” said Mike Roberts, vice president of marketing and product development at BrassCraft. “We’ve achieved the brand and market leadership we have today because of the pros who share our commitment to quality and trust us with their name and reputation. This milestone is a reason to celebrate our brand, the pros who’ve gotten us here and the trade that drives us both.”

Any licensed plumber, HVAC technician or contractor in the United States can enter for their chance to win the sweepstakes at www.brasscraft.com/75th. Proof of eligibility required. No purchase is necessary. Official rules can be found on the website.

Anniversary celebrations will extend on the company’s social media platforms (@BrassCraft, Facebook and Instagram) with prize giveaways and spotlights promoting tradesmen and women.

“At BrassCraft, we believe plumbing is a craft — one of the few we have left. We work hard every day to enable the craft, respect it, and put the pros who practice it at the forefront of our work every day,” Roberts said. “It’s our privilege and a responsibility to be trusted by pros. We want to take this moment to say thank you.”

David Weekley Homes cites Uponor for excellence

David Weekley Homes, one of the nation’s largest privately held homebuilders, announced its 2021 National Preferred Partner winners, and Uponor North America was one of 24 companies out of 150 to receive the honor. This is Uponor’s eighth consecutive year as a David Weekley Homes National Preferred Partner.

“Congratulations to Uponor for being named a David Weekley Homes National Preferred Partner. We are so grateful to them for being a strong partner and helping us navigate the uncharted waters of this past year,” said John Schiegg, vice president, supply Chain, David Weekley Homes. “Our reputation has been built on providing our homebuyers with a quality product and a positive customer service experience. As a National Preferred Partner, Uponor has played a critical role in helping us acquire and maintain that reputation.”

Schiegg goes on to state that while the past year presented an unexpected number of challenges for the homebuilding industry, David Weekley Homes was fortunate to have these exceptional National Preferred Partners that provided their products and services to help the company navigate obstacles and continue delivering a high-quality product to their homebuyers.

“We are honored to be receiving this recognition for the eighth year in a row,” said Carl Hines, national builder sales manager at Uponor. “David Weekley Homes has a strong commitment to providing their homebuyers with world-class products and service. Their pursuit of excellence closely aligns with Uponor’s dedication to enhancing our own customers’ experiences and moving the building industry forward.”