Managing a Multicultural Workforce - Minnesota Plumbing

MARCH 2015
Publication of the Minnesota Association of Plumbing–Heating–Cooling Contractors
Managing a
Multicultural
Workforce
Inside
Pg. 6
Managing a
Multicultural
Workforce
Pg. 16
2015 Membership
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Contents
6
March 2015
ASSOCIATION NEWS
5 PRESIDENT’S LETTER
10 IN THE NEWS
8 EXECUTIVE MANAGER
16 2015 MEMBERSHIP
9 PLUMBING CE CLASSES
INDUSTRY NEWS
FEATURES
19 MARKETING LANDSCAPE
6 MANAGING A
MULTICULTURAL
WORKFORCE
by Trudy Van Zee
We live in business environments that
are growing ever more diverse. As
a business owner, you need to know
how best to manage a multicultural
workforce. Your leadership in
multicultural
management
will
also be important as you sell to an
increasingly diverse customer base
and deal with suppliers who represent
a variety of worldviews.
20 NEWS CRAWL
14 FEDERATED TALKS
PHCC CONNECTION
21 YOUR MN PHCC LEADERSHIP
22 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
5353 Wayzata Blvd., Ste 350
p 952-564-3060
info@mnphcc.org
Minneapolis, MN 55416
f 952-252-8096
www.mnphcc.org
MN PHCC MISSION STATEMENT
Advancing member success through leadership, education, networking and advocacy for the Minnesota Plumbing
Heating Cooling Contractors, Manufacturers and Wholesalers while protecting public health and the environment.
The Minnesota Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractor, published monthly, is the official
publication of the MN Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors, only insofar
as notices, bulletins, and reports are concerned. Editorial and personalized news stories
reflect the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily that of the Association. Neither
the Association nor this magazine accepts responsibility for statements or claims made
by advertisers for their products or services.
Editor & Publication Manager:
Art and Production:
Molly Barrett
Severyn Skoug
Printing:Documation
March 2015
|
MN PHCC Contractor
3
President’s Letter
by Mark Johnson
An Introduction
From Your New MN PHCC President
Jeremy Carlson is the MN PHCC
president. He can be reached at
jeremy@carlsonduluth.com.
It is said
that the two
certainties in
life are death
and taxes.
My name is Jeremy Carlson, and I co-own Carlson Duluth Co., which is a full service
mechanical contracting shop. I also am the president of Randall’s Heating and Cooling,
which offers HVAC-specific services. I am the fourth generation in my family to work in the
plumbing and heating industry, and my family has been involved with the PHCC for over
50 years. It is a great honor for me to be a part of the MN PHCC and to be able to give back
to the industry that has given my family so much.
Change is never easy. It is said that the two certainties in life are death and taxes. We all
know this to be true, but the third certainty in life is change. Change happens no matter
what—whether we want it to or not. This is a facticity of life. All we can do is learn to
manage change, embrace change, and learn how to profit from it. This will allow us to spend
less time and energy worrying about what to do about the new changes in our lives—and
more time focused on where the opportunities might be.
The MN PHCC has gone through some serious changes during my time serving on the
Board of Directors. We have changed the entire environment of how we operate as an entity,
and have moved away from how things have been done for over 100 years. Your Board of
Directors has worked tremendously hard through un-chartered territory to ensure the future
of this organization. Our success is also due to the solid leadership from my predecessors,
Mark Johnson and Luke Westman. They acted as the glue that kept our organization together
while in these dark times. In my opinion, they are the reason we are even still here today.
For the first time in several years, the future of the MN PHCC looks bright. With a solid
and active Board of Directors, great organization from IntrinXec Management, Inc., and
valuable partnerships with our associate members, we have a sturdy foundation to build on.
Rebuilding this organization will take participation from all our members. After all, we are
a membership-based association. We need active members to help recruit other potential
members in order to regain our strength.
The Board of Directors’ main focus of is to prove the value of your membership and its
benefits. The board, along with the leadership from IntrinXec, spent several hours this
past summer in a strategic planning session that resulted in a long-term, focused plan
that we can refer to as a board to make our decisions. This plan will help us continue to
add value to our membership.
One of the value-added initiatives we are focused on is putting more attention and
emphasis on the heating and cooling industries, while also maintaining our core focus on the
plumbing and piping industries. We as an organization traditionally have branded ourselves as
a plumbing and piping association, and we would like to change that. Most of us contractors
do as much business in the HVAC disciplines as we do in the piping disciplines—if not more.
I assess that it will only add value for us all if we as an association spend an equal amount of
resources on the HVAC industry.
This can be done by providing education, code update information, lobbying and legislative
updates, industry specific Contractor magazine articles, and other employee training
opportunities. Giving equal focus to P – H –C that resides in our name will also allow for a
broader base of companies that will ultimately be interested in membership.
In closing, I want to again thank all who have given back to this industry, and those who
have spent time participating in “your” association. I look forward to the next two years
working as your president, as well as to the growth and success of our organization. Please feel
free to contact me directly with any suggestions or questions.
March 2015
|
MN PHCC Contractor
5
EE
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VAN
Y
D
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e
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r
o
f
rk
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Ma icultu
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BY T
A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation.
We live in business environments that are growing ever more diverse. As a business owner, you
need to know how best to manage a multicultural workforce. Your leadership in multicultural
management will also be important as you sell to an increasingly diverse customer base and
deal with suppliers who represent a variety of worldviews.
Advantages to a Multicultural Workforce—The Business Case
Multicultural workforces are good for your business. First and foremost, you know all too well the intensifying talent shortage in many
industries. You must be able to attract diverse talent and be able to manage and retain the talent once you do. Other advantages of a
multicultural workforce are:
—— Idea generation—a wider range of ideas and experiences can give you a leg up on innovation, creativity, and on new potential avenues
of generating profit.
—— Customer connection—your ability to communicate and connect with a wider range of customers will accelerate growth.
—— Employee engagement—diverse workforces have higher engagement levels and lower turnover rates.
—— Company image—your customers care about your employment practices.
—— While the business case for diversity is clear and compelling, the challenges are not insignificant. Cultural differences often lead to
difficulties with communications and a rise in the friction that can develop as people with different expectations and habits interact. It
is important for you to create an environment in which the positives of diversity are maximized and the negatives are minimized.
6
MN PHCC Contractor
|
March 2015
Cover Story
by Trudy Van Zee
Ways for Your Multicultural
Workforce to Thrive–The
Action Plan
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
—— Start by setting the tone—without a
commitment from you to an open and
receptive work place, any investment
you make will be sub-optimized.
Diversity must be perceived as a priority.
—— Be accessible – maintain an open door
policy for all employees.
COMMUNICATE – LISTEN
—— Broadcast your diversity message—
company policies that explicitly forbid
prejudice and discriminatory behavior
should be included in employee
manuals, mission statements, and
other written communications.
—— Call people by the name by which
they like to be addressed. As a rule,
don’t shorten or modify names to fit
the dominant culture or to make them
easier to remember or pronounce.
—— Treat people as individuals, not as
members of a cultural group with
whom they might identify. Don’t
get worked up over what makes one
group of employees different from
another. Instead, listen, be attentive,
and lead using what you learn.
TRAIN
—— Invest in training programs—training
programs designed to engender
appreciation and knowledge of
the characteristics and benefits of
multicultural work forces have become
ubiquitous in recent years.
—— Two types of training are the most
popular: awareness and skillbuilding. The former introduces
the topic of managing diversity
and generally includes information
on work force demographics, the
meaning of diversity, and exercises
to get participants thinking about
relevant issues and raising their own
self-awareness. The skill-building
training provides more specific
information on cultural norms of
different groups and how they may
affect communications and behavior.
—— Onboarding programs are ideal for
introducing workers to the company’s
expectations regarding treatment
of fellow workers—whatever their
cultural or ethnic background may be.
RECOGNIZE AND REWARD
—— Revamp reward systems—your
performance appraisal and reward
systems should reinforce the importance
of effective diversity management. This
includes assuring that minorities are
provided with adequate opportunities
for career development.
—— Avoid cultural bias in you promotion
and pay practices.
—— Learn the reward and recognition
preferences of each team member,
regardless of cultural identity. One size
does not fit all—one size fits one.
—— Make room for company-sponsored
social events—picnics, softball games,
volleyball leagues, bowling leagues, etc.
can be tremendously useful in getting
members of different ethnic and cultural
backgrounds together and providing
them with opportunities to learn about
one another and to feel valued.
—— Be open to socializing during the work
day—let employees socialize as they
like and according to their cultural
norms, providing it doesn’t interfere
with the work or unit cohesiveness.
—— Offer flexibility—flexible work
environments may have particularly
beneficial results with people from
nontraditional cultural backgrounds
because their approaches to problems
are more likely to be different from
past norms.
INTUIT
—— Appreciate individual differences—be
very careful to not make the mistake
of assuming that differences are
always “cultural.”
—— Sidestep assumptions—in the absence
of reliable information, there is a welldocumented tendency for individuals
to assume that other people are
“like them.” This is almost always an
inappropriate assumption; for those
who manage diverse work forces this
tendency towards cultural assumptions
can prove particularly damaging.
—— Learn the difference—some cultural
differences matter a great deal in the
workplace while others do not.
—— Establish neutral codes of conduct—
each culture has its own set of
customs and acceptable mannerisms.
Sometimes barriers are created because
a worker from one ethnic group does
something to violate the cultural norm
of another. Establish neutral codes of
conduct that apply to everyone.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE
Creating a workplace where employees of
all backgrounds feel accepted takes time and
lots of effort. Be patient and willing to learn
from the mistakes you make along the way.
Keep in mind that at the most fundamental
level, most people share a universal set of
motivators. Among them are:
—— Being treated as a professional—with
respect and consideration.
—— Having a clear sense of purpose
and direction.
—— Understanding how their work
touches customers and contributes to
the success of the enterprise.
—— Expressions of appreciation. Focus
on these elements and you will find it
rewarding and relatively easy to lead
an increasingly diverse workforce.
Remember that every day you are getting
closer to achieving a workplace where the
word “diversity” is no longer spoken. It
just happens—and when it does, you will
experience better business outcomes.
A version of this article was originally prepared
by TPO for one of its clients, an industry
educational foundation. This article was reprinted with permission from TPO-Inc.
March 2015
|
MN PHCC Contractor
7
Executive Manager
by Jessica A. Bartram, CMP, CM
spring brings new changes
for MN PHCC
The 5-State Convention is behind us
and we are recuperating back at your
Association Headquarters. What an event!
We are excited to share a more thorough
wrap-up and lots of pictures with you in
the April issue of the Contractor, so please
stay tuned for that.
I want to take this opportunity to
remind you of several things going on
within MN PHCC:
1. A new website! Be sure to check out
our new website at www.mnphcc.
org. We have continuing education
updates, legislative news, a membership
directory, and much more!
2. As the spring season approaches us,
and as the weather gets warmer, I urge
you to get registered for the plumbing
continuing education classes now—
before we break for the summer.
3. PHCC—National’s Legislative
Conference is next month! We
encourage you to join us as we fight
for the p-h-c industry and meet with
state legislators and senators. The
more industry representation there is,
the stronger our voice will be! I will
be there along with Jeremy Carlson,
your MN PHCC president. For more
information, visit www.phccweb.org.
Cheers to a successful March!
Jessica A. Bartram is the
executive manager for MN
PHCC. She can be reached
at jbartram@intrinxec.com.
RADIANT HEATING SYSTEM
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8
MN PHCC Contractor
|
March 2015
GOLDEN VALLEY, MN
730 Decatur Ave. North
763-450-7600
ST. CLOUD, MN
775 Anderson Ave.
320-316-2735
CONTINUING EDUCATION MASTER
PLUMBERS AND JOURNEYMEN
Earn 8 hours towards your state requirement!
20
15
ALL NEW SPRING 2015 CURRICULUM, #20140795
(Please check the class you are attending)
o WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
Hutchinson, MN
o THURSDAY, MARCH 26
Detroit Lakes, MN
o FRIDAY, APRIL 17
Albert Lea / Austin, MN
o THURSDAY, MARCH 12
Mankato, MN
o FRIDAY, MARCH 27
Thief River Falls, MN
o SATURDAY, APRIL 18
Northfield, MN
o FRIDAY, MARCH 13
Owatonna, MN
o SATURDAY, MARCH 28
Bemidji, MN
o FRIDAY, APRIL 24
Fergus Falls, MN
o SATURDAY, MARCH 14
Rochester, MN
o FRIDAY, APRIL 10
Alexandria, MN
o SATURDAY, APRIL 25
Grand Forks, ND
o FRIDAY, MARCH 20
St. Cloud, MN
o SATURDAY, APRIL 11
Brainerd, MN
o SATURDAY, MARCH 21
North Branch, MN
o THURSDAY, APRIL 16
Worthington, MN
INFORMATION
Full Name:___________________________________Company Name:__________________________________________
Mailing Address:_____________________________________________________________________________________
City:____________________________________________ State:____________________ Zip:________________________
Phone:_________________________________________ Email:_______________________________________________
License #: ____________________________________________ Last four digits of your SSN: ______________________
________ Yes, I need to purchase a code book for class and include an additional $45.
(A limited quantity of code books will be available for purchase onsite.)
How did you hear about our classes?
o Contractor Magazine o MNPHCC Website o Mailing o Other____________________________________________
COST
$125 for MN PHCC members
$175 for non-MN PHCC members
Lunch is included
PAYMENT METHOD
o $125 MN PHCC Members o $175 Non-MN PHCC Members o $45 Code Book
o Visa o MasterCard o AMEX o Check #____________________ (payable to MN PHCC)
Card Number: ________________________________________ Exp. Date: _______________
Name on Card: _______________________________________________________________
PLEASE NOTE
Signature: ___________________________________________________________________
WWW.MNPHCC.ORG
Phone: 952-564-3060 | Fax: 952-252-8096 | info@mnphcc.org
You will need to bring a calculator,
highlighter, ruler and pencil to class.
Send completed form and payment to:
Minnesota Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association
5353 Wayzata Blvd, Ste 350 | Minneapolis, MN 55416
IN THE NEWS
Federated’s HR Question of the Month
Can you pro-rate pay for an exempt employee who worked a
partial week upon separation?
QUESTION: We have an exempt employee that separated in the
middle of workweek. We prorated his salary that week to reflect
only the days he worked. He is coming back now stating that he
had worked 40 hours that week before he left. Does that have
any bearing on the pay, or are we okay with leaving it “as is”?
RESPONSE: Exempt employees generally must be paid their full
weekly salary for all workweeks in which they perform any work.
There are, however, certain limitation exceptions to this rule.
Specifically, if an exempt employee starts or ends employment
mid-workweek, the employer may prorate the employee’s salary
accordingly. As for calculating the deduction, the Fair Labor
Standards Act (FLSA) does not mandate one specific method
for prorating an exempt employee’s salary in situations where
deductions are permitted. Rather, 29 C.F.R. § 541.602(c) says
that an employer may “use the hourly or daily equivalent of the
employee’s full weekly salary or any other amount proportional
to the time actually missed by the employee.” Thus, there are a
number of methods the employer may utilize. To that end, it is
certainly permissible for an employer to calculate a day rate and
then multiply by the actual number of days worked, regardless of
the number of hours actually worked. In other words, the number
of hours do not have any bearing on the pay if the method you
used to prorate the employee’s salary was the daily (rather than
hourly) equivalent of the employee’s full weekly salary.
2014 Named Warmest Year on Record since 1880
What does that mean for our industry?
Two recently released reports from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have confirmed that 2014
was the warmest year on record since 1880. While scientists expect year-to-year fluctuations in temperatures, they predict that the
increasing temperature trend will continue—increasing pressure on carbon emission concerns and related refrigerant issues. As these
new trends evolve, PHCC will work with industry stakeholders as needed to respond to global warming solutions.
To view the reports on 2014, visit www.nasa.gov.
Upcoming Industry Events
2015 LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE
DATE: April 22 — 23, 2015
LOCATION: Arlington, VA - Key Bridge Marriott
Join fellow contractors from around the Nation as we meet faceto-face with legislators and congress representatives to discuss
important issues affecting the p-h-c industry. More voices equals
more impact!
For registration and accommodation information, visit www.
phccweb.org.
10
MN PHCC Contractor
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March 2015
CONNECT 2015 - 133RD CONVENTION
DATE: September 28 — October 2, 2015
LOCATION: Hollywood, FL - Diplomat Resort and Spa
Save the date for Connect 2015! Details to come.
LOOK FOR MORE EVENTS AND INFORMATION
ON OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.MNPHCC.ORG
Minnesota OSHA 2014 Year in Review
Each year, Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) provides a summary of
what both sides of the organization—Compliance and Workplace
Safety Consultation—accomplished in the previous year.
MNOSHA Compliance Highlights:
• Visited 2,566 establishments and identified 4,996 hazards.
• Conducted 117 outreach presentations with an average
participation of 37 people.
• Responded to 3,904 phone calls and 1,748 written requests
(primarily email) for assistance, with a majority of the
inquiries answered within one day.
MNOSHA Workplace Safety Consultation Highlights:
• Completed 1,083 initial, training, and follow-up visits at
employer worksites.
• Provided 398 interventions—including formal training
presentations, technical assistance, and outreach—that
directly involved more than 9,300 employers and more
than 14,500 employees.
• Established three alliances to promote collaboration about
workplace safety and health with: Arrowhead Builders
Association, Mexican Consulate, and Minnesota State
Colleges and Universities.
MNOSHA Intends to Adopt New Injury Reporting Requirements
New federal OSHA recording and reporting requirements became
effective at the federal level on January 1, 2015. Minnesota
OSHA (MNOSHA) intends to adopt federal OSHA’s new injury
reporting requirements by March 18 2015, becoming effective
October 1, 2015.
Currently in Minnesota, employers are required to report
occupational accidents in which an employee is killed or
three more are hospitalized to MNOSHA within eight hours.
The intended changes would require employers to report all
work-related inpatient hospitalizations, all amputations, and all
losses of an eye within 24 hours.
For the full report of updates to federal OSHA’s recordkeeping
rule, visit www.osha.gov/recordkeeping2014.
This information was provided by the Minnesota Department of
Labor and Industry.
Congratulations to PHCC Members!
Recently, PHCC distributed a grassroots legislative alert regarding
PHCC supported-bill H.R. 636, “America’s Small Business Tax
Relief Act of 2015.” PHCC members from across the nation
generated more than 400 letters to members of Congress.
As a result, the bill recently passed the House of Representatives
with a vote of 272-142. The bill now moves to the Senate. The
legislation would restore small business expensing—sometimes
called Section 179 expensing. Small business expensing allows
business owners to immediately deduct the cost of a qualified
investment in the year that it is purchased, rather than being
forced to depreciate the cost of the investment over time. Also,
the legislation would strike the exemption of air conditioning or
heating equipment from the qualified investments eligible for
Section 179 expensing. PHCC—National will keep members upto-date on the issue.
2015 Water Heater Efficiency Standards
The U.S. Department of Energy’s new water heater regulations go into effect April 16, 2015. These new mandates will require higher
Energy Factor (EF) ratings on virtually all residential gas, electric, oil, and tankless water heaters. To view a chart of the new energy
factor requirements, visit www.phccweb.org.
Product changes will vary depending on class and volume. In some cases, changes could be minor; others could be more radical. For
example, to meet the new EF standard, gas water heaters > 55 gallons (75,000 BTU/Hr.) may need to be fully condensing, based on
today’s technology. Electric water heaters > 55 gallons (12 KW input) likely will use an integrated heat pump configuration to meet the
new standards.
March 2015
|
MN PHCC Contractor
11
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Federated Talks
by Federated Mutual
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Attitude, Behavior, Control
the ABCs of Workplace Safety
Following your company’s safety
guidelines is all it takes to stay safe
at work, right? Not so fast. Yes, those
guidelines are there to help ensure your
safety. But, overall safety is a little more
complicated than a list of do’s and don’ts
and the expectations for following them.
There are three important elements
that combine to add up to a safer, more
productive you.
ATTITUDE
While it may not be everything when it
comes to safety, attitude is pretty close. Have
you ever caught yourself not staying alert
and focused, ignoring safety guidelines,
horsing around, or letting emotions such as
anger and frustration influence your attitude
on the job? If you answered honestly, you
probably admit to allowing at least one of
those things to affect your job performance
As a plumbing and mechanical
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It’s Worth The Energy®!
14
MN PHCC Contractor
|
March 2015
at one time or another. Don’t let your
attitude get in the way of safety.
CONTROL
This is all about taking responsibility for
making your worksite a safe place. There
are many things within your control that
help to ensure jobsite safety.
BEHAVIOR
How you react to a situation is an
important part of being safe.
—— Follow established safety guidelines
—— Keep surroundings clean and orderly
—— Clean up spills and debris, or report
them to the appropriate person
—— Refuse to take shortcuts
—— Use personal protective equipment
—— Ask questions if you’re unsure of
something or need more information
to do the job
—— Keep machines and equipment in
good repair
—— Remove obstacles from walkways
There you have it—the ABCs of job safety.
While there are many more ways to ensure
your personal well-being on the job—attitude,
behavior, and control impact most of them.
That’s why they’re the most important and
simplest aspects of staying safe at work.
This publication is intended to provide general
recommendations regarding risk prevention.
It is not intended to include all steps or
processes necessary to adequately protect
you, your business, or your customers. You
should always consult your personal attorney
and insurance advisor for advice unique to you
and your business. © 2013 Federated Mutual
Insurance Company. All rights reserved.
—— Store chemicals properly; make sure
you know proper handling techniques
—— Help co-workers understand the
importance of safety
—— Report any potential hazards to
your supervisor
This Wasn’t Supposed To Happen
Attorney
Probate
Legacy
Death
Heirs
Damage
Disability
Federated Insurance is here for you
before, during, and after a claim.
It’s Our Business to Protect Yours®
Will
Cancer
Visit www.federatedinsurance.com
to find a representative near you.
*Not licensed in the states of NH, NJ, and VT. © 2015 Federated Mutual Insurance Company
March 2015
|
MN PHCC Contractor
15
2015 MEMBERSHIP
For more than 130 years, PHCC has helped commercial, residential, and institutional contracting professionals succeed.
With a national organization and state and local chapters across the country,
PHCC serves approximately 3,500 open and union shop contractor members.
Join today, and start enjoying the benefits of belonging to the nation’s leading organization representing the plumbing
and HVACR industries. Membership starts at the local or state chapter level and includes national membership.
CONTRACTOR MEMBERS
Joining the MN PHCC as a Contractor Member gets you benefits at a state, national AND a local level*. Membership is
at the company level and ALL employees receive the benefits!
• Discounts on MN PHCC business management
classes and continuing education classes including
plumbing, medical gas, and more!
• Access to discounted health, liability, and risk
insurance programs
• Receive one complimentary registration to MN
PHCC’s Annual Convention; discounted registration
for all additional employees.
• Access to service contractor training through
PHCC QSC
• Discounts through companies such as ExxonMobil
gas, Chrysler trucks and vehicles, Enterprise Fleet
Management, Aramark, and many more!
• Company listing on online membership directory
where the public can search for contractors to hire,
based on location and services offered
• Networking opportunities on local, state, and
national levels
• Exclusive access to training webinars through
PHCC—National’s website
• A subscription to MN PHCC’s monthly magazine,
Contractor
• A strong voice for our industry before the state
legislature and plumbing board, with discounts
along the way
• Assistance in renewing bonds and licenses
• Discounts on plumbing and HVAC training
textbooks through PHCC—National
• Receive a complimentary subscription to PHCC
Online e-mail Weekly Newsletter
• Get Legislative & Regulatory Alerts
• Learn how to protect your business and your
employees with PHCC Safety and Risk
Management Resources
• Give your staff access to state-of-the-art technical
training and prepare for new industry regulations
• Use PHCC’s online discussion groups to ask
questions, share ideas and get insights from
contractors nationwide
• So many more!
Company membership pricing for one year: $1,350
*Applicable where local chapters are available.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Reach Minnesota’s leading plumbing, heating, and cooling contractors by joining as an Associate Member! Associate
Members include companies that serve our p-h-c contractors such as manufacturers, reps, wholesalers, utility
companies, professional service providers, etc.
Becoming an Associate Member entitles your company to the following benefits:
• Discounted advertising in Contractor
• Company listing in 6 issues of Contractor
• Listing on online membership directory where the
contractors can search for your products and services
• A subscription to MN PHCC’s monthly magazine,
Contractor
• Preferred placement at the Annual Vendor Show
• Networking opportunities with Minnesota p-h-c
contractors
Company membership pricing for one year: $500
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Join online at www.mnphcc.org or complete the application below!
1
20
15
MEMBER INFORMATION
Please provide your company information below as you would like it listed in the membership directory.
Company Name:__________________________________________________________________ o Union o Non-Union
Primary Contact:_____________________________________________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________________________________________________
City:______________________________________________________________ State:____________ Zip:_____________
Phone:____________________________________________ Fax:_____________________________________________
Email: ___________________________________________ Website: ___________________________________________
2
PRODUCTS /
SERVICES
Please select which products /
services your company provides:
o Plumbing Contractor Installation/
Repair/Maintenance
o Plumbing Parts/Tools Wholesaler
o Plumbing Parts/Tools Manufacturer
o HVAC Contractor Installation/
Repair/Maintenance
3
ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES
Please provide employee information for those that you want
to receive PHCC communications regarding events, updates,
industry information, etc. Attach additional names if necessary.
Name:________________________________________________________
Phone:________________________________________________________
Email:_________________________________________________________
Name:________________________________________________________
Phone:________________________________________________________
Email:_________________________________________________________
o HVAC Parts/Tools Wholesaler
MEMBERSHIP TYPE
o HVAC Parts/Tools Manufacturer
4
o Mechanical Contractor Installation/
Repair/Maintenance
o CONTRACTOR Company - $1,350 o ASSOCIATE Company - $500
o Mechanical Parts/Tools Wholesaler
o Mechanical Parts/Tools Manufacturer
5
Please select your membership type below.
PAYMENT INFORMATION
o Business Service Provider for
Contractors, i.e. utility, CPA services, etc.
o Visa o MasterCard o AMEX o Check #_________
o OTHER: Please list the specific
service(s) you offer:_______________
Name on Card: ________________________________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
(payable to MN PHCC)
Card Number: _____________________________ Exp. Date: __________
Signature: ____________________________________________________
PLEASE SEND YOUR COMPLETED FORMS WITH FULL PAYMENT TO:
MN PHCC - 5353 Wayzata Blvd, Ste 350, Minneapolis MN 55416
Phone: (952) 564-3060 | Fax: (952) 252-8096 | info@mnphcc.org
Hydronics. Learn it Barba style.
2015 factory training
Learn from the best trainer in the industry:
FloPro University’s John Barba. John’s brand
of teaching is application-based, real-world,
and lots of fun. In “Residential Hydronics
– Advanced Soup to Variable Speed Nuts”,
you’ll learn not only how things work, but
WHY. On the job, you’ll be able to skip the
guesswork, choose the products that are
just right, and install systems that impress
your customers and grow your bottom line.
Sign-up time is NOW!
Get into the nuts and bolts of hydronics.
Reserve a seat now and train at the Taco
www.taco-hvac.com
Innovation and Development Center in
Cranston, Rhode Island.
How to register.
You’ll find a link on the FloPro Team home
page to register online. Or you can scan
the QR code on this page. See you in
Cranston!
2015 FloPro Factory Training Sessions
April 30-May 1, 2015
June 18-19, 2015 – SOLD OUT
August 20-21, 2015 – SOLD OUT
September 24-25, 2015
October 22-23, 2015
Marketing Landscape
by PHCC—National
For information
on where to buy
How to Be
remarkable on yelp
Advice for Contractors
Most contractors don’t realize that Yelp
is a social network—and perhaps the most
important social network of all to the
health of your business. If you approach it
that way and follow some simple rules, you
can absolutely crush it!
Mike Montano, a highly respected
authority in trust marketing, review
management, and online reputation—
and the author of Stop Marketing, Be
Remarkable!—stresses that “trust is the
new trend in ‘Search.’” During his recent
webinar to PHCC members, Montano
explained why Yelp matters more than
ever, illustrating how Any Tyme (a
professional plumbing, HVAC, and
electrical services company) went from 3
to 4 stars in 30 days … and realized a 350
percent increase in leads from December
2013 to December 2014!
—— Don’t ask friends to write reviews
on your account unless you’ve done
business together.
Among Montano’s strategies for being
remarkable on Yelp:
—— Don’t move too aggressively when
generating reviews.
—— Become one with your customer. Cater
to their habits and social media usage.
—— Get involved and know the “power
of one.” Your employees will witness
the power of their good deeds with
positive online reviews.
—— Try these Yelp tactics:
—— Create your own Yelp account and
invite your friends.
—— Make sure your Yelp email goes to
a distribution list, so everyone is
aware when a good or bad review
comes in.
—— Always respond to Yelp reviews,
both negative and positive.
—— For negative reviews, respond
publicly, keep it brief, and be contrite
(not emotional); leave a private
message with your cell phone
number; and make sure you call
(remember, this is your customer!
Montano also offered members advice
on five things to never, ever do on Yelp:
products in:
Minnesota,
No. Dakota,
So. Dakota
and Western
Wisconsin
PLEASE CONTACT:
7630 Washington Avenue South
—— Never, ever respond emotionally.
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
—— Never question the customer’s opinion.
• TEL: 952-888-1770
—— Don’t ask for a review from a
Yelper unless you know they’re
active on Yelp.
• FAX: 952-888-9636
This article was re-printed with permission from
www.phccweb.org.
—— Invite your Yelp friends to use
your service and ask them to
write a review.
March 2015
|
MN PHCC Contractor
19
News Crawl
Minnesota DLI
New Building Code
Now Effective
Despite the lawsuit filed against the
Department of Labor and Industry in
attempt to delay the code, the 2015 MN
Building Code IS in effect now.
The following information was provided
by the Builders Association of Minnesota.
The Minnesota Department of Labor
and Industry (DLI) sent the notice below
alerting the residential construction
industry that despite a lawsuit filed against
the Department in attempt to delay the
new building code, the 2015 Minnesota
Residential Building Code IS IN EFFECT
as of Saturday January 24, 2015.
Information about each of the new
codes and links to the code language can
be found online at http://doli.state.mn.us/
CCLD/codes15.asp.
Scott McClellan of DLI wrote:
“As you may have heard, our agency
received notice this week that the Builders
Association of the Twin Cities filed a lawsuit
requesting the Minnesota Court of Appeals
review portions of the Residential Building
Code and the Energy Conservation Code
adopted this past year. The Minnesota Court
of Appeals would need to issue a court order
before there could be any change in the code
effective dates. It has not done so.
I want to emphasize that as of today
[January 23], the following chapters of
the Minnesota Building code become
effective for administration and
enforcement on Jan. 24, 2015:
—— 1300 Minnesota Building Code
Administration
—— 1303 Minnesota Provisions to the
State Building Code (except for radon)
—— 1307 Minnesota Elevator and Related
Devices Code
—— 1309 Minnesota Residential Code
—— 1311 Minnesota Conservation Code
for Existing Buildings
—— 1341 Minnesota Accessibility Code
—— 1346 Minnesota Mechanical and Fuel
Gas Codes
*The Radon provisions contained in
chapter 1303 and the Residential Energy
Code in 1322 were scheduled to take effect
on February 14, 2015.
The codes that went into effect on Jan. 24,
2015 can be viewed in their entirety here:
http://doli.state.mn.us/CCLD/codes15.asp.
Information from the Minnesota
Department of Labor and Industry:
“The codes provide building standards to
regulate the design, construction, addition,
alteration, repair, use, and location of
buildings and structures. They are based on
the 2012 International Code Council (ICC)
model codes, and contain Minnesota-specific
construction provisions for structural, lifesafety, fire-safety, and moisture protection.
Minnesota’s state building code has not been
updated since 2007.” – Press Release from
DLI, Jan. 22, 2015.
Code Books: For the 2015 Minnesota
Building Codes, the Minnesota Department
of Labor and Industry (DLI) contracted with
ICC to produce Minnesota-specific code
books to include only those chapters from the
model codes used in Minnesota and statespecific amendments. The code books can
be purchased or viewed online at no cost at
www.dli.mn.gov/CCLD/Codes15.asp.
Future Code Adoption: ICC publishes
new codes every three years. DLI has
determined it will not propose any new
ICC model codes for Minnesota until 2018.
This decision was reached after hearing
from multiple affected stakeholders who
preferred the stability of working with the
new codes for another four to six years.
However, DLI will still propose new code
amendments if special needs or opportunities
arise, such as advances in technology, safety,
or materials.
This information was re-printed with permission
from the Minnesota DLI.
20
MN PHCC Contractor
|
March 2015
YOUR MN PHCC LEADERSHIP
For information about the Minnesota Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors, call
the main office at 952-564-3060 or contact one of the following Board of Directors:
STATE ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
JEREMY CARLSON
President
Carlson Duluth Company
2901 Helm St, Duluth, MN 55806
218-727-0063
jeremy@carlsonduluth.com
JOHN RADOTICH
Director & Range PHCC Liaison
Radotich, Inc.
5556 Hwy 73 N, Chisholm, MN 55719
218-254-5763
john@radotich.com
JASON SCHRUPP
Vice President
Hanson’s Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
P. O. Box 301, Perham, MN 56573
218-346-2422
jasonschrupp@hansonsplumbing.com
PAUL RONNENBERG
Director
Ronny’s Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
P. O. Box 279, Byron, MN 55920
507-775-2334
ronnysplbg@frontier.com
MARK JOHNSON
Immediate Past President
645 Emerson St. N, Cambridge, MN 55008
763-689-3141
markrjohnson759@gmail.com
PAUL SULLWOLD
Director & Metro PHCC Liaison
Minnesota Plumbing & Htg. Inc.
1420 W. 3rd Ave., Shakopee, MN 55379
952-445-4444
paul@mnplumbingandheating.com
SUZYN BRONK
Director
Bob’s Home Heating & Cooling
327 Mankato Ave., Winona, MN 55987
507-454-3814
bobsheat@hbci.com
MITCHELL DIERS
Sec. / Treas. & Duluth PHCC Liaison
Northern Mech./Plbg. Contrs. Assoc.
802 Garfield Ave., Duluth, MN 55802
218-727-6227
diers04@yahoo.com
JIM GANDER
Director & Rochester PHCC Liason
Superior Mechanical
1244 60th Ave. NW, Rochester, MN 55901
507-289-0229
jgander@superiormechanical.us
JIM INGLE
Director
FourMation Sales
14400 James Rd, Ste D, Rogers, MN 55374
320-266-5772
jim@fourmationsales.com
LAURA TOFTE
Director
Auer Steel & Heating Supply Co.
865 Xenium Ln, Plymouth, MN 55441
763-450-9248
laura.tofte@auersteel.com
ANGIE WESTMAN
Advisory Member
Westman Plumbing
6205 Upton Avenue S, Richfield, MN 55423
612-701-4789
westmanplumbing@msn.com
JESSICA BARTRAM
Executive Manager
MN PHCC
5353 Wayzata Blvd, Ste 350, Minneapolis,
MN 55416
952-564-3060
jbartram@intrinxec.com
LOCAL ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
DULUTH PHCC
ROB HAGLIN, PRESIDENT
ABE Environmental Systems
Duluth, MN; 218-727-1767
TOM CONRAD, SEC./TREAS.
BendTec Inc.
Duluth, MN; 218-722-0205
tconrad@bendtec.com
METRO PHCC
JENI BLAYLOCK, PRESIDENT
Blaylock Plumbing Co.
Richfield, MN; 612-869-7531
jeni@blaylockplumbing.com
LUKE WESTMAN, SEC./TREAS.
Aitkin, MN; 612-290-4742
lukemnphcc@msn.com
IRON RANGE PHCC
BRIAN HEISEL, PRESIDENT
Heisel Brothers Inc.
Virginia, MN; 218-741-8381
brheisel@gmail.com
JOHN RODORIGO, SEC./TREAS.
Commercial Refrigeration Systems
Virginia, MN; 218-749-6810
commrefr@yahoo.com
ROCHESTER PHCC
JERRY JENSEN, PRESIDENT
HiMEC Inc.
Rochester, MN; 507-281-4000
jjensen@hmcc.com
BRUCE HABERMAN, VICE PRESIDENT
First Supply
Rochester, MN; 507-287-0202
bhaberman@1supply.com
SEAN LAMB-VOSEN, SEC./TREAS.
Ferguson
Rochester, MN; 507-292-9233
sean.lamb-vosen@ferguson.com
March 2015
|
MN PHCC Contractor
21
Market Influence. Customer Value.
7150 143rd Ave NW
Ramsey, MN 55303
W140N5086 Lilly Rd
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
www.soderholmrep.com
800.328.9858
763.427.9635
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR
ADVERTISERS
The following companies show their support for the MN
PHCC by advertising in the Contractor magazine.
Auer Steel.................................................................. IFC
Bennerotte Marketing Agency .................................... 20
CenterPoint Energy .............................................. 12 - 13
Federated Insurance ................................................... 15
FourMation Sales .......................................................... 4
Goodin Company ...................................................... IBC
Minnesota Energy Resources ..................................... 14
R.E. Michel Company .................................................... 8
Soderholm & Associates ............................................. 22
Taco ..................................................................... 18 - 19
If you are interested in advertising in the MN PHCC
Contractor, please contact:
Jessica Bartram at 952-564-3060 or info@mnphcc.org
22
MN PHCC Contractor
|
March 2015
Goodin Company
Has ALL your Water Solutions
Making sure water is there when you NEED it...
...and GONE when you don’t.
Water & Waste Water Systems for Home & Industry
D O O R WAY T O Q U A L I T Y
w w w. g o o d i n c o . c o m
Minneapolis
St. Paul
Duluth
Detroit Lakes St. Cloud
Brainerd
Sioux Falls
Fargo
Rochester
Eau Claire
Omaha
Wausau
Milwaukee
Madison
Green Bay
(612) 588-7811 (651) 489-8831 (218) 727-6670 (218) 847-9211 (320) 259-6086 (218) 828-4242 (605) 332-3444 (701) 298-3210 (507) 529-1284 (715) 830-1800 (402) 331-6813 (715) 675-2513 (262) 781-1770 (608) 663-0331 (920) 884-9494
MN PHCC CONTRACTOR
5353 Wayzata Blvd.
Suite 350
Minneapolis, MN 55416
www.mnphcc.org
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
Paid
Documation
JOIN THE NATION’S LEADING
PLUMBING
and HVAC
ORGANIZATION
T O D A Y !
Membership benefits
and application available
on pages 16 - 17.