Austin Keating

Mattoon

Editor @ACHRnews | Maker, sci-fi reader, kayaker + land truster | Family business | UIUC 15 + Medill 18 | Formerly @Prairie_Farmer + @NCSAatIllinois

Articles

SMART Rallies as Supreme Court Blocks Return of Deported Sheet Metal Worker

2 weeks ago | achrnews.com | Austin Keating

The Supreme Court's decision, with Chief Justice Roberts writing for a 5-4 majority, effectively overturned an earlier unanimous ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
HVAC Manufacturers Invest in Innovation: From Production to Smart Controls

2 weeks ago | achrnews.com | Austin Keating

For S&P USA Ventilation Systems, the path to better ventilation control starts at the manufacturing level. The Jacksonville, Florida-based company has recently made significant investments in state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, including new CNC punch/forming machinery and custom-designed flanging production equipment. "The more we can fabricate in-house, the less we're dependent on outside suppliers," explained Joe Delia, a manufacturing leader at S&P USA.
Q&A with ABMA's New Board Chair Nancy Simoneau

2 weeks ago | achrnews.com | Austin Keating

Please provide a little background on your career. I earned a minor in Politics from Ottawa University and a Bachelor's in Business from Hautes Études Commerciales of Montreal, and I proudly hold a CPA. My career in the boiler industry began during university when I worked with my dad—an experienced boilermaker who had started his own service company in 1984—to help pay for my studies.
Trump Rescinds Biden Executive Orders, Upending Key Federal Construction Policies

2 weeks ago | roofingcontractor.com | Austin Keating

Marking a significant shift in federal construction policy, President Donald Trump rescinded several of former President Joe Biden’s executive orders last month, reigniting a heated debate over Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and apprenticeship requirements in government-funded construction projects. The moves have drawn sharply contrasting reactions from industry groups, highlighting a deep divide in how the construction sector views labor agreements and workforce development strategies.
Trump Rescinds Biden Executive Orders, Upending Key Federal Construction Policies

2 weeks ago | brnw.ch | Austin Keating |Bryan Gottlieb

Marking a significant shift in federal construction policy, President Donald Trump rescinded several of former President Joe Biden’s executive orders last month, reigniting a heated debate over Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and apprenticeship requirements in government-funded construction projects. The moves have drawn sharply contrasting reactions from industry groups, highlighting a deep divide in how the construction sector views labor agreements and workforce development strategies.
Senate Votes to Block Trump's Emergency Powers as Producer Prices Surge

3 weeks ago | achrnews.com | Austin Keating

“It's our turn to prosper, and in so doing, use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt,” Trump said.
Senate Votes to Block Trump's Emergency Powers

3 weeks ago | achrnews.com | Austin Keating

“It's our turn to prosper, and in so doing, use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt,” Trump said.
Sheet Metal Apprentice Deported to El Salvador After 'Administrative Error’

3 weeks ago | achrnews.com | Austin Keating

SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal Workers In a stunning admission of error that has left a Maryland family in crisis, the Trump administration acknowledged on March 31 that it wrongfully deported Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a legally protected resident and father, to El Salvador. The administration made this admission in a court filing, describing it as an "administrative error," but claims it cannot facilitate his return as he is now in Salvadoran custody.
EPA Grant Cancellations Draw Contractor Criticism

3 weeks ago | achrnews.com | Austin Keating

"Our industry is now reviewing the list of the all construction projects that have knowingly been canceled or suspended despite being bid properly to first-rate, experienced contractors on their merits," Kolbe stated, highlighting the industry’s widespread concern over pausing, freezing or withdrawing funding to existing contracts and projects. The controversy has intensified during recent Senate confirmation hearings for Sean Donahue, President Trump's nominee for EPA's top legal position.
Video: The Evolution of Cryogenic Insulation

3 weeks ago | achrnews.com | Austin Keating

The differences between these materials are fundamental. Cellular glass insulation is a rigid, lightweight closed-cell material composed of millions of completely sealed glass cells, each an insulating space. Cold-service aerogel blankets, in contrast, are aerogel-filled, flexible fibrous blankets that are laminated to a vapor retarder to protect against moisture. For companies specifying insulation systems, product data sheets serve as crucial decision-making tools.