Contractor

5 days ago | contractormag.com | Steve Spaulding

Gierke: [Tariffs] are perhaps not the biggest risk contractors are facing, but they’ve certainly created the largest amount of uncertainty in their businesses. FMI put out a whitepaper that instructed contractors to be ready for conservatively 5% to 7% price increases this year. And I thought that was conservative at the time.

1 week ago | contractormag.com | John Mesenbrink

CASCADE, IA — When All Seasons Heating & Cooling, Dubuque, Iowa—a 75-employee sheet metal and mechanical contractor set up to do design builds or bid and spec jobs—was called to provide an HVAC solution for a newly constructed building at large agricultural farm in nearby Cascade, meeting with the facility owner and reviewing their wants and needs to determine the total design of a geothermal system was top priority.

1 week ago | contractormag.com | Steve Spaulding

Welcome again to our annual Made in America feature, where we shine a spotlight on manufacturers producing the tools, equipment and materials plumbing and heating pros need here in the USA. The big story in manufacturing since the start of 2025 has been tariffs, which come as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, high tariffs should work to make American-made products more competitive. On the other, sourcing raw materials—particularly steel and aluminum—has suddenly become more expensive.

1 week ago | contractormag.com | Matt Michel

Congratulations, you’ve just had your “entrepreneurial seizure” as Michael Gerber puts it. You’re ready to become a “businessperson.” Okay, Mr. Plumbing Entrepreneur, here are 14 recommendations for building your money machine. It’s a cliché, but attitude really does determine your altitude. How you view the world will determine how far you go and how much you will enjoy the journey. Cultivate a positive mental attitude. Approach problems as opportunities.

1 week ago | contractormag.com | Steve Spaulding

Webb has a varied background that has taken him through several different industry channels. He worked for his family’s HVAC company before it was sold off to private equity. His career then took him to OEMs Ingersoll Rand (Trane, American Standard), Michael and Son Services (the nation’s largest HVAC dealer), and Johnstone Supply Group. Webb has held leadership roles in finance and client management, working with Fidelity Investments, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and American Express.