Industry

Bill Defeated That Would Have Weakened Home Sprinkler Requirement A legislative bill that riled fire sprinkler advocates for its ability to eliminate a crucial piece of life safety for Maryland residents has been defeated. Pre-filed in 2015 and sponsored by Maryland Delegate Christopher Adams, the bill would have given local …

Some people say that size doesn’t matter. They often quarrel over the significance of scale when arguing about quality. Bigger is not always better. In a sense, we engage in this argument all the time when arguing about whether sprinklers are a good idea or not. Are they good enough …

The Business of Subcontractors When it comes down to it, the primary business of subcontractors is service. Subcontractors are retained to provide services and products to prime contractors, owners or other subcontractors. In the monopsonistic (i.e., one buyer, many sellers) environment of the construction industry, companies hiring subcontractors can afford …

Success = Details + Hard Work One of most important things a sprinkler contractor must do is to learn how to “win a bid.” In the sprinkler world, you must learn how to keep feeding the beast in order to stay in business and that means you have to get …

Lee, Nelson Take Home Medals in Fire Sprinkler Competition In the first week of March, 11 fire sprinkler apprentices from all over the United States descended upon Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the 2016 National Craft Championships (NCC). Held during the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) Workforce Development Conference, the …

Balancing Ownership and Management Responsibilities Many business founders dream of the day that the next generation will join them in the business. While entry of the next generation can be a very exciting time, it also presents challenges. One of the many decisions the family must make at this point …

Take Your Organization to the Next Level Do you work in a harmonious business environment? If so, you could be mired in mediocrity or headed for extinction. While the thought of working in a “culture of conflict” sounds like a painful existence, it could be the differentiator that pushes your …

RB129-16 Defeated in Online Vote The American Fire Sprinkler Association applauds the recent vote by the International Code Council (ICC) to retain the code provision in the next edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) that all new one- and two-family homes be equipped with home fire sprinklers. An ICC …

Home Sprinklers Featured at International Builders’ Show Since the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) first staffed a booth at the International Builders’ Show (IBS) in the late 1990s, the organization transitioned from a small booth in the back of the hall with little traffic, to a large booth in the …

AFSA Announces Next Gen Initiative With SkillsUSA One of the greatest challenges our industry faces today is the sustainability of our workforce. As more and more of our experienced employees are retiring, contractors and suppliers across all regions are struggling to find quality young tradesmen, drafters, project managers, estimators, salesmen and …