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In honour of Snowbirds Captain Jennifer Casey

The team at Mechanical Business would like to express our heartfelt sympathies on the loss of Captain Jennifer Casey. Captain Casey was a true ambassador for the Snowbirds. We were privileged to work with Jennifer on an interview with Major Denis Bandet. She enthusiastically encouraged and arranged the interview, and went above and beyond to canvas the crew and find links to the mechanical trades. She even personally walked the requisition paperwork over to the Commanding Officer to make the interview happen. Our thoughts are with Jennifer’s family and friends, and we thank her for her service to our country.

Next Supply helps homeless

To help people living on the streets and in encampments in Toronto, Ontario-based Next Plumbing and Hydronics Supply packed 500 survival kits with food, masks and other necessities. Conditions for those living on the streets have been made worse by COVID-19 and overcrowding in shelters, so employees volunteered their time to assemble kits, load trucks and deliver the items.

nextsupply.ca

HRAI cancels annual conference

HRAI has cancelled its 2020 annual conference, scheduled to take place in August in Victoria, B.C. Sandy MacLeod, president and CEO of HRAI, stated that while it may be legally possible to hold a meeting in Victoria in late August, its success seemed highly unlikely. “It’s hard to imagine our member delegates choosing to travel this soon, not to mention the financial pain many will be feeling for the rest of 2020,” he stated. HRAI plans to schedule AGM meetings for its various divisions in September this year.

hrai.ca

CIPHEX West show postponed

CIPH has announced that the CIPHEX West trade show, originally scheduled for Nov. 4 to 5, 2020 in Vancouver, will be postponed until 2021. The show will now take place on Nov. 3 and 4, 2021 at the Pacific Coliseum at the PNE in Vancouver, B.C. The hope is that pushing the trade show back a year will provide a healthier and safer environment for exhibitors and visitors. CIPH plans on hosting a virtual event with eBooths in November 2020. The virtual show is expected to include company and product information, as well as webinars on technical and business topics hosted by industry experts. More details will be available in the coming months.

ciphexwest.ca

CIPH hosts first digital AGM

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, CIPH turned to the web on June 16 to host its first ever virtual annual general meeting. The new chair of the organization, Gail Kaufman of Wolseley Canada, remarked that the organization usually expects about 300 attendees at its ABC and AGM, which is comparable to the 290 sites that registered for the virtual AGM. The theme for this year’s conference, which was replaced by the virtual meeting, was to be “Shift,” which seems appropriate, given the changes that many businesses have had to figure out to continue to serve their customers, said Kaufman, the 73rd chair of the institute. She, and keynote speaker Ian Heller of Distribution Strategy Group, discussed changes to product handling, with Heller paying particular focus on the need for robust digital sales fulfillment capabilities going forward. The 2021 annual business conference and AGM is scheduled for June 27 to 29 at The Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews, N.B.

ciph.com

U.S. Boiler Company offers online training

U.S. Boiler Company recently launched its new online training program, called U.S.B-U (U.S. Boiler University). Developed to provide an archive of readily accessible information to help heating professionals perform service and installations quickly, the training platform delivers educational content in video and blog format. Live online training seminars are also offered.

Navien named HVAC Manufacturer of the Year

Boiler and water heater manufacturer Navien was recently presented with the 2020 Energy Star Canada Award as Manufacturer of the Year in the HVAC segment. The awards recognize manufacturers that have demonstrated excellence in developing and promoting the most energy-efficient products available on the Canadian market. “Energy Star Canada winners are building a sustainable, energy-efficient and resilient future. By reducing pollution, lowering bills and creating jobs, Navien is helping Canada shine,” said Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, who presented the award. “This award is a true honour that we accept with deep gratitude,” commented Scott Lee, CEO of Navien. “Navigating, Energy and Environment are the three words from which our company name was created. Navien is committed to developing the highest energy efficient products through extensive investments in research and development resources.”

navieninc.com

2020 ASHRAE Handbook adds DOAS and heat recovery

The latest edition of the ASHRAE Handbook – HVAC Systems and Equipment handbook has brought in sections about dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) and heat recovery, among its list of many updates and revisions. The chapter on DOAS is entirely new and presents detailed information on this equipment, while the section about applied heat pump and heat recovery systems has new content on waste heat recovery, district applications and industrial process heat pumps. A new feature of the handbook is the annotatable PDF download.

ashrae.org

Good IAQ and ventilation improve business performance

A recent Harvard study, sponsored by Canadian design and engineering firm Stantec, claims that incorporating natural elements indoors and improving indoor air quality can reduce stress and improve creativity and key cognitive functions, boosting critical business metrics. The study, conducted through the Healthy Building Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, measured blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin conductance level while cognitive tests were administered to measure participants’ reaction time and creativity. The results suggest that biophilic interventions can help reduce stress and improve creativity.

stantec.com

Mechanicals a key to Canada’s largest zero-carbon building

Scotia Plaza’s 40 King St. W. building in Toronto is now the largest certified zerocarbon building in Canada, at more than 1.5 million square feet. The property, which has a transition plan in place to remove all carbon-intensive mechanical systems over the next 18 months, has earned a Zero Carbon Building – Performance v2 Certification from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). The project includes the installation of high-performance chillers, automated controls for thermal storage tanks to offset cooling during peak hours and an updated building automation system.

cagbc.org

IAPMO seeks Canadian representation

The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) is seeking Canadian representation on the Plumbing Standards Committee (PSC). Canadian regulators and other professionals with technical backgrounds in plumbing and mechanical systems, such as jurisdictional authorities, laboratory, and educational facility representatives, are invited to participate. Meetings are held in English and via teleconference, with occasional face-to-face meetings. Those interested in participating can contact Kyle Thompson at kyle.thompson@iapmo.org. iapmo.org

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Grundfos hits major milestone

Grundfos, which built its first pump in 1945, celebrated its 75th anniversary this past May. From the development of a single pump, the company now has some 19,280 employees Foss 1, often called The Pig, is working from offices throughout the world, including Grundfos Canada in Oakville, Ont. “We celebrate the pioneering and socially responsible spirit that has driven Grundfos Grundfos’ first pump. It was built in 1945 by company founder Poul Due Jensen. Photo: Grundfos since the beginning and continues to drive us today,” said Mads Nipper, group president and CEO, Grundfos. “We carry that mindset forward with a profound commitment to fight the imminent climate and water challenges affecting all of us.”

grundfos.com

MERX tendering site relaunches

Mediagrif Interactive Technologies Inc. recently launched an updated version of merx.com, Canada’s leading electronic tendering platform for the Canadian public sector, government agencies, Crown corporations and private construction projects. Key improvements include an updated search function, and a more intuitive user interface. merx.com

Canadian company wins PPI award

Versaprofiles of Saint-Lazare-de Bellechasse, Que., was named the Plastics Pipe Institute’s winner of the PPI Building & Construction Division Project of the Year for its Vancouver International Airport geoexchange system. The project will rely on one of the largest geoexchange systems in Canada for the terminal’s Central Utilities Building (CUB). The borefield for the CUB geoexchange system contains 841 boreholes at 500 feet each in depth, or almost 80 miles of drilled borehole using some 159 miles of 1-1/4” HDPE 4710 piping. The geoexchange system is expected to reduce CO 2 emissions from heating and cooling demands by 30 to 35 per cent.

plasticpipe.org

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16% of commercial tenants miss rent

Data revealed by real estate service firm Colliers Canada indicates that 16 per cent of Canadian commercial tenants paid no rent in May 2020 as rent collection has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the company’s latest report shows that 39 per cent of tenants who asked for rent relief in April did not make any payments for May, while 19 per cent provided partial payments. Only 42 per cent made full payments. The Rent Collection and Relief Status report resurveyed 7,100 tenants across Canada in May as a follow-up to an April survey that indicated that 21 per cent of retail, industrial and office tenants had requested rent relief amid the ongoing financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. collierscanada.com

Hughes recognized for hydronic commitment

Outgoing chair Dave Hughes was recognized with the CHC Award of Merit during the Canadian Hydronics Council’s virtual annual general meeting on June 23. In addition to serving two terms as CHC chair, Hughes is well-known for his work as an educator at NAIT, and is also a journeyman plumber, gasfitter, and steamfitter/pipefitter. He has also sat on countless trade committees and code councils over the years. During the annual meeting, Hughes discussed the CHC certification program, including working with other industry organizations across Canada that also have hydronic training programs. The CHC allows contractors to take the tests for their CHC designer or installer certifications based on training from a variety of sources. New CHC chair Jason Jackson, of Fleming College, outlined a number of the initiatives that CHC is planning to undertake during his term, including continued work on the CHC’s national certification program, additional education support for hydronics professionals, and increasing consumer awareness of hydronic systems. He also revealed that CHC is currently working on plans for its next hydronics training conference, slated for Saskatoon, Sask., in 2021. ciph.com

DIGITAL ALERT

Victaulic adds virtual education program

Victaulic is now offering free virtual courses from its Victaulic University program. The company’s 45 piping technology courses are available at no cost in two virtual formats: live, with instructorled webinars, and self-paced courses, which are available on-demand at any time. Courses are taught in English, Spanish, and German. victaulic.com

RectorSeal launches online training program

RectorSeal recently launched On-Demand Training with RectorSeal, a personalized, online training program covering HVAC/R, plumbing, chemicals and installation accessories. The 20-to-40-minute training classes are available free to individuals or groups of HVAC service technicians, and can also be used by wholesale distributors and manufacturer’s representatives. rectorseal.com

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HRAI discusses COVID and HVAC/R with Health Canada

HRAI’s vice-president of government and stakeholder relations, Martin Luymes, recently met with senior policy advisors at the office of Federal Minister of Health Patti Hajdu to discuss current evidence about HVAC systems and whether they play a role in the spread of COVID-19. The discussion included an overview of the federal government’s assessment of research being conducted into this question. Currently, HVAC systems are not considered a factor in transmission of the virus, however, the Canadian government is funding a study at the University of Alberta. hrai.ca was to take place, the McMaster student with the McMaster chapter being the

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Always a step ahead

Hamilton students place 6th at MCAA competition

Despite an abrupt end to the 2019-2020 academic school year and cancellation of the convention where MCA American’s 2020 International Student Competition chapter of the Mechanical Contractors Association Hamilton Niagara (MCAHN) managed to place 6th in the annual contest. This year’s challenge project involved a chiller and cooling tower replacement in a New York City central utilities plant. More than 30 submissions were completed, and 59 school chapters participated from across North America, or PVC

Congratulations go out to the team, which included, from left, Jeremy Bradley, Saud Ahmed, Jason Dales, Kristin Bennett, Yasmin Jad Allah and Brett Pajor.

mcahamiltonniagara.org

Ontario Tools Grant Program opens

In late May, it was announced that the Ontario Loans for Tools program will be transitioned and replaced with the Ontario Tools Grant program. This grant will provide $2.5 million in 2020-21 and $7.5 million in 2021-22 and beyond as part of an ongoing economic recovery effort to help apprentices and businesses impacted by COVID-19.

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Movers & Shakers

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Weil-McLain Canada selects new agency

Weil-McLain Canada has announced that Hydron-Aire Ltd. is now representing its product lines in the Manitoba and Thunder Bay regions. Hydron-Aire can be reached at 204-255-3360.

weil-mclain.ca hydron-aire.com

Goodman relocates Laval branch

Goodman has relocated its Laval, Que., branch, which is now operating at a new location at 965 rue Bergar, Laval, Que., H7L 4Z6. To contact the branch, email: branch288Laval@goodmanmfg.com or call 450-681-2220.

goodmanmfg.com

Duravit USA announces Sandcliff as new rep agency

Duravit USA has named Sandcliff as its new re presentative in Eastern Canada. The service-oriented agency is led by Anthony Greco, Angelo Fortini and Dave Grey, who have a combined 25 years of experience.

sandcliffsales.com

Wolseley Canada y partners with Haier

Wolseley Canada has announced a partnership with GE Appliances, a Haier company. Wo lseley now carries Haier ductless and heat pump products in Ontario and Atlantic Canada with plans to expand to Western Canada in the fall.

wolseleyinc.ca haierductless.com

Marks Supply adds pp y Ameristar in Ontariot

Marks Supply has been name d the exclusive distributor of Ameristar Heating & Cooling S ystems in Ontario. Ameristar’s product lineup includes a full range of air conditioning units, heat pumps, furnaces, ductless systems, packaged units and indoor coils .

markssupply.ca

Lajoie representingj p Masco in Quebec

Masco Canada has established a new partnership with Les Entreprises Roland Lajoie to represent all of Masco Canada’s brands in the Quebec market. Based in Saint-Leonard, Que., Lajoie has more than 40 years of experience in the construction mar ket, specializing in product specification and consulting services, and representing institutional and commercial products.

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RELIANCE WORLDWIDE

CORPORATION CANADA recently announced the addition of Martin Rego as its new Canadian director of business solutions. He reports directly to CEO David Succurro. Rego joins RWC with many years of industry, operational, sales and leadership experience.

MESTEK BOILER PRODUCTS

GROUP has promoted Ken Eggleston to director of boiler product sales, overseeing the North American market segments and territories. Eggleston has been with Mestek for over 13 years in a number of capacities in both product development and sales.

MITS AIR

CONDITIONING has appointed Peter Kinsey as the company’s hydronic product manager and project leader for its Hydronic Division. Kinsey has more than 27 years of experience in the hydronic industry and will assist contractors with their hydronic design requirements to ensure proper application and subsequent installation compliance.

NAVAC has hired Bryan Schwartz to be its western regional sales manager for Canada and the U.S. Schwartz brings more than 20 years of sales and service management experience to his new position. 1 2

SFA SANIFLO CANADA has appointed Jeremy Martin (1) as its western regional sales manager and Robert Marchio (2) as its central Canada regional sales manager. Martin brings more than 18 years of experience in the wholesale and retail channels to his new role. Also an industry veteran, Marchio has worked in the HVAC and plumbing industries for more than seven years, advancing from a project coordinator role to a general manager’s position. He will oversee the Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan markets.

1 2 3

4 5 6

BLANCO has announced that Garth Wallin (1), formerly the president of Blanco Canada, has expanded his role, becoming president and CEO of Blanco North America. The company also announced a number of additional promotions. Wendy McPherson (2) is now vice-president of sales and marketing for Canada; Edyta Drutis (3) is the director of brand and communications for North America; Tim Maicher (4) is the director/head of product management for North America; Mike DiFranco (5) has been named senior vice-president of finance and administration for North America; and Jake MacDonald (6) is quality director for North America. The CANADIAN

RENEWABLE ENERGY

ASSOCIATION has named Robert Hornung as its founding president and CEO.

FINANCEIT has appointed Andrew Lo as the company’s president. Lo joined the company in early 2020 in a consultative role and was named president in May. Financeit founder, CEO and former president, Michael Garrity will remain the company's CEO as well as the chairman of the Board of Directors.

21 3

NOBLE recently promoted Rita Woodley (1) to regional manager for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). She moves into this role from her previous position as GTA sales manager. Also promoted is Darren Ince (2), who is now regional manager for northeast Ontario. And Stan Liberty (3) has been promoted to area manager for Northern Ontario. He will be responsible for expanding Noble’s branch network for the territory currently served by branches in Barrie and Gravenhurst, and a Collingwood location set to open this fall.

WOLSELEY CANADA recently realigned its Plumbing and HVAC, AMRE Supply and Industrial businesses into two regions. With the moves, Sébastien Laforge has been promoted to vice-president, Eastern Canada, and Chris Choquette (pictured) has been promote to vicepresident, Western Canada. Laforge will oversee Eastern Plumbing and HVAC Business, including Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario, and the day-to-day operations of the industrial business in the region. Choquette will oversee the Western Plumbing and HVAC Business, AMRE and the day-to-day operations of the industrial business in the region.

Reader Profile

Robert Lisi Jr.: On a mission to serve

Growing up in and around the mechanical trade, the path to the launch of Lisi Services was almost predetermined for Robert Lisi Jr., but he’s not one to simply rely on his family’s legacy in the business. He takes his craft seriously, with a mission to deliver exceptional service and solutions for the customers that he and his team serve.

Steve Jobs once said, “When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.”

And Lisi explains that it’s no different with the mechanical services that his company provides. By being concerned about doing things the right way, not cutting corners or using shortcuts, and focusing on the customer experience, he puts his company on the inside track to customer satisfaction, and repeat business.

“Anyone can resolve an issue,” he says, “but how we make them feel makes a big difference.”

QWhat drew you to the mechanical trades, and what do you enjoy about your work?

AMy dad and uncle started Lisi Mechanical, one of the biggest multi-residential mechanical contractors in Canada, in 1979, so I grew up working in the family business before starting my own firm. Obviously, I am biased, but to me, the mechanical systems in the building are the most important to the comfort, health, and safety of the people inside of them. And every single day is different, non-routine, and brings new challenges. Plus, I’ve always liked finding

BIO solutions and resolving problems.

Name: Robert Lisi Jr. Title: Owner/General Manager Company: Lisi Services Location: Vaughan, Ont. Age: 41 Lives in: Toronto Joined industry: 1997

QWhat’s the biggest challenge running a mechanical services business?

AOperationally, I think the biggest challenge is the shortage of technicians out there – especially on the service and maintenance side.

QWhat’s your company’s guiding principle?

ABOUT LISI SERVICES

Catering to multi-residential, commercial, and industrial clients, Lisi Services has a team of 30 providing all types of planned maintenance and service, as well as emergency services, for plumbing, drainage, heating and cooling systems in the Greater Toronto Area.

AOur mission is to deliver exceptional service and solutions. The customer experience is extremely important.

QWhat advice do you offer to new people at your company?

AOur business is very dynamic, and each day will bring new challenges. You will never get bored!

FAST FACTS ABOUT ROBERT LISI JR.

1. When he’s not working, you might find him spending time with family and friends, riding his bike, playing video games or reading.

2. If there’s a sport that’s on, he’s into it, especially if it’s a football, soccer or basketball game.

3. He’s a life-long learner. “I enjoy reading and learning about everything, especially philosophy and technology,” he says.