BNP Media’s Plumbing & Mechanical Group, which includes the industry-leading business-to-business brands Plumbing & Mechanical, Supply House Times and PM Engineer, recently announced industry icon Dave Yates has joined the group’s all-star roster of columnists.

It sounds simple, but few marketing efforts begin with a clearly defined objective. What, specifically, do you want to accomplish?

Just over 10 years ago, when I graduated from college with my shiny new journalism degree in hand, never in a million years did I think I would be writing about the skilled trades — first HVAC, now plumbing.

In March, the Lovely Christy and I joined our friends from Service Roundtable in Frankfurt, Germany, for the massive ISH trade fair. With more than 2,500 exhibitors focused on sustainability, cutting-edge design trends, and technological innovations, it was a mind-expanding experience, to say the least.

At first, Eugene Bourdon was annoyed when he saw what his worker had done to the metal tube. The tube was in the shape of a spiral and it was to go into a laundry machine they were building in Bourdon’s shop.

What does getting employees to “released” mean?

The other day, my husband and I ventured over to our local hardware store to purchase a Big Green Egg grill and smoker. You see, it was a deal between the two of us: Last year, I got my bucket list Italian vacation and this year, he gets his smoker.

Plumbers, like most technical people, value their technical skills above all else. Consumers, who have little ability to discern good plumbing from poor or average work, tend to judge plumbers based on their soft skills. Ignoring the soft skills is like ignoring half of a repair. Here is a 10-point soft skills checklist for your team.

Last fall, a generous plumbing contractor in Las Vegas allowed me to park a trailer-load of four-wheelers in his backyard. It was an incredible backyard. I’ll be happy to tell you his name, but I’m about to tell you about his son.

Elegance is the name of the game with modern bathrooms. To keep up with the demands of the public, the plumbing codes and standards have changed regarding modern bathrooms. Some changes are for the good; others, well, we will have to see.