Austin Keating
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,
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and
Covers:
Sheet metal, commodities, environmental remediation, PFAS, water quality, engineered systems, boilers, HVAC, duct cleaning, duct sealing, hydronic systems
Doesn't Cover:
Consumer food and beverage, cotton
Editor @ACHRnews | Covering MEP | Formerly @Prairie_Farmer + @NCSAatIllinois | Alamo in Mattoon owner | Avid kayaker, 1st amendment fan + sci-fi pulp reader
Articles by Austin Keating
Childcare Facilities Offer Overlooked IAQ Opportunities for HVAC Contractors
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal And HVAC Industry NewsColumns IAQ: Technicians install and deliver commercial HEPA air purifiers as part of a nationwide effort led by Medify Air and the Children's Environmental Health Network to improve indoor air quality in childcare facilities. When it comes to improving indoor air quality (IAQ) in educational buildings, much of the conversation centers on K-12 schools. But what about the facilities serving children before they ever reach kindergarten?
Trump Says Deportation Policy Was 'Too Tough.' Paris, Illinois, Already Knew.
The Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) union welcomed the broader election results. In a November 4 statement, General President Michael Coleman declared that members and working Americans were "done with business as usual," citing rising prices, wars and policies he said favored corporate interests over workers.
Statewide study targets nitrogen inhibitors’ impact on nitrate loss
URBANA, IL — Farmers in the Midwest including Illinois routinely invest in nitrogen stabilizers designed to keep more fertilizer nitrogen available to crops and reduce the risk of losses to the environment. Yet despite how widely some of these products are used, surprisingly limited field-scale evidence exists to quantify their impact on nitrate losses under Illinois conditions. A new research initiative led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign aims to change that.
New SMACNA President Scott Vidimos Wants to Unlock the Association's Potential
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal And HVAC Industry NewsSteel Reports SMACNA: Incoming SMACNA President Scott Vidimos (left) and outgoing President Todd Hill (right) during the association's annual convention in Orlando. Scott Vidimos remembers sitting at a local sheet metal contractors' association dinner years ago, surrounded by industry leaders who seemed particularly excited about one of the evening's guests.
OSHA and EPA Inspections: Show Your Work
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal Workers INSPECTION: Inspectors may ask contractors to document the procedures, training, and testing behind work performed at a customer’s facility, safety experts say. An experienced refrigeration operator may know how to drain an oil pot without consulting a procedure. When OSHA asks, Brian Chapin wants that procedure in hand. “If your people are relying on memory, it’s very unlikely you are going to be consistent,” said Chapin, manager of quality assurance at Sotera.
House Bill Would Provide Interim Payments for Federal Change Orders
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal WorkersColumns PERFORMANCE: An Air Force civil engineer discusses a construction project with a contractor at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. The Small Business Payment for Performance Act would require interim payments for certain qualifying change-order requests while final adjustments are negotiated. Federal construction changes can force sheet metal contractors to add labor, buy materials and absorb other costs months before the government settles the bill.
Damper Retrofit Leads ACI Northwest to Switch to Rossi for Its Standard Damper Hardware
White PapersSNIPS NEWS There was nothing unusual about the city hall project until a commissioning agent noticed that similar dampers had been assembled with different hardware. ACI Northwest, a Coeur d’Alene, Idaho-based contractor, had installed the same wingnut-style damper assemblies it had used on many previous jobs. The agent did not identify a failure or declare the hardware noncompliant. He simply asked the contractor to verify that all of the components were approved.
MOLD Act Would Expand HVAC Inspections in Military Housing
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal FabricationSheet Metal MachineryColumns MOLD: Jamie Lisane, a housing manager with Fort Benning’s Directorate of Public Works, examines a residential ventilation system to ensure proper maintenance and reduce the risk of mold growth. (Courtesy of SMACNA and the Fort Benning Public Affairs Office) At Naval Air Station Key West, finding mold and moisture problems did not ensure they were fixed.
Construction’s Next Generation of Leaders Is Already on the Payroll
For contractors trying to figure out who will run the company in another decade, the answer may already be somewhere inside the business. An analysis of companies on ENR’s 2026 Top 400 Contractors ranking found that 73.5% of CEOs were promoted from within their organizations. Among those internal promotions, nearly half had worked for the company for at least 21 years before reaching the CEO position. Another 22.4% had between 11 and 20 years with the company.
Alaska Mechanical Contractor Asks Judge to Strike Federal PLA Mandate
For mechanical and sheet metal contractors that pursue federal work, the case gets at a practical question: How far can the government go in dictating labor arrangements as a condition of bidding? It could eventually become a Supreme Court question, too. The Eleventh Circuit has already rejected a challenge to the PLA mandate. Slayden is seeking a different outcome in Alaska, which falls under the Ninth Circuit.
Showing Up Creates Work: SMART Locals Turn Field Organizing Into Opportunities for Members
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal Workers HITTING THE STREETS: SMART Local 85 organizers hit more than 300 Atlanta-area jobsites in three days, connecting skilled workers with union opportunities and helping signatory contractors meet growing demand. Work doesn’t always come to the union. Sometimes, the union has to go find it.
EIU Digs Deep to Modernize Its Campus Steam System
Engineered Systems NEWSHVAC Engineering TechnologyHVAC Engineering SectorsToday's BoilerHeating & BoilersEducational Facilities HVAC TEMPORARY: To the left, a worker sets a piece of steam piping in position. To the right, a welder works on pre-insulated piping for EIU’s utility infrastructure project, with temporary grade-level utility services running behind him.
A Data Center Moratorium Is Not an Economic Development Plan
I recently heard a very different conversation in Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia, where data centers are already part of the economy rather than an abstraction. At a SMACNA conference, Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., talked about the pressure data centers put on electricity and water. Then he talked about what their tax base had made possible for local governments and schools. “I’m a big fan of what data centers have done for our school systems and our local governments,” Beyer said.
What Comes After a Data Center Moratorium?
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal FabricationSheet Metal Machinery MECHANICAL: Central Illinois mechanical contractors and fabricators, including firms such as Davis-Houk Mechanical and E.L. Pruitt, could play a large role in the region’s data-center buildout.
Lana Crouse Has Watched Green Building, and Leadership, Grow Up
“I just remember thinking, ‘Wow, she’s not very dedicated since there’s still so much work to get done,’” she said. Twenty-two years can change a person’s perspective. So can starting a family and dealing with medical issues. Now, as Crouse mentors younger professionals, she offers a much different message than her younger self might have delivered. Good work, she has learned, doesn’t require people to work countless hours or ignore everything else in their lives.
University of Illinois researchers receive $1.6 million to improve fertilizer efficiency
URBANA, Ill. — Two University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers have received nearly $1.6 million from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research’s Efficient Fertilizer Consortium to study how fertilizers perform under Midwestern growing conditions. Andrew Margenot and John Jones, both faculty members in the Department of Crop Sciences and members of the Illinois Nutrient Stewardship Alliance, will lead complementary projects examining nitrogen and phosphorus management.
Monica Mack Didn’t Find Her Space in Commissioning, So She Created It
Engineered Systems NEWSCommissioning COMISSION: Monica Mack shared her insights at the Women Leading the Future of Commissioning panel at CxEnergy 2026. Monica Mack had no idea what commissioning was when she entered the profession. Her introduction came aboard Virginia-class submarines. Fresh out of school with a background in electronics engineering, Mack took a job as a Navy contractor.
New Construction Safety Organization Puts ‘Workers First’
Today's Safety NewsGovernment Safety RegulationsOccupational SafetyConstruction Industry Safety and Health Safety and Health, The Construction Safety Organization, President Raffi Elchemmas, left, and Consultant Brandon Anderson. The construction industry isn't short on safety organizations, regulations or training programs.
New Construction Safety Organization Puts ‘Workers First’
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal Workers SAFETY: Raffi Elchemmas, president of Safety and Health, and consultant Brandon Anderson are leading the launch of the new national group, which aims to advance a "Workers First" approach to construction safety. The construction industry isn't short on safety organizations, regulations or training programs.
When Wildfire Smoke Hits the Filter
Filtration efficiency, however, is only part of the picture. Boor is equally concerned with what occurs as captured material accumulates and filter resistance increases. Purdue’s long-term experiment illustrates why accelerated loading matters mechanically. Even under ordinary outdoor aerosol exposure, the MERV 8 pre-filters exhibited an approximately exponential rise in pressure drop over roughly one year.
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Copper Prices Just Fell Sharply, But Don't Call It Relief Just Yet
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal Workers COPPER COVERAGE: Copper remains a critical HVAC material, as highlighted in ACHR NEWS’ recent look inside NIBCO’s Virginia plant, and a SNIPS NEWS feature on Polar Air Supply. America's supply problem keeps appearing in the materials needed to build and equip its economy. Copper is one of the clearest examples.
How a Family’s Frustration Changed the Way Sheet Metal Shops Work
If you walk into a modern sheet metal shop and hear the snap of a damper going together in under 90 seconds, you’ve probably stumbled onto something Vahik Petrossian, Tony’s father, would have considered science fiction. For decades, damper assembly was a laborious, sometimes dangerous business, marked by jagged blades cut from leftover metal and hardware that could rattle loose after the job was done.
Megaprojects and Data Centers are Reshaping the Labor Market
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal Workers MEGA: Megaprojects are creating some of construction’s best opportunities while intensifying competition for experienced workers the industry is already struggling to replace. It used to be that a $1 billion construction project was considered massive. Not anymore. Data center campuses costing many billions of dollars are becoming increasingly common, bringing enormous demand for skilled construction labor into the markets where they are built.
Prefab Doesn’t Just Move Field Work into the Shop
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal FabricationSheet Metal MachineryShop LayoutColumns FROM LEFT: Jake Olsen, CEO of Stratus, with Mike Stedman, Fitting Superintendent, Pat Klein, Pipe Shop General Foreman, and other Hermanson leaders cut a ribbon during a tour of the new Kent fabrication facility. For Hermanson Company, the need for more pipe fabrication capacity wasn't simply a matter of running out of room.
The Innovation That Built Cleats Manufacturing
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal WorkersColumns SHOP FLOOR: Welding, fabrication and hands-on skill remain at the heart of Cleats Manufacturing even as the company has invested in automation and modern equipment. There comes a point when you can walk away. You can sell the company, take the money and sit on a beach somewhere. After decades of early mornings, payrolls, equipment purchases and customer emergencies, nobody would blame you. Steve Passannante could have done that.
The Filter You Install Isn’t the Filter You Replace
Engineered Systems NEWSVentilation and IAQ UNI: Purdue University researcher Brandon Boor stands in front of the university's long-term filter-aging test rig, where parallel full-scale ventilation ducts continuously expose HVAC filters to real outdoor air to measure how filtration efficiency and pressure drop change over months and years of service. Open any air handler and remove a filter, and you will see a date and a rating.
ABMA Names Shaunica Jayson Interim President & CEO
“Leadership transitions are part of the life of every organization. While change can bring uncertainty, it also reminds us of the strength of what has been built and of our ability to move forward together,” said Nancy Simoneau, chair of the ABMA Board of Directors. Simoneau said ABMA’s priority throughout the transition will remain serving its members and advancing the boiler industry.
Supporting Healthcare Outcomes with Smarter Sheet Metal HVAC Solutions
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal WorkersColumns INSULATION: Ryne Sullivan, national sales manager at Kingspan Insulation North America, discusses the latest advances in duct system technology. Healthcare facilities present some of the toughest challenges for HVAC professionals – especially those working in sheet metal. The stakes are high: air quality, infection control, patient comfort, and operational reliability are all on the line, often at the same time.
How HVACR’s First Computer Revolution Foreshadowed the Age of AI
NewsServices | Apps | SoftwareThe ACHR NEWS Centennial AnniversaryBusiness ServicesApps & Software COMPUTERS: By the mid-1980s, computers were moving into nearly every corner of the HVACR contractor’s business. The ACHR NEWS documented contractors using them for bookkeeping, service histories, technician performance, load calculations, sales, inventory, and other management tasks.
U.S.-Canada Trade War Escalates as 50% Tariffs Take Effect
That negotiating window slammed shut last weekend. Negotiations collapsed Friday night. The new 50 percent U.S. tariffs, covering nearly $20 billion in Canadian imports (about 5 percent of Canada’s exports to the U.S.), took effect Saturday. The Section 338 tariffs are separate from existing Section 232 duties on steel, aluminum and copper, which are expressly excluded from the additional duties.
U.S.-Canada Trade War Escalates as 50% Tariffs Take Effect
That negotiating window slammed shut last weekend. Negotiations collapsed Friday night. The new 50 percent U.S. tariffs, covering nearly $20 billion in Canadian imports (about 5 percent of Canada’s exports to the U.S.), took effect Saturday. The Section 338 tariffs are separate from existing Section 232 duties on steel, aluminum and copper, which are expressly excluded from the additional duties.
Bel-Aire Mechanical Wins 2026 SMACNA Safety Innovator of the Year for Groundbreaking AI Approach
Bel-Aire’s award-winning innovation centers on how they approach pre-task planning. Traditionally, these safety check-ins have been treated as a formality – a box to tick before work begins. Bel-Aire, however, saw an opportunity. By deploying the SmartTagIt app, powered by artificial intelligence and natural language processing, the company transformed routine paperwork into living, breathing conversations.
Smardt AIR Brings Chiller Logic to Airside Autonomy
But for Agopian, the real story is how Smardt AIR is trying to change engineering culture. “Anybody can buy an efficient motor, anybody can buy an efficient fan, anybody can buy [an] efficient energy wheel and put it in a metal box,” Agopian said. The difference, he argued, comes when those components are treated as parts of a single system – designed to work together, not just coexist.
The 1980s: The Decade That Changed HVACR Forever
NewsVentilationCommercial ControlsThe ACHR NEWS Centennial AnniversaryDuct Products ARCHIVE: Long before CAD and automation became standard, ACHR NEWS reported on how contractors were beginning to use computers for estimating, recordkeeping, and business management. If someone asked when modern HVACR truly began, many would probably point to today's era of artificial intelligence, connected equipment, and electrification.
Why Simplicity in Boilers Starts with Smarter Circulators
While manufacturers focus on smarter controls and easier installs, hydronic veterans know that the circulator – the pump that moves water through the system – remains a critical factor in whether a high-tech boiler actually delivers on its promises. John Barba, Director of Sales Training at Taco, Inc., has seen firsthand how even the best equipment can be undermined by overlooked basics. “Modern boilers are fantastic at efficiently generating BTUs at the proper water temperature,” Barba said.
7 Numbers That Show How Inflation is Squeezing Sheet Metal Contractors
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal FabricationSheet Metal Machinery CONSTRUCTION METAL INFLATION: Surging metal costs are once again outpacing broader construction inflation, with aluminum mill shapes up 40.5%, steel mill products up 22.5%, and copper and brass mill shapes up 18.4% year over year, putting renewed pressure on contractor margins and project pricing.
SMART, Labor Allies Back U.S. Manufacturing Investment Plan
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal WorkersColumns BUILD AMERICA FUND ACT: Backed by SMART and other major labor organizations, the proposed Build America Fund Act would create a federal investment fund to strengthen U.S. manufacturing. A new federal proposal could reshape the supply chain for American contractors. If passed, the Build America Fund Act would inject federal investment directly into U.S. manufacturing, aiming to strengthen domestic capacity and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. Rep.
The 2026 North American Copper in Architecture Awards: Honoring Sheet Metal Craftsmanship at Its Peak
SNIPS NEWSArchitectural Sheet MetalMetal RoofingColumns COPPER: 2026 NACIA-winning copper projects showcase exceptional sheet metal craftsmanship, from innovative new construction to meticulous restoration of historic landmarks across North America. For sheet metal contractors, the North American Copper in Architecture Awards (NACIA) are more than just recognition – they’re proof that craftsmanship, precision, and pride in one’s work still matter in the built environment.
The Hidden Energy Drain Lurking in QSR Kitchens
Engineered Systems NEWSHVAC Design/Construction ProcessHVAC Retrofits Vishal Patel thinks a lot about the invisible costs that sneak into a restaurant’s bottom line. As the senior manager of energy engineering at Butterfly Equity, a private equity firm investing in food and energy efficiency, Patel is focused on a growing problem almost nobody in the industry is talking about: airflow imbalance in commercial kitchens, especially in quick-service restaurants (QSRs).
ASHRAE Separates Energy and Carbon Rules in Standard 90.1 Overhaul
For engineers on the ground, the news is more than a technicality. “ASHRAE’s decision to preserve Standard 90.1 as the industry’s energy efficiency foundation while creating a separate, dedicated framework for operational carbon reduction is exactly the kind of structural clarity our industry needs,” said Tarang Patel, CPHC, lead mechanical engineer at TRV Mechanical Contractors in New Jersey and New York.
New Seismic Retrofit Standard Promises Safer, More Valuable Homes
ICC’s Senior Vice President of Technical Services, Dr. Russ Manning, said the move “reinforces our commitment to resilient, science-based building practices.” He added that the new standard gives communities, policymakers, and homeowners a practical tool to assess earthquake risk and protect both their safety and the long-term value of their homes.
After Wildfire Smoke Event, Lawmakers Renew Push to Improve Air Quality in Federal Buildings
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal FabricationSheet Metal Machinery BIPARTISAN: A new bipartisan bill, the Airborne Act, aims to reward commercial building owners with tax breaks for upgrading indoor air quality. Plus, read about proposed legislation on federal building IAQ. Washington's recent brush with hazardous wildfire smoke is giving new momentum to a growing bipartisan effort to improve indoor air quality in schools, workplaces, and federal facilities.
As Temporary Tariffs Expire, the Administration Unveils a New Trade Playbook
SNIPS NEWSArchitectural Sheet MetalSteel ReportsColumns ELEVATED: With construction material costs already elevated, contractors and manufacturers may need to prepare for continued pricing and supply chain pressures through 2027. The Trump administration's latest trade actions against Brazil and Canada suggest that tariffs are not fading, even after the Supreme Court's decision earlier this year to strike down many of the president's emergency-duty authorities.
Construction Groups Push Targeted Priorities Amid Gridlock
SMACNA recently urged the Senate to confirm Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, calling him “highly professional, cooperative, experienced, and trustworthy” and crediting him with expanding registered apprenticeship programs and fairly enforcing workplace standards. The association stressed that Sonderling’s clear regulatory approach and commitment to compliance assistance have earned “widespread support” from contractors across the industry.
Construction Groups Push Targeted Priorities Amid Gridlock
SMACNA recently urged the Senate to confirm Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, calling him “highly professional, cooperative, experienced, and trustworthy” and crediting him with expanding registered apprenticeship programs and fairly enforcing workplace standards. The association stressed that Sonderling’s clear regulatory approach and commitment to compliance assistance have earned “widespread support” from contractors across the industry.
Metalcon to Put the Spotlight on the Challenges, Opportunities for Contractors
As sheet metal contractors face growing pressure from labor shortages, changing building codes, tighter project schedules and increasing demands for energy-efficient buildings, METALCON 2026 will provide a place to find solutions, sharpen skills and connect with the organizations shaping the future of the industry. Celebrating its 35th anniversary, METALCON will take place October 7-9, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
Commerce Moves Toward Broader Copper Tariffs as Trade Deficit Jumps
SNIPS NEWSSheet Metal And HVAC Industry NewsSteel ReportsColumns COPPER: As the Commerce Department weighs expanding Section 232 copper tariffs, federal data shows the U.S. trade deficit surged 42.2% in May. The Commerce Department is laying the groundwork for expanding President Donald Trump’s Section 232 copper tariffs to cover a wider array of downstream products, according to the administration’s 2026 regulatory agenda.
USMCA’s Future in Doubt as U.S. Declines to Renew Pact
SNIPS NEWSArchitectural Sheet MetalSteel ReportsColumns ANNUAL: The U.S. decision not to renew the USMCA in its current form has triggered annual trade reviews. In a move jolting manufacturers and unions alike, the United States has declined to renew the USMCA trade agreement “in its current form” after the deal’s first mandatory review, setting the stage for annual, high-stakes negotiations.
How Tosi’s Sakari Suhonen is Rewriting the Rules of Building Automation Security
Engineered Systems NEWSHVAC Design/Construction ProcessHigh-Performance Buildings & Automation PORTFOLIO: Sakari Suhonen, CEO of Tosi, says “scale multiplies risk.” For today’s property managers, the real threat is what you don’t see spreading across your whole portfolio. Sakari Suhonen, CEO of Tosi United States, has a habit of spotting the cracks most people miss.
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