Walls & Ceilings 'If Walls Could Talk'

In this episode, Anna Anderson from Art Unlimited engages in a conversation with Jill Bloom about optimizing the trade show experience amidst the bustling industry events nationwide. Anderson emphasizes strategic planning from an attendee's perspective, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing meetings and leveraging informal networking opportunities. Additionally, the discussion highlights safe...

In the latest episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” Jill Bloom engages in a conversation with Trent Cotney from Adams & Reese, providing a crucial update on a recent ruling that redefines the status of independent contractors. The ruling, issued this year, replaces the previous framework with a comprehensive multi-factored test. Cotney emphasizes key considerations such as the opportunity for prof...

In this episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” John Wyatt speaks with Michael Kwart, executive director of the Insulation Contractors Association of America. The association will hold its Annual Trade Show in the fall in Chicago. In this talk, Kwart outlines some exciting plans coming up with the ICAA but first previews the magazine’s annual Top 25 Insulation Contractors.

In this episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” Jill Bloom, Walls & Ceilings Group Publisher, discusses the importance of a company's website health with Anna Anderson, CEO of Art Unlimited. Anderson emphasizes the need for businesses to conduct annual audits and adhere to best practices for maintaining a strong online presence. She underscores the significance of valid and relevant content, caution...

In the latest episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” W&C Editor John Wyatt engages in a reflective conversation with Tom Harris, owner of Tom Harris PUR Consulting. Harris delves into crucial aspects such as the impact of shipping costs and global production on the insulation industry in 2023. Highlighting the resilience of the sector, he anticipates positive trends in 2024, emphasizing increased i...

Managing payments during the holiday season poses challenges for both businesses and customers, leading to delays that can impact cash flow. In a discussion between Roofing Contractor Group Publisher Jill Bloom and Thea Dudley, CEO of Pocket Protectors, strategies for handling late payments during this festive period are explored. Dudley highlights the importance of balancing empathy for clients'...

In this episode of "If Walls Could Talk," Jill Bloom and Trent Cotney from Adams & Reese discuss year-end legal matters, risk reduction, and tax considerations for contractors. As the year closes, contractors should focus on assessing business records, managing expenses, and preparing for the upcoming year's risks and challenges. Cotney emphasizes the importance of reviewing contracts, employe...

In this episode of If Walls Could Talk, Jill Bloom from W&C Group interviews Trent Cotney from Adams & Reese about installation issues and warranty concerns for contractors. Cotney delves into handling claims during installation, emphasizing addressing them through contractual obligations rather than absorbed into insurance claims, aiming for upfront payments owed to contractors. Additiona...

Trisco Construction Services, based in Ohio, clinched the prestigious title of Walls & Ceilings’ Contractor of the Year for 2023, selected by a panel comprising the magazine's publisher, editorial staff, and advisory board. Brian Walter, the COO and EVP, expressed gratitude for the honor while CEO Steve Walter highlighted the significance of being acknowledged after nearly 88 years, promising...

In this episode of If Walls Could Talk, Thomas Harris from PUR Consulting discusses the choice between the performance path and prescriptive path concerning spray foam insulation. Open cell foams allow vapor permeability, while closed cell foams act as a Class II vapor retarder, impacting the building's vapor control layer. Contractors often leverage performance path options to trade-off thermal i...

In this episode of If Walls Could Talk, Jill Bloom discusses the crucial role of leadership with Ryan Groth, CEO of the Sales Transformation Group, emphasizing the transformative impact it has on businesses. Groth highlights the significance of fostering a strong connection to purpose and the critical need for integrity and care, underscoring the enduring success of leaders committed to a selfless...

The recent episode of If Walls Could Talk delves into effective strategies for limiting the impact of wildfires, as seen in the context of the recent Hawaii fires. In conversation with Trent Cotney, partner at Adams & Reese, the discussion highlights the importance of adapting building codes, particularly emphasizing the significance of building materials in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)...

Sales can be tough, and business owners have a hard enough time running operations than to always keep up with their sales process. A lack of oversight, however, can cost a company much more than a single customer if they have a sales team going rogue, Legal Insights expert Trent Cotney in this brief episode. Listen to the full conversation with Group Publisher Jill Bloom.

In this episode, Pocket Protectors CEO Thea Dudley explains why high interest rates, inflation and other economic concerns may mean additional challenges when it comes to collecting payments. Check out her tips and the full conversation.

In this episode of "Dear Anna," Anna Anderson, CEO of Art Unlimited, highlights the significance of roofing contractors claiming their listings on Apple Maps. With a substantial user base of Apple product owners in the United States, Apple Maps serves as more than just a navigation tool, offering valuable insights into local businesses and consumer reviews. Anderson underscores the opportunities a...

In this latest episode of If Walls Could Talk, W&C Editor John Wyatt speaks with Sean Browne, Manager, Codes and Standards, at Armstrong World Industries on acoustics. Browne further discusses soundproofing and acoustics.

In the latest episode of "If Walls Could Talk," Richard Reppert, President of R.L. Reppert, discusses various industry issues, emphasizing the strong construction activity in eastern Pennsylvania and his optimism for 2024. With many retiring Boomers from the company, there's a labor deficit that they address by recruiting from vocational schools and high schools to attract the next generation of w...

What is your ideal customer? In this episode of If Walls Could Talk, Publisher Jill Bloom met with Anna Anderson, CEO of Art Unlimited, to talk about why you should know and understand your ideal customer. In order to know your customer persona, you have to take a step back and go into the data to understand everything you know about your customers. “I think that’s that mind shift that business ow...

The construction industry largely applauded the infrastructure incentives and public works earmarks backed into the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. W&C Legal Insights expert Trent Cotney continues to take a closer look at the expansive and expensive legislation and offered up an exclusive report to W&C. “When you do a deep dive into the IRA, there is a chance to really create some revenue...

In this latest episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” W&C’s Group Publisher Jill Bloom speaks with Anna Anderson, CEO/owner of Art Unlimited. For this round, Bloom speaks with Anderson regarding Women in Construction and the attributes of having a feminine workforce. How does a company know how to promote Women in Construction? “Are you capturing imagery that has diversity within it? Are you presen...

In this latest episode of If Walls Could Talk, W&C Editor John Wyatt speaks with Sean Browne, Manager, Codes and Standards, at Armstrong on acoustics. As Manager, Codes and Standards, Browne discusses how that relates to acoustics, how codes and standards change and what’s new in acoustic codes and standards. Browne outlines why do acoustical ceiling and wall solutions matter in the built envi...

In this episode of if Walls Could Talk, Jill Bloom speaks with Michael Kwart, executive director of the Insulation Contractors Association of America. The association will hold its Annual Trade Show in Dallas, September 27-30. In this talk, Kwart outlines some exciting plans coming up with the ICAA. “We’ve instituted two big changes this year: we ran a survey with our members and what we heard ove...

Getting marketing data that you know is accurate can be difficult for small businesses. We met with Jessica Rayna of Kill Your Competition to discuss how contractors and other businesses can find easily verifiable information and make sure their revenues match with marketing results. In this episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” Jill Bloom speaks with Rayna on these marketing initiatives.

You never know when a natural disaster is going to strike, but you can be prepared in case it happens. In this episode of If Walls Could Talk, Publisher Jill Bloom sat down with Steve Slepcevic, CEO of Strategic Response Partners, to discuss how you would go about putting a disaster response plan together. Slepcevic said the key to the disaster response plan is making sure your employees have ever...

More and more companies are using artificial intelligence to help run their business. In this episode of If Walls Could Talk, Publisher Jill Bloom sits down with Jessica Reyna, owner and marketing director of Kill Your Competition, to discuss how artificial intelligence, and specifically ChatGPT, are being used in the construction industry. One point Reyna makes clear is that artificial intelligen...