The IAPMO Group announced April 12 it has acquired the North American rights to the Green Plumbers USA Training and Accreditation Program from Onni Inc., and the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Contractors Association of Australia.

Green Plumbers USA is a national training and accreditation program that assists plumbers in understanding their role in the environment and public health. The organization’s goal is to train thousands of plumbers to promote the benefits of water conservation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by changing consumer and plumbing behavior through the use of energy efficiency and water-saving technologies.

The United Association of Plumbers & Pipefitters partners with Green Plumbers in a common effort to provide the highest possible quality of green plumbing certifications in the country.

Green Plumbers USA CEO Steve Lehtonen joins IAPMO as senior director of environmental education and will continue to promote and develop the Green Plumbers program in North America.

“My goal when we brought the Green Plumbers program over from Australia in 2007 was to enhance the image of the plumber, recruit new workers to the plumbing industry and educate plumbers to be champions of conservation,” Lehtonen said. “This acquisition will continue the core mission of the program while also allowing the Green Plumbers training program to expand operations, improve quality and assure that our environmental goals are consistent with effective codes, health and safety.”

In addition to Lehtonen, Green Plumbers Senior Instructor Doug Kirk has joined IAPMO as director of green plumbing curriculum.

Green Invest, the Australian trademark owner, has developed an international business model into which the existing Green Plumbers USA commercial operations will be merged, but will continue to operate as Green Plumbers USA.

Current Green Plumbers’ training operations will continue, and emphasis will be placed upon more classes, in more states and expanded online applications. The new operation will be branded as “Green Plumbers Training and Accreditation.”

IAPMO is uniquely positioned via its international presence to offer Green Plumbers training and personnel certification from its various offices throughout the world. The Green Plumbers program will benefit from The IAPMO Group’s acquisition through expected access to numerous markets outside North America and Australia/New Zealand.