Members of BNP Media’s Plumbing Group were in attendance at the recent Xylem press event held at the company’s Bell & Gossett Little Red Schoolhouse in Morton Grove, Ill.
Media members were given an overview of the company, which employs 12,900 individuals in 150 countries. Xylem’s Applied Water Systems branch employs 4,600 people and generated $1.4 billion in sales in 2012. Xylem’s AWS division’s core focus is on industrial water and building-service management with 61% of that business coming from the Americas.
In addition to giving press members a sneak peak at a variety of different products that will be released in early 2014 (make sure to stop by the Xylem booth at the AHR Expo in New York in January), Xylem officials discussed a number of different subjects, including the expansive educational offerings the Little Red Schoolhouse has to offer.
Established in 1954, the Little Red Schoolhouse provides training to engineers, facility leaders, contractors, plumbers and wholesalers, along with Xylem employees and channel partners. Key focuses are on design, application, service and maintenance. The Little Red Schoolhouse program has educated more than 60,000 students and provides LEED AP credits and CEUs while evolving content to match market needs.
New features at the Little Red Schoolhouse
Xylem Vice President of Product Regulatory Affairs and Director of HVAC & Commercial Buildings Business Unit Mark Handzel talked about a number of new features at the Little Red Schoolhouse, including updated training and education manuals, updated working demonstrations emphasizing energy-efficient products and the establishment of a new plumbing design and application school.
“We’re proud to be offering a new course on plumbing system design in commercial buildings,” Handzel said in a video interview with Supply House Times. “We’ve been teaching content on the subject for many years. We’ve created a three-day course and have a full class of 45 students. We’re thrilled to be offering this for the first time.”
Additionally, the Little Red Schoolhouse, now has a new sister facility in Nanjing, China.
Handzel also talked about Xylem and its work with the Department of Energy regarding forthcoming regulation of pump efficiency.
“The DOE started an initiative a couple years ago to regulate pump efficiency,” he said. “Through the Hydraulic Institute, Xylem is actively involved in working with the DOE to introduce legislation that will mandate energy efficiency in pump products. We’re working to educate the DOE and its consultants to make sure the standards that are adapted will be best for the American public and for manufacturers and their customers who use pump products.”
Stay tuned to our Video Section, for the full video with Supply House Times Editor Mike Miazga and Mark Handzel at the event.
