Career Question

Jake_Brown__

Hey, folks,

I am currently working for a union contractor. I had worked for Trane for several years, but really wanted to dive into boilers. I joined this new company and am learning so much. I am quickly becoming one of the top guys, but I really want to grow. I work on plenty of hydronics, but fell in love with the idea of working with steam ever since reading the lost art of steam heating when I was doing residential 7 years ago. I dabble in it now. I feel like 90 percent of my calls are easy, burner related issues. I love the idea of being a manufacturers rep and going out to trouble calls and diagnosing actual steam issues. I've done a lot of training outside of work with Wares online videos, Armstrong, and Spirax Sarco. Do such positions exist? I live in central Indiana. Would I need to move? Who are the best ones to look at?

pecmsg

All the manufactures have contact information on their web sites. Contact them.

ethicalpaul

I can just tell you anecdotally that there is a ton of steam in NY, NJ and surrounding states and there's an extreme shortage of contractors who know anything about it. This led me to start doing free education and consulting in the NJ area just because I like steam too and I want homeowners to be informed (see my link below).

If I were in your shoes, I would contact the major steam boiler manufacturers: Peerless, Weil-McLain, and Utica. They have several other brands that they sell, but those would be where I would start. I would assume that moving to the mid-atlantic area would be beneficial, but see if those companies are looking for anyone.

I have seen @JohnNY outright beg for new employee referrals so you could also look at tech roles in the area.

If you want to eventually start a steam contracting business in the very well-to-do Westchester County of NY State, we are constantly hearing of an even more severe shortage of steam talent there, and they have $$$.

As a born and raised ex-Michigander I will say with some prejudice, yes, move the hell out of Indiana at the first opportunity.

delcrossv

Chicago is primarily heated by steam. Could look there too.

@The Steam Whisperer is located here.

EBEBRATT-Ed

There are certain areas of the country that just can't get a steam contractor. Upstate NY is like the wild west. Michigan is another area with few contractors.

We also see posts from the south Virgiania, the Carolinas where steam contractor do not exist because there is not much steam there, but the customers are desperate. We get people looking for contractors all the time.

maybe do some consulting if you don't mind traveling. If you could find a good plumber or pipefitter in some of these areas you could teach them what to do

hot_rod

Blackmore and Glunt us a rep firm in Kansas City, St Louis and Cincinnati that do a lot of steam. Give them a try

I visited a stream training center downtown St Louis years ago, I’ll find the name

Steamfitters Local 449 in PA has a great training facility

IMG_8990.png