Skilled trades businesses LISTEN UP! Everybody expects you to be great at your craft or particular trade, but they (and you) shouldn’t expect you to be great at business without some help! John Addington with Clay Verse Media is our guide to understanding the importance of marketing in our digital age - from knowing your STORY and having a good Google Business profile to knowing your ideal clients and making sure your website and social media find them. John provides great insight, especially with his skilled trades background. Join us for another great story and conversation on Trades Secrets.

Talk about OJT! Keith is joined by the Work-Based Learning Coordinators from the three school systems in Jackson County, GA for a great conversation about the connections between education, work, business, and success. From Commerce High School’s Cameron Shirley and Jefferson High School’s Christy Drew, to East Jackson High School’s Holly Canup and Jackson County High School’s Greg Maxwell, you’ll learn the ins and outs of how Work-Based Learning offers amazing benefits to both students and businesses that ultimately serve to grow the community. Join us for a great conversation and afterwards, reach out to these great folks to see how your business can benefit from Work-Based Learning. Cameron Shirley: cameron.shirley@commercecityschools.org; Christy Drew: christy.drew@jeffcityschools.org; Holly Canup: holly.canup@jcss.us; Greg Maxwell: gmaxwell@jcss.us

The willingness to listen and learn carried him through working on turbine engines in the Navy to running instrumentation & control systems in power plants. For Jake Blickenstaff of UC Premier Properties, that same willingness has allowed him to learn more quickly what it takes to be successful in real estate and commercial brokerage. Join us for a journey through Jake’s professional learning and how it so easily dovetails into the mission and vision of growing the skilled trades. It’s another great episode of Trades Secrets, but this time with someone from OUTSIDE the plumbing industry!

He was never going to be a white-collar guy, but he found his way to success through the plumbing industry. From new construction to wholesale to manufacturer’s representative, Kevin Crane, from Harry Warren of Georgia, has built a successful career through hard work, relationships, and always being willing to learn. He’s also supported the industry through involvement with the PHCC and AIM/R. His story is a great reminder that a job is never just a paycheck, it can be a way to not only support your family, but also be an influence for good in your industry and in society as a whole. Join us for another great story from the skilled trades.

On this episode of Trades Secrets, Keith is joined by Taylor McElroy - AKA TechTaylor - from MasterCraft Plumbing to talk about how he got into plumbing, the drive that keeps him going, and the way plumbing has impacted his life. It’s an inspiring story of a young man finding his way in life by serving others.

Keith welcomes Doug Dyson to the studio and learns how he became a triple-threat in the plumbing industry - wholesale, manufacturing, and manufacturing sales agency. Doug shares the importance of relationships and integrity, recognizing a number of great people in the industry who helped him along the way. It’s a great conversation with a great supporter of not only Trades Education Center, but the plumbing industry as a whole.

At the halfway mark through the Spring 2025 session of Introduction to Plumbing, Keith gives an update on the current apprentices. It’s also shoutout time for our supporters! We literally could not provide the hands-on learning experience with out the tools, materials, facility, and industry experts who support us. Lastly, Keith boils down the 5 ”sides” of plumbing or the 5 major career paths in plumbing. To those outside the industry, there’s more diverse opportunities than you think. Enjoy the exciting updates and a peak inside the plumbing industry.

We are back for our first episode for 2025 and it’s POWER-PACKED! Jeremiah Outwater from Little Red Acorn and Power Evans from the Georgia Department of Economic Development join us to talk about the connections between state government and business development, as well as workforce development and raising scholarship funds for the skilled trades.

Episode 5 of Trades Secrets - Adeline Utz – Regional Account Manager for WinSupply, Inc. – joins Keith for another great conversation. Addie shares her story of using her 21st Century skills to help tradesmen take advantage of WinSupply’s ever growing capabilities to provide supplies and service in new and more efficient ways. Already into her second year as a Regional Account Manager, and as a 22-year old college graduate, she is putting the work in work ethic, leading the way as an example for other members of her generation. It’s a great conversation with fantastic role model for young people wanting to get into the skilled trades.

Episode 4 of Trades Secrets - Keith sits down with Bob Bradley - Head of Workforce Development for the Mechanical Contractors Association of Georgia. Bob brings his passion for helping young people get into ANY trade to every school visit and every skilled trades competition he attends. He wants to help young people start a career early so they can retire early and chase their passions beyond retirement. It’s a great conversation with another advocate for the skilled trades.

Episode 3 of Trades Secrets features Keith and Tim House, the Southeast Plumber Support Manager for Rheem Water Heating. Tim talks about growing up around plumbing, becoming a Master Plumber at a young age, and continuing to have the mindset of a lifelong learner. Mr. House also shares the experience of being a part of an innovation program with Rheem and being able to give back to the trades through his role as a Support Manager. It’s a great talk with a great advocate for Plumbing!

Episode 2 of Trades Secrets features Chris and his longtime business partner, AND DAD, Gregg Griffin. They walk through Gregg’s 40+ years in plumbing covering everything from oakum and lead, to getting cussed out by NASCAR royalty. @mastercraftplumbing4

The first official episode of Trades Secrets with Chris and Keith, two of the co-founders of Trades Education Center. They give some exciting September updates on the new facility, the first week of Project 8, a generous investment, supportive partners, and what’s ahead for TEC.

The Big 5 August Updates from Trades Education Center, including ”Trades Secrets” the official podcast of Trades Education Center. We also share news about our membership program - TEC Guild; the start of our Fall Project 8: Introduction to Plumbing program; our nonprofit partner The Little Red Acorn; and gaining compliance with the State of Georgia. Exciting times as we get ready to welcome our first official apprentices on September 10th! Subscribe to stay up to date!

Meet Chris and Keith, two of the co-founders of Trades Education Center and their vision for opening a trade school to address the skilled trades gap both now and in years to come.