MOKENA, IL – The Radiant Professionals Alliance (RPA) selected five exceptional young individuals, each under 30 years old, to be honored as recipients of its “Rising Radiant Professionals — the Hydronics Industry’s Future Leaders” award certificates at the RPA’s annual Membership Meeting in Orlando, Fla.
The RPA is proud to recognize the these individuals for compiling an impressive body of work in the field of radiant and hydronics at such a young age. The inaugural Rising Radiant Professionals are:
Tyler Arndt, apprentice, Arndt and Son Plumbing
Tyler Arndt is a 22 year old apprentice, living in Brooklyn, WI and working for his father’s plumbing company, Arndt and Son Plumbing. Arndt and Son specializes in residential and light commercial new construction, remodeling, service, and repair.
In 2011 Tyler Arndt received the Goulds Pump ITT Corporation for GPDA Scholarship. In 2012 he received the Wisconsin Water Well Association Scholarship and the Rigid Tools Scholarship. In 2013 he received the PHCC and Delta Faucet Company Plumbing Apprentice of the Year Award and the AO Smith Water Contractor Scholarship. In 2014 he won the PHCC Plumbing Apprentice Competition in New Orleans.
“Sometimes it’s hard to tell who loves the system more, me or the homeowner," Arndt days. "With each hydronic project we do we are always incorporating the newest and latest controls and products.”
Max Rohr, manufacturer representative, Shamrock Sales
Max Rohr has an excellent hydronic lineage in that his father is Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr of Caleffi fame, and his mother is Ellen Rohr, of Bare Bones Business. He has been the chairman of the Radiant Professionals Alliance Education Committee for the last 2-1/2 years. Mark Eatherton intentionally recruited him, knowing that he would bring a needed young person’s perspective to the RPA's educational and recruitment strategies.
Max Rohr has been helping with his family's business since he was old enough to get behind the wheel of a car. He spent over a year at the Caleffi factory in Italy, moving through all departments (he speaks fluent Italian).
He returned to the US and worked at Able Distributing in Chicago as training director where he eventually acquired a LEED Building Performance certification. Moving to Colorado, Rohr now works as a representative for Shamrock Sales based out of Silverthorne and Denver.
Max Rohr is a monthly Columnist for PHC News, where he writes on Energy Conservation topics, as well as other hydronic related articles.
Grant Schutte, System Installer, Advanced Hydronics, Inc.
Prior to joining Advanced Hydronics, Inc. Grant Schutte was employed at Debin Mechanical and Legacy Mechanical as a plumbing apprentice. In 2012 he went to work for Blue Sky Plumbing and Heating where he worked hard to familiarize himself with all aspects of residential and commercial hydronic heating systems including boiler installations and replacements. This experience provided a stepping stone for him to develop his skills.
Grant joined the Advanced Hydronics team in early 2014 and made an immediate impact with his work ethic and knowledge of construction practices He has made his continuing education a priority, enrolling in multiple HVAC classes at Red Rocks Community College.
Projects he has been involved with include high efficiency boiler installations and replacements, solar thermal, ground source heat pumps, snow melt, panel radiators, radiant floors and distribution piping.
Aaron Stotko, associate product manager, Heating and Cooling, at Uponor
Stotko has been interested in heating and cooling systems since his days at the University of Minnesota-Duluth working towards his BS in Mechanical Engineering. He took 3rd place in the ASME Student Design Competiton.
In 2009 Stotko became an HVAC designer for Jamar Mechanical. In 2010 he interned at Uponor and gradually rose through the ranks, first as a product specialist and then as an associate product manager. In his time with the company he has presented in an entire series of webinars, and joined the company's Hydronic Piping Media Tour in December or 2014. Also in 2014 he joined the RPA's Technical Committee. And in 2015 he appeared in AHR's Hydronics Overview Video with none other than industry legend Dan Holohan.
Stotko has written articles on hydronics for both Plumbing Engineer and District Energy.
Daniel Vastyan, account manager and writer, Common Ground
Dan Vastyan took his first “Radiant in the Rockies” trip with his father John Vastyan and a team from Uponor in 2000. Prior to graduating Pennsylvania State University in 2009 with a BS degree he joined Common Ground, a marketing communications and business-to-business PR firm.
Dan Vastyan's role with the company grew quickly. He has been full-time with the company since Jan. 2010 and now writes about mechanical systems large and small. He interacts daily with clients and a growing circle of journalists. He also donates his time and talents to the RPA's Membership Committee.
Vastyan is currently heading up a video selfie program to show those who haven’t yet joined the RPA why they should become members of the growing community of hydronic heating and cooling experts.
The future is in good hands
“We feel it is important to step back and take a look at the foundation blocks of our industry and our organization,” said RPA Executive Director Mark Eatherton. “When I see folks like these young people that are going to be taking over the reins of our industry, it gives me a feeling of great pride and assurance that our future is in good hands.
“Thank you to all who submitted such worthy nominees and, most importantly, thank you to the recipients for their contributions to our industry and society in general.”
For more information on the RPA’s annual Membership Meeting, contact Mark Eatherton at [email protected] or 877/427-6601.