In Brief

J. F. Ahern Co. recently achieved the coveted goal of one million man hours worked without a lost-time injury. The company has over 1,000 employees working in field, shop, and office positions across the Midwest. Ahern is rewarding its team's hard work by raffling off over $6,000 in Visa gift cards to eligible employees.

EMCOR Group has announced that its subsidiary, Shambaugh & Son, has completed work as the design/build fire protection contractor for the SYSCO Food Service new prototype “Next Generation” award winning facility in Knoxville, Tenn. Shambaugh & Son was responsible for the design and installation of seven double interlocked pre-action sprinkler systems with linear heat detection for the freezer/cooler areas of the 353,000- sq. ft. facility.

Clockwork Home Services has announced that Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is ranked among the nation's top 500 franchises for 2009, according to Entrepreneur's 30th annual Franchise 500 list. Benjamin Franklin ranked #140 on the list, which is published in the January 2009 issue. Entrepreneur compiles its list based on such factors as financial strength, stability, growth rate and size of the franchise system.

General Pipe Cleaners is offering a $20 rebate on its Power-Vee hand-held drain cleaner with automatic feed. Simply send the original rebate ad (appearing in selected trade magazines) with your sales receipt and warranty card to General. The Power-Vee must be purchased between Jan. 1, 2009 and March 31, 2009. Offer expires March 31, 2009. For details visit www.drainbrain.com.

Harris Companies, mechanical contractors, based in St. Paul, Minn., has announced that their 25th employee has received the designation of LEED Accredited Professional. This marks the achievement of Harris' 2008 goal of having 25 employees with the designation of LEED AP by the end of the year. Harris currently has more LEED APs than any mechanical contractor in the Twin Cities.

ECR International, a manufacturer of heating and cooling products, has announced plans to consolidate production. The company plans to shift production from its plants in Rome, N.Y., and Wallaceburg, Ontario, to factories in Utica and Dunkirk, N.Y., resulting in the loss of approximately 100 manufacturing jobs. ECR will maintain positions in Canadian. stribution