Recently we had the honor of sponsoring the Miracle Mechanical Project in Gainesville, Georgia. Run by husband-and-wife team, Brent and Kathleen Ridley, the Miracle Mechanical Project is dedicated to uplifting families and communities by providing much-needed plumbing and HVAC repair at no cost to the recipient.
This team, along with Viega Technical Trainer Colton Henkowski and Social Media and PR Manager Rebecca Stamey, helped return access to clean, running water, by replacing all of the corroded galvanized pipes in homeowner, Sandy Thorton’s house, with new copper piping and 80 lbs of Viega ProPress fittings.
To talk more about the project and the importance of the trades, we sat down for a Q&A session with Kathleen Ridley:
Q: How did Miracle Mechanical get started?
Back in January of 2021, Brent decided he wanted to use the Tool Pros platform and the business relationships he had developed to do more than just get free tools and go on cool trips. He really wanted to use his platform for something impactful — doing what he knows best, HVAC and plumbing. We decided the best way to do so was to uplift those in need of major HVAC and/or plumbing repairs with the help of corporate sponsors… and the Miracle Mechanical Initiative was born.
Since January 2021, we have successfully completed 4 projects for needy families located all around the North Georgia area. Currently, we are scheduled to complete at least 2 more projects in 2022.
Ultimately, the goal is to continue to uplift as many families as possible and hopefully do so on a broader scale. At some point, we plan on traveling out of our area and helping others all across the country.
Q: How did this project get chosen?
We do our best to make sure the repairs needed fit the scope of the Sponsor of the project.
With Viega being a leader in press fitting technology we really wanted to select a recipient in need of plumbing repairs. That being said, like every project, I truly believe the right person gets put in our path. Ms. Sandy was referred to us by the daughter of her neighbors, citing her struggles with the 1960s galvanized pipe throughout her home.
After meeting with Sandy, it was apparent that she was who we needed to help. Her genuine humble spirit drew us in and there was no question that we would repipe her home and restore clean flowing water back into her life.
Q: Why Viega?
Partnering with Viega was an easy decision. After working with many companies affiliated with the plumbing community, it’s easy to spot those who genuinely invest and use their resources to uplift the everyday plumbing contractor.
It’s clear that Viega really cares and values giving back, which made them an easy choice when it came to [choosing] a partner for this project. Not only is Viega powered by an amazing team of people, but we also wanted to provide longevity and stability through our repairs to our project recipient — using all Viega press fittings for the repipe, we [knew] they would stand the test of time.
Q: Do you have any thoughts on training future plumbers/HVAC technicians or the trades in general?
Those of us in the trade community — and anyone that has experienced a major water leak or lack of air conditioning during the heat of a Georgia summer — may know the importance of the skilled trades, however, I believe the general public is still in the dark on the importance of the skilled trades industry.
Going forward, my hope is that by way of social media, publicized projects like Miracle Mechanical, podcasts, etc. will help shine a spotlight on the importance of the trades and help garner interest from the younger generation and change the way society views the blue-collar contractor.
As contractors, we have a responsibility to pass down as much knowledge to the next generation of tradespeople, hold ourselves to a high level of excellence with each and every job we take on, and stay up to date with new technology benefiting contractors and homeowners.
Q: How can people help support the Miracle Mechanical Project?
One of the best ways individuals can support the Miracle Mechanical project is to like, comment, and share the Miracle Mechanical project videos on their preferred social media channels. The more interactions these videos receive the more it helps to promote interest and secure other partners for future projects.
Watch the full project here:
To learn more about the Miracle Mechanical Project, click the link below:
And be sure to check out Brent and Kathleen’s accounts for more on the program.