Roger Lighthart named world’s oldest plumber by Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records officially recognized Roger Lighthart, aged 95, as the oldest plumber in the world, a title that honors a career spanning over 75 years of service to the plumbing and mechanical industry. The record was officially verified in March after a rigorous review of Lighthart’s birth records, current trade licensure and proof of active employment at The Lighthart Corporation. Born in 1931, Roger began his apprenticeship in the Army Corps of Engineers during the 1950s, following years working with his father in the trades.
“Roger never set out to break a record; he just never found a good reason to stop working,” says his wife, Jackie. “He enjoys challenges and problem-solving. He has seen the industry change over the years, the materials, tools and technologies, but at the end of the day, as Roger says, water still runs downhill.”
Lighthart continues to work seven days a week, specializing in plumbing and mechanical solutions for commercial and industrial companies. His secret to longevity? “Never stop moving.”
SJE welcomes Laura Kerlagon as national sales manager, North America
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota-based SJE announced that Laura Kerlagon has joined the company to serve as its national sales manager — North America (United States and Canada) for the control and level sensing technology division. She brings over 13 years of commercial and distribution channel sales experience at Bigwall Enterprises, Electrolux, General Insulation and Whirlpool. Her most recent experience as key account sales manager at Whirlpool connected her with the plumbing industry, where she worked with a variety of customers, including retailers, distributors and designers. In her role, she helped identify new business opportunities, developed actionable plans for success, and mentored new sales talent.
BRAWOLINER lining system passes infiltration test in the UK
In an extensive test setup conducted by the Water Research Center in Swindon, England, the BRAWOLINER system passed the CP655 test in classifications 1 and 2 with flying colors. In an extreme test simulating high groundwater pressure, the cured liner proved completely leakproof against external water pressure. Even flowing water during installation had no negative effect on insertion, curing, or the water resistance of the cured liner. The external water pressure of 0.5 bar was maintained for 30 minutes and during this period, no infiltration occurred. The liner–resin matrix was also completely leakproof.
PHCC welcomes Zoeller Pump as new corporate partner
The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association announced Zoeller Pump Company as its newest corporate partner, strengthening a shared commitment to supporting professional contractors and advancing the plumbing and HVAC industry. As a manufacturer of sump, effluent, sewage, grinder and battery backup pumps, and related solutions for residential and commercial applications, Zoeller Pump Company brings decades of industry expertise, innovation, and contractor-focused service to the PHCC community.
Charlotte Pipe and Foundry updating corporate structure
Charlotte Pipe and Foundry is updating its corporate structure as it aligns several brands within its expanding business portfolio. As part of the change, Neenah Foundry — acquired by Charlotte Pipe in 2022 — will transition from operating as a wholly owned subsidiary to serving as a featured product-line brand within the company’s newly established infrastructure division, alongside U.S. Foundry and Bingham and Taylor. Under the updated structure, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry will serve as the primary enterprise over three commercial divisions: plumbing, irrigation and infrastructure. Neenah Foundry plants in Neenah, Wisconsin, and Medley, Florida, will continue to operate as they do today. There are no facility or workforce announcements associated with this realignment.
Rinnai America adds Joseph Gresham as vice president of innovation
Rinnai America announced the appointment of Joseph Gresham as vice president of innovation and a new member of the company’s executive leadership team. In this role, Gresham will lead Rinnai’s innovation organization, providing strategic direction for innovation, product strategy and technology advancement across North America. He has held leadership roles at Middleby Corporation, Elkay, Whirlpool and Ingersoll Rand (now Trane Technologies), where he consistently delivered innovation, strengthened product strategies, improved quality and built high‑performing global teams that helped drive growth and improve competitive position.
Jeff Burwell joins mSupply as vice president of merchandising
mSupply added Jeff Burwell as its first vice president of merchandising. His position is a newly created role designed to unify category strategy, channel execution and digital merchandising performance across the enterprise. Burwell is responsible for building mSupply’s merchandising function, as well as recruiting and developing talent, while establishing a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. Burwell brings more than a decade of experience leading merchandising, category strategy and ecommerce for large scale, complex organizations. Most recently, he served as vice president of operations and merchandising at Supply Chimp, where he directed cross-functional teams and owned vendor negotiations, pricing strategy, assortment planning and service-level performance.
