LAS VEGAS — One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning®, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing®, and Mister Sparky® electric, part of the Direct Energy family of brands, announced at their annual convention in Las Vegas a partnership with Mike Rowe, creator and executive producer of CNN’s “Somebody’s Gotta Do It” and Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs.” The brands will work with Rowe to promote the skilled trades and they have committed to donating $100,000 in scholarships to the mikeroweWORKS Foundation.

As a part of the partnership, Rowe will appear in several television commercials, radio ads, and in printed material alongside technicians from each of the brands. Rowe will also work with the companies to highlight the benefits of careers in the HVAC, plumbing, and electrical trades.

“We are pleased to join forces with Mike and appreciate his commitment to the trades,” said Mark Baker, president of franchise for the three brands. “The men and women with careers in this field power all three of our brands. We are excited to support them and share the message of how our trusted technicians, plumbers, and electricians are like superheroes to our customers, often saving the day when they encounter a problem and helping to protect their homes and families.”

Rowe founded the mikeroweWORKS Foundation in 2008 to support the skilled trades.

“The goal of mikeroweWORKS is pretty simple — help close the skills gap by encouraging men and women to get the training they need to pursue good jobs that actually exist,” said Rowe. “One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, and Mister Sparky are perfect partners because, collectively, they offer thousands of jobs waiting to be filled. And they know first-hand what a ‘good job’ really is. I’m flattered for the chance to speak on their behalf and grateful for their generous donation to my foundation.”

For more information about this partnership, visit www.onehourheatandair.com, www.benjaminfranklinplumbing.com, and www.mistersparky.com.

For more information about Mike Rowe and the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, visit mikeroweWORKS.com.

Publication date: 4/13/2015

Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!