Recognized for its rich history and awe-inspiring architecture, Albany, New York constitutes a sparkling marriage of the past and the future. At the heart of this vibrant city lives the passion and vision of one woman: Kathy Sheehan,
the city's dynamo mayor and advocate. A true Albany loyalist, Kathy loves the soul of this city which thrives on evolution and change.
Our beloved Albany isn't merely respected for its deep roots - it's a city that embraces evolution. It enthusiastically hustles forward, taking on every dawn with fortified spirit and growth. Our majestic city wears its history like a badge of honor, yet is always teeming with anticipation for the
Mayor Kathy Sheehan's Love Letter to Albany,
Hello Albany, New York • Spring Issue |5
tomorrow.
The diversity idyllically paints the city's canvas with an expansive palette of cultures, stories, and perspectives that brings out the city's vibrant personality. This backdrop accounts for its eclectic architecture and adds layer upon layer of rich texture and fascinating complexity to its social fabric. Mayor Sheehan cherishes this diversity, volumizing it as a vital source of Albany’s progressive dynamism
and harmonious existence.
Kathy talks about the kinetic energy encompassing the city, an energy driven by an all-inclusive community that melds a multitude of unique narratives. The melting pot of histories, backgrounds, and futures forms a radiant city that cannot be labeled monochrome.
It is no secret that Mayor Kathy Sheehan deeply loves her city. She lauds Albany for its...
Mayor Kathy Sheehan's Love Letter to Albany,
Mayor Kathy Sheehan's Love Letter to Albany, New York
Recognized for its rich history and awe-inspiring architecture, Albany, New York constitutes a sparkling marriage of the past and the future. At the heart of this vibrant city lives the passion and vision of one woman: Kathy Sheehan, the city's dynamo mayor and advocate. A true Albany loyalist, Kathy loves the soul of this city which thrives on evolution and change.
Our beloved Albany isn't merely respected for its deep roots - it's a city that embraces evolution. It enthusiastically hustles forward, taking on every dawn with fortified spirit and growth. Our majestic city wears its history like a badge of honor, yet is always teeming with anticipation for the tomorrow.
The diversity idyllically paints the city's canvas with an expansive palette of cultures, stories, and perspectives that brings out the city's vibrant personality. This backdrop accounts for its eclectic architecture and adds layer upon layer of rich texture and fascinating complexity to its social fabric. Mayor Sheehan cherishes this diversity, volumizing it as a vital source of Albany’s progressive dynamism and harmonious existence.
Kathy talks about the kinetic energy encompassing the city, an energy driven by an all-inclusive community that melds a multitude of unique narratives. The melting pot of histories, backgrounds, and futures forms a radiant city that cannot be labeled monochrome.
It is no secret that Mayor Kathy Sheehan deeply loves her city. She lauds Albany for its constant evolution, its living history, its outstanding architecture, and the vibrant diversity of its community. This video uniquely captures her passion and dedication.
Her fondness for the city certainly contributes to the passion she shows in her duties. So, while you’re virtually touring the aesthetically pleasing and historically rich Albany, remember that behind its running is a dedicated leader with an unquenchable love for her city. Explore Albany through Mayor Kathy's eyes and learn what makes this city truly unique and ever-evolving.
Through her leadership, Albany continues to be a city that rewrites its story with each passing moment, building a legacy steeped in tradition but bound by its desire for evolution, understanding, and diversity.
Mayor Kathy Sheehan is indeed the tangible symbol of the positive progression of Albany, a city ready to embrace change while honoring its past. Join us as we celebrate Albany's unique charm and the determined spirit embodied by Mayor Kathy Sheehan.
FEATURED STORY
What is Directional Drilling and How Is It Used in Albany
by David Allegretta
Directional drilling is a trenchless method used to install underground utilities without digging large trenches. In Albany, New York, construction projects often face the challenge of installing utilities in busy streets, near waterways, or in developed neighborhoods. By using directional drilling, crews can safely and efficiently install pipelines, fiber-optic cables, and electrical conduits beneath these obstacles.The process begins with a pilot hole, guided by precise equipment along a planned path beneath roads, rivers, or other structures. Once the pilot hole
6 | HelloAlbany, New York • Spring Issue
David Allegretta
ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Allegretta is the President of JAT Construction, a New York–based contractor specializing in directional drilling, conventional arguing boring construction, excavation, utility work, and site development. With decades of industry experience, he leads projects across the Northeast, building a reputation for reliability, quality craftsmanship, and strong client relationships in both public and private sector construction.
reaches its target, it is enlarged to accommodate the utility pipe or cable. This method minimizes surface disruption, traffic delays, and environmental impact, making it ideal for urban and sensitive areas. The equipment allows for careful adjustments during drilling, ensuring accuracy and preventing damage to existing utilities.Directional drilling is preferred over traditional trenching when surface disruption must be limited. In Albany, roads and public areas cannot be closed for extended periods, and trenching can pose safety hazards and incur high restoration costs. Trenchless methods like directional
Hello Albany, New York • Spring Issue |7
What is Directional Drilling and How Is It Used in Albany
Directional drilling is a trenchless method used to install underground utilities without digging large trenches. In Albany, New York, construction projects often face the challenge of installing utilities in busy streets, near waterways, or in developed neighborhoods. By using directional drilling, crews can safely and efficiently install pipelines, fiber-optic cables, and electrical conduits beneath these obstacles.
The process begins with a pilot hole, guided by precise equipment along a planned path beneath roads, rivers, or other structures. Once the pilot hole reaches its target, it is enlarged to accommodate the utility pipe or cable. This method minimizes surface disruption, traffic delays, and environmental impact, making it ideal for urban and sensitive areas. The equipment allows for careful adjustments during drilling, ensuring accuracy and preventing damage to existing utilities.
Directional drilling is preferred over traditional trenching when surface disruption must be limited. In Albany, roads and public areas cannot be closed for extended periods, and trenching can pose safety hazards and incur high restoration costs. Trenchless methods like directional drilling are cost-effective in the long term because they reduce the need for repaving and landscaping after installation.
Environmental factors also play a role in deciding to use directional drilling. In areas near rivers, wetlands, or historically significant sites, avoiding large excavations helps protect soil and vegetation. Crews can complete projects while complying with local regulations and environmental standards. The technique is also faster in some cases, reducing project timelines and limiting disruption to residents and businesses.
Directional drilling works well for a variety of utilities. Water and sewer lines, natural gas pipelines, electrical conduits, and telecommunication cables can all be installed without surface excavation. The technology allows multiple utilities to be installed along the same path, sometimes even in a single pass, improving efficiency. Accurate mapping and modern guidance systems ensure that the drilling path avoids existing underground infrastructure.
In Albany and the Capital Region, directional drilling has become the standard for projects that require precision and minimal impact on public spaces. Construction professionals, including civil engineers and utility contractors, often evaluate site conditions to determine whether trenchless methods are suitable. Factors like soil composition, underground obstacles, and utility type influence the final decision.
Overall, directional drilling provides a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible method for installing underground utilities. Its ability to reduce surface disruption, protect sensitive areas, and maintain project timelines makes it an important tool for modern construction in Albany. Contractors who use this method can complete complex projects with less impact on traffic, residents, and the surrounding environment, offering a reliable solution for city infrastructure needs.
This method minimizes surfacedisruption, traffic delays,and environmentalimpact, making itideal for urban andsensitive areas
drilling are cost-effective in the long term because they reduce the need for repaving and landscaping after installation.Environmental factors also play a role in deciding to use directional drilling. In areas near rivers, wetlands, or historically significant sites, avoiding large excavations helps protect soil and vegetation. Crews can complete projects while complying with local regulations and environmental standards. The technique is also faster in some cases,...
What Causes Profit Loss for Busy Plumbing and HVAC Contractors
There is a pattern happening across Albany, New York, that shows up in conversations at supply houses, trade association meetings, and job sites throughout the Capital Region. A plumber or HVAC technician is booked out for weeks, trucks are rolling every day, and the phone keeps ringing. But at the end
of the month, the bank account does not reflect that level of activity. The business feels like it is thriving, but the numbers say something different.This situation is more common than most contractors want to admit. Being busy is not the same as being profitable. Many contractors in the Albany
8 | HelloAlbany, New York • Spring Issue
What Causes Profit Loss for Busy Plumbing and HVAC Contractors
There is a pattern happening across Albany, New York, that shows up in conversations at supply houses, trade association meetings, and job sites throughout the Capital Region. A plumber or HVAC technician is booked out for weeks, trucks are rolling every day, and the phone keeps ringing. But at the end of the month, the bank account does not reflect that level of activity. The business feels like it is thriving, but the numbers say something different. This situation is more common than most contractors want to admit. Being busy is not the same as being profitable. Many contractors in the Albany area are generating revenue but not building wealth. The core issue is not how much work they have. It is how they manage the true cost and value of each job. True job cost covers every dollar that goes into completing a job, from the first phone call to the final invoice. Labor is the most obvious component, but it is rarely tracked with accuracy. Most contractors can tell you what they pay a technician per hour. Far fewer can tell you what that technician actually costs per billable hour once payroll taxes, insurance, benefits, vehicle use, and downtime between calls are factored in. When labor is underpriced by even a few dollars per hour, the damage adds up quickly across a full schedule. A ten-dollar shortfall over a forty-hour week is four hundred dollars. Multiply that across a team of technicians over a full year, and the loss becomes significant. Materials are another area where profit quietly disappears. In plumbing and HVAC work, parts and materials often represent thirty to forty percent of a job's total cost. If technicians are pulling extra parts from the truck, returning unused material without credit, or quoting materials from memory rather than current supplier pricing, the numbers will not close. Every job that goes out the door with untracked materials is a job that costs more than it earns. Contractors who do not track true job cost are funding their business without knowing the real price. Callbacks are one of the clearest signs that a contractor's profitability model is under stress. A callback is not just an inconvenience. It represents the full cost of labor, fuel, and time applied to a job that has already been paid and closed. Frequent callbacks signal an installation or diagnostic problem, but they also point to a pricing structure that does not account for rework. Overhead is often the most overlooked piece of the job cost equation. Every dollar that goes toward rent, insurance, software, advertising, and office staff has to come from the revenue generated in the field. If overhead is not built into the pricing structure for every job, someone absorbs it silently. That person is usually the contractor. The remedy starts with a system. Contractors in Albany who are generating revenue but not showing profit need to begin tracking job cost at the individual job level. That means recording actual labor hours, actual materials used, any rework or callbacks, and the overhead allocation for each call. Once that data exists, patterns become visible. Certain job types may consistently underperform. Certain customers may generate a disproportionate share of callbacks. Certain technicians may need additional training to bring installation quality in line with the company standard. None of that is visible without the data. Field service management software built for the trades can support this process. Many platforms allow contractors to log job costs in real time, compare estimated versus actual labor, and track materials usage per job. This is not complicated technology. It is basic bookkeeping applied to field operations. The goal is not to add administrative work for its own sake. It is to understand where money is being made and where it is being lost. Without that information, a contractor cannot make smart decisions about pricing, staffing, or the types of jobs worth pursuing. The Albany trades market has strong demand for qualified plumbing and HVAC service. But high demand does not automatically produce high profit. A full schedule of underpriced or poorly tracked jobs produces the same financial outcome as a slow month. The contractor works hard but does not get ahead. The businesses that sustain profitability over time treat financial data with the same discipline they bring to their craft.
Ken Decker
area are generating revenue but not building wealth. The core issue is not how much work they have. It is how they manage the true cost and value of each job.True job cost covers every dollar that goes into completing a job, from the first phone call to the final invoice. Labor is the most obvious component, but it
is rarely tracked with accuracy. Most contractors can tell you what they pay a technician per hour. Far fewer can tell you what that technician actually costs per billable hour once payroll taxes, insurance, benefits, vehicle use, and downtime between calls are factored in.When labor is underpriced by even a few dollars per hour, the damage adds up quickly across a full schedule. A ten-dollar shortfall over a forty-hour week is four hundred dollars. Multiply that across a team of technicians over a full year, and the loss becomes significant.Materials are another area where profit quietly disappears. In plumbing and HVAC work,...
Contractors who do not track true job cost are funding their business without knowing the real price.
About the Author
Ken Decker is a showroom professional at Winsupply Albany in Albany, New York. He works with homeowners, contractors, and designers to help plan plumbing fixture selections for bath and kitchen projects. Ken focuses on product compatibility, practical planning, and clear guidance throughout the selection process.
