Top Five Takeaways from WWETT 2025
Matt Sonnhalter gives his top five takeaways from WWETT 2025! Matt reveals photo opportunities, pipe relining, comics and more. Watch the full video below.
“I’m sorry Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Following is a guest post from our friends over at Long & Short of It, masters of ideation, customer insights and market research. They like to say they “dig and find lots of data and then turn it into actionable insights.” Following is their guest post.
Amazing how this quote from an AI assistant in the 1968 film (2001: A Space Odyssey) is now so relevant to where we are today. As if you needed another article on AI and the impact on marketing, writing, or quite frankly, anything else in your life. Love it or hate it; it’s here, it’s not going away, and it’s up to you to decide what or how to leverage the technology.
Most of our work falls into four categories: advising, thinking, creating, or writing. And writing can be lonely—anyone who does it knows that feeling. AI can help here if you decide to go down the path of not 100% human developed content. It can be used simply as a thought starter, a copy editor, or a way to bounce around an idea to get a different perspective. But there is that slippery slope—at what point is AI doing the writing or thinking for you? That’s probably for each of us to define.
And now for some full disclosure, the above was 100% human written. Curious how AI defines its own role in writing? I asked ChatGPT whether there are defined standards for AI-generated content. Here’s what it had to say:
There isn’t a universally accepted or predefined scale that categorizes writing by its degree of AI involvement—from completely human-generated to entirely AI-produced. Instead, what we see are evolving guidelines and best practices in different industries:
- Continuum of Use: Most discussions frame writing on a continuum. On one end, you have writing that is entirely human-produced; on the other, work that is fully generated by AI. In between, many pieces are the result of a collaboration where humans leverage AI tools for idea generation, drafting, or editing.
- Industry-Specific Guidelines: Different sectors (such as journalism, academia, and marketing) are beginning to develop their own policies. For example, some academic journals now require authors to disclose any use of AI in their writing process, while media outlets are debating transparency standards for AI-assisted content.
- Emerging Standards: With rapid advancements in AI writing tools, there’s growing pressure for standardized disclosure practices. However, no consensus exists yet on a formal “level system” similar to frameworks in other fields (like the SAE levels for autonomous vehicles).
Human here again. AI did a decent job as the information is relevant, organized, and sufficiently to the point. Though it is too academic in tone, and this is not how we write at L&SOI (though, AI can be taught tone).
The lesson from 2001: A Space Odyssey? When you hand over too much control to AI, things don’t always go as planned. So, where is your comfort level? At what point or through what prompt do you believe you crossed the line from it being truly your thinking and writing to something that you let AI run for you?
Top Five Takeaways from ARA 2025
Matt Sonnhalter reveals his top five takeaways from ARA 2025! From the outdoor exhibit area to a cocktail mixer giveaway, Matt shares all the details from the show in the video below.
State of the Trades
This blog is based on a recent report from BlueRecruit, highlighting key developments in the trades. As we wrap up Q1 of 2025, there are three important takeaways to note:
- More people are joining the trades than at any point in over a generation.
- The demand for electricians and manufacturing professionals is skyrocketing.
- The general labor industry is undergoing massive shifts, likely due to recent presidential election results and changes in immigration policies.
Let’s dive into these and explore how this data can guide your business decisions.
The surge of new skilled trade workers
Despite the persistent negative stigmas surrounding the trades, there’s no denying the appeal of this career path. Young people, women and veterans are turning to the trades at the highest rates since World War II.
- 42 percent of BlueRecruit job seekers have been female.
- 49 percent are under the age of 35.
- 11 percent are veterans.
This surge is a great opportunity for employers to grow. In fact, hiring is up 376 percent from Q4-2024 to Q1-2025, compared to the same period a year ago.
So, how can employers maintain this momentum? It’s essential to invest in continuous training and mentorship programs. Not only does this help employees grow, but it also ensures your business maintains a competitive edge. Concerned about the cost of training? Many states offer apprenticeship programs and financial assistance to get you started.
A historic demand for electricians and manufacturing professionals
Three of the eight most in-demand trades this quarter are electricians, fabricators and manufacturing technicians. Even Michigan, known as the heart of U.S. manufacturing, saw its highest demand in history.
For electricians, compensation has risen by $0.76 per hour compared to Q4-2024, translating into an average $1,580.80 annual salary increase—without even factoring in overtime. This surge shows no signs of slowing down, creating opportunities for both workers and employers.
Major shifts in general labor due to immigration policy changes
As immigration enforcement and deportation become a central topic in national discussions, the effects are seen through the trades.
- Employer requirements for clean criminal records increased by 10 percent compared to Q4, marking the largest increase in a single quarter in the history of the State of the Trades (SoTT).
- General laborer compensation saw a significant boost, increasing by $2.40 per hour, the largest single-quarter increase ever recorded for this demographic.
- Texas also regained its spot as the state with the most hires, the first time since Q2-2022.
Meet BlueRecruit – A solution for the skilled trades
BlueRecruit is a direct-hire marketplace designed for skilled trade workers and companies seeking their talent. By removing the inefficiencies of traditional resumes and job postings, BlueRecruit focuses on what matters most, skills, certifications and experience.
Stay tuned to BlueRecruit for more industry insights and talent acquisition best practices to help you grow your business and navigate the evolving trades landscape.
Top Five Takeaways from AHR 2025
Matt Sonnhalter reveals his top five takeaways from AHR 2025! Matt explores the crowded tradeshow floor, personalized caricature drawings, cologne and more! Watch the full video below.
Matt Sonnhalter Featured on 5 Minutes with Industrial Distribution
Recently, Sonnhalter’s president, Matt Sonnhalter, was featured on 5 Minutes with Industrial Distribution, where he discussed a unique effort to help promote the needs of skilled workers and their prospective employers: a free database of vocational education and technical programs that span across the U.S.
