Hugh Kelleher’s Harvard-to-plumbing pipeline

After 34 years in the industry, the last 20 of which he served as the executive director of the Greater Boston Plumbing Contractors Association (previously known as the PHCC of Greater Boston), Hugh Kelleher retired at the end of 2017. The Pipeline sat down with him to learn how and why he chose to become a plumber in his early 30s, to find out what he was doing before then, and to ask him to reflect on his journey.

Kelleher's story, which includes attending Phillips Academy Andover and Harvard University and a stint as press secretary and speechwriter for Congressman Jim Shannon is fascinating. Read more about the curious path that led Kelleher to the plumbing trade.

New England's tallest residential tower take shape

At 61 stories and 742 feet, One Dalton in the Back Bay will be the third tallest building in Boston. Now under construction, it will house the city's second Four Seasons hotel as well as private residences. It is scheduled to be finished in spring 2019.

GBPCA contractor E.M. Duggan is installing 161,000 feet of plumbing—that's over 30 miles of pipe winding its way through the tower. Bob Jones, Duggan's general foreman, is overseeing the crew.

The massive building is being constructed on a postage stamp-sized lot, so the project poses logistical challenges. The highly efficient project is a model of "lean construction." Read more about One Dalton in The Pipeline.