Recent coverage of the latest emerging flu strain (the so-called swine flu, H1N1), has people and institutions scrambling for contingency plans. In the IAQ sector, manufacturers such as Sanuvox, Steril-Aire, and American Ultraviolet are being inundated with calls for information to help people and facilities owners mitigate the risks of possible infections.

I recently learned that our most-recognized superheroes - Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman - were created near the end of the Great Depression. Today’s heroes could be slightly different. Instead of a Captain America, how about a Captain Economy, or Greenman? Greenman could be green in many ways, saving energy and saving people from the poorhouse.

In days when customers are cutting back on their HVAC service, and long-term clients are asking for price decreases on their PM agreements, you need to reinstill value in what your company has to offer. To help its members put this valuable thought into action, the Unified Group held a Sales Forum in Indianapolis.

Are you selling green products and services? According to the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors - National Association (PHCC), the tax credits for green home improvements in the federal stimulus package will make many green products cost the same as or cheaper than conventional products.

Just a few years ago, the leased-space market was a difficult area to gain new work due to the difficulty of getting to the decision maker: the owner. In today’s real estate market, however, the power has shifted to the tenant in many of these situations, and with this shift has come a renewed opportunity for contractors to increase their revenue.

Keeping the heat-sensitive IT equipment in server or telecom rooms cool is a challenge being faced by many companies - even during cold-weather months, when most of the rest of the building is heated. The contractor who undertakes this type of work needs to be prepared for quick response during emergencies.

Alan Criswell of Moon Area School District (MASD) had an extremely tight schedule for HVAC system installation. It was May 2007, and he needed to have the equipment in place and operating for the August school opening. Can you air condition a school and turn it around in one summer? With ductless systems it was possible.

Although economic news has been hit or miss lately (and mainly miss), there are still areas of opportunity. Take the ductless market. It has grown about 20 percent over the last four or five years, even as the ducted market has dropped, said Raj Hiremath, general manager of Duct-Free splits, Carrier Corp.

I know this is a generous industry in every sense of the word. I know that the contractors we point to as leaders donate time and effort toward making someone else’s life better. I would like to humbly suggest that more contractors look at Multiple Sclerosis (MS) as a logical connection for our industry’s humane activities.

Some contractors think of IAQ and duct cleaning as a fairly recent business opportunity. Blind and Sons/Tri County Inc., however, has been doing it since 1951. Today, IAQ work (filtration and duct cleaning) accounts for a substantial portion of the company’s work.