“Be careful what you wish for,” said Tom Huntington, general manager of York, a Johnson Controls company, during a recent conversation about government regulations. Huntington is a pretty astute observer of what is developing not only on Capitol Hill, but around the nation.

During this week of our nation’s Independence Day celebration (and the proverbial hottest day of the year, which is good for business) - a little dreaming of what this industry could be.

"Climate control has become a highly skilled trade, but it remains hard for the industry to attract young people.” John Conover, president of Trane in the Americas, set the tone for this Special Report, as he captured what is often referred to as the No. 1 challenge the HVACR industry faces.

The HVAC faithful aren’t really a negative lot of people, wishing severe weather on all of Earth’s inhabitants; but it is true that the worst weather can bring out the best in us.

Heating and cooling is not as easy of a proposition as selling toothpaste. If you are an HVAC salesperson, pat yourself on the back.

A lot of association meetings are cast in beautiful surroundings and provide ample time for pleasure and relaxation, as well as the obligatory committee meetings. The Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) had all that would normally be expected, and a little more.

Every trustworthy salesperson worth their salt is trying to gain the customer’s confidence. Sometimes it may be tempting to build yourself up while casting shadows of doubt upon someone else’s solution.

Everyone has a place that they occasionally meet to discuss the important and not-so-important matters of the day. There are approximately 600,000-plus HVAC installers and technicians. Where do they go to talk? And, what do they talk about?

From the basic discoveries that led to the creation of the heating and cooling industry, there have been a number of interesting developments. One that still puzzles me is the missing link in many companies - ventilation.

All of the work that is going into attracting young people to HVAC careers is certainly well worth the effort, but you may need to broaden your search to look for those people whom you may have discounted in the past.