Ranting, Raving About the HVAC Industry
Kyle Gargaro
Rave: U.S. News and World Reports names “HVAC technician” as one of the 50 best jobs of 2011. The publication points out a few reasons for the rankings, including the more than decent wage, the ability for upward mobility, and the upcoming increased need as the amount of new homes built last decade will begin to need replacement systems.
It is good that the mainstream media is covering the story we have known here at The NEWS for awhile. The HVAC field is a great career choice for many individuals. Now we have to tackle making sure high school students - who will make up the future work force - are aware of all these items. This was articulated nicely by Jim Staunch on The NEWS’ Facebook page:
“For years parents, teachers, and counselors have guided their most dunderheaded students to go ‘work with their hands’ and get a job in HVAC. The truth is, over 75 percent of today’s applicants don’t have the cognitive skills of value, let alone a true mechanical aptitude. Today’s technicians had better be smart - very smart - to be able to handle the rapid pace of changing technologies, many of which most U.S. News readers can’t even comprehend yet.”
Great points, Jim. Let’s get the word out. We can start by getting into those high schools and telling the HVAC story. We might just convert some parents along the way.
Rant: My list for the worst three jobs for 2011: publicist for Mel Gibson, hotel cleaning lady in anyplace Charlie Sheen has spent the night, and archivist of Brett Favre’s outgoing text messages.
Rave: All the NEWSmakers highlighted in this edition of The NEWS. John Sedine, Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) chairman; Robert Wilkins, Danfoss president; Chrissy Nardini, Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) president; Jim Abrams, CEO of Clockwork Home Service; and Peter Schwartz, North American Technician Excellence (NATE) president deserve our gratitude for moving the HVAC industry forward this year.
It is bright, innovative minds like these that make this a great industry in which to work.
TAXES, TAXES, TAXES
Rant: The U.S. government. While this could be about 165 rants, I will keep it to the tax discussion. As I write this, President Obama fights with Republicans; Republicans fight with Democrats; and Democrats fight with Obama on the tax policy for 2011. Meanwhile, many business owners are paralyzed in planning for next year since a big chunk of the equation is missing.Let’s just figure out how we are addressing the Bush tax cuts and the death tax so small businesses across this country will have all the information they need to plan their 2011 budget.
Rave: The year 1926. In that year, Henry Ford introduced the 40-hour work week, NBC radio began, and the Electric Refrigeration News was launched. Not sure what happened to Ford and NBC, but I can say that the Electric Refrigeration News morphed into The Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration NEWS and continues to flourish.
We will be celebrating our 85th anniversary next year and are looking for the reader with the oldest issue. E-mail barbarachecket-hanks@achrnews.com if you have an old issue, and you might be the winner of an e-reader.
Rant: I wish the hardcore global warming fanatics would practice what they preach. I am as green as the next guy - well, actually I am not - but this story is just bad. The green advocates met in Cancun, Mexico, recently as a follow up to the Copenhagen event in 2009.
According the The Telegraph out of the United Kingdom, despite the fact that attendance is down significantly for the Cancun event, the carbon footprint of the conference is five times greater than it was for Copenhagen. Evidently there are more gas-guzzling private jets this year.
Talk about putting your heads in the sand.
Rant: If you are wondering if a rant-rave style editorial is a lazy way for a writer to construct an article, you would be right.
Rave: The holiday season. Here is wishing you and yours a great holiday season and a very productive and prosperous 2011.
Publication date: 12/20/2010
