Last year proved to be an incredibly successful year for HARDI, full of progress, growth, and remarkable ambition. As we move forward, I am proud to lead HARDI into a new year that continues the outstanding strides we made in the past year, and also forges new development that will assist in accomplishing strategic goals set forth in 2014. Together, we can take proactive steps to ensure that all objectives are met and surpassed in the year ahead.

I would like to begin by thanking Brian Cobble for his extraordinary leadership in 2013. His guidance and support led our members to unprecedented progress in the past year, and serves as a testament to his dedication and enthusiasm for the industry. I would also like to acknowledge all of the hard work that is continuously put forth by our active HARDI members. It is this time and effort that allows HARDI to encourage positive change within the industry and guarantee that our members maintain their competitive edge. We also encourage members who are not very active at this point to look to HARDI as a resource that can only enhance their business performance. As a member-guided organization, HARDI relies on your input in determining the direction we take in the future. Make sure your voice is heard. This year we expect strong member participation for the various conferences and networking events, as well as interaction with the incredibly useful industry benchmarking reports. It is our hope that these tools will help all of our valued members maximize business, further industry growth, and build beneficial relationships.

As we march ahead, I would like us to remember that it is essential to uplift the exceedingly hard working members and company member employees that comprise our industry. Without this strong network of individuals, HARDI and its members would not have the success we enjoy today. HARDI is doing its part with the continuation of the incredibly valuable HEAT.U, our official education and training center. Furthermore, here at HARDI we are very excited about our new program Emerging Leaders. Emerging Leaders seeks out the top performers within the HVACR industry, and provides them with vital resources to become a dynamic business force. It is our belief that giving the next generation unique insight and knowledge into the complexities involved in the industry will help us see greater progress in the future.

In keeping with tradition, the next year is full of several informative networking events. Be sure that you plan accordingly so that you can take advantage of the benefits and privileges that come with getting to know your fellow members and associates. I recommend everyone attend the HARDI Icebreaker, our first networking event of the year and most certainly one of the best. I would also love to see all of you at the 2014 Focus Conferences. Registration is now open for these conferences, which will focus on noteworthy topics such as operations and logistics optimization, strategic leadership, marketing and sales optimization, and purchasing optimization. We have given special consideration to the speakers chosen this year, and I have no doubt they will give you food for thought as we progress into 2014. The registration deadline for the operations and logistics optimization conference in Litchfield Park, Ariz., will be here sooner than you think, so make sure you make that a priority on your agenda. If you’re unable to attend, I would urge you to send your marketing executives so that they can meet other members and take away key ideas from the topics. Use these conferences to your advantage in any way possible. To register online before the deadline, visit the networking and events page on the HARDI website.

Looking forward to great possibilities in 2014,

 Royce Henderson