Unified Group Forum 'the Most Potent Form of Training'
SHARING IDEAS: Unified Group members from across the country gathered recently in Fort Worth, Texas, for the 2025 Special/Small Projects Forum. (Courtesy of The Unified Group)
FORTH WORTH, Texas — The Unified Group’s 2025 Small/Special Projects Forum brought some 30 HVAC industry leaders to Fort Worth, Texas, to engage in panel discussions and interactive breakout sessions focused on sharing best practices, tackling common challenges, and generating innovative ideas.
The event fostered a sense of community among HVACR mechanical contractors facing similar day-to-day realities, making it a valuable experience for all involved, a press release from The Unified Group said.
“This is by far the most potent form of training available,” said David Rose of Harvey W. Hottel Inc. “No course nor curriculum could equal (this), and the value it has created is immeasurable.”
Kathy Crosby, president and owner of C2 Consulting Inc., kicked off the forum with a presentation focused on small project management. C2 Consulting provides financial, safety, and other consulting services, and training. Highlights of Crosby’s presentation included insights on the project lifecycle and zero-cost change orders.
During a breakout session after her presentation, attendees discussed reasons for warranty calls and rework and how they can be reduced, how to control scope creep, and how to reduce non-billable hours.
“The information gained from this forum will be instrumental in shaping a new small projects division as we transition it to our service group at Air Controls,” said Chris Stokes of Air Controls Inc.
During the forum’s second day, Exequiel Lopez of Environmental Systems Inc., Jake Chowdry of Intech Mechanical, and Jake Emerson of Service Unlimited shared their processes for turning over small projects. Two panel discussions focused on getting the right people in the right projects and keeping customers while retaining margin were also highlights of the day.
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“The best part of the meeting was really just being able to have unfiltered conversations with people in my industry that are not direct competitors,” said Jerome Ryan of Robert Gibb & Sons.
Jared Krieg with Wiegmann Associates, Matthew Thornton with A&G Services, and Stokes, of Air Controls presented a closeout discussion on who is responsible for follow-ups on warranty, startup, and operations and maintenance once a job is completed. Krieg offered tips and tricks on working with subcontractors.
“If I didn’t attend the meeting, I would have missed the collaboration with people who hold similar roles as me, and as a result, I come back with the tweaks that I can make to get better individually and as a department,” said Emerson, of Service Unlimited.
The forum concluded with a dinner at Brazilian steakhouse.
“Having those open discussions and having input from people with different levels of expertise is the best part,” said Zeke Lopez, of Environmental Systems. “From the new project managers to the company owners, there was something to take away from everyone.”
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