James "JR" Yates joined the family business in 1972, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, founder N.H. Yates, his grandmother, Mary Yates, and his father and three uncles.
The lack of technicians in the HVACR industry has been a problem for years, but by working together, the industry hopes to find ways to recruit and retain more technicians.
John Norris Jr. was the grandson of Lennox founder D.W. Norris and, during a 46-year career, was instrumental in the company's tremendous growth. He had retired in 2006.
Hiring platforms provide predictive analysis using updated data from those already working in the trades to show contractors which job candidates will be successful and stay with a company and which ones won’t, pre-hire.
As a retirement plan, an ESOP won’t maximize the sale price of an HVAC company. But for owners looking to carry on their legacy, it will keep the company intact and reward loyal employees who helped them build it.