Today, in addition to helping Emerson champion modulation technologies, compressor electronics, and helping contractors sell the concept of comfort, Zellmer is receiving numerous honors, including the inaugural Legends of HVACR Award, which was presented to him at the 2017 Service World Expo.
It’s awards season here at The NEWS. We recently opened up our Best Contractor to Work For contest, which encourages employees to honor their companies based on their outstanding qualities. I encourage our readers to check it out.
Customers are yet another source where smart ideas can originate. That is exactly what happened with Heating, Air-conditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI). The distributor organization listened to its members who recommended the group expand into the Mexican market. So, they complied.
I have talked with many in the industry who believe once kids reach high school, society has placed them on a path, and it is very difficult to introduce trade schools into their plans at that point. These people say you need to reach these kids in middle school to plant the HVAC seed.
Marijuana grow facilities are providing a new market for contractors and manufacturers as 29 states currently have laws legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes with an additional eight permitting recreational use of cannabis, including Washington, District of Columbia.
The HVAC geothermal industry recently received some good news when Google formed an independent business called Dandelion to get into the geothermal space.
Make sure your company is a place employees can take pride in when talking with their family, friends, or strangers. With the lack of qualified workers in the HVAC field, having your employees speak so highly of your business can only help.
We ran a poll at achrnews.com where more than 300 contractors voted. The results showed that 30 percent of contractors are willing to install products purchased by customers online while 70 percent would not. There were still more people saying no, but it was much closer than I imagined it would be when we posted the question.
Synergy Solution Group (SSG), a new association for independent mechanical contractors trying to gain a business advantage, is picking up momentum in the HVACR marketplace. And, while SSG is a relatively new association, many might be familiar with the group’s leadership.
A major manufacturer recently conducted a survey of 2,000 consumers asking for their feedback on smart products. When asked about their interest in purchasing smart products, more than 60 percent of respondents said they were interested in purchasing an intelligent control for their home. Other industry data shows that actual smart home product penetration is less than 20 percent.