Articles by Kyle Gargaro

At the end of the day, it is imperative that contractors do not lose focus of the fundamentals, which, in the HVAC world, include performing a correct installation while providing superior customer service.

More than three-quarters — 77 percent — of consumers who decided on the brand they wanted to purchase before choosing the installing contractor used the internet to research their purchases.These are the buying habits of your customers. It is important that you know this information and, more importantly, that you know how to use it to your advantage.

Look around at your employees. Is there someone being underutilized? Is there someone not getting a promotion because perhaps some feel he or she has yet to pay the necessary dues? Are you worried about how the older generation will deal with such a young boss? Take a second look and see if anyone in this younger generation would be a match for a position up the corporate ladder.

Being the Type-A personalities that they are, retirement is not really in the vocabulary of Jim Abrams and Terry Nicholson. So, shortly after their non-compete agreements from the Clockwork Home Services sales were complete, the duo was at it again.

For the first time in two decades, a new conference and tradeshow is being launched for residential contractors. The group will reinvent the typical trade show experience, extending network opportunities inside the exhibit hall with a unique floor plan and enhanced user and exhibitor experience.

Some manufacturers with foreign names are producing products in the U.S., some companies that were founded in this country are making products overseas, and a big chunk of the industry is doing both. It is the job of the contractor to figure out if this is important to the customer. 

I am not going to sugar coat it — this is not easy work. It is manual labor that will have you in attics when it is hotter than a jalapeño’s armpit and down in crawlspaces in freezing temperatures. You may be working nights, weekends, and holidays during the busy season, when the temperatures are at their most extreme, but, rest assured, you will be well compensated.

HVAC contractors are always looking for a way to differentiate themselves. Addressing duct leakage is a big opportunity. This is something building professionals are concerned about, so it should be an area of focus for contractors.