Articles by Herb Woerpel

“What we are doing today isn’t enough to get us where we need to be next year," said Washington. "This is what motivates me to continuously learn and improve.”

“I want to look back and say the things we did were game-changing,” Vermillion said. “I will always strive to move to the next level in our company.”

“One of the greatest things I get to witness is when customers walk into a branch and our branch teams know them by name,” VanHuss said. “We build relationships in this industry.”

“I hope to provide opportunities for our great people to be successful and, in turn, successfully lead the company to sustainable, profitable growth,” Trimbach said.

“I’ve been very fortunate throughout my career that I have been offered opportunities that have furthered my career,” Tofte said. “My attitude has always been, ‘I will do whatever you need me to do.’ So far that has worked out pretty well.”

“I really enjoy the customer service aspect of the job,” Terfehr said. “I’ve learned a great deal about all the different products we sell and have gained a great deal of knowledge through manufacturer training.”

“I have tremendous respect for all the positions within the HVAC industry,” Steele said. “Without each role working well, everything falls apart. I’ve seen good teams, bad teams, and great teams. Teamwork is the most important part of a successful distributor. I’m grateful to be part of one of the best teams at CFM Equipment Distributors.”

Amazon achieved $178 billion in sales in 2017, which was a 31 percent increase over its 2016 sales numbers. The company is expected to reach $230 billion in sales in 2018. So, how is the company making money so quickly, and what does it mean to your HVAC wholesale business?

“I’m genuinely enthusiastic about our industry because I’m doing something I really enjoy and really care about,” said Sheehan-Jelinek. “This is an exciting time in our industry. We are leading our companies though the digital migration and changing landscape that journey brings. It’s impossible not to be enthusiastic about that.”

The event, held at the JW Marriott in Austin, Texas, welcomed more than 300 first-time attendees, including 99 wholesale employees.