Tom Peric

You hold a distinct position in the HVACR wholesale industry. You were HARDI’s first president, taking the reins in 2003. That was 14 years ago. Give us a sense of the changes you’ve seen.

Throughout my columns, I’ve tried to tilt the frame of reference for my readers - from warehouse and counter help to the CEO, so they might approach their jobs with an alternative or a fresh outlook on how to improve their performance. I have found that a common ingredient among people who are good at what they do is the element of self-improvement.

Those who follow legislative issues affecting the HVACR industry know that a recent bipartisan effort in the U.S. House of Representatives has finally given some weight to the passage of the HVAC Expensing and Technology (HEAT) Act.

My dad, along with his three brothers, started the company in 1955. Dad’s previous employer was Inland Steel. Since his own company would be selling essentially the same products, I assume it seemed to him that Corken Steel was a logical name.

HARDI’s Marketing and Sales Optimization Conference at the Marriott Courtyard in Philadelphia, Sept. 17 to 19, broke an attendance record for all previous focus conferences with 236 attendees, highlighted by 108 distributors, 106 suppliers and five independent reps.

If you need Mike Nelson’s services, you’re either a forward-thinking distributor who’s concerned about your digital security or you’re in trouble.

In recent years, Distribution Center magazine has presented several Golden Warehouse awards for companies that either expanded an existing facility or created a new one. We looked for creativity, functionality, and most importantly the business sense behind the expansion.

There have been a few changes since you became involved with APR Supply Co. You are now its president and CEO. Please give us some background on the company, how you first became involved and where the company is today.

Pam Krivda is HARDI’s human resources consultant. She has in-depth experience on employment and labor relations issues, and because HARDI provides her services to its membership, we thought it was timely to ask a few questions.