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There are several things to consider when making a determination as to services to add to your offerings. Does the new product/service fit within the culture of your company? What are the start-up cost risks in performing that new service? Are there any significant potential future risks or liabilities that you may be incurring?

I just finished reporting on the winners of this year’s Best Instructor contest, so I’ve recently been reminded about the power and influence of good teachers. For the second year in a row, our overall winner was a high school teacher. So I planned a trip to visit Jeff Sweda, check out his school, and meet his students.

Halloween has passed, Thanksgiving is on the horizon, and midterm elections have shaken up the political playing field. What is an HVACR contractor to do? Have a sale. Admittedly, the HVACR industry does not operate in the retail realm, but this year of economic ups and downs could warrant a change in marketing tactics.

Over the years, The NEWS has consistently reported on the changes within our constantly evolving industry - from the 1920s when “electric refrigeration” replaced iceboxes, to the 1940s with its post-war housing and baby boom, into the 1960s and the rapid increase in residential air conditioning installations, and so on.

Pardon me for banging my head against the wall. But high schools seem to still be “pushing” four-year colleges as the top option over vocational training. It’s a topic the HVACR industry has been talking about since long before I came into the industry 25 years ago - and still it goes on.

What is this world coming to? HVAC products are becoming too flexible. If the industry keeps offering these crazy options on products, customers will start demanding all kinds of other stuff, and before you know it, customers will be able to customize their own comfort system products. You’re right. It’s not all that crazy.

I have always considered myself an optimistic person. So I was surprised to find myself halfway through a column which was very negative about the near future of our industry. After giving it some thought and tearing up that copy, I still have serious concerns. However, I have decided to attack the problem in a different manner.

Solving the problem of formicary corrosion may continue to be an ongoing battle, as new subtleties develop every day in this business. However, simply sitting at a round table while everyone points their fingers to the right is no way to solve the problem - a problem that does appear to be on the rise in recent years.

Are we really building more energy-efficient buildings? This question has plagued me for several years mostly because, on a day-to-day basis, as a mechanical contractor, I see the results of value engineering, low bids, little or no maintenance, minimal energy code enforcement, etc., in the built environment.

After a few weeks on the road with a variety of contractor groups, it happened again. I learned some things about this business that I had thought I already knew. Or, at least thought I had heard a hundred times before and had probably stopped listening.