“Partnering with GPS Education Partners will help accelerate HVACR careers among the young student population by providing a future workforce to help fill our talent pipeline and a pipeline for our business partners,” said Andrew Larson, chairman and CEO, Gustave A. Larson Co.

Whether you’re an HVAC manufacturer or distributor, being able to push out your fancy new gadget depends on someone down the line actually being able to use it.

Manufacturers and distributors must look for strategic partners throughout their supply chain and find ways to collaborate to accelerate cash flow, improve margins and delight customers.

About 5 percent of SKUs are extremely net-profitable. Why not target those for especially high fill rates?

“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.”

“Jodi has helped some very complex organizations engage their customers more meaningfully," said Paul Kennedy, CEO, DSG. "I’m excited for her to put those same insights to work for DSG.”

Doug Young will continue as CEO of Behler-Young, where he will focus on the oversight of the business.

“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.”

While the online experience is important, it’s important to remember that your e-commerce capabilities will most likely supplement rather than replace the more traditional B2B sales channels.

“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.