DALLAS - The Service Roundtable, an Internet-based contractor group serving the air conditioning and plumbing industries, recorded more than 2 million page loads on Feb. 11, 2005, less than 11 months after the site reached the 1 million mark.

"This is just another sign of how the Service Roundtable continues to grow in membership and activity" said company CEO Matt Michel. "It's a nice statistic, but the better statistic is our download activity. On average, contractors who subscribe to our services download 10 sales, marketing, or business tools every month, with a value of approximately $3,000 if they hired a third party to develop them. That's not a bad return on a $50 monthly subscription."

The company says it adds new business tools for its members every week. At present, its content library contains more than 800 business tools.

In addition, the Service Roundtable offers networking in the service trades. The company says it logs around 2,000 discussion list posts and member exchanges across a variety of trade-specific business, technical, and software user groups.

"When we joined we had been stuck in a rut for three years in spite of my best efforts," said Martin Hoover of Empire Heating and Air Conditioning, Decatur, Ga. After a year in the Service Roundtable, Hoover reported that "Our volume is up 50 percent, our net is up 400 percent, our closing rate is up 70 percent, per employee revenue is up $45,000 and the Service Roundtable is the major factor in this change. Our marketing has increased and improved, stronger systems and procedures, new incentives that include all employees, more accurate sales tracking, and much more that came directly from the Service Roundtable."

Tony Key with Service Network Plumbing & Heating, Aurora, Colo., noted, "I have found Service Roundtable to be the single greatest investment I have made in any organization. From its business tools to the interaction with fellow members, no other organization has provided me so much. I am thankful for Service Roundtable and all its members. Not a day goes by that I don't gain from it."

"The Service Roundtable is the best program this industry has or is likely to ever see," said Bob Zahm from Huntington Heating & Cooling, Huntington, Ind.

Doug Reed from Quality Plumbing of Omaha, Neb., said, "The Service Roundtable is a really priceless resource."

"Finding the Service Roundtable may be the best thing that has ever happened to my business," remarked Rick Rohrbacher of Ahwatukee Air Conditioning, Phoenix.

Memberships for either trade are available for $50 on a monthly basis or less on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.serviceroundtable.com.

Publication date: 02/14/2005