Greetings HARDI family! I would like to begin by acknowledging all of the members I interacted with in New York City at the HARDI Icebreaker event and AHR Expo, it was truly a pleasure seeing all of you. Once again I was blown away with the amazing updates I received on your various business endeavors since the annual conference. I would also like to thank the HARDI booth volunteers at this year’s AHR Expo. All of you did an incredible job of promoting HARDI’s services and representing the association. Thanks to your help, I have no doubt that HARDI left a positive impression on quite a few prospective members. Even with freezing weather and a major snowstorm, HARDI members made the entire experience incredibly worthwhile. I thank you for that.
As we forge ahead into 2014, I want to remind all of you about the various networking events HARDI has arranged in the months to come. The 2014 Focus Conferences provide a unique opportunity to network with fellow members, learn about current trends in the industry, and see what exciting projects are developing for members across the country. The next Focus Conference on the agenda is the Strategic Leadership Conference in Nashville, April 13-15. This will be a great opportunity to learn new techniques to maximize your companies’ potential, with topics that examine increasing profitability, macro-distribution trends, government affairs, and economic updates to guide you in the future. Other Focus Conferences to look forward to are the Marketing and Sales Optimization Conference in Delavan, Wis., June 22-24, and the Purchasing Optimization Conference in Newport, R.I., Sept. 14-16. HARDI has done its best to guarantee these conferences will provide you with invaluable information as your company continues to evolve. In addition, the Congressional Fly-In this year is not to be missed. Make sure your voice is heard in Washington amongst influential members of Congress.
In the spirit of preparing for the future, HARDI is thrilled with the Emerging Leaders program, which debuted at the Annual Conference in December. This remarkable new program embraces the rising stars within HVACR, and prepares them for dealing with the intricacies of the industry. This summer, our Emerging Leaders can look forward to a two-day conference in San Francisco, Calif., July 21-23, that will highlight business strategy and leadership development. If you feel you have an Emerging Leader at your company, this summer conference is a business development opportunity you should certainly take advantage of. The response to this new program has already been overwhelmingly positive, and I have no doubt the Emerging Leaders at your company will not only take away constructive information, but have a great time while doing so.
As president, I am extremely proud of the considerable progress HARDI has made this year. I eagerly anticipate the official release of HARDI’s new benchmarking database, Distributor Performance Analytics LLC. Designed to make online benchmarking quicker and more efficient, HARDI has invested much energy and thought into ensuring that our members’ benchmarking needs are satisfied. I urge you to use these insights, along with the IRF Webinars hosted throughout the year, to boost your company’s competitive advantage. Also, be sure to visit HARDI’s website to stay informed on hot topics affecting the HVACR industry, such as updates on any health care changes and energy efficiency standard rulings. HARDI will continue to provide members with the resources they need to stay up-to-date in a constantly changing economic and political environment.
Once again, I’d like to thank all of our members for their continued support. Let’s continue making 2014 a year full of promise, progress, and results.
Best regards,
Royce Henderson
