Think about your business and those employed by you. Do they love their jobs? Are they proud of the company they work for? Happy employees mean happy customers, and not the other way around! If you are unsure of the culture of your company, it may be time to re-evaluate the top five qualities of businesses with GREAT culture.

It’s often said that any company’s greatest asset is its people, and this definitely is true for refrigeration contractors. Sure, the refrigeration industry is heavily focused on products and equipment and technology. And don’t forget chemicals – trying to keep track of all the refrigerant changes is enough to make anyone’s head spin. Yet if equipment is the lifeblood of the HVACR industry, then the people at refrigeration companies are its beating heart. And it clearly is in your best interest -- as the contractor whose name is on the door and on the trucks -- to keep your people as happy as possible.

This year’s presidential election has stirred strong emotions on both sides. So how do you keep a lid on political discussions that might become toxic and leave lingering scars in the workplace? Maybe some advice from our folks in the HR departments at companies across America will help.

I had mentioned in a previous issue that Distribution Center magazine would create an annual theme related to a topic of importance to the HVACR industry.

Recently, Emily Saving, vice president for professional and program development at HARDI, spoke with Kari Arfstrom, executive director for the HVACR Workforce Development Foundation, to talk about the new labor analysis reports released by the foundation this fall.

I received an email a few months ago with the following subject line: “Compensation One of the Least Important Factors in Recruiting Millennials.” Well, the subject line served its purpose and enticed me to open the email.

When the 110-employee Crescent Parts and Equipment kicked off enrollment in its high-deductible health plan last October, it made employees a special offer that combined both physical and financial health.