WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance, R-N.J., recently visited HARDI member Johnstone Supply’s Kenilworth, New Jersey, location to meet with employees.
In the U.S., majority rule has common acceptance, yet in our workforce, it remains an elusive goal in some industries. Women comprise 57 percent of the U.S. workforce, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Despite majority status, women still confront issues ranging from pay inequity to stereotypes related to leadership roles.
BEDFORD, Massachusetts — A ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration officially welcomed the new F.W. Webb Co. location in Piscataway, New Jersey on July 25. The new location is Webb's largest facility in New Jersey with 90,000 square feet.
Last week, I wrote an article for a contractor-focused publication titled, “Are You Getting Everything Your Favorite Distributor has to Offer?” In this piece, I imparted two very important points: First, contrary to popular belief, distributors don’t produce enough profits to impact the contractor's price of materials substantially, and, more importantly, most contractors don’t get all of the value their distributor partner has to offer.
Darius Adamczyk, president and CEO of Honeywell, said in a statement that the initiative comes after the company reviewed its market dynamics, growth outlook, and financial performance.
For owners of independent HVACR companies, direct mail campaigns allow you to reach potential contractors you otherwise may have missed with your current marketing plan. Everything you send to your contractors must be clear and concise, visually appealing and influential in nature.
Direct mail remains the second largest advertising media vehicle outside of television. With the overwhelming majority of contractors opening almost all their mail and 79 percent of contractors acting immediately on direct mail versus 45 percent for emails, it’s clear that direct mail is a critical component of a local marketing plan.
During years of editing this magazine and others in our industry, I’ve received various versions of this reply when asking a wholesaler for an interview: “We don’t like to talk about ourselves; we don’t want to bring attention to the business; we prefer flying below the clouds; or we don’t want to give away any secrets.” I’m a soft sell guy, and invariably my response was to say “thank you” and move on.
To answer the challenging question of my headline, I have to raise an answer that mimics an attitude I frequently hear in the HVACR industry. From weathered executives to fresh-faced counter people, I’ve heard comments about the unexciting aspects of our industry and how it isn’t at the forefront of many young people's career track.
It can take up to 20 years to build a quality brand name, but just a handful of bad experiences can destroy it. The great entrepreneurs of our time believed this to be true. Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerburg and Keith Merrill all bought into the concept that having a superior innovative product was not enough.
