Myths about customer relationships abound in the world of distribution. A few are based in reality while some are based on a promotion gone viral. At best, most are only partially accurate. The adage, “the customer is always right,” has always stuck in my craw. I suspect many fine folks out in distributorland will disagree when I say if you live by this motto, you will soon be enjoying downward mobility and celebrating financial ruin.
Do you say, “I want to be the biggest, baddest, most profitable wholesale supply house in my market,” but you’re unsure how to do it? The answer is simple, but the execution and implementation are what separate the winners from the losers.
Tom Perić: We see some ads, hear a lot of talk, and read articles about hiring military veterans. Yet if you own a small business and say you’ve got two openings, you probably have no idea of how to do that. True?
NEW LENOX, Ill. — Munch’s Supply, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) distributor and third-generation family business, announced the official grand openings of its Grand Rapids and Madison Heights, Michigan, locations. Munch’s now employs more than 50 people in the state.
I was recently meeting in our conference room with HARDI’s financial advisers to discuss investment strategies in light of the tumultuous start to the NYSE’s 2016. Unlike our readers, the assets of trade associations such as HARDI are not tied up in physical inventory but rather in financial reserves that serve two purposes.
Tom’s Note: I was reading the Philadelphia Inquirer and noticed a full-page advertisement for a one-day class by Barry Schwartz, on Why We Work, which is also the title of his book.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — At its annual conference, HARDI recognized Warren Lupson, director of education for the Air-Conditioning, Heating, & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), with an Award for Outstanding Dedication.
BALTIMORE — According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, 50 percent of today’s contractors will retire over the next 10 years. At the same time, HVACR systems are becoming more sophisticated, and regulations and standards are dictating rapid change in technology, including the IoT.
In the old days, distributors operated as if all civilization ended at the edge of the piece of dirt they called their territory. Overlooking national trends, being caught off guard by new technologies and losing out on the opportunity to shape the future were all symptoms of this limited outlook.
