DT spoke with a handful of contractors and distributors who experienced exceptional success in 2018 and asked them what worked in 2018, what didn't, and how things are shaping up in 2019 and beyond.
The Dayton, Ohio-based wholesale HVACR distribution company, which was founded in 1962 by Kevin and Jason Trimbach’s grandfather, Jerry Trimbach, and business partner Jim Winget, now staffs 119 employees.
Consider how two-day delivery was coined “Prime” by a vendor like Amazon, but in some cases, that is now eclipsed by same-day delivery. Rationally, people know the circumstances might be different, but those speedy experiences still have an effect on how much patience feels like enough when ordering equipment or parts.
The “it” in this case isn’t the goal of working hard to succeed in the distributor business or even joining forces with other distributors. Ritchey is talking about the measures and programs his company invests in with one objective: assisting HVAC contractors in building and maintaining their own successful businesses.
Selling is about building value, and bidding is about competing on price. Dealers who bid replacement jobs are more likely to sell low-margin products, acquire fewer positive referrals, and go on credit hold quicker.
The Thos. Somerville Co. was founded in 1861. Doug Riley started with the company as a temporary worker in 1985. His meteoric rise reached its ceiling in 2015, when he was named CEO and president.
Price increases are caused by numerous factors, including tariffs, tightness in supply chains, the cost of freight, shortage of drivers, constraint of product, the never-ending threat of interest rates, and more
Following five years of death and destruction that led him through four deployments — three to Afghanistan and one to Iraq — Griffin’s chaotic lifestyle flip-flopped. Literally.