In spite of a slow economy there remains some guarded optimism among HVACR distributors that the unitary and light commercial heat pump market will at least hold its own in 2008. But it appears to have flattened out for now.
John Sedine is an HVACR contractor who sees green in green. The owner of Engineered Heating & Cooling recently completed work on Kingsbury Place, the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified apartment home community.
Seeking new technician prospects and solid vocational education programs, two communities are re-educating the public and the industry as to what it takes to be a successful votech school. Each has its own strategy, but they both share one thing in common - a lot of local business support.
In the current economy, it is logical to assume many consumers will pay to repair rather than replace - at least in 2008. The NEWS asked marketing directors from Goodman and Johnson Controls to comment on how the economy has an affect on one product in particular - heat pumps - and strategies they are sharing with their dealers on selling in tough times.
Should employees of HVACR contracting businesses
know as much as possible about Occupational Safety & Health Administration
(OSHA) safety issues? Yes, according to Wesley Wheeler, safety director and
project manager for Cogburn Brothers Inc., an HVAC mechanical contractor.
“There are a lot of things you can do to keep
insurance costs down,” said Erin Richards, an account executive for Federated
Insurance. Richards was a guest speaker at the Florida Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning Contractor’s Association (FRACCA) annual conference.
One of the best ways to improve a work process
is by understanding how planning and communication impact productivity. Those
were the words of Matt Stevens, of Stevens Construction Institute
Inc., as he spoke to attendees at the Florida Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning Contractor’s Association (FRACCA) conference.
So you think you have a good Website? Maybe you do. But chances are, a lot of other contractors feel the same way. The NEWS wanted to know how contractors view their own Websites and if this business tool has been an effective and beneficial part of their overall business model.
The racecar drivers got it right. They know how to keep cool. Now if only we could convince our a/c customers that they need to stay cool all of the time, life would be good! Wouldn’t it?
The good contractors know how to stay busy and keep their workers on a regular full-time schedule. The contractors who are not doing as well are the ones that probably aren’t taking the risks that others are taking, even the lowballers. They are the middle grounders.