Transportation is an integral part of HVACR distribution, and based on recent actions from state legislators across the nation, gas prices are headed in only one direction: up.

My advice to myself would be to make sure that I paint a clear and honest picture of the situation for our people and to trust in the power of a common goal and the abilities of the excellent people in the company. I’d tell myself to worry a whole lot less and enjoy the ride a lot more.

At the 2018 HARDI Annual Conference, Dec. 1-4 in Austin, Texas, six industry veterans shared decades of distribution acumen during a roundtable discussion that examined the moments that shaped their careers, what they’d change if they were given a mulligan, and more.

Today, HVACR distributors rely on enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to handle nearly every level of their operations. Vendor data, turns, dead stock, cycle counts, sales margins, and much more can be accessed directly from a computer or, in some cases, a mobile device.

The popular projection is that 2019 is poised to be a challenging year for HVACR distributors. So, what does that mean for your business? Are you doomed for failure regardless of how well your company performs in 2019?

In the summer of 1985, from a garage in Anaheim, California, Dion Quinn drafted the budgets for his first company using an Apple II computer. Thirty-four years later, his company, AC Pro, a family-owned HVAC distributor and manufacturer based in Fontana, California, employs 400 employees across 17 locations in Southern California and southern Nevada.

Smart home services are in high demand. According to Statista, the smart home market is expected to grow 14.9 percent over the next four years to a market value of $34.6 billion in 2022.

As we prepare to flip the calendar and turn our focus to the future, I feel moved to share a few of my predictions that are sure to come true in 2019.

While ductless HVAC is not without its flaws, the technology has evolved exponentially to now provide customers with numerous configurations at affordable prices appropriate for nearly every application, which is music to the ears of entrepreneurial contractors.