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These remarks concern how to start an HVACR distribution business.

Regis Philbin retired. Who’s the next Regis? It really doesn’t matter. The bottom line is that this man’s experience, wisdom, and expertise go with him and the young buck they will likely replace him with has a lot to learn. Sadly, this replacement of the older generation with younger counterparts seems to be happening at a quicker rate than in the past.

These comments all concern applicants disqualifying themselves by not following simple instructions.

A speaker who had my complete attention at the MSCA educational conference was business author Tim Sanders. Sanders said a future war for talented workers is brewing. When I heard him say that, I perked up because the first editorial I wrote for The NEWS a year and a half ago was about the coming labor shortage.

Comments on the Nest thermostat, which was designed by the creator of the iPod, and has been offered for presale through Best Buy and www.nest.com.

Home performance contracting is taking the country by storm. Well, maybe not yet a thunderstorm, but in every meeting of HVAC contractors that I have attended in the last 18 months, at least some mention of measuring systems — testing in and testing out — has been on the agenda.

HVAC isn’t glamorous, but you can make a great living in it.

How does your business look now, compared to five years ago? What is the staff size? Work loads? Staff satisfaction? This may be an interesting year for The NEWS’ Best Contractor to Work For (BCTWF) contest.

Don’t procrastinate, just do it now. Choose what not to do.

Trying to go green — or even stay green — in tough economic times is a challenge. This became especially apparent to me during the month of September when I traveled to a couple of quite diverse industry events.