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One of my summer adventures came not on vacation, but while on assignment for The NEWS. That was to a Renewable Energy and Sustainability Lifestyle Fair. It took place on a hot and humid day at a county fair grounds about 100 miles west of Chicago. The emphasis was on wind and solar power.

Local efficiency ratings have a silver lining. An insider’s perspective of SkillsUSA competition.

With unemployment at near-record highs, you might think that labor shortage is less of a problem now than it used to be. You’d be wrong. It still ranks high as one of the biggest problems for both residential and commercial contractors.

The bottom line in selling always seems to come down to - well, to the bottom line. The routes salespeople choose to get there are as varied as the creative expenditures on their expense reports. Here are a few lessons learned about identifying and managing salespeople.

Unfortunately, some customers can be a pain in the neck to deal with, becoming a serious drain on resources and a potential liability for word-of-mouth referrals. At what point do you let these never-satisfied customers go?

What will it take to drive more people to join the variety of HVACR clubs that are much in need of your participation? As many of you are aware (the percentage of our readers who belong to associations is higher than the industry norm), there are tangible benefits to belonging to a club that would have you as a member.

Many of my recent columns and blogs have been reflections on the past and the changes that have been going on in the industry. I was wondering why such remembrances were coming into my mind so often in recent months. Then it dawned on me that come 2010 I will have been in the HVACR industry for 25 years.

We are only hurting ourselves if we sit back and complain that business is bad for any number of reasons. Sure it has been cool and sure the economy is an issue, but look around and you will find contractors who are surviving quite well and, in many cases, even prospering in these times.

Partnership is an overused and sometimes empty word - but it may be time to revisit the concept. Decades ago, partnership was touted as the earth-shaking, innovative method for unbelievable success. But, skepticism ran high after a few years of some one-sided partnerships.

There seems to be little doubt that market trends like green and sustainability will continue to affect (and possibly enhance) the HVACR industry. In fact, some would assert that these elements are already a part of our world - if only we would use them, and maybe even promote them.