This Week At Contracting Business
Interactive July 9, 2008 |
A press kit (also called a media kit) is a packed set of promotional
material designed to give the media essential information about your
company. It should provide background information, establish your
credentials, and position you or your company for the media.
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If you ever price shop to base your prices on your competitor’s
prices, stop it right now! (I’m shaking my finger at you while I
write this.) The way to thrive in the contracting business is not to
focus on being the cheapest, but instead being the best
value.
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Adding fresh air to a heating or cooling system accomplishes two
primary Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) goals: First, it controls building
pressures and secondly, it increases IAQ by diluting polluted or stale
indoor air.
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Here are two of the seven finalists in the NATE Certified Technician
Competition. These technicians are the “best of the best” in the
industry and have earned their spot in the competition by scoring the
highest on their NATE certification exams. The technicians will compete
at this year’s HVAC Comfortech conference to earn the title of “top
tech”. HVAC Comfortech will take place in Atlanta, GA September 10 –
13. M
Gary Hodges
Carthage Heating & Cooling
Carthage, MS
Gary Hodges has been in the HVAC business formally for 15 years, but
says he has followed his father in the industry since he was big enough
to climb into a truck. As a service manager at Carthage Heating &
Cooling in Carthage,MS,Gary says he initially sought NATE certification
based on the recommendation of a supplier but quickly found that NATE
certification offered additionalbenefits. “Our customers are
beginning to realize that NATE certification helps ensure their systems
are operating at peak energy efficiency,” he commented.
Gary says he would advise those considering an HVAC career to spend some
time in the field before starting their own business. “It takes a
committed person to succeed in this business due to the extreme
temperatures and working conditions. If you can’t take the heat,
don’t go into the HVAC industry cold,” he noted. In his spare time,
Gary serves as a fire fighter and first responder with the county fire
department. He is a member of RSES. Carthage Heating & Cooling sells
Tempstar and Lennox HVAC systems.
Greg Kristiansen
GSK Climate Control Inc
Manchester, VT
Greg Kristiansen has worked in the HVAC industry since graduating from
SUNY Canton and SUNY Delhi Colleges 25 years ago. He enjoys the
diversity of the profession and the opportunity to work on projects
ranging from system design to troubleshooting.
Greg is an advocate for a state-licensing requirement that would
incorporate NATE certification into the learning process. He advises new
technicians to continually learn as much as they can and become involved
in industry organizations. Greg is a member of ACCA, RSES, NFPA, ASHRAE
& PGANE. GSK Climate Control, Inc. is a Lennox dealer.
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What are a few of the outstanding seminars from this year’s event?
Check this out:
BUDGET LIKE THE PROS
Skip Snyder, The Snyder Company
Budgeting often seems like an arcane art. In fact, budgeting is a useful
tool for keeping your business and your cashflow on target. Do it right
and you’ll get big dividends for your commercial contracting business.
Skip Snyder, a leading commercial contractor and author of “Finances
for Contractors,” will show you how to build a budget process that
measures and forecasts the right things in the right way.
YOUR CUSTOMERS CAN’T GET NO SATISFACTION (OR CAN THEY?)
Ellis Guiles, TAG Mechanical
All of us know exactly what the Rolling Stones were singing about when
they said "I can't get no satisfaction". Customer service levels in
many service related industries are poor at best. This seminar will show
you how you can implement a process in your business so you'll
consistently deliver superior customer service, providing your customers
with a "WOW” experience that will have them coming back for more and
you smiling as you hear the sound of "Cha Ching".
USE BUSINESS INFORMATION MODELING (BIM) TO SET YOURSELF APART
Jason Merriman, AO Reed
What is “business information modeling” and how does it work? Learn
how one contracting firm has implemented BIM into their operations and
how it saves them time, reduces insurance costs, and allows for more
precise building systems. You’ll learn step-by-step how to implement
BIM, view a live example of how it works, and discover BIM’s
implications for “green” contracting.
SUCCEEDING IN THE MULTI-LOCATION SERVICE MARKET
Bob Keingstein, BOSS Facility Services
Multi-location commercial contracts can produce big positives for your
bottom line, but there’s an art to succeeding in this market and
operational challenges for making it work. Learn from real world
examples how contractors can get more multi-location customers and use
this market to grow your company and profits.
WINNING & MANAGING NEGOTIATED AND DESIGN/BUILD CONTRACTS
George Hedley, Hedley Construction & Management
Stop bidding and start negotiating! Learn the advantages of negotiated
and design-build, your changing role, risks, responsibilities, the team
approach, and keys to success. Get past the “low-bid” mentality, add
more value and accept more responsibility in the development process by
providing pre-construction services, total project management,
budgeting, city approvals, contract management and pro-active meetings.
Learn how to win profitable contracts by marketing and creating
relationships with customers, architects, engineers, and contractors.
USE THE ACCA/ASHRAE COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE STANDARD TO IMPROVE
PROFITS
Ellis Guiles, TAG Mechanical
For the first time, the ACCA/ASHRAE Commercial Maintenance Standard
provides a document that outlines the minimum requirements for ensuring
that commercial HVAC systems are maintained and functioning properly.
Learn how to use this standard in your daily business to educate
building owners and operators, set yourself apart from other
contractors, and make more than a few bucks all at the same time.
USING GPS & FLEET MANAGEMENT TOOLS TO LOWER COSTS & INCREASE
PRODUCTIVITY
Mike Weil, Moderator
Fuel costs keep going up, up, up. At the same time, new technologies
offer new ways to improve productivity in dispatching, service, and
employee management. A panel of contractors with real world experience
will discuss the pros and cons of installing GPS and similar
technologies, the results, and the pitfalls to avoid. Learn how to shave
dollars off your fuel bill, improve customer service, and use these
systems to improve your ability to manage employees (while overcoming
employees’ objections).
Plus more….
The ball is in your court. Take advantage of this outstanding program
packed with strategies and techniques to better your business and keep
you a step ahead in the commercial contracting world!
www.contractingroundtable.com
Go ahead and click……you can register, find out more about the
program, plus find out what past attendees have said about the event.
November 12-13, 2008 – Atlanta Hilton Airport Hotel – Atlanta,
Georgia
The 2008 Commercial Contracting Roundtable & Design/Build seminar is
produced by Contracting Business magazine and ACCA.
Thank you to our fine sponsors:
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 With Trane, it's hard to stop an industry leader, unique
sales process training, and the best lead generation tools. And that's
why as a Trane dealer, it's hard to stop you. Learn more.
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Register by July 15 for the HVAC Comfortech 2008 Seminar Program and
save more than $100 on your registration fee, plus you’ll get a FREE
copy of the Service Roundtable's Windshield University, First Edition;
Success Strategies Audio CD and a $40 Gift Certificate for the Service
Roundtable (good for new members only). See details below on your FREE
gifts.
Windshield University: First Edition
This two CD set features:
Industry News — Some of the latest and oddest news in the worlds of
plumbing and HVAC
Roundtable Views — Discussions by top contractors and consultants of
problems and opportunities in the world of contracting
Interview with Charlie Greer — Charlie “Tec Daddy” Greer shares
his insights on work force motivation, recruiting, and sales
Selling in a Soft Market —Matt Michel offers an array of sales and
marketing tips to get more business when sales are soft
Success Strategies
An audio CD program with a mix of unique, innovative, tried and true,
and occasionally offbeat marketing methods from Matt Michel:
The Impoverished Craftsman — A message for everyone who knows how to
turn a wrench, but not a profit
Beyond Stickering — How to get your name in a lasting position in your
customer's homes so you’ll never be forgotten
Show Them — Car magnate Carl Sewell’s method for increasing Saab
sales will boost your sales
Windshield University Excerpt — A short clip from the industry’s
most dynamic audio training program
Be Remembered — These tips, offered by consumers in focus groups, will
ensure you will be remembered
REGISTER NOW TO GET YOUR DISCOUNT AND FREE GIFT! To register or
for more information, visit www.hvaccomfortech.com.
HVAC Comfortech is the HVAC industry’s premier national seminar
program and product showcase for the residential and light commercial
contractor. This key industry event is produced and managed by
Contracting Business magazine. It will be held from September 10-13,
2008, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
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HPAC ENGINEERING introduces the Commissioning Green Buildings (CxGB)
Conference & Expo, which will co-locate with the fifth annual
Engineering Green Buildings (EGB) Conference & Expo October 21 and 22 at
the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
CxGB is a perfect compliment to the EGB Conference & Expo and will offer
technical sessions dedicated to the critical role commissioning plays in
sustainability, green-design and LEED-certification.
CxGB will help design-build mechanical contractors learn how
commissioning can help achieve green-building goals and how they can
capitalize on commissioning opportunities in the fast-growing
green-design market.
Engineering Green Buildings (EGB) Conference & Expo
October 21 & 22
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Las Vegas Nevada
Commissioning Green Buildings (CxGB) Conference & Expo
Co-locating with EGB 2008
October 21 & 22
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Las Vegas Nevada
For more information go to www.cgbconference.com
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