Preparation is Key

It’s March and the calendar says it’s spring. But if you’re the owner or general manager of an air-conditioning business, summer is likely already on your mind. Air-conditioning companies make up to 70 percent of their profits during the summer months.

You’re undoubtedly working hard to find employees, review your business systems, and execute your marketing plan in advance of the most important 12 weeks for you this year. You know you need to grow revenue during this short window to make your goals for the year.

You know you need this summer to build customer relationships and provide the customer service that makes a positive first and lasting impression. You know one misstep or unplanned event can have a tremendous impact on your ability to increase profit.

You also know the need to prepare for your busiest season doesn’t change from year to year. You’re aware that the time to prepare for summer is now, before customers start calling. Here are the top six areas to focus on ahead of time to ensure you maximize your earnings potential for the entire summer season.

In order to meet your profit goals, you need to make sure your services are priced correctly. Calculate your break-even and desired profit and figure out what you need to charge.

Your pricing needs to be strategic; it shouldn’t just be what you believe your market can bear, or a random dart on a dart board. Set realistic goals for the company and every revenue producer in your company.

Make sure you have a process in place to get the right technician to aged equipment calls; don’t forget to track the results! Properly trained techs know how

to educate customers on all their available options, including replacement. They’re masters when it comes to explaining how customers could be overpaying utility companies by keeping a less efficient system running vs. replacement options. The details matter.

Review your entire installation process with your staff. Revisit the technician training your staff has had or still needs. Include a close look at your transfer process for handing off an installation from your salesperson to your install manager and driving next-day installs.

If you don’t have a good process, profits will suffer and customers will not be taken care of in a timely manner.

Before summer arrives, establish whether you’re going to extend your hours of operation and how you’re handling emergency service calls. Then make sure you have staff trained in customer service working the extended hours.

A good place to start is to skillspractice scenarios from call center training with anyone who may answer the phones during regular or extended hours. Customers should never feel like they are talking to your “B” team, no matter what time they call.

Nothing can stall a good summer season like having a truck break down. Make sure you have your entire fleet serviced ahead of time to prevent or fix any minor problems. Inspect your current equipment and make plans now to bring in any additional inventory or equipment you might need.

At the end of the day, the biggest key to a good summer is having the right people doing the right jobs. Quality technicians and installers have completely different jobs. Your job is to make sure your employees are in the right jobs so they can be successful.

If you take the time to focus on these six areas now, you’ll be well prepared for summer when the customers start calling! u

Jodi Peter, Nexstar Network’s Content Specialist, began her career in the trades as a service manager. Previously Nexstar’s Business Coach Manager, she’s delighted in helping businesses succeed since 2008. For additional information, visit nexstarnetwork.com, call 888-240-7827 or email membership@ nexstarnetwork.com.

For so many of us, family is paramount. You probably expect to use your wealth to take care of your family in the here and now— health care, travel, college tuition and the like. But chances are you haven’t thought nearly as much about positioning your assets so they’re ready and able to help the people you love after you’re gone. Even if you have made some headway in this area, your plan for your estate is probably a little—and maybe a lot—out of date.

If that describes your situation, don’t fret. Even if you have many moving parts to your finances, you can get on track by focusing on two main areas of estate planning: wills and trusts. Here’s how to do it. WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY

Read this next sentence three times in a row: Everyone should have a will.

Got it? A will should be the basic foundation of every estate plan—the starting point for a well-conceived strategy to transfer assets at death.

A will identifies precisely what you want to have happen to your assets and estate. Dying without a will means you have decided that the state knows what’s best for you and your family. In addition, dying without a will means you want to make the settling of your estate as difficult, as costly and as public as possible.

As with any decision, there are both positives and negatives to a will. That said, we strongly believe the benefits of writing a will far outweigh the drawbacks. Advantages: • You decide on the disposition of your hard-earned wealth. • Estate taxes are mitigated—especially when the will is part of a broader estate plan. • You specify who the fiduciaries will be. Disadvantages: • You have to accept that one day—far in the future—you just might die. • There is a legal cost associated with writing up a will and with estate planning. WILLS AND TRUSTS The foundations of your rock-solid estate plan

The second component of a smart estate plan is often a trust. A trust is nothing more than a means of transferring property to a third party—the trust. Specifically, a trust lets you transfer title of your assets to trustees for the benefit of the people you want to take care of—aka your selected beneficiaries. The trustee will carry out your wishes on behalf of your beneficiaries.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of trusts: living (established while you are alive) and testamentary (created by your will after you’ve passed). Living trusts are becoming more and more popular to avoid the cost of probate. In the probate process, your representatives “prove” the validity of your will. The probate process also gives any creditors the opportunity to collect their due before your estate is passed to your heirs. There may be a long delay in settling your estate as it goes through probate. To add salt to the wound, probate can be costly.

Are viable only at death. Can have uses while you’re alive.

Are public. Are private.

Are not very good when you’re dealing with more than one state. Are good in every state and not encumbered by states.

Must go through probate. Can generally avoid probate.

IS A TRUST FOR YOU? 1. Are your beneficiaries unwilling or un-able to handle the responsibilities of an outright gift (investing the assets, spending the gift wisely, etc.)? 2. Do you want to keep the amount and the ways your assets are distributed to heirs a secret? 3. Do you want to delay or restrict the ownership of the assets by the beneficiary? 4. Do you need to provide protection from your and/or your beneficiary’s creditors and plaintiffs? 5. Do you want to lower your estate taxes?

If you answered “yes” to any of the five questions, you may find it beneficial to set up a trust.

A living trust can avoid or mitigate the effects of probate. It is a revocable trust that you establish and of which you are also typically the sole trustee. The assets in your living trust avoid probate at death, and are instead distributed to your heirs according to your wishes.

Living trusts are sometimes said to be superior to a will, but that is certainly not the case for everyone. It’s important that you understand how they compare.

Is a living trust for you? It depends on

Keven Prather specializes in serving the complex needs of business owners through Financial Planning and Business Transition/ Exit Planning. Using a Total Wealth Planning approach, Keven’s objective is to turn complex problems into actionable, understandable and manageable steps, by collaborating with business owners, their family, and strategic partners.” Keven can be reached at (216) 592-7314 or kprather@financialguide.com. www.TransitioNextAdvisors.com.

www.hvacrbusiness.com your particular situation. Nevertheless, you should certainly consider it in consultation with your advisor or wealth manager.

We recommend that your estate plan be reviewed every year or two. The review should be conducted by a high-caliber wealth manager or tax professional—one who takes the time to learn what’s changed since you put your solutions in place, assess how those changes might impact your strategy, and make recommendations for getting your solutions current and in accordance with your wishes.

For more information please call me at (216) 592-7314 or send me an email at kprather@financialguide.com.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: This article was published by the VFO Inner Circle, a global financial concierge group working with affluent individuals and families and is distributed with its permission. Copyright 2017 by AES Nation, LLC. Keven P. Prather is a registered representative of and offers securities, investment advisory and financial planning services through MML Investors Services, LLC. Member SIPC. www. sipc.org. Supervisory Office: 2012 West 25th Street, Suite 900 Cleveland, OH 44113. 216.621.5680. TransitioNext Advisors® is not a subsidiary or affiliate of MML Investors Services, LLC or its affiliated companies.

Securities and investment advisory services offered through qualified registered representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC. Member SIPC. www.SIPC.org. TransitioNext AdvisorsTM is not a subsidiary or affiliate of MML Investors Services, LLC, or its affiliated companies. Supervisory Office: 2012 West 25th Street, Suite 900 Cleveland, OH 44113. 216.621.5680.

This report is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Neither MML Investors Services nor any of its employees or agents are authorized to give legal or tax advice. Consult your own personal attorney legal or tax counsel for advice on specific legal and tax matters. CEG Worldwide, LLC. is not a subsidiary or affiliates of MML Investors Services, LLC or its affiliated companies.

VFO Inner Circle Special Report By Russ Alan Prince and John J. Bowen Jr. ©Copyright 2018 by AES Nation, LLC. All rights reserved.

This report is reprinted with permission from VFO Inner Circle.

Unless otherwise noted, the source for all data cited regarding financial advisors in this report is CEG Worldwide, LLC. The source for all data cited regarding business owners and other professionals is AES Nation, LLC.

Current media tells a story of financial markets volatility, global economic ambiguity, trade wars, and health crises. Much of American business faces uncertainty in their outlook for 2020 due to these macro issues.

HVACR equipment manufacturers sourcing inputs from Asia are particularly at risk, for example. But in the HVACR services market, which in most cases is managed on a local level, business is less variable and more predictable. This stability makes it possible for HVACR service companies to consider selling their business or acquiring others at attractive values.

Even if a more general economic slowdown materializes, and HVACR customers decide to postpone elective maintenance or larger projects, revenues from maintenance contracts and emergency work will continue.

Due to this predictability of revenues, as well as the resources available to acquirors (cash in the bank, credit availability, and a strong supply of financial partners), HVACR businesses will remain

Most if not all of the HVACR service company owners that contact us have a nonstop flow of meeting requests and acquisition proposals from potential

attractive to buyers in 2020.

As is the case in the entire mergers and acquisitions market, no two transactions are ever the same. Completed HVACR acquisitions in 2019 illustrate this phenomenon, particularly for these midsize examples:

CoolSys acquisition of ABC Refrigeration & HVAC. CoolSys is owned by private equity firm Audax which pursues a strategy of acquiring HVACR companies to increase scale and combining them under the CoolSys name. ABC, located in East Syracuse, NY, specialized in commercial refrigeration and air conditioning services.

The transaction stands out as an acquisition by private equity firm with existing experience in the industry.

Caltius Equity acquisition of Air Conditioning Innovative Solutions (“ACIS”). Caltius, another private equity firm and new entrant into the HVACR industry, specializes in industrial business services generally. ACIS, based in McKinney, TX, evolved from a small service-and-repair company to become the leading provider of HVAC and Plumbing maintenance services in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

The transaction represents an example of a financial investor buying into the industry for the first time. suitors. Having an exit strategy based on advice from an experienced deal attorney, accountant, wealth manager and banker helps to reduce the noise and allows owners to thoughtfully evaluate their options.

Given that the market value of mid-size businesses remains high compared to his

toric experience, HVACR business own

ers should explore the options for selling

their business or acquiring others today. u

ACCO Engineered Systems (“ACCO”) acquisition of Smith Electric Service. ACCO, a private employee-owned mechanical contracting company, sought to expand in the central coast of California. Smith, based in Santa Maria, CA, was chosen based on their reputation for customer service in the region.

This transaction stands as an example of a company already experienced in HVACR expanding their territory and acquiring experienced technicians. Brooks Crankshaw is an HVACR specialist and Partner of The Chicago Corporation, an investment bank enhancing shareholder value by advising clients on mergers, acquisitions, debt and equity raising. For additional information, visit thechicagocorp. com. Securities transactions conducted through TCC Securities, LLC, an affiliated company, registered Broker/Dealer and Member FINRA/SIPC.

The HVACR industry has been doing service the same way for decades. Today, sensor technology has made monitoring and remote diagnostics possible, making smart maintenance the future of HVACR service.

If your company is using smart HVACR maintenance to give your customers confidence in your work and peace of mind about their systems, there are a few things you may want your technicians to know. New to smart HVACR maintenance? Maybe you don’t even know about it yet, but you can get smart about smart maintenance and help your company grow.

Think about smart HVACR maintenance like the check engine light in your vehicle and the way automotive technicians can run a system check to identify maintenance issues for your car.

With sensors on the HVACR system monitoring performance 24/7, homeowners and their contractors can be alerted to issues and help protect against system failure. your offering from other contractors.

Fewer than 20 percent of homeowners buy a maintenance plan and up to onethird cancel each year. Many traditional maintenance offerings don’t bring peace of mind or enough perceived homeowner value.

With today’s technology your firm can now offer detailed, customized information on a homeowner’s system, driving engagement and renewals.

More than 40 percent of newly installed residential HVACR systems are not installed correctly per the EPA. Smart maintenance helps drive accurate installs and repairs.

By running performance checks, technicians can confirm their work while reducing callbacks and increasing productivity. Diagnostics from smart sensors can be enhanced to confirm and solve system errors, helping technicians perform with confidence on site.

When your customers have smart HVACR maintenance installed, you can analyze a system’s problems remotely to “know before you go.” By analyzing sensor data, you can grab the right part and send the right tech for the job.

This helps with managing labor and reducing time on site. You can be a hero to your customer by not spending extra time running for parts or diagnosing the issue.

Selling new systems with smart maintenance gives you the ability to differentiate Offering a system featuring sensor technology and the ability to diagnose problems remotely positions you as the right partner for homeowners who are increasingly expecting their home appliances to be smart.

HVACR is a big investment for a home

owner and smart maintenance provides

peace of mind and a better service

experience. The future of HVACR has

arrived. Upgrade to smart. u

Joe Samel is the head of marketing commercialization for Sensi Predict, Emerson’s new smart maintenance solution. For additional information, visit sensipredict.com.

Honeywell Launches Autonomous Building Sustainability Solution ATLANTA — Honeywell announced the launch of Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization, a cloud-based, closed-loop, machine learning solution that continuously studies a building’s energy consumption patterns and automatically adjusts to optimal energy saving settings without compromising occupant comfort levels.

Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization, the first autonomous building solution focused on decreasing energy consumption, may deliver double-digit energy savings, decrease a building’s carbon footprint, and can be implemented without significant upfront capital expenses or changes to a building’s current operational processes.

During a pilot at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization demonstrated an initial 10 percent energy savings. HBMSU is the first accredited smart university in the UAE and is known for its technology and innovation programs.

Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization was applied to HBMSU’s existing building management system, which uses competitor technology to demonstrate the platform’s open architecture and hardware-agnostic capabilities. The additional energy savings is especially significant because HBMSU is regarded as a highly smart, energy efficient building with fully connected lighting, cooling, building management, power and efficiency control that is optimized based on real-time occupancy. The pilot also uncovered local control issues with the chiller plant and fresh air handling unit that were not adjusting to set points.

“Buildings aren’t static steel and concrete — they’re dynamic ecosystems and their energy needs fluctuate based on ever-changing variables like weather and occupancy,” said David Trice, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Connected Buildings. “With Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization, we’re evolving building operations far beyond what would be possible even with a robust team of engineers and the rules they code in their building management system. By employing the latest self-learning algorithms coupled with autonomous control, we can help building portfolio owners fine-tune their energy expenditures to drive efficiencies and create more sustainable practices for our customers.” >> honeywell.com

Johnson Controls Announces Rooftop Unit Roadshow MILWAUKEE— Johnson Controls announced its 2020 “Game On” Roadshow, featuring rooftop HVAC systems from Johnson Controls, TempMaster and YORK. Beginning March 4th in Richmond, Va., this tour will bring the comprehensive and newly extended rooftop unit portfolio to locations across North America, including Los Angeles, Toronto, Atlanta, and more.

As part of the tour, the 53-foot “Game On” trailer will house full-size displays of Choice 15-27.5T and Select 27.5-50T units to give visitors hands on interactions with the equipment. The agenda will also include engaging interactive experiences featuring the Premier 25-50T rooftop platform, Variable Air Volume Products (VAV), the Verasys Building Controls System and the Rooftop Center of Excellence for design and manufacturing.

“Featuring cutting-edge efficiency, high performance and unbeatable reliability, Johnson Controls, TempMaster and YORK rooftop units are being implemented to build smarter and more comfortable environments,” said Matt Shaub, VP and GM of Commercial Ducted Systems. “The ‘Game On’ Roadshow will bring these products and information directly to our customers in a meaningful way and provide opportunities to learn about the latest technologies and developments in the HVAC market.”

With events held in more than 25 states, the “Game On” Roadshow is part of Johnson Controls overall commitment to customer success and innovation, including the recent opening of their Norman, Okla. Rooftop Center of Excellence, a 900,000 square foot laboratory and manufacturing space. >> johnsoncontrols.com/gameon

Students Experience Engineering Firsthand at Trane DAVIDSON, N.C. —Trane collaborated with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Coulee Subsection of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to encourage La Crosse, Wis., students to consider careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Nearly 250 eighth grade students from 11 local middle schools visited Trane’s La Crosse facility this week, taking part in a competitive activity in which they designed a LEGO vehicle and provided detailed instructions to human “robots” to recreate it.

Volunteers from Dairyland Power Cooperative, Michaels Energy and HSR Associates acted as the human robots, and provided supplies and planning support for the event.

Students also toured the Trane laboratory and acoustics facility, learning about various career opportunities within the STEM fields, and experienced firsthand the engineering and programming opportunities in the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) industry.

“This was a perfect opportunity to share the exciting world of engineering and other STEM fields with young students when they’re old enough to be considering careers, but still young enough to be making choices for their high school coursework,” said Kristin Sullivan, compressor design team leader for Trane. “These students may become the scientists and engineers who solve the climate and sustainability challenges of our future, and it was a great experience to see how enthusiastic these students were to learn more and get involved.” >> trane.com

Navien, Inc. Announces a Major U.S. Expansion VIRGINIA — Navien, Inc. will establish its first U.S. manufacturing and assembly operation in James City County, Va. The 300,000 square foot facility will be used as a distribution center for the first two years and begin the transition process & preparation into manufacturing operation in 2022 with the first stage of manufacturing expected to begin in 2023.

“Navien’s decision to locate its first U.S. manufacturing operation in James City County demonstrates the competitive advantage that Virginia offers to international companies looking to expand into new markets,” said Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam. “This project is an important win for the Greater Williamsburg region and our Commonwealth, as Navien will bring a key facility back into productive use, create 180 high-quality jobs, and utilize the nearby Port of Virginia as its gateway to the world.” Contingent upon regulatory permits and approvals, Navien’s current plans are to expand the existing facility starting in 2023, which will triple the footprint to nearly 900,000 square feet by 2026.

“The close proximity of this property to the Port of Virginia and the flexibility to expand and allow for Navien’s continued investment over time helped us make this decision,” said Navien CEO Sangkyu Lee. “Establishing an East Coast facility will support Navien’s growth and allow for faster delivery to primary eastern markets while balancing current shipments coming into California. We look forward to working with the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program as we grow this facility and its importance to Navien’s overall leadership position in North America.”

Distribution of Navien products from the new Virginia facility is slated to begin in April 2020. >> navieninc.com

DAIKIN At the heart of the Daikin One ecosystem is the Daikin One+ Smart Thermostat, engineered to communicate seamlessly with all Daikin One ecosystem components. The Daikin One ecosystem includes the Daikin Fit system with communicating furnaces, evaporator coils and air handlers, the Daikin One Premium Air Cleaners, and the new Daikin One Home Air Monitor. The Daikin One Home Air Monitor detects indoor air quality (IAQ) events and sends information to both the Daikin One+ Smart Thermostat and the optional Daikin One Home App where the IAQ levels of particles and chemicals are visualized. >> daikincomfort.com/go/fit

DANFOSS The Danfoss DSH 50TR with IDV technology extends the company’s range of scroll compressors for air-cooled and water-cooled chillers up to 150 TR per circuit in trio configurations, where traditional designs would otherwise require quadros or additional circuits. Even with the new large tonnage available, the Danfoss DSH 50TR fits under standard coils by using same frame as smaller 30-TR and 40-TR scrolls while still maintaining all of the latest Danfoss scroll technologies — IDV, Schnorkel, organ pipe — for enhanced part-load efficiency of up to +10 percent compared to standard scroll designs. >> danfoss.us

EMERSON The ASCO Series 158 Gas Valve and Series 159 Motorized Actuator is designed specifically for burner-boiler applications. The new products give OEMs, distributors, contractors and end-users a new combustion safety shutoff valve option that increases safety and reliability and enhances both flow and control. The new valve offers a higher close-off pressure of 75 psi (5.2 Bar) ensures a safe shutoff in the event of a fuel train system failure and eliminates the need for additional safety components. The valve offers a flow rate which is twice that of other combustion valves on the market. >> emerson.com

GREEN LINK Green Link Engineering has increased support strength by 40 percent on its Knuckehead universal base in response to customer needs in areas with high winds, seismic activity and other environmental fluctuates that can affect rooftop installations. Green Link Engineering’s retooled Knucklehead universal base now offers an improved attachment feature for more secure installations. The universal base, which accepts a range of head designs, originally featured two holes for securing the base using screws that penetrate to the roof deck. The retooling now features four holes which allows for the doubling of mechanical fasteners. >> greenlinkengineering.com

LESLIE CONTROLS The Constantemp steam-water heater is a completely pre-piped system, supplied with properly sized accessories. The Constantemp’s central component is its feed forward blending valve, activated by a differential pressure sensing head. With accuracy of ± 3F, the Constantemp steam-water heater is available for flows up to 120 gallons per minute (GPM) and temperatures adjustable from 105F to 180F. Available in either single or double wall exchanger models, Constantemp steam-water heater options include skid-mounting, a recirculation kit, and an automatic descaler, as well as an insulated cover and pressure gradient monitor. >> circor.com

NU-CALGON Nu-Calgon has launched a new Complete Care Mini-Split Maintenance Kit that contains everything a contractor needs to clean up to four mini-split units. This easy-to-use kit ensures mini-splits can be cleaned of dirt and debris, while protecting surrounding walls and floors of the living space. The Complete Care Mini-Split Kit makes cleaning and servicing mini-splits easy by providing a complete line-up of necessary chemicals and tools. >> nucalgon.com

PANASONIC Panasonic’s new ClimaPure XE ductless heat pump system is comprised of an air purification technology, nanoe X, that sets a new standard in air quality for the U.S. ductless heat pump market. The patented technology disperses OH radicals through the air and deep into fabrics to effectively decrease common odors and pollutants in the indoor environment. As an added benefit, nanoe X also helps retain skin moisture and reduce dryness issues for occupants. With its quiet operation, the ClimaPure XE system offers occupant comfort in residential, institutional and light commercial settings. >> us.panasonic.com/hvac

WARREN CONTROLS Warren Controls launched the ARIA as an upgraded version of its AmurAct. The newly improved actuator is designed for 1.5 million cycles and can withstand ambient temperatures up to 140F, with travel speeds at 12 seconds per inch (nine seconds for ¾-inch stroke valves). It is equipped with an electric spring fail safe (when opened or closed), robust enclosures with IP67 / NEMA 4X enclosure and water tight ½-inch NPT fittings, and has split range input capability for 1/3-2/3 high/low applications. Warren Controls created the ARIA Series with customers in mind. Four belt sizes are available with the ARIA actuator for customized use >> warrencontrols.com

We sat down with Danielle Putnam, president of The New Flat Rate and immediate past president of Women in HVACR. Putnam discussed growing up in the industry, learning to lead a business and recruiting women into the field.

1. What’s your industry background? My dad started his own electrical company when I was seven. And so, my siblings and I spent that summer passing out flyers everywhere in town. We had an early introduction into the trades. Later on, he bought an HVACR and plumbing company as well.

2. Did you work at the business? I did. In high school my junior and senior year, I was homeschooled, so I was able to work full time in the office. At 17, I worked in the office, ran parts and even worked inventory in the warehouse.

3. What did you do after high school? I went to Bible school in Texas for four years. It was an internship; so, I worked in the marketing department out there and they took a lot of students around the world on mission trips. I learned a lot.

4. How’d you get back into the trades? After those four years, my dad called and said he needed some help. I went and worked with him for another year. After that, I went up to Portland, Ore. for a year and worked for a contractor doing marketing for them.

5. But then you got into tech? Yes, after Portland, I ended up in Southern California working for a tech company in 2005. It was a startup; I was the second employee. We went public in 2007 and I was doing business development, flying all over the U.S.

6. What was it like at a startup? We did a lot of really cool, fun things. Being a startup company, we were just learning and struggling forward. My career was a lot of trial and error. After five and a half years, they got bought out by a large company.

7. What was your next career move? My dad called and told me about an idea he had. He kept calling and calling with these ideas for the New Flat Rate. I told him to quit giving away all his ideas for free and start a company. And he says, “Well, I can’t do it without you. I need your help.”

8. So you started a new company? I loved my career path, I loved the company I was with, and I was really set up well in the merger. But, I knew if I didn’t help my dad I’d regret it for the rest of my life. I turned in my resignation, moved home to Dalton, Ga., and my dad and I spent all of 2011 working in his garage for 12 hours a day, seven days a week, building the New Flat Rate. And by 2012 we had a product to sell.

9. What was your first step? My dad had been working with Jay Abraham, a top marketing and business consultant, who said, “You have an idea, but that means nothing until you beta test it. I have to see some proof.” So, my dad shot a message out to Service Roundtable, saying we’d developed a new pricing system and asked if anyone would test it for us.

10. How did the beta testing go? A bunch of companies responded, but eight came into the first round of beta tests. We took a bunch of sheets of paper and laminated them and three hole punched them and mailed out three ring binders to these eight companies. We said, “Hand these pages to your technicians, have them go into the home, but don’t try to sell the customer, just present the page and let the customer choose and then report back to us every Friday for four weeks.”

11. And what happened? Every Friday we met with these eight companies. There was no training, no handholding, nothing ... but they were all seeing an average increase of $200 per service ticket. The beta test showed that the system put more money in contractor’s pockets, and that’s what we wanted to do and why we wanted to go into business anyway.

12. How important was feedback? We had to have it. After barely a year, we started to get requests from contractors to come out and train them. We’d never thought of that. And then they started asking for training and coaching onsite. So, we started doing ride-alongs too. We’re always out in the field with the contractors on the front lines, so we constantly have feedback and are able to advance and tweak and change and add as times change.

13. Can you explain the New Flat Rate? It’s a menu pricing system. There are five price points for anything diagnosed in the home. There’s no selling required. The technician simply shows the page to the customer and the customer can choose from the five options. Ten to 20 percent of the time, customers are going to choose the bottom options, which is fine because that’s your standard flat rate price anyway. But, 60 to

70 percent of the time they choose in the middle and 10 to 20 percent of the time they choose the top

options. Today, we see an average service ticket increase of $246 using our system all across the U.S.

14. Does your dad still own the HVACR business? He sold it. As you can imagine, we got too busy with New Flat Rate and our poor little HVACR company was getting put on the back burner. But, it worked out awesome because we sold it to my older brother who had been subcontracting all the installs anyway.

15. Any of your other siblings involved? Yes. So, my older brother, Dallas, bought the HVACR company and still runs it today (and my dad consults with him on indoor air quality). My youngest brother is 17 and still in school, but in the summers he works full time for Dallas doing HVACR. I have another brother in his 20s, and he’s Dallas’ lead technician. And then in the New Flat Rate, my brother, Matt, is my vice president and our trainer. I have a sister who is my creative director and she controls all the media.

16. What’s your management style? Always evolving. I like to do what I call the executive ride along and so my management style is very hands off, not micromanaging. Every once in a while I’ll just show up in your office, sit next to you with my laptop and say, “Hey, I’m working by you today. Don’t freak out.”

17. What’s your involvement with Women in HVACR? I joined in 2012. I remember being at a Comfortech trade show, walking by a room with a sign that said, “Women in HVACR” and I thought, “Why was I not invited? I’m a woman, I wasn’t invited.” The next year, I was definitely there and joined the board right away.

18. How has the organization grown? The main differentiating factor that caused tremendous growth was a few years ago when we pulled away from Comfortech and had our own, standalone conference. We went from 30 people attending our annual conference to 60 to 80 to 100. This past year we had 200 attendees and this coming September, we’ll have at least 300 in Chicago.

19. How has the growth helped? We’ve grown our committees, our partnerships, our mentorship program, which we started a couple of years ago, our ambassador program where we’re creating a curriculum and sending volunteers out into the schools to talk about the opportunities in the trades. Collectively, we’ve been really blessed with a strong board.

20. How is Women in HVACR addressing the labor shortage? Our mission has really stayed the same of let’s empower women in the industry and support them and grow and network and educate together. We try to connect people where we can. The sponsors have been so supportive. I think everybody’s recognizing the hiring crisis and saying, “Okay, if you guys are willing to do something, we’ll put our money behind you and help.”

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