NADCA 2018 DucTales September October

Vol. 30, No. 5 • September/October 2018

A RECAP OF THE INDUSTRY’S ESSENTIAL TRAINING CONFERENCE

FALL

TECH 2018

Also in this issue ASHRAE’s Revision to S-180

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Could Culture be Your Problem?

18

Make Your Nomination for NADCA’s Safety Awards

29

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Contents Editor Sarah Black Publisher Jodi Araujo, CEM

Features

12

ASHRAE’s S-180 Revision

FALL

POSTMASTER: 1120 Route 73, Suite 200 Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 Phone: 855-GO-NADCA Fax: 856-439-0525 E-mail: info@nadca.com Website: www.nadca.com

TECH 2018

DucTales Magazine is published six times annually. NADCA annual dues include a paid ­subscription to DucTales. Yearly subscriptions to DucTales are available for $50.

The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) prints DucTales Magazine to provide its members and the HVAC system cleaning industry with a forum for the discussion of topics of interest. To that end, NADCA tries to include within DucTales a wide range of ideas and opinions. The ideas and opinions expressed by the authors who write articles for DucTales, however, are solely the views of the person expressing them, and do not necessarily represent the views, positions or policies of NADCA, its members, or its officers, directors or staff. NADCA is not responsible for claims made in advertisements. NADCA does not endorse any particular manufacturer or supplier of equipment, chemicals or related p ­ roducts, nor any p ­ articular model of equipment.

ECO BOX DucTales magazine text and cover pages are printed on SFI-Certified Creator paper using soy ink.

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Fall Tech Recap

In Every Issue

Industry News

4

President’s Letter

10 In Brief

6

Chief Staff Executive’s Letter

8

Executive Director’s Letter

32 Committee Spotlight 34 New NADCA Members, ASCSs, & CVIs 36 Industry Calendar

The SFI certified sourcing label is proof DucTales magazine is using fiber from responsible and legal sources.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® program integrates the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soils and water.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® program promotes responsible forest management.

2

Your Business

NADCA News

15 Small Business Borrowing and The Economy

29 2018 NADCA Safety Awards Nomination Form

18 How Organizational Culture Leads to Customer Service 22 Catch Up on Marketing: 43 Things to Do During Downtime

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President’s Letter

A Record-Setting Fall

By Richard Lantz, NADCA President and Chairman of the Board

A

nother season is upon us and another record-setting Fall Technical Conference is in the books, even as Hurricane Florence was bearing down on the East Coast.

With 187 attendees and more than 75 attending the ASCS training course in Pittsburgh, NADCA continues to solidify its industry prowess. Fall Tech is the place to be if you’re a new technician or an owner looking for new and innovative ways to do that same old job. In addition to the ASCS, we welcomed 15 CVI course attendees, another record for this growing technical conference! Our newest feature for this conference was another winner. This year we rolled out a Vendor Spotlight session where select exhibiting companies spent 15 minutes talking about their company and product lines. Attendees and vendors found this to be an informative and fruitful session and this is something we will look to replicate at the Annual Meeting in Nashville next year.

As our team made their way home from Pittsburgh, many of you headed to hurricane-ravaged areas along

the Atlantic Coast to help rescue and stabilize communities hit hard

by Hurricane Florence. The response has been amazing and as always, we come together as a community of cleaning and restoration specialists to bring a sense of normalcy and everyday activity to those struggling to overcome storm damage. Please send your photos and stories of recovery to our Chief Staff Executive, Jodi Araujo at jodi@nadca.com. We will look to highlight the work of our members in future issues.

As we head into the Fall season, think about your business model and marketing efforts. Projects flow differently across varying geographical regions of the world, but you should be thinking about value-add services you can bring to your customers in your slower seasons. When you determine those services, focus on marketing to your existing customers. Use social media, update your website and take it old school by sending out a postcard via snail mail. Your cash flow doesn’t have to change with the seasons if you diversify your services.

NADCA Officers President Richard Lantz, ASCS, CVI (’21) Virginia Air Duct Cleaners, Inc. 1149 Waters Road Chesapeake, VA 23322 (757) 407-3845

Treasurer Mark Zarzeczny, ASCS (’20) Advanced Clean Air Specialists, LLC 1234 Market St., Unit 40839 Philadelphia, PA 19107 (609) 980-1880 ductone123@gmail.com

richard@virginiaductcleaners.com

1st Vice President Treasurer Mike White, ASCS, CVI (’20) Clean Air Systems of LA, Inc. P.O. Box 6210 Shreveport, LA 71136 (318) 869-0344

Secretary April Yungen, ASCS, CVI (‘21) Air Management Industries 8351 Elm Avenue, Suite 102 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-7639 United States (909) 945-0041 airmgmt@tstonramp.com

mike.white@cleanairsystemsiaq.com

2nd Vice President Dan Stradford, ASCS (’21) Action Duct Cleaning 2333 Lincoln Ave. Altadena, CA 91001 Dstradford@aol.com

Immediate Past President Michael Vinick, ASCS Duct & Vent Cleaning of America, Inc. 311 Page Blvd.

Springfield, MA 02204 (413) 734-8368 mvinick@ductandvent.com

NADCA Directors Andrea Casa, ASCS (‘19) Alisea SRL Frazione Tornello 120 Mezzanino, Italy 27040 (+39) 0382-583090

Jim Castellano, ASCS (‘21) Better Air Quality 3 Beach Plum Lane Middle Island, NY 11953 (631) 379-8282

Mike Dexter, ASCS, CVI (’20) Air Quality Control Environmental 3933 NW 126th Avenue Coral Springs, FL 33065 (954) 707-0794

Rick MacDonald, ASCS (’20) Armstrong Duct, Vent, Hearth & Home 531 Front Street Manchester, NH 03102 (603) 627-7016

betterair@optonline.net

andrea.casa@alisea-italia.com

rmac@armstrongne.com

mikedexter@airqualitycontrolenv.com

NADCA Headquarters 1120 Route 73, Suite 200 • Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 Toll Free: 855-GO-NADCA • Phone: (856) 380-6810 Fax: (856) 439-0525 • www.nadca.com

NADCA Staff Jodi Araujo, CEM Chief Staff Executive

Kristy Cohen Executive Director

Caitlin McWilliams Assistant Executive Director

Taylor Check Meeting Coordinator

Ashton Hald Meeting Manager Holly French Membership & Certification Coordinator

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Brian Flynn Standards & Specifications Marketing Manager Holly Rose Industry Relations Manager

NADCA News

nadca

committee assignments Annual Meeting Committee

SUBCOMMITTEE:

Chair: Immediate Past Chair:

Mark Zarzeczny Michael Vinick

CVI Marketing Task Force Chair:

April Yungen

Perry Bagley Rachelle Cunningham Frank Forrest Tommy Gwaltney MJ Palazzolo Ray Strozyk

Michael Culp Kelly Dexter George Grozan Terry Lee Anthony Paterno Cindy White

Mike Dexter Rick MacDonald Mark Zarzeczny

By-Laws Policies Procedures Committee Chair: Immediate Past Chair:

Dan Stradford Richard Lantz Sharon Altenhoff

Certification Committee Chair:

April Yungen

Rick MacDonald Mike McDavid Zachariah Nauss Jill Rhodes Todd St. Ores

Robi Lomont Andrew McLaughlin Clint Orr Billy Spano Cindy White

Education & Safety Committee Co-Chairs:

Mike White Mike Dexter

Jeff Bagley Chet Goetz Richard Lantz Rick MacDonald Kehau Mendes Colin Trudo Tom Wengert

Frank Forrest Randy Jackson Jerry Lawrence Andrew McLaughlin Robert Rizen Kevin Uilkie Michael C. White

SUBCOMMITTEE: White Paper Committee Chair:

Dan Stradford

SUBCOMMITTEE: Fall Technical Conference Chair:

Mike Dexter

Perry Bagley Dennis Cicala George Grozan Rick MacDonald Kehau Mendes Robert Rizen Tom Wengert Mike White

Jim Castellano Frank Forrest Richard Lantz Mike McDavid David Monson Kevin Uilkie Michael C. White Vito Moscato

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International Affairs Committee Chair: Immediate Past Chair:

Andrea Casa Michael Vinick

Richard Lantz Mike White

Nicolas Charland Peter Haugen Rick MacDonald

Scott Gregson Hugo Hernandez Al Sutton

Chair: Immediate Past Chair:

Dan Stradford Richard Lantz

Membership Committee

George Grozan Justin Viar

Kelly Dexter Michael O’Rourke

Ethics Committee

Finance Committee Chair: Immediate Past Chair:

Mike White Richard Lantz

John Line Al Sutton

John Muller Mike Zarzeczny

Industry & Public Relations Committee Co-Chairs:

Mark Zarzeczny Kehau Mendes

Perry Bagley Kelly Dexter Peter Haugen Clayton Ivany MJ Palazzolo Slade Stricklin

Jim Castellano Terry Donohue Bill Hippen Scott Moritz Andrew Rodgers Stephen Worrall

SUBCOMMITTEE: Chair: Mark Zarzeczny

Chair:

Richard Lantz

Kehau Mendes Dan Stradford

April Yungen

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018

Kelly Dexter Andrew McLaughlin Andrew Rodgers

Peter Haugen MJ Palazzolo Mark Zarzeczny

SUBCOMMITTEE: Regional Coordinators

Chair: April Yungen Immediate Past Chair: Kevin Uilkie U.S. Northwest – Vito Moscato U.S. Southwest – Matt Kelly, Kehau Mendes U.S. Northeast – Jim Castellano, Nelson Constanza and Richard Spano U.S. Southeast – Tommy Gwaltney, Perry Bagley Canada Region 9 – Gary Baskin Canada Region 9.5 – Nicolas Charland, Pierre Tremblay Mid-East Region 10 – George Thomas Australia Region 11 – Italy Region 12 – Andrea Casa China Region 15 Central & S. America – Richard Lantz, Hugo Hernandez

Chair: Jim Castellano Kelly Dexter Stephen Worrall

SUBCOMMITTEE: Editorial Committee

April Yungen Kevin Uilkie

Leadership Development Committee

Anti-Fraud Task Force Hal Ayer April Yungen Justin Viar

Chair: Immediate Past Chair:

Richard Lantz

Standards Committee Chair: Immediate Past Chair:

Bill Lundquist Richard Lantz

Paul Burns Jim Castellano Brad Kuhlmann Rick MacDonald Patrick O’Donnell

Andrea Casa Charlie Cochrane Greg Long Mike McDavid Byron Ware

Strategic Planning Committee Chair:

Richard Lantz

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Chief Staff Executive’s Letter

From the Chief Staff Executive

By Jodi Araujo, CEM; Chief Staff Executive

“It’s not enough to be busy – so too are the ants – the question is, “What are you busy about?”

S

o, what are you busy about?

With the change in season upon us, are you busy winterizing and servicing your existing clients’ systems? Are you bidding on work to fill your Spring schedule? Maybe you’re putting the plow on your truck to prepare for the inevitable snow that will blanket parts of the United States and beyond.

Chances are, you’re doing all of this and more. But, what should you be doing?

In the ongoing political and social climate, amid the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements and the seemingly never-ending stories of assault from decades passed popping up in the news, are you doing everything you can to protect yourself and your company?

Dina Gerdeman provides tips for employers in her article, “Sexual Harassment: What Employers Should Do About #MeToo.” When the Harvey Weinstein story broke, and more women came forward, the flood gates opened and here we are today with daily headlines dominating the news.

First, Gerdeman says, nip aggressive behavior in the bud. Foster an environment where there’s no room for sexual harassment, an environment of professionalism and respect (remember those core values I mentioned a few issues back?). Be careful not to reward bully behavior and to immediately address anything aggressive in nature, whether sexual or otherwise. Next, document the incident and let the employee know that this will remain in their employment files. Don’t forget to

—thoreau

meet with the individual on the receiving end of the harassment. Urge them to communicate any additional issues that arise and assure them that you’ve taken disciplinary action against the offender. Did I mention DOCUMENT these conversations?

Gerdemen also suggests empowering your staff to report harassment when they are a witness. This takes it beyond the victim and creates accountability across the company for all employees. Staff should feel safe in making a report. This also encourages both genders to be equally vested in the accountability of a safe and healthy working environment.

Another tip? Hire a healthy mix of men and women. This creates a

“Foster an environment where there’s no room for sexual harassment, an environment of professionalism and respect.”

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balance of power and lessens the likelihood that issues will arise.

The last and most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your company? Sexual harassment training…and then more training.

Bring in a third party to do the session and repeat it once annually. The cost of the facilitator will be softer on your bottom line than a lawsuit.

All new employees should also sit through training upon hire or soon

after the probationary period is over.

The training should help employees understand what constitutes sexual harassment. Speak to different scenarios and outline behaviors that are off limits. Perhaps it is obvious that unwelcome touching is unacceptable, but what about a hug?

Where is that line and how can your employees recognize it?

safe, healthy and productive work environment for your employees.

Think about your technicians in the field (remember your brand?) and the way this training will transcend to the client environment. Isn’t this what you should be busy about? If you’re going to be a headline in the local news, let’s make sure it’s about your company’s product or service. #Winning

Make this a priority, beyond a video or a checklist, and you’ll build a

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Executive Director’s Letter

Sharpen your Saw

By Kristy Cohen, NADCA Executive Director

T

hose of you familiar with Habit #7, Sharpen the Saw from Steve Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, will recall the following story of the woodcutter.

A woodcutter strained to saw down a tree. A young man who was watching asked “What are you doing?” “Are you blind?” the woodcutter replied. “I’m cutting down this tree.” The young man was unabashed.“You look exhausted! Take a break. Sharpen your saw.” The woodcutter explained to the young man that he had been sawing for hours and did not have time to take a break.

The young man pushed back. “If you sharpen the saw, you would cut down the tree much faster.”

The woodcutter said “I don’t have time to sharpen the saw. Don’t you see I’m too busy?”

So many of us can relate to this parable. Are you so busy running the day-to-day operations of your business — managing employees, managing customers, putting out fires — that you haven’t taken the time to sharpen your saw? Productivity wanes as we become overworked and find ourselves using the same old dull saw to cut down the proverbial tree.

If you’re overworked and not taking the time to invest in yourself as the leader of your company to learn new strategies, new ways of thinking

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and problem solving from other professionals in your industry, your productivity and the growth of your company will inevitably suffer. I would argue that one of the most effective ways for you to sharpen your saw is to invest in yourself by attending a NADCA conference.

I hear stories and testimonials from so many NADCA members about the breakthroughs they’ve had after attending a NADCA conference.

From employing new methods and techniques such as using liquid nitrogen in duct cleaning, to partnering with a fellow attendee to work on a large commercial project or getting advice on how to scale up the business or deal with a poorly written bid specification, members report many valuable takeaways after attending conference.

I was chatting with a NADCA member at the Fall Technical Conference in September who normally gets his CECs by taking webinars. He spoke about how the conference completely exceeded his expectations and he got so much more out of it than when he takes webinars online. He invested in himself and took the time to sharpen his saw!

There’s absolutely nothing better than in-person networking and education to help you achieve your next business breakthrough.

As you read this, registration for NADCA’s 30th Annual Meeting & Exposition is now open. We have

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excellent sessions in store for you this year that will give you plenty of new strategies, ideas and takeaways that you can employ to grow your business and stay ahead of your competitors.

• You’ll gain valuable insight on employee recruitment and retention strategies.

• You’ll gain a better understanding of prevailing wage rates and how they impact your business.

• You’ll be exposed to the latest trends in ventilation equipment, building performance and indoor air quality.

• You’ll take away the latest marketing strategies to set yourself apart from your competitors.

• You’ll have the opportunity to network with nearly 500 of your fellow industry professionals.

• You’ll see the very latest and greatest in air duct cleaning equipment technology and business services on the tradeshow floor.

19 8 9–

2 0 1 9

NASHVILLE, TN • MARCH 31–APRIL 2, 2019

annualmeeting.nadca.com

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018

Industry News

In Brief MICHIGAN

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that using portable air filters indoors is associated with improving blood pressure, a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In the small study, 40 seniors living in low-income housing in Detroit, Michigan, near industrial areas where particulate levels were high, used portable indoor air filters for three days. Participants using regular air filters saw a 31 percent improvement in blood pressure, while participants using a HEPA filter saw a 53 percent improvement in blood pressure. A larger study is needed to determine the true significance of these initial findings in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.

PENNSYLVANIA

Nearly 40 residents of Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, gathered to meet with the Upper Perkiomen School Board to hear from mold remediation and indoor air quality professionals about a mold infestation that recently closed the Upper Perkiomen High School. An initial cleaning was conducted only for the mold to return, at which point a second contractor was brought in. The experts highlighted the major issue: there was no maintenance program in place for the school’s aging systems.

Ducts hadn’t been cleaned or inspected in nearly 20 years, and cooling coils had so much buildup contractors compared it to carpet. The intense cleaning and remediation efforts have returned clean air samples so far, and air quality will continue to be tested throughout the building.

UNITED KINGDOM NORTH CAROLINA

Canadian custom HVAC manufacturer, Haakon Industries, recently announced plans to build a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility near Asheville, North Carolina. The facility will expand Haakon’s presence in the United States, serving customers across the country, and create more than 160 jobs in the Asheville area.

Haakon specializes in designing and manufacturing air handling units for industrial and commercial spaces around the world, including hospitals, pharmaceutical laboratories, microchip manufacturers, universities and data centers.

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The research on indoor air quality being done by the United Kingdom’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) got a boost recently when a private donor gifted £50,000 to the organization. The donation will fund the RCPCH’s research project focusing on the effects of indoor air pollution on child health and what can be done to combat it. The RCPCH has published a growing body of evidence that links childhood exposure to indoor air pollution with heath conditions like cancer, respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular disease. In addition, exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution has been directly linked to pneumonia — the cause of 10 percent of childhood deaths in the European Union (EU). The RCPCH’s research aims to reduce the estimated 2 million life years lost each year in the EU to the effects of indoor air pollution.

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BE FEATURED IN DUCTALES! DucTales is seeking submissions from members and industry experts for publication in future issues of the magazine. Articles may be about: • An experience in the field • How you’ve grown your business • Tips for other business owners • Practical tips, tricks and guides for other indoor air quality professionals • Technology reviews • Training opportunities • … and more!

For submission guidelines, deadlines and other information, please contact Sarah Black, DucTales Editor, at sblack@ahint.com.

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Feature

A N I M P O R TA N T I N D U S T R Y U P D AT E

Discover what’s new in the ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 180-2018 F

or the first time in six years, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) revised the Standard 180. First released in 2012, the standard was developed to address what ASHRAE and ACCA call “often inconsistent practices for inspecting and maintaining HVAC systems in commercial, institutional and other buildings where the public may be exposed to the indoor environment.”

A review is conducted every three years, and an update was deemed unnecessary in 2015. However, a committee entrusted with the review and subsequent update determined that the standard had been in use long enough to warrant some revisions based on feedback received from professionals in the field. The following Q&A with Glenn Friedman, PE, FASHRAE, Principal at Taylor Engineering, LLC, details the most significant revisions affecting air duct cleaning professionals.

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“This minimum standard is a way for companies to differentiate themselves and show their clients that they are working at a level defined by an independent third party.”

The standard may also be used for utility incentive programs where systems are maintained according to manufacturer specifications.

This minimum standard is a way for companies to differentiate themselves and show their clients that they are working at a level defined by an independent third party. Any contractor knows the challenge of justifying the cost of bid; this is a way to show a building owner the value of what they’re getting.

How can professionals make the most of the Standard 180?

Glenn: It was developed to set a minimum standard for doing preventive maintenance and care for heating and cooling systems.

From both the perspective of the technician and the building owner, it’s useful to identify a standard by which those services are offered.

Glenn: While a lot of the pages in the standard are dedicated to Section 5, Required Maintenance, the meat of the standard is really encompassed in Section 4, which is about creating and implementing an operations and maintenance plan. Everything in the standard builds on Section 4. You get something that’s 40 pages long and think, “Where do I start?” Start there, and everything else is there for support.

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What is the purpose of the Standard 180?

“Everything in the standard builds on Section 4. You get something that’s 40 pages long and think, ‘Where do I start?’ Start there.”

To create and implement an operations and maintenance plan, you need to find out the manufacturer’s recommendations and then work with the tables in Section 5, which list steps and frequencies. After the plan is in effect, you should refer back to the manufacturer’s recommendations and update the plan as needed. For example, the standard may say to change filters four times a year, but that’s a starting point. If you notice that your filters are loading up, you might need to change filters six times a year.

That’s an update to those tables that would result either from manufacturer’s recommendations or just from experience in the field.

What prompted the update?

Glenn: According to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the organization that oversees the development of consensus standards in the United States, industry standards are required to be reviewed on a periodic basis. The Standard 180 was initially released in 2012, so when the periodic review came up in 2015, just a few years after it was published, the standard was reaffirmed with no changes. But after six years, the committee agreed that there has been enough new technology and

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new things happening in the industry, and there was enough feedback from people who had been using the standard for the last several years, that an update was warranted.

What are some key updates to the standard?

Glenn: Some of the most significant changes were in Section 5 to eliminate duplication, add additional tasks, list equipment tables in alphabetical order for easier reference and consolidate similar equipment. All of these updates are in an effort to make the standard easier to use. For example, the tables in Section 5 used to have two columns, and now they have four columns.

That is a significant change because it separates the ideas of inspection and maintenance tasks from the recommended corrective action. These tasks were previously combined and that wasn’t as clear.

It was an epiphany to realize that inspection and maintenance are two different things. Specifically, the inspection is a separate task; you might be inspecting something without needing to do anything to maintain it.

It’s an important distinction for both the people doing the work as well as building owners specifying a job.

Another significant change is that the standard is now written in code language, and the standard is created to be a minimum standard. There are no longer ambiguities that this is a code standard document, which had been problematic for those attempting to adopt the standard.

For example, Section 4.6 initially indicated that a program should be developed.

The revision includes a notes calling for continuous review. This change makes it clear that the program always needs to grow and change; that this is not a static situation, but always evolving. You may see a situation in a building where you get a new tenant and you go from operating equipment 10 hours a day to 24 hours a day. That’s a significant change that should be reflected in your maintenance program, and the standard now has language that calls for that review and evaluation.

What parts of the S180 are most relevant for air duct cleaning professionals?

Glenn: It would be important to determine, do you inspect and not do the maintenance tasks, or do you just do the maintenance and not do the inspection? We couldn’t discern that one was more important than the other. Is indoor air quality more affected by cleaning your duct or changing your filter? The Standard 180 is part of that conversation, and in developing a maintenance and care plan for HVAC systems, of which air duct cleaning is part.

How would the standard be used with ACR, The NADCA Standard?

Glenn: The two standards would operate in parallel. While you’re maintaining a system, you’re keeping it clean. If you’re missing one, the other will suffer. In an existing building, both standards would be applicable.

“ Is indoor air quality more affected by cleaning your duct or changing your filter?”

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018

13

Your Business

SMALL BUSINESS

BORROWING AND THE

ECONOMY T

he Federal Reserve raised the Fed Funds Rate to 2 percent in June, the second increase in 2018. Based on the strength of the economy, the Federal Reserve plans to raise the rate twice more this year. That means banks will raise their interest rates as well, so it will cost more for business owners to borrow money.

Only five percent of owners reported difficulty in obtaining loans. But, will that change when interest rates rise?

Here’s what owners need to know.

Small Business Owners are Optimistic Although borrowing money will be costlier as interest rates rise, 34 percent of business owners in the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Economic Trends survey said the next three months would be a good time to expand. That’s on par with a high of 34 percent in May, and higher than every month between 2013 and 2016.

If it makes financial sense for your business, the best time to borrow may be now. Interest rates are still at

What do rising interest rates mean for small business growth and economic outlook?

historic lows for a strong economy, NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg says, but he expects rates to be up at least a full point, possibly 1.25 points, by the end of 2019.

“A year or two ago, everyone wanted a variable rate. Now, people have been swapping into fixed rates,” Dunkelberg says. “That’s what big business is doing and that’s what small businesses should be doing, too.”

If you’re a business owner with an existing loan with a variable interest rate, you might want to consider getting a fixed rate instead as rates rise. A fixed rate means the interest rate won’t change, either over the life of the loan or the loan term. Since the Federal Reserve has already indicated they plan to raise rates at least twice more in 2018, it makes sense to lock in the lower interest rate now.

As for borrowing new money, there are a couple of questions business owners need to ask themselves, Dunkelberg says: How expensive is the money?

Or, how much am I going to make on what I invest?

If interest rates go too high, it’s not good for investment, Dunkelberg says.

For example, if financing becomes too expensive, a small business owner may be less likely to purchase new equipment, buy more inventory, expand their business space, or hire more employees. All of those deferred expenditures slow the growth of the economy, he says. But the silver lining is that interest rates make banks more likely to give out more loans since higher rates makes more sense financially for the lenders.

“ 34 percent

of business owners in the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Economic Trends survey said the next three months would be a good time to expand.” c o n t i n u e d o n n e x t pa g e

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Your Business

New Policies, New Opportunities Interest rates aren’t the only factor in business growth outlook. For example, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index jumped from 11 percent in November 2016 to 23 percent in December 2016.

The only major change? The election of President Donald Trump.

“Nobody knew what President Trump’s policies were going to be [prior to his

16

inauguration], but it was a change in the management team, and it changed everybody’s views on what you could earn on an asset,” Dunkelberg says.

“It’s really hard to grow that fast forever,” Dunkelberg says. “Is the economy going to crash? No, I don’t think so, but we will slow down.”

So although no one knew what was to come, most business owners believed business taxes and regulations would be cut, Dunkelberg says. Many economic forecasters believe the economy will peak in the second half of 2018, and it’s likely things will begin to slow down in 2019.

For now, small business owners are feeling very optimistic about the economy. The NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index was at an all-time high of 108.8 in August, rising to 0.8 points above the July 1983 recordhigh of 108.

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Your Business

INSIDE OUT: HOW ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE LEADS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE

By Laura Petrolino

W

hen something is wrong in an organization’s customer service, it almost always reflects a problem in their organizational culture. And the reverse is true: Organizations with gold-star customer service almost always have amazing organizational cultures.

The problem is, often when customer service issues arise, the first place leadership looks to blame the problem is at that front surface line.

But blemishes don’t start at skin level; they start deeper. Organizations with

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poor customer service need to have an inside-out strategy to solve them.

customers leave with a positive image of Public every time they visit.

Case Study: Publix

How does Publix achieve this consistent level of service and quality communication with their customers while their competitors fall short, especially when they pull from the same hiring pool? The main difference lies in their internal communication and culture. The way Publix treats their employees and makes them feel is what defines their brand and creates an extraordinary customer experience.

Publix is a grocery store chain prominent in the Southeast United States. The beloved grocery chain is known for its exceptional and consistent customer service. Despite having more than 1,200 stores and close to 200,000 employees, Publix maintains a consistent brand personality in everything they do and through every customer touchpoint that ensures

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“ORGANIZATIONS WITH GOLD-STAR CUSTOMER SERVICE ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE AMAZING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURES.” A few defining traits of the Publix culture: • They promote from within. Their current CEO started as a bagger and is just one of many in top leadership that started at the very bottom.

• They provide benefits that support employee education and are an employee-owned company.

• They focus on internal communications, knowing how that influences external communications. They refer to employees as “associates,” jobs as “careers” and view coworkers as family.

Respect Drives Productivity in a Successful Organizational Culture It’s basic human psychology: You care more about doing your best if you see your position as a stepping stone to something. You work harder when you are treated with respect and as part of something vs. treated as just a worker.

Ownership and respect are two of the most important things a good organizational culture cultivates.

Almost everyone initially goes to work wanting to do a good job. It’s the

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organization’s duty to both empower and provide the tools for them to do so. It’s important to remember your employees are your customers as well. They pay with one of the most valuable commodity we as humans have: our time.

• •

• Every business leader worried about poor customer service levels should first evaluate, “Where is the real customer service problem?” A rotting root will never yield a hearty or beautiful flower. Check your organizational culture.

Customer Service Doesn’t Always Face Outward How can you provide employees what they need to be successful brand ambassadors (which translates into quality customer service)? After all, in most cases, they are the first, and only, touch point your customers have with your company.

Evaluate the following: • How do we treat employees?

As they are or as they could be?

• How have we messaged role descriptions? Are they written to reflect the type of respect,

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•

• •

responsibility and service to which we aspire?

How do we talk to employees on a daily basis? As peers?

Do our employees understand the company vision? Values? Brand message?

Have we provided a clear career path? Do employees understand the rewards that accompany highquality work?

Do the position goals we set for employees align with the service goals we hope to provide?

How do we encourage ownership among every employee?

And then ask your team these same questions directly.

You will most likely find the answers your employees give to how they feel — in relation to the company — reflect almost identically those of your customers. Improve the relationship you have with your internal customers, and you’ll also improve the relationship with your external ones.

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Industry News

CATCH UP ON MARKETING:

43 THINGS TO DO

DURING DOWNTIME

By Rieva Lesonsky

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SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018

F

or many small business owners, the end of summer brings a brief lull before things pick up again in the fall. That makes now a good time to catch up on some marketing activities you’ve been putting on the back burner. Here are 43 things you can do during your downtime that will have a big impact.

Your Customers • Schedule catch-up calls or lunch with your biggest clients to see how you can better serve them in the coming year.

• Reach out to a former customer who’s fallen off your radar and see if you can win their business again.

• Check in with a prospect you’ve been nurturing to see if you can get them closer to a sale.

• Gather client testimonials you can use in your marketing materials.

• Ask your best customers for referrals.

• Create some case studies to show how your product or service helps your customers.

• Enlist some satisfied clients to feature in a marketing video for your business.

• Collect before-and-after pictures from clients to show off your work, and get permission to use them in your marketing materials.

• Make your lists for sending holiday gifts and cards to customers.

Your Website Dig into your website analytics. Find out: • Where most of your website visitors are coming from.

• Which web pages they spend the most time on.

• Which pages generate the most leads.

• Which pages have the highest bounce rate. Use this information to fine-tune your online marketing, landing pages and calls to action.

• Go through your website to make sure all the information (phone numbers, FAQs, etc.) is current and accurate.

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• Check all links to make sure they work and are current.

• Go through your listings on local search directories, such as Google My Business, to make sure they are current and that your name, address, and phone (NAP) information is consistent across all listings.

Your Email Marketing • Clean up your email list.

• Brainstorm new ideas for adding names to your email list.

• Segment your email list in two different types of customers.

• Review your email analytics.

What can you do differently to make your email marketing more effective?

Your Community • Get together with non-competing local business owners to share marketing ideas.

• Team up with your local Chamber of Commerce, business association, or other local business organization to plan group promotions for the holiday season.

• Attend a networking organization you haven’t been to before.

• Find a charitable organization for your business to support.

• Look for a nonprofit community group that your business can get involved with.

• Make a list of upcoming community events your business could sponsor or participate in.

• Research tradeshows to attend in the coming year, either as an exhibitor or an attendee.

Thought Leadership • Research community organizations or industry associations that might be interested in hearing you speak.

• Contact a blogger who’s a big name in your industry, or influential with your target market, to see if you can write a guest post for them.

• Join or start a LinkedIn group relevant to your target customers

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018

and contribute to the discussion.

• Start a business blog on your website to share your expertise.

Administrative/ Organization • Review your marketing materials, both print and digital. Toss/delete outdated logos, images, bios, etc.

• Scan and digitize print materials whenever possible and toss paper copies.

• Organize your marketing-related files in a way that makes sense to both you and your team so everything is easy to find when you need it.

Big Picture • Determine what marketing method has the biggest impact on your business (social media?

Email? Paid search advertising?), and learn everything you possibly can about it until you’re an expert.

• Choose a marketing method you want to use, but aren’t sure how to execute, and learn enough about the basics to give it a try.

• Review your marketing budget.

• Update your marketing plan.

• Create or update a marketing calendar.

• Research marketing automation software tools that could help streamline your marketing.

Get Help • If you never seem to have enough time for marketing, determine which marketing duties you could outsource. Then look for a freelancer, part- or full-time employee, or local marketing firm to help.

• No budget to hire or outsource?

Contact marketing professors at a local college or university and ask if they can take your business on as part of a class project.

Doing even a few of these marketingrelated tasks will put your business ahead of the competition when fall rolls around.

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Feature

FALL

TECH

recap T

his year’s Fall Technical Conference, held September 13–15 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, proved to be another immense success with a recordbreaking 187 attendees! Fall Tech’s program is a unique training experience that provides opportunities to get up close and personal with new equipment and learn from industry experts. We also welcomed 14 exhibiting companies this year, who showcased relevant products and services for the HVAC system cleaning industry, and enjoyed a networking reception hosted by Sunbelt Rentals that gave attendees a chance to make connections from around the world.

Fall Tech is also a rich educational environment that provides a full six CECs to attendees seeking to earn or maintain their NADCA certifications.

We’re pleased to announce that 70 people took the ASCS training course and 15 people took the CVI training course.

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SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018

NADCA News

2018 SAFETY AWARDS

T

he National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) created the Safety Awards Program to recognize companies that have sustained superior employee safety and health program results. Companies able to demonstrate excellent safety records will be honored with a Safety Award from NADCA.

Award Confirmation Determinations Confirmation of the NADCA Safety Award shall be made by the NADCA Safety Committee using standardized formulas developed by the National Safety & Health Council. The Committee will use data submitted by applicants to determine if an applicant’s record of non-fatal occupational injury and illness incidence rate is less than or equal to industry averages.

All companies participating in the NADCA Safety Awards Program, regardless of size, must maintain an OSHA #300A Log. For more information about OSHA #300A Log requirements, contact your regional OSHA Office, State Plan Office or visit osha.gov.

For the purposes of this program, industry average shall be that of the SIC code “services to buildings.” The final number using the formula below must equal eight (8) or less. If the final number is more than eight (8), the company will not be eligible for a NADCA Safety Award.

Awards Program Criteria • The company must be a member of NADCA. • The company must provide a copy of the completed OSHA #300A Log, regardless of size.

• Applicants must pay the $150 application fee.

• Completed applications must be received by NADCA no later than Feb. 1, 2019. No applications will be processed after this deadline.

The NADCA Safety Awards are presented in recognition of a company’s safety and health program results and achievements during the previous calendar year (January 1 to December 31). All applications and accompanying required documentation will be held in confidence by NADCA. The Incidence Rate is determined by using the formula included here. The NADCA Safety Committee shall determine award status. Decisions of the committee are final.

DO THE MATH!

This is the formula used to calculate non-fatal occupational injury and illness incidence rate

Clarification of Definitions & Calculations • Employee hours are those accrued in operations and job sites.

• Information provided must include office and supervisory personnel on all shifts for the company or unit involved.

• Statistics are to include only employees on the company payroll, not those of independent contractors, guests, customers, etc.

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200,000 Total Recordable Cases x Employee Ho urs Worked

• Employee hours should be calculated from payroll or time clock records. When this is not possible, they may be estimated by multiplying the total employee days worked for the period covered by the number of hours worked per day.

If the number of hours worked per day varies between departments, separate estimates should be made for each department and the results added.

• The total number of employee days for a period is the sum of the number of employees at work on each day of the period.

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• In calculating employee hours of exposure for employees who live on company property, only those hours during which employees were actually on duty shall be counted.

• For executives, traveling salesman, etc., whose working hours are not defined, an average of eight hours a day shall be assumed in computing employee hours.

• Do not include any non-work time, even though paid, such as vacation, sick leave, holidays, etc.

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NADCA News

NADCA SAFETY AWARD APPLICATION Application Information Complete all sections below.

Company Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ President or Senior Officer:____________________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip:______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________________________ Fax:_____________________________________________________ Yearly Average Number of Employees: ________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Person / Safety Director: ______________________________________________________________________________________

Injury and Illness Records Complete the information below for the period spanning 1/1/2018 to 12/31/2018.

1. Average number of employees: 2. Total employee hours worked: 3. Total recordable cases: (from OSHA #300A Log, Lines G, H, I, J) 4. T otal number of lost-time injury and illness cases involving days from work: (from OSHA #300A Log, Line H) 5. Total number of lost-time days: (from OSHA #300A Log, Line K) 6. T otal Recordable Cases (from Line 3 above) x 200,000 Employee Hours Worked (Line 2 above) * This number but not be more than 8

Payment Information Application Fee: $150 q Check Enclosed

q Visa

q MasterCard

q American Express

Card Number:___________________________________________________________ Exp. Date:__________________________________ Cardholder Name:__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Signature: ___________________________________________________ Amount authorized to charge: $__________________________

Return your completed application to NADCA by Feb. 1, 2019, at: NADCA 1120 Route 73, Suite 200 Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054 Fax: 856.439.0525 Email: membership@nadca.com

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IMPORTANT! A photocopy of your company OSHA #300A Log must accompany this application. Applications without the OSHA #300A Log will not be accepted under any circumstances.

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SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018

NADCA NADCANews News

Member

BENEFIT

Highlight Dell

NADCA has partnered with Dell to bring members savings (up to 40 percent off the everyday price) on a wide range of Dell branded hardware for business and personal use, including OptiPlex desktops, Latitude laptops, XPS and Inspiron laptops and desktops, PowerEdge servers, Precision workstations and Dell’s award-winning, best-selling line of Dell monitors.

To shop, call (800) 7578442 or visit DELL.com/ NADCA. Please mention that you are a NADCA member and provide Member ID 530006930947 to get exclusive savings.

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Committee Spotlight NADCA Working for You NADCA committee members have been working hard to provide members with tools they can use to be successful and get the most out of their NADCA membership.

Industry & PR Committee Led by Mark Zarzeczny, Committee Chair, the Industry & PR Committee is responsible for promoting NADCA, its member companies and standards and specifications to end-users in the residential, public and commercial marketplaces. The Committee has helped drive several successful marketing initiatives in 2018 to promote the importance of air duct cleaning services by NADCA members.

NADCA utilizes the North American Precis Syndicate (NAPS) to distribute print and TV advertising. As of September 2018, the following releases have generated thousands of news article placements and several hundred TV broadcasts in markets reaching millions of readers and viewers.

Print WHAT TO DO ABOUT DUCTS To date, has generated 3,912 news articles with a readership of 14,748,816.

The sites it was on were viewed by 70,598,890 unique visitors per month.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR DUCTWORK To date, has generated 3,720 news articles with a readership of 7,570,320.

The sites it was on were viewed by 72,346,781 unique visitors per month.

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BEWARE BLOW AND GO SCAMS To date, has generated 3,572 news articles. The sites it was on were viewed by 72,353,057 unique visitors per month.

TV BAD FOR BABY To date, has been broadcast 380 times with an audience of 101,643,934.

HINTS FOR HOMEOWNERS To date, broadcast 314 times with an audience of 58,619,319.

NADCA has also developed several new marketing toolkits for NADCA members to use including: • • • •

Avoid the Scams Toolkit Dirty Ducts Toolkit Mold Awareness Month Toolkit Indoor Air Quality Month Toolkit

Each toolkit contains text and graphics you can use for your social media marketing. NADCA members are also able to share NADCA’s Breathing Clean PSA videos via their own social media and website marketing. Visit the members only section of nadca.com to access these materials and visit our YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/ NADCAHVAC to share video links.

On the commercial side, NADCA continues to make excellent progress.

The newly formatted General Specification in CSI 3-Part Format has been distributed to over 9,000 engineers, architects and specifiers to promote the specification of NADCA membership and certification for commercial projects. Download your free copy today at nadca.com.

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018

NADCA News

n E w a s c s s an d CV I s Stephen Alexander Premier Disaster Restoration & Cleaning Benton, KY USA Halley Bernet TDIndustries Houston, TX USA Jennifer Bhanji Breathe Clean Alberta Ltd. Calgary, AB CAN Jeremy Blair Air Essentials, Inc. Madison, AL USA Eric Bryant Stanley Steemer Indianapolis Carmel, IN USA Annette Clarke Enviro Plus Duct Cleaning Ltd. Brockville, ON CAN Marc Daoust Davinpro Dorval, QC CAN Conrad David Dave’s Duct Cleaning Whitby, ON CAN Miguel A. Diaz Moreno HVAC Solutions, Inc. Guaynabo, PR USA

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Ronnie Diggs Stanley Steemer Indianapolis Carmel, IN USA

Dondre McCarter Studzinski dba Stanley Steemer, Inc. Paducah, KY USA

Jason Doyle American Clean Air, Inc. North Pembroke, MA USA

John McGraw Jr. Stanley Steemer of Charlottesville Ruckersville, VA USA

Jeremy Futrell Studzinski dba Stanley Steemer, Inc. Paducah, KY USA Steve Garner RestorePro Reconstruction Raleigh, NC USA Robert Goebel Stanley Steemer Flatwoods, KY USA Mitchell Goodyear Offshore Air and Refrigeration (OAR) Lafayette, LA USA David Hodges Stanley Steemer of Roanoke Salem, VA USA Dennis Khuttan Bay Air Flow Pittsburg, CA USA Edward Madden Kountry Klean Air Klamath Falls, OR USA

Angel Moreno AC-CR Mount Pleasant, TX USA Ryan Nuez Dave’s Duct Cleaning Whitby, ON CAN Tonia Perrine AdvantaClean of the Tri-State Ashland, KY USA Randy Retort Stanley Steemer of Charleston Dunbar, WV USA

Alan Stringer Stanley Steemer Flatwoods, KY USA William Tirado Pride Air Conditioning & Appliance, Inc. Pompano Beach, FL USA Ventura Armando Verdugo Avila J&M Keystone, Inc. Spring Valley, CA USA Joseph White Mediclean Atlanta, GA USA Stephen White SJ Services, Inc. dba Stanley Steemer Leesburg, GA USA Mohammed Yussuf Zenith Advanced Cleaning Solutions Ajman, ARE

Pedro Rosario Stanley Steemer Hartford, CT USA

New CVIs: Gianluca Biffi BG SERVICE DI BIFFI GIANLUCA Medolago, (BG), ITA Claudio Brozzi MITSA SRL Aprilia, Latina, ITA Vittorio Cassar Scalia VCS SRL Bologna, ITA Marco Costanzini Air Solution snc di Costanzini Marco Savignano Sul Panaro, (MO), ITA Fernando Rea GWA SRL Anagni, (FR), ITA Antonio Urso MITSA SRL Aprilia, Latina, ITA Vincenzo Vargiu Ambiente e Risorse SRL Ploaghe, ITA

Frank Saccente Air Care of Central Florida, LLC Orange City, FL USA Tom Sharp Stanley Steemer of Knoxville Knoxville, TN USA

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SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018

nEw members AC-CR Mount Pleasant, TX USA

Davinpro Dorval, QC CAN

AdvantaClean of the TriState Ashland, KY USA

EST Trish LLC DBA Stanley Steemer of Syracuse Syracuse, NY USA

Air Care of Central Florida, LLC Orange City, FL USA

HVAC Solutions, Inc. Guaynabo, PR USA

Bay Air Flow Pittsburg, CA USA BC Air Duct & Furnace Cleaning Surrey, BC CAN Breathe Clean Alberta Ltd. Calgary, AB CAN

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Kountry Klean Air Klamath Falls, OR USA Le Groupe GESFOR Poirier, Pinchin Montreal, QC CAN Premier Disaster Restoration & Cleaning Benton, KY USA

SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018

Pride Air Conditioning & Appliance, Inc. Pompano Beach, FL USA Stanley Steemer Flatwoods, KY USA

New Associate Members: Abatix Corp.

Mesquite, TX USA Chem-Dry Logan, UT USA

Stanley Steemer of Knoxville Knoxville, TN USA Studzinski dba Stanley Steemer, Inc. Paducah, KY USA Zenith Advanced Cleaning Solutions Ajman, ARE

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NADCA News

i n d u s t ry c a l e n da r NADCA Events NADCA’S 30TH ANNUAL MEETING & EXPOSITION March 31–April 2, 2019 • Nashville, TN

FALL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE 2019 September 26–28, 2019 • Grapevine, TX

NADCA’S 31ST ANNUAL MEETING & EXPOSITION March 9–11, 2020 • Coronado, CA

NADCA’S 32ND ANNUAL MEETING & EXPOSITION March 8–10, 2021 • Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Industry Events AHR EXPO

January 12–16, 2019 • Atlanta, GA

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SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018