Choosing Orlando, FL as the location for its 11th Annual Summit was a smart move by the National Comfort Institute. It provided Performance-Based Contractors™ with a break from the winter blahs, and the sunny Florida weather symbolized the bright future NCI told contractors they could have in 2014 and beyond. NCI certainly provided plenty of ideas to make that come true, with a carefully-designed technical and business-oriented educational program that addressed specific challenges facing performance-based contractors.
During the opening session, NCI Chairman & CEO Dominick Guarino introduced the rationale behind the meeting’s new format.
“Over the years through surveys and in person, NCI has asked members what they want to get out of a membership meeting,” Guarino explained. “The answer was clear: rather than a collection of seminars scratching the surface about a bunch of different topics, they would rather dive deeper into some of the key areas that could benefit their businesses, and come away with a clear vision of what they needed to do when they returned home.”
As a result, the theme and purpose of Summit 2014 was developed based on the five most critical areas of a Performance-Based Contractor’s business, including:
- Build and Protect Your Customer Base
- Maximize HVAC System Performance
- Generate Leads through Service
- Rediscover Home Performance
- Turn Leads Into Profitable Sales.
With the help of NCI instructors, and business and technical tools provided by NCI, contractors left the Summit with specific, practical solutions based on NCI’s unique Performance-Based Contracting™ 4-Dimension Business Model which was originally introduced at the NCI 2013 Summit.
According to Christie Fisher of Fisher Air Services, “The classes were amazing. They really got us motivated to change how we do things.”
Awards for Great Accomplishments
The awards ceremony was a true celebration of NCI members’ passion for Performance-Based Contracting and their sustained success in the HVAC industry.
As NCI President Rob Falke explained, “Choosing the winners was extremely difficult, as there are so many contractors devoted to Performance-Based Contracting and the success of their companies shows it. The winners and finalists represent contractors who are the best of the best and we are proud to have them associated with National Comfort Institute.”
NCI members were honored in three “Contractor of the Year” categories for training excellence, outstanding achievement in testing, quality service, implementation of NCI best practices and efficiency standards.
- Contractor of the Year (small business category) went to TM Johnson Bros., Inc., Cambridge, MN. Accepting the award was Tom Johnson.
- Contractor of the Year (medium business category) went to Masterworks Mechanical, Inc., Craig, CO. Accepting the award was David DeRose.
- Contractor of the Year (large business category) went to Holt Plumbing & Heating, Inc., West Des Moines, IA. Amanda Holt-Potter, Josh Potter, and Ben Holt accepted the award.
A highlight of the awards banquet was the presentation of the award named in honor of the late David Debien for his pioneering work in HVAC system design and installation. This year’s David Debien Technical Excellence Award was presented to Michael Hyde of Hyde’s Air Conditioning, Indio, CA.
The NCI National Training Excellence Award went to Air Assurance Company, Broken Arrow, OK, for their dedication to performance-based Contracting.
The Preferred Partner of the Year Award went to Baker Distributing Company, for its strong support of NCI membership with special pricing, discounts and rebates, as well as hosting NCI training classes.
William Kennihan of Kennihan Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Valencia, PA, received the 2014 NCI Chairman’s Award. Kennihan has been a staunch supporter of NCI’s mission, company wide implementation of Performance-Based Contracting, and has made many contributions of ideas, energy, and time.