Performance-based contractors took center stage in Austin, Tex. on March 5th as NCI’s Annual Summit Conference got underway. More than 100 contracting companies gathered in what was a record-setting Summit event.
The theme for this year's Summit was, “Blaze Your Trail to High Performance,” and focused on selling and delivering high performance HVAC systems via Air Upgrades. Air Upgrades are designed to surgically address and solve many indoor comfort, air quality, safety, and energy efficiency issues in homes and buildings.
Summit 2018 included six workshops taught by Performance-Based Contractors to an audience of Performance-Based Contractors. These sessions include:
• ComfortMaxx Air: Put It to Work in your Company! – Led by Nathan Copeland, Comfort Advisor, Copeland & Son AC & Heating Service, Inc., Nashville, Tenn.
• Productive and Profitable Duct Renovations — Vince DiFilippo, President, DiFilippo’s Service Co., Paoli, Pa.
• Become Your Local Carbon Monoxide Evangelist — Tom Johnson, President and GM, TM Johnson Bros Inc., Cambridge, Minn.
• From Tradesman to Craftsman: How Our Company Made the Leap — Kevin Walsh, Owner/President, Schaafsma Heating & Cooling, Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Where Indoor Air Quality Meets System Performance — John Ellis, President, So Cal Air Dynamics, Inc., Northridge, Calif.
• You Too Can Sell High Performance HVAC – If You Just Do It! — Eric Johnson, Sales, Air Conditioning by Jay, Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz.
In addition to sessions, Dominick Guarino led a six-member contractor panel discussion on how to overcome Performance-Based Contracting™ implementation hurdles.
“It is so good to be in the presence of those in our industry who work hard every day to not only improve the quality of life for our customers and coworkers, but to also improve the overall performance in the way we do business. Summit is an incredible forum for these trailblazers to gather together and 'reload,'” said panelist Jim Ball, general manager of Ball Heating and Air Conditioning, Biloxi, Ala.
Reloading, for example, often means stepping back and looking for out-of-the-box solutions to performance issues. In that effort, this interactive discussion addressed questions from the audience on overcoming Performance-Based Contracting™ implementation hurdles and sharing success stories in their own companies.
The panelists included:
• Jim Ball, Ball Heating & Air, Biloxi, Miss.
• Tom Johnson, TM Johnson Bros, Cambridge Minn.
• Nancy McKeraghan, Canco Climatecare, New Market, Ont.
• Jose Montes, Kennihan Plumbing, Heating & AC, Valencia Pa.
• Kevin Walsh, Schaafsma Heating and Cooling, Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Paul Weiboldt, Tradewinds, AP, Waco, Tex.
Awards and Recognitions
During the closing Banquet and Awards ceremony, NCI recognized member companies who made many advancements in implementation and achieved many levels of success in their companies.
Winners include:
• Small Contractor of the Year — Hyde’s Air Conditioning, Indio, Calif.
• Medium Contractor of the Year — Getzschman Heating, Fremont, Neb.
• Large Contractor of the Year — Progressive Heating and Air Corp. Newnan, Ga.
• David Debien Award for Technical Excellence — TM Johnson Brothers, Cambridge, Minn.
• John Garofalo Implementation Excellence Award — Kennihan Plumbing, Heating, and AC – Valencia, Pa.
• Training Excellence Award — All Pro Plumbing, Heating & Air – Ontario, Calif.
• Industry Partners Award — Austin Energy, Austin, Tex.
• Chairman’s Award — Ball Heating & Air, Biloxi, Miss.
National Comfort Institute's Summit 2019 will be held in April in Orlando, Fla.