AirTime 500 Expo: Members Awarded for Success, Prepped for the Future

The AirTime 500[TM] Expo, held the first week of March in Dallas, TX, featured a mix of entertainment, education, unveiling of new member programs, and awards presentations to top performers. Highlights of the conference included a keynote presentation by Roy Williams, “the Wizard of Ads,” who explained to the 450 attendees the various “tugs-of-war” that occurs in consumers’ minds when they’re mulling over a purchasing decision. He covered intellect vs. emotion (“Value, in the eyes of the consumer, is simply the difference between the anticipated price and the stated price. The key is to raise the anticipated price”); time vs. money (“You can always save one by spending more of the other”); and sight vs. sound (“Use jingles, because the mind long remembers what the eye soon forgets”). His advice: “Talk to the customer in the language of the customer about what’s important to the customer.” Jim Abrams, president of AirTime 500’s parent company, VenVest, Inc., told the attendees about the four major changes they can expect to see in the HVAC industry over the next 10 years: the increasing importance of branding, commodity pricing of equipment, increased competition from big-box retailers, and “super wealth” opportunities. “The super wealth opportunities will be there for contractors who learn the three secrets to success,” Abrams said. “Those are operational excellence, comprehension and mastering of direct marketing, and growth through acquisitions.” Abrams also revealed that VenVest in May plans to launch a membership organization for electricians, Electricians’ Success International[TM]. Combined with its HVAC and plumbing companies, Abrams said VenVest is positioning itself to become the nation’s largest home services provider. AirTime 500 President Terry Nicholson rolled out the association’s latest member benefit, a program called Bullseye: Precision Targeting E-Marketing. Nicholson explained to the attendees how this program allows them to use targeted e-mails to help them “hit the marketing bullseye.” Among the benefits of e-marketing, he noted, are low cost, speed, interactivity, and personalization and customization. Attendees also shared with each other their companies’ best operational ideas during the “Brainstorm Brilliance” session. Paul Bigham, from Bigham Services in Healdsburg, CA, won $1,500 for sharing his company’s 152-point installation checklist. At the March Expo, AirTime 500 presented its Home Services Hall of Fame Awards for service excellence within the HVAC industry. This is the first year for the awards, which will be announced annually. This year’s winning companies included: • Service Company of the Year and Replacement Company of the Year: Gallagher’s Heating and Air; Los Molinos, CA • Training Company of the Year: Atlas Butler Heating and Cooling; Columbus, OH • Market Dominance Company of the Year: Pitzer Air Conditioning; Lake Havasu City, AZ • Business Professional of the Year: Service Champions, Inc.; Yorba Linda, CA Finally, 35 members and two trainers were recognized for sales excellence. Darren Dixon, Quality One Hour A/C of Nevada; Las Vegas, and Randy Kelly, Unique Air; Dallas, TX were recognized as Million Dollar Trainers of the Year. Two Comfort Advisers were recognized for their million dollar sales achievements in 2003: Rookie of the Year is Jeremy Anderson, Quality One Hour A/C of Nevada; Las Vegas; Comeback Player of the Year is Richard Pass, Pass Heating and Air Conditioning; Herrin, IL. Thirty-one comfort advisors were inducted into the million dollar “Crown Champions” Club for sales of residential replacement equipment exceeding $1 million in 2003. For a complete list, visit www.contractingbusiness.com. For more information about AirTime 500, visit www.contractorsservices.net or call 800/505-8885. 2004 AirTime 500 Million Dollar Crown Champions Jim Steigner – $2,005,552 (E.H. Roberts Company, Owner – Jim Steigner) Matt Buckwalter – $1,546,829 (The Rohrer Co, Owner – Larry Rohrer) John Fletcher – $1,113,437 (McCarthy Heating & A/C, Owner – John McCarthy Sr) Cal Wright – $1,300,939 (Charbonneau Home Heating, Owner – Roger Charbonneau) David Smith – $1,928,679 (Morris Jenkins, Owner – Dewey Jenkins) John Misuraca – $1,443,043 (Coffman & Company, Owners – Pat & Judy Quinlan) Stan Jablecki – $1,059,586 (Pitzer Air Conditioning, Owners - Jo & John Navaretta and Larry Thornton) Scott Wipf – $1,227,157 (Anderson Services for Home & Business, Manager – Tom Schulz, VP – Brent Freeman) Matt Stout – $1,132,453 (Robertson Electric Company, Manager – Bruce Locker) Mike Driscoll – $1,163,370 (Atlas Butler, Manager – Russ Puckett) Conrad Waricka – $1,137,108 (Atlas Butler, Manager – Russ Puckett) Allen Smith – $1,272,047 (Morris Jenkins, Owner – Dewey Jenkins) Jonathan Bancroft – $1,259,615 (Morris Jenkins, Owner – Dewey Jenkins) Brandon Ellena – $1,147,599 (Quality A/C of NV, Manager – Darren Dixon, Owner – Jeff Stewart) Greg Culley – $1,475,189 (Rod Johnson Air, Owner – Rod Johnson) Lou Reinhardt – $1,697,290 (Service Champions of Northern CA, Owner - Kevin Comerford, GM – Ray Diaz) Nathan Breeding – $1,481,679 (Greiner Heating & A/C, Owner – John & Patty Greiner) Michael Monahan – $1,100,911 (Expert Services, Owner – Tom & Yvonne Quatroni) Rod O’Grady – $1,089,901 (Charbonneau Home Heating, Owner – Roger Charbonneau) David Smith – $1,297,401 (F.F. Kling & Son, Owner – Eric Kling) Cliff Smith – $1,091,397 (Atlas Butler, Manager – Russ Puckett) Frank Speer – $1,122,239 (Service Champion’s, Inc., Manager – Jim Cooper, Owner – Leland Smith) Jeremy Anderson – $1,078,802 (Quality A/C Services of NV, Manager – Darren Dixon, Owner – Jeff Stewart) Richard Pass – $1,027,552 (Pass Heating & Air Conditioning, Owner – Francis Pass) Bert Wilson – $1,006,712 (Gallagher’s Heating & A/C, Owner – Tim Gallagher) Jeremy Clayton – $1,052,243 (Gubbels Heating & Air Conditioning, Owner – Russell Schrader) Marshall Wolfe – $1,123,562 (Walnut Creek Sheet Metal, Furnace & A/C, Owner – Jim Terril) Dan Wright – $1,346,590 (Union Energy, Owner - Amandio Contreiras) Chuck Hope – $1,146,971 (Union Energy, Owner - Adam Taborek) Shon Cantin – $1,072,213 (Union Energy, Owner - Amandio Contreiras) Mike Kickham – $1,029,711 (Union Energy, Owner - Rob Jutras) Joe Slagter – $1,153,611 (Boonstra Heating & Air Conditioning, Owner – Kevin Mitchell) Randy Norton – $1,175,405 (Mr. Furnace, Owner – Randy Norton)