Contents Editor Sarah Black Publisher Jodi Araujo, CEM
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 DucTales Magazine is published six times annually. NADCA annual dues include a paid s ubscription 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 products, nor any particular model of equipment.
ECO BOX DucTales magazine text and cover pages are printed on SFI-Certified Anthem Plus Gloss paper using soy ink.
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.
25 23
27
In Every Issue
Your Business
3
President’s Message
13
Franchise Due Diligence
6
Executive Director’s Message
15
35
Committee Spotlight
Four PR Metrics You Can Start Using Today
37
Committee Assignments
18
39
New NADCA Members and CVIs
40
New ASCSs
What You Need to Know About Changes to the National Defense Authorization Act
41
Industry Calendar
20
Four Ways to Grow Your Residential Air Duct Cleaning Business
23
How Running a Small Business is Like Coaching a Football Team
Industry News
NADCA News
7
Polymer Group Inc. Unveils Everist High Efficiency Filtration Media
24
Thank You, NADCA
8
CoorsTek Sensors Acquires Finnish Sensor Company Pegasor, Oy
25
Associate Member Spotlight: Biltwel
27
A Worldwide Authority
9
Triclosan: Is It Safe for HVAC Technicians?
32
Member Spotlight: AIRTEK Indoor Solutions Inc.
33
NADCA In The News
2
President’s Message
The State of NADCA Heading into 2015 By Bill Benito, NADCA President
“A point in every direction is as good as no point at all.”
T
hat was the wisdom from the Pointed Man to Obilo and Arrow as they traveled through the Pointless Forest. Obilo had been banished to the Pointless Forest because he was born with a round head in a country that said “everything must have a point,” including the heads of everyone. (“The Point,” by Harry Nilsson 1971; Ringo Starr narrated the father’s part in the movie version). Well, back to my point!
Over the next 10 years (2000-2010) I believe that we had a point in every direction. We added two more certifications and worked on additional publications to support our Standard. We took a well-attended (and profitable) technical training meeting and tried it in three and four locations the same year (only one was successful). We tried to become all things to all people—a point in every direction.
As business owners we tend to try and do a little of everything and add additional income streams for what we think are “related services” only to end up a “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Finally, after going after every call of every kind of cleaning, I made a decision that if it couldn’t be cleaned with a pressure washer or with vacuums, or it didn’t have a duct system, we said no. We focused on our core services and found we did better. It happened to me, I am sure it has happed to a lot of our members, and I believe it happened to NADCA.
That was then, this is now, 2015. NADCA is in the best shape it has ever been in. At every board meeting we start by reviewing NADCA’s Mission Statement and our Core Purpose that was boiled down to just four points. To educate and train, to network, to serve as the industry voice, to set industry standards. As we discuss board items we determine if or how it fits into our mission statement/core purpose.
In the first 10 years of NADCA we were very focused and developed our first Standard 1992-01. We developed two certifications: Air Systems Cleaning Specialist (ASCS) and Certified Ventilation Inspector (CVI). We worked to get NADCA into the Master Spec and in front of specifiers and end users. I believe NADCA was very focused and was pointed in the right direction. 3
Financially, we have our costs under control, we have 9 months of operating reserves and, due to focusing on proper budgeting and controls, we have not had to dip into our reserves since our transition to AH in 2012. We have had two great treasurers since 2011 and a Finance Committee in place since 2013. Our membership is at all-time high with 1,139 members, up 22 percent since 2012 with an unbelievable
NADCA Officers President Bill Benito, ASCS (’15) Connecticut Steam Cleaning Inc. P.O. Box 354 440 John Fitch Boulevard South Windsor, CT 06074 (860) 289-5100 FAX: (860) 528-5556 BillBenito@aol.com
Secretary Mike White, ASCS (’17) Clean Air Systems of LA, Inc. P.O. Box 6210 225 Mount Zion Road Shreveport, LA 71136 (318) 869-0344 FAX: (318) 869-0346 mike.white@ cleanairsystemsiaq.com
1st Vice President Michael Vinick, ASCS (’17) Duct & Vent Cleaning of America Inc. 311 Page Boulevard Springfield, MA 01104 (413) 734-8368 FAX: (413) 733-1997 mvinick@ductandvent.com
Treasurer Richard Lantz, ASCS (’15) Interior Maintenance Company 45 Scottdale Road Landsdowne, PA 19050 (757) 754-1453 richard@imc.cc
2nd Vice President Rick MacDonald, ASCS (’15) Armstrong Heating & Power Vac Inc. 720 East Industrial Park Drive, #9 Manchester, NH 03109 (603) 627-7016 FAX: (603) 627-7070 rmac@ahpv.com
NADCA Directors Dan Stradford, ASCS (‘15) Action Duct Cleaning 787 W. Woodbury Suite 2 Altadena, CA 91001 dstradford@aol.com
Kevin Uilkie, ASCS (‘17) K.M. Facility Services, LLC 5631 N. 52nd Avenue Glendale, AZ 85301 (623) 930-5490 kevin@kmfacserv.com
Jimmy Meyer, ASCS (‘16) Meyer Machine & Equipment 351 Main Street Antioch, IL (847) 395-2970 jimbob@meyermachine.com
Mark Zarzeczny, ASCS (‘17) Schoen Duct Cleaning 704 Cooper Street Edgewater Park, NJ 08010 (609) 835-9500
Carlos Gonzales-Boothby, ASCS (‘16) Indoor Environmental Consultants PO Box 191648 San Juan, Puerto Rico 009191648 (787) 568-8880 carlos@iec-pr.com
mark@ schoenairductcleaninginc.com
Immediate Past President Matt Mongiello, ASCS Interior Maintenance Company 45 Scottdale Road Lansdowne, PA 19050 (610) 626-1300 matt@imc.cc
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 Executive Director Kristy Cohen Assistant Executive Director Shay McClain Associate Meeting Manager
Victoria Ramsay Membership & Certification Coordinator Robin Geary Senior Meeting Manager Karen Spiro Industry Relations Manager
President’s Message
Training and Education
Made Easy! Custom training is now available to NADCA members! Instead of flying your entire staff somewhere to receive training, NADCA will bring the training to YOU!
Interested? Call NADCA Headquarters at (855) GO-NADCA to learn more.
That was then, this is now, 2015. NADCA is in the best shape it has ever been in. 96 percent retention rate! Our membership committee has been working hard at developing new benefits and return on your investment. Our Education & Safety Committee has put together the best Fall Technical Conferences with record attendance each year for the past three years. CEC training is available on demand at low cost also. With the ASCS/VSMR update, and merger and bridging exams out of the way, the Certification Committee is currently updating the CVI job description and exam. Look for the update to be completed between the 2015 Technical Conference and the 2016 Annual meeting. Much of what is in ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 180 will be incorporated into the CVI. In 2015, the Standards Committee will be doing a review of ACR. This will not be a major overhaul as was 2013 but a scheduled review to incorporate any new standards or language that may be required. Industry & Public Relations is busy all the time developing messaging to get out to consumers and end users. Our brand recognition is increasing every day. We have Memorandums of Understanding with many of our related associations and are working
closer than ever to reach a common industry goal. Our relationships with our international members and associations is very good and our partner AIISA in Italy continues to grow with NADCA. I have appointed an ad hock committee to look at the scammer issues we all have in our areas. Mark Zarzeczny has been contacting different attorney generals (AG) and informing them of the issues. Mark will be working on a template for our members on how to contact their respective AG offices and representatives. All of our committees are working diligently for the betterment of our association and industry. All of these people are volunteers and work for the benefit of all. Look in the back of this issue to see who the people are on the different committees and take the time to thank them at the annual in April. Hopefully you will want to get involved and be part of this tremendous organization and remember “you don’t need a point to have a point.” I want to personally wish everyone a happy and productive New Year, and look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting in Marco Island where I will turn NADCA over to a new President. 4
Executive Director’s Message
By Jodi Araujo, CEM; Executive Director The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals. — Melody Beattie
goal ɡōl/ noun 1. the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. •
Lose 10 lbs before heading to Marco Island in April for NADCA’s Annual Conference…
•
Adopt healthier eating habits and hit the gym more often…
•
Make time to decompress regularly and regroup for clarity…
I digress! Speaking of goals, have you read our cover story? I want to share a couple of very exciting numbers with you that will illustrate just how productive 2014 has been for the association.
A 96 Percent Membership Renewal Rate Membership General’s Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report offered numbers reported in their latest data release, and their study found that 27 percent of associations saw renewal rates decline in 2014. The average renewal rate for trade associations fell from 87 percent to 85 percent this past year. D U C TA L E S
How has NADCA maintained aboveaverage renewal rates over the past three years? Continued delivery of member benefits, protection of the NADCA brand and members’ investment in the association and increased development of educational and training opportunities, to name a few.
A 59 Percent Increase in Fall Technical Conference Attendance Leading up to 2012, NADCA’s Fall Tech attendance was consistently coming in at around 80-85 attendees. Over the course of the next two years, NADCA would see attendance rise 59 percent to a record high 137 attendees in 2014. The ongoing development of new educational content and hands-on learning opportunities, coupled with affordable pricing has allowed members to make the investment in their technicians and to reap the benefits of that investment upon their return to the field. This growth exceeded our short term goals and it would not have been achieved without the direction and guidance of our committee co-chairs, Rick MacDonald and Jimmy Meyer. Their technical expertise laid the groundwork for staff to execute a solid programming schedule. This year brings a renewed focus on the strategic initiatives set by the
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
board in mid-2014, with a continued focus on growth of the association, and also of our industry and the success of our members. We know that success in any one of those areas means meeting our goals in all, as our efforts are closely tied together. The continuation of our integrated marketing approach, together with our ongoing development of new content and learning opportunities, both online and in-person, will help NADCA remain on its current trajectory.
A Few Housekeeping Notes 1.
Annual meeting registration is open and the programming is top notch. Marco Island isn’t so bad either!
2.
Safety Award applications were due February 1. If you missed the deadline and still want to apply, contact me immediately at jodi@nadca.com
3.
Look for NADCA’s Annual Report in the next issue! We’ll review highlights, challenges and the financial health of the association.
In closing, the words of the great Benjamin Franklin: “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” 6
Industry News
Polymer Group Inc. Unveils Everist High Efficiency Filtration Media New Nanofiber-Based Technology Supports Strategic Growth of World-Leading Specialty Materials Provider
P
olymer Group, Inc. (PGI) recently unveiled Everist™ brand filtration media, the next answer in high-efficiency filtration, at the INDA Filtration2014 International Conference & Exposition in Baltimore. This nanofiber-based technology offers enhanced mechanical efficiency, low pressure drops and excellent dirt holding capacity, making it the ideal solution for companies in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) or other industries reliant on high efficiency filtration media. The launch of Everist media represents a significant step in PGI’s strategic growth in filtration as the company continues to provide global customers with the most innovative and highest quality specialty materials possible. Whether it’s HVAC providers for critical environments, gas turbine manufacturers or other users of high efficiency materials, these companies require the best-performing filtration media to meet their demands. PGI’s Everist technology exceeds these demands while outperforming traditional mechanical media in multiple key areas. These are: Enhanced Efficiency: Everist media provides a higher initial efficiency and
the same mechanical efficiency as glass, while providing the same initial efficiency and a higher discharge efficiency vs. synthetics. Low Pressure Drops: The nanofiberbased technology in Everist media provides half the pressure drop of glass media and is similar to electrostatically-charged synthetics. Excellent Dirt Holding Capacity: PGI’s Everist media doubles the dirt holding capacity of synthetic composites and has a similar capacity to glass. Best-in-Class Processing: Everist media pleats on both rotary and blade pleaters and can be sonically welded. High Durability and Sustainability: This new technology is both more durable than glass and greener than traditional media. The launch of Everist high efficiency filtration media represents the culmination of recent investments in PGI’s state-of-the-art Waynesboro, Virginia, manufacturing facility. These
investments and the subsequent introduction of the Everist portfolio make PGI’s filtration segment one of the strongest in the industry. “For years PGI has served as a global leader in filtration, and the launch of Everist marks a critical step in our strategy for growth both in this market and in our overall business,” said Scott Tracey, President, North America & Global Wipes and Technical Specialties, PGI. “We are excited to introduce this innovative, high efficiency filtration media to the market, as it outperforms traditional mechanical and synthetic composite media. In the months to come, we will execute a strategic growth plan that includes bringing the Everist technology to filtration customers across the globe.”
Learn More Visit www.polymergroupinc.com/en/ to learn more about PGI’s global commitment to providing superior specialty materials that enable customers to create a safer, cleaner, healthier world.
Industry News
CoorsTek Sensors Acquires Finnish Sensor Company Pegasor, Oy CoorsTek Product Portfolio Enhanced by Industry-Leading “Active-Charging” Particulate Matter Sensor, Enabling Expansion into Global Air-Quality Markets
C
oorsTek Sensors, the CoorsTek company that develops and deploys smart sensors across diverse markets to improve our environment, recently announced that it had acquired sensor company Pegasor, Oy of Tampere, Finland. Pegasor, founded in 2008, is recognized as one of Scandinavia’s most promising growth companies in the cleantech sector, based on its breakthrough innovation in fine and nanoparticle sensor technologies. According to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution in and outside of people’s homes is the world’s largest single environmental health risk, resulting in millions of premature deaths annually. The WHO’s most recent report of air quality in 1600 cities across 91 countries indicates that only 12 percent of people living in these cities enjoy air quality that meets WHO air-quality standards. Through the Pegasor acquisition, CoorsTek Sensors will expand beyond its current solutions in the automotive-sensor market into the growing market of solutions D U C TA L E S
to monitor air quality, including: sensors targeting urban air quality monitoring networks; indoor air quality monitoring in commercial and industrial facilities; and smoke-stack emission monitoring systems.
locations where air quality falls below acceptable standards and the specific contaminants of concern, which are critical initial steps in improving air quality to improve public health and ultimately save lives.”
“With the acquisition and integration of Pegasor, CoorsTek Sensors has become the world’s most capable particulate matter sensor company,” said Timothy Coors, CEO of CoorsTek Sensors. “CoorsTek Sensors’ technology will play a critical role in reversing the deteriorating levels of air quality present in cities around the world by identifying
Learn More
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
CoorsTek Sensors develops and deploys smart sensors across diverse markets, including automotive, HVAC, manufacturing and governmental public safety/public health. For more information, visit www.coorsteksensors.com.
8
Industry News
TRICLOSAN Is it Safe for HVAC Technicians? Recent studies show a common chemical found in soap and shampoo cause cancer for mice. Could it have the same effect on humans? By Brian Price
A
known chemical linked to cancer and liver fibrosis in mice is in your soap, shampoo and toothpaste. The same chemical is also used to clean coils during air duct cleaning. The chemical is triclosan, and there’s rising concern about its effect on humans. “Triclosan is used in many consumer products and soaps and detergents,” said Dan Stradford, NADCA Board Member. “It is also used in some HVAC coil cleaners. At high concentrations it is a biocide, a chemical that kills life forms, and at lower concentrations is it a bacteriostatic, a chemical that controls the growth of bacteria levels. Biocides are classified as pesticides and all chemical products in the U.S. claiming to be pesticides have to be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency.” Triclosan is one of the most frequently detected compounds in streams across the United States according to a study by the University of California, 9
San Diego Health Sciences. Triclosan traces have been found in the urine of nearly 75 percent of people tested for the chemical. What is this chemical and how does it end up in our streams? “The research we have seen indicates that triclosan is a stable molecule, so all of it does not break down immediately after application,” said Stradford. “It degrades in the presence of ozone, UV lighting and other factors. However, some of it survives use and ends up in our sewer water. Even after the sewage is processed, a small percentage of triclosan is reported to remain.” Many consumers are unaware of the chemical and the fact that they may be exposed to it every day. More studies are being conducted to determine the side effects of triclosan in these products, the outcomes of which will be of interest to the HVAC technicians using these products during the duct cleaning process. D U C TA L E S
“In our profession, we might find it in some coil cleaners or soaps and detergents,” said Stradford. “It is used in many products, including toothpaste. It’s effective and has been considered relatively safe, though research is accumulating that suggests the chemical may not be as safe as previously thought.” All chemical products come with a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), also called a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) that details the risks and safety precautions of each. “Many soaps and detergents are relatively safe to use with little protective gear, but you wouldn’t want to ingest them or get them in your eyes,” said Stradford. “Other products can be hazardous to exposed skin or lungs but, with proper safety equipment, and wellprepared and informed workers and building occupants, may be used in an HVAC system without incident.”
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
Industry News
Like any other hazardous chemical or cleaner, there are precautions and warnings in place to protect those who use the chemical. “This information should be fully read, understood, and applied when chemical products are used,” said Stradford. “It will give the user an understanding of any risks to workers or building occupants and how to deal with those risks.” Triclosan isn’t the only hazardous chemical used during duct cleaning. If not used properly, triclosan and other chemicals used could affect the technician or people in the building. “Each product is different and requires its own safety precautions,” said Stradford. “Technicians and their supervisors should read the SDS that comes with the chemical product. This gives clear instructions on the hazards of the product and what safety measures to take.”
D U C TA L E S
“Many different chemicals may be applied, depending on the need,” said Stradford. “Coil cleaners, antimicrobials, detergents, sealants, resurfacing materials and deodorants may be used as part or in addition to the cleaning process but not always. Each job is assessed for what is needed to do it properly and chemical products are used accordingly.” Could triclosan affect HVAC technicians or people who occupy a building that’s being cleaned? Stradford doesn’t believe so, as long as the product is used properly. More research is needed on the chemical and its effect on humans. HVAC technicians should review information on triclosan and other hazardous chemicals they use to stay informed and up to date on information and new health hazards.
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
“Do not use products containing triclosan if they are not approved for use by the appropriate registering agency such as the EPA,” said Stradford. “Review the EPA’s response on triclosan and contact the EPA as needed to determine the legal position of using a specific product containing triclosan. This will give you the data you need to inform workers, consumers, and officials on whether the product is approved for use.”
For more information about triclosan check out www.epa.gov and search triclosan. For information about HVAC chemical safety, check out NADCA’s white paper, Chemical Product Applications in HVAC Systems at www.nadca.com.
10
Your Business
Franchise Due Diligence Three Revealing Questions to Ask Franchisees By Joel Libava, the FranchiseKing® Before you sign on the dotted line for that franchise you’ve been investigating, it’s important to make sure you have asked existing franchisees some key questions. Most of the people I talk with focus on earnings; it’s totally natural to want to know how much you’ll make as a franchisee. But, you need to know more. You need to find out if your vision of being a franchise owner for the franchise concept you’re interested in is realistic. Don’t be shy; ask these questions. You’ll be glad you did.
What is Your Favorite Part of the Business? Don’t you want to know what gets the current franchisees out of bed in the morning? Don’t you want to know what will possibly get you out of bed each morning as the owner of a franchise business? The answers you get from the franchisees that you’ll be calling may or may not be what you expected. Remember, it’s about what your vision is of the business versus the reality. For example, what if one of the franchisees that you talk with tells 13
Don’t be like most people... Have the courage to ask questions that may not yield very pleasant answers. you that his or her favorite part of the business is all of the community involvement opportunities their franchise business affords? Or, maybe you learn from one or two franchisees that they like the fact that they get to come and go as they please during their normal business hours – and that’s their favorite part of the business. The answers you get when asking this question will probably be as different as the franchisees themselves. Call 10-15 current franchisees and ask them about their favorite parts of their businesses. Maybe one of their favorites will become yours, too.
D U C TA L E S
What is Your Least Favorite Part of Owning This Franchise? Don’t be like most people here. Have the courage to ask questions that may not yield very pleasant answers. Would you rather find out some of the negatives of everyday life as a franchisee before you buy the franchise, or after? Most franchisees dislike some of the parts of their day-to-day business activities. It doesn’t mean that they are unhappy franchisees. It means they’re human. Think about it: How realistic is it for a business owner to like everything about their business? JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
Your Business
This is your chance. It’s your only chance to find out the good, the bad and the ugly about the franchise business opportunity that you may about to invest your money in. Don’t miss it.
What Do You Wish You Would Have Known Before You Invested in the Franchise You Now Own? This may turn out to be one of most powerful questions you’ll ever ask current franchisees. For example, what if they tell you (after you ask this crucial question) that you really don’t need to purchase certain very expensive supplies before you open for business that are suggested by the franchisor, until you’re in your sixth month of being in business? Wouldn’t having that kind of information help you get to breakeven faster? Investing less money up front (if you can) is a good thing! Here’s another one: What if one or two of the franchisees tell you D U C TA L E S
It pays to ask great questions as you do your due diligence. You don’t know what you don’t know – until you do. that you don’t necessarily need a 2,000-square-foot space for your franchise business like the franchisor suggests and to look for commercial space in the 1,300-1,400-squarefoot range instead? That kind of information could end up saving you $500 or more a month in rent! Again, information like that could help you make money faster. Can you see how asking questions like that could help you make a fact-based decision on the franchise business you’re about to purchase? Gather as much information as you
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
can before buying the franchise business you’re interested in. It pays to ask great questions as you do your due diligence. You don’t know what you don’t know – until you do. About the Author Joel Libava is the author of “Become a Franchise Owner!” and is a franchise ownership advisor. He coaches people on how to carefully choose and properly research franchises. Learn more at www.thefranchiseking.com. This article originally appeared October 21, 2014 on www.sba.gov.
14
Your Business
Four PR Metrics You Can Start Using Today
By Gijs Nelissen
W
hen it comes to PR metrics and measurement, it seems like everyone can talk the talk. But how about walking the walk? Actually measuring the return-oninvestment (ROI) of your PR efforts is no easy task. The Barcelona Principles (nicely summarized in “The Principles of PR Measurement,” by Ketchum Global Research & Analytics) are a great foundation, but they don’t tell you how to get started. Here are four hands-on PR metrics you can use to measure the ROI of your PR campaigns. Best of all, you can start using them as soon as today.
Measure Interactions with Your Pitch If you aren’t measuring how recipients interact with your pitches, 15
you should be. Keeping track of interactions will tell you which messages resonate best with your media contacts (as well as which ones fall flat), helping you refine your pitches over time. Every time you send out a new pitch, try to answer the following questions: •
Out of all the contacts on my email list, how many received the email, opened it, forwarded it to colleagues and clicked on the link? (Pro Tip: Most email activity happens within the first two hours of delivery.)
•
How many contacts replied to my pitch and asked for more information?
•
After I’ve posted my pitch on D U C TA L E S
social media, how many of my fans and followers replied, clicked, retweeted and shared? Try collecting every metric in a simple spreadsheet for all your efforts. This will make it easy to compare and evaluate performance later. Many tools, including the ones we recommend in this article, have simple export-to-Excel features, making it easy and fast to get everything into one spreadsheet. Thankfully you don’t need to call your entire contact list to know how they’re interacting with your emails, web content or social media posts. Accessing this data is surprisingly simple if you have the right tools. Here are two of my favorites: JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
Your Business
Google Analytics can show you how people are coming to your site, and what sources give you the highest number of referrals.
A look at the Google Analytics for NADCA’s Website shows where visitors come from.
1.
2.
Yesware (www.yesware.com) is a Gmail add-on that lets you track opens and clicks on individual emails. Mailchimp (mailchimp.com) helps you measure and track large-scale email campaigns.
Measure the Coverage of Your Social, Web and Print Outreach We’re all familiar with the tactic of collecting press clippings for print media coverage. Measuring social and web mentions takes a little more planning. Here are the questions you need to ask: •
How many people are talking about my news?
•
Who are the people talking
D U C TA L E S
about my news, and how influential are they? •
Which medium is talking about my news, and how popular is this medium?
Use these PR Metrics to Determine ROI Measuring your media coverage is just the start. What you really need to know is whether that coverage has resulted in dollars and cents, increased brand awareness, or new leads. To that end, every PR campaign you run should have a clearly defined Key Performance Indicator (KPI) that helps you gauge the campaign’s success. Your KPI should be easy to measure and quick to report on, and you need to be able to check on it at least once a day.
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
Think very carefully about what it is that you’re trying to achieve, what are your objectives? Ask yourself what successful delivery of these objectives would look like. Here are a few common KPIs many companies use to measure the success of their PR initiatives: •
New social media followers
•
New referral links
•
Increased organic website traffic
•
New leads or sign-ups
One simple metric that can be implemented tomorrow is the amount of referral traffic to a blog or website. This can easily be obtained through Google Analytics and shows how PR outreach/awareness results in traffic directly from media 16
Your Business
and blog sites over a period of time. Having access to this information helps to show how PR is tied to driving traffic to a site, which can then result in further activities/ interaction with stakeholders.
Measure the Long-term Effect of Your Coverage The previous PR metrics in this article will help you measure the temporary boost your campaigns will generate. While it’s satisfying to see immediate results from your PR efforts, it’s just as important to measure their effectiveness over longer periods of time. These questions will help you understand the long-term affect your campaigns are having: •
How has my social footprint grown during the past few weeks, months and years? Have I increased my follower count, interactions and shares? (Followerwonk.com is a simple tool that helps you track the growth of social media followers over time.)
•
How have my Google rankings improved? Am I ranking better on certain keywords?
•
Is my website seeing steady growth of organic traffic through referrals, search engines and social media?
Here’s the main thing to remember: Measuring PR success doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated, and not every metric outlined here will be relevant for every PR campaign. However you measure success, you should be able to learn something from every pitch email, every media mention and every fan interaction. Over time, these small improvements will add up to big changes in ROI. Gijs Nelissen is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Prezly, an online service to support PR professionals with technology challenges by providing online social media news rooms, influencer management, and pitching/distribution tools. He also is a fulltime father, blogger, Crossfit enthusiast and Red Devils fanatic. This article first appeared on March 5, 2014, on Spin Sucks (www.spinsucks.com), an award winning marketing, PR and communications blog, and an arm of the Chicago based integrated digital marketing firm Arment Dietrich Inc.
17
D U C TA L E S
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
Your Business
If You Do Business With the Government … What You Need to Know About Changes to the National Defense Authorization Act By John Shoraka, SBA Official The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently published a proposed rule to implement Section 1651 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (NDAA), proposing to change several key areas, including: the performance requirements applicable to small business and socioeconomic program set aside contracts and small business subcontracting, the nonmanufacturer rule and affiliation rules, and the performance requirements for joint ventures. If you’re a small business doing business with the government, the proposed rule includes a number of provisions that could impact you. The highlights of the proposed revisions to the NDAA include:
Subcontracting: Changing the way that performance is calculated on small and socioeconomic setaside contracts, and authorizes similarly situated subcontractors to count towards the performance requirements. (Section 1651) Joint Ventures: Making the performance requirements consistent, regardless of whether or not a small
D U C TA L E S
business chooses to joint venture or perform in a prime or subcontractor relationship. (Section 1651)
NonManufacturer Rule: Revisions to SBA’s regulations pertaining to the Nonmanufacturer rule and affiliation rules
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
including the treatment of software as a commodity and the elimination of waiver requests for procurements within the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT). (Section1651) This article was originally published on December 30, 2014, and updated January 2, 2015, at www.sba.gov.
18
Your Business
19
D U C TA L E S
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
Your Business
Four Ways to Grow Your Residential Air Duct Cleaning Business By Peter Haugen, ASCS, CVI • President, Vac Systems International
A
s you think about ways to grow your business your first step is to take a minute and evaluate your current business plan and practices. You need to know where you are before you can move forward and grow. Ask yourself: What can I do better? How can I better serve my customers? How can my customers better serve my goals? What new or different growth options are available for me?
Get More Referrals from Existing Customers Your existing customers are one of your biggest assets. You have already won their business and trust. The challenge is to take this trust and make it work for you in the form of getting more referrals! First, you make it so easy for them they can’t help but give you a referral by doing a great job every time. Many people do good work and there is nothing wrong with good work. You need to aim higher so your customers think the world of you and the service you provided. Second, create a customer referral reward program that is easy and rewarding for both your customer and you.
Expand Your Marketing to Reach a Larger Audience Look at the geographic area you currently serve. Can you expand it? Are there areas that offer greater D U C TA L E S
potential than others? Pick out a new area and then market to them. You can: 1.
Offer something these new potential customers would like.
2.
Distribute your direct mail piece to that new area.
3.
Use direct mail packs that go to the zip codes of that new area
4.
Put door hanger flyers on the homes in the new area.
5.
Use radio and local television, they generally cover a large geographic area.
Try different things but keep track of what works best so you can use that strategy again.
Network With Other Trades You can increase your business by networking with other trades that can use you as a subcontractor to provide their air duct cleaning services. These trades can include: •
HVAC contractors
•
Fire Restoration contractors
•
Water/Mold Restoration contractors
•
Carpet cleaners
•
Chimney sweeps
•
Home inspectors
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
•
Janitorial service contractors (that service apartments and condos)
You first have to sell these other trades on your ability and the quality of your work. Take them to one of your jobs or give the owner a free HVAC system cleaning. Once they agree to use you and you have negotiated their compensation, you need to provide quality and timely service. If you do, they should continue using you and help you to grow your business.
Expand Your Service Offering Look at your current service offering. Are there things you can add to make you more valuable to your customers? Are there services you could add that would set you apart from your competition? Consider adding: •
Dryer vent cleaning
•
Filter upgrades
•
Carbon monoxide testing
•
Duct leakage testing
•
Duct sealing
•
UV lights
Expanding your service offering will enable you to better serve your customers (which helps generate more referrals), increase your revenues per job and help set you apart from your competition. 20
Your Business
How Running a Small Business is Like Coaching a Football Team
I
t may not be something that often crosses your mind, but football coaches and small business owners have a lot in common. Both professions require leadership, dedication, commitment and a strong work ethic in order to succeed. Just like football coaches, as a small business owner, you must take on many roles to ensure everybody is working together as a team to achieve important goals and operations run smoothly. Here are a few other ways football coaches and small business owners play a similar game.
Pre-Game To prepare for a football game, coaches research opponents, develop game plans and determine the best lineup of players who will help the team win. Similarly, when starting a small business, entrepreneurs conduct market research to understand the competition and the key economic conditions and indicators. Entrepreneurs also build a business plan, which sets the strategic framework for the organization and maps out the path forward. In addition, small business owners find top talent who will help them execute the plan and beat the competition.
During the Game Over the course of a game, head coaches make adjustments regularly,
23
shifting tactics to put their team in position to score and win. They consult with assistant coaches to get advice on what plays they should run. Entrepreneurs also make strategic moves to adjust to constantly changing market forces and customer demands. You can get guidance on how to set yourself up for success by consulting with experts from a local SBA district office, SCORE chapter, Small Business Development Center or Women’s Business Center.
Halftime Coaches typically deliver inspiring halftime speeches that motivate players to give their all and function as a team. You motivate your employees by providing benefit programs and encouraging their career growth through training that will help strengthen their skills. Small business owners also foster teamwork by clearly communicating
D U C TA L E S
the importance of each employee’s role in reaching a shared objective.
Post-Game Following a game, coaches review footage to analyze which plays and strategies did or did not work and what improvements the team can make to defeat the next opponent. At the end of each day or period of performance, entrepreneurs crunch numbers to determine how well the business performed and identify ways to boost profits, cut costs and improve customer service. In coaching, the job doesn’t end just after one game or one season. The same can be said for entrepreneurs who work hard every day to pursue their dream of starting, managing and growing a small business. This article was originally published September 3, 2014 at www.sba.gov.
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
NADCA News
Thank You, NADCA
My Experience as an Educated Consumer By Sarah Black
I
’ve talked to so many NADCA members during my time as editor of DucTales, and I’ve learned a few things. One, that ducts actually do need to be cleaned. Two, that homeowners rarely know anything about said cleaning. And three, that very often, the NADCA members I’ve talked with don’t get a call from a homeowner until something is really wrong. I, not very proudly, now fall into that third category. My family and I had been away for a week on vacation, and returned home after a day on the road to find our house freezing (it was a chilly 28˚ F outside). Our first instinct was to think that the oil tank was empty. Around $400 later, the furnace still wasn’t working. My husband, Joe, tinkered with it for a moment, when it fired up momentarily and promptly expelled clouds of soot and black smoke. We had a problem. Presumably a big one. Cue the phone call. We called the heating company that supplies our heating oil. After dismantling parts of the furnace, determining that the mother board had somehow been fried, two techs stood scratching their heads. It was at this moment I remembered the plumes of black smoke and thought it might matter. “Not necessarily,” they said, “Your air ducts are filthy; it was probably from that. As long as it wasn’t upstairs you’re probably
D U C TA L E S
OK for now.” But the black smoke had found its way through the vents upstairs, and I showed them the black around the vents in the kitchen. The techs looked at each other, and one silently pulled apart the venting to the chimney to reveal the problem: A completely blocked air duct leading out to the chimney. Most people would be horrified to see this. I was, but I was also thrilled. I thought, “I know what to ask! I know that there’s a standard! I can let THEM know that I know that there’s a standard!” There’s something to be said for being an informed consumer. However, not everyone has the opportunity to work as closely with the organization as I do, which is why NADCA’s efforts with the Anti-Fraud Task Force and partnership with Yoshki for online logo verification is so important. These efforts, along with consumer outreach and education, help inform consumers and empower them with the knowledge they need to find legitimate service providers. If you haven’t done so already, get your verified logo from Yoshki, and support NADCA’s efforts with the Anti-Fraud Task Force. Your customers will thank you!
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
24
NADCA News
Associate Member Spotlight Biltwel How did Biltwel get its start? Biltwel got started by accident. My father, the late Henry Vollweiter, started Modern Power Vac in 1976. He ran a fleet of duct cleaning trucks that he purchased from various manufacturers. In 1988, my father mentioned to me that he needed to buy a new vacuum truck. I told him that my company could build him one. At that time, I was selling a line of German kitchen ventilation equipment, so I was employing welders and sheet metal workers. I built one unit for him and then built another three for him in the early 1990s. After I built the last unit for him, we drove it around the city before its custom paint and lettering was done. Many people were stopping to ask what kind of body was on the truck and we had numerous people tell us that we should consider manufacturing the vacuum bodies for sale to the general public. We did some trial advertising and sold some units. We made the decision to start a full-fledged division to start manufacturing these duct cleaning trucks and in 1995, Biltwel Duct Cleaning Equipment was born.
What does Biltwel specialize in? Biltwel specializes in truck mounted vacuum bodies. Our bodies are 7
25
or 8 feet wide by up to 17 feet long or custom lengths. We typically mount the bodies on Ford F350, 450, 550, 650 and 750 trucks, Isuzu NPR 4500 and 5500, Hino 145 and 160, International Terrastar, Kenworth, Peterbilt or custom requests.
Who are your customers? Our customers are new and existing duct cleaning companies, heating, cooling and plumbing contractors or entrepreneurs starting a new business venture.
What is the benefit of using a specialized truck as opposed to portable duct cleaning equipment? Customers typically buy a duct truck if they are interested in having a high-powered vacuum and highpressure compressed air with lots of air storage potential. A vacuum truck provides the ability to do a lot of duct cleaning very fast with only one technician. One technician can hook up 150 feet of vac hose, which weighs approximately 25 lbs, in less than 10 minutes. One technician will typically clean between two and five houses per day, depending on the size of the home. Companies employing two technicians on a vacuum truck will complete up to 10 houses per day, depending on size.
D U C TA L E S
With the high-power vacuum, there is far less zoning of the air duct systems required, so a duct system can be cleaned much faster than using an electric portable vacuum. The technician does not have to stop in the middle of a job to clean out the filter or empty the dirt chamber. Vacuum trucks are ideal for new home construction clean up as the drywall and sawdust are not going to slow down the cleaning process. We offer different sizes of air compressors with 60 or 80 gallon air tanks. Our smallest air compressor delivers double the air output, which most suppliers of portable equipment are offering. When using a Biltwel vacuum truck, technicians seldom have to wait for compressed air. The compressors are always keeping up with the air usage required. Currently, Modern Power Vac technicians are getting set up to clean the ducts at a large commercial building. For this project, we are sending out one vacuum truck with 200 feet of vac hose, 1,500 feet of compressed airline, two electric portable negative air collectors, all sizes of brushes and air whips and three technicians. The vacuum truck will produce enough compressed air that all three technicians can be working on the jobsite at the same time.
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
NADCA News
Our vacuum trucks last a long time. It is not uncommon to see a 30-yearold vacuum truck on the road today. In fact, just before Christmas, I saw the first vacuum truck I built in 1988 drive past me on a freeway in our city. I know that when we sold that truck, it went to a customer located over 500 miles away. It is now totally re-painted and still in operation. The longest vacuum hose hook up that my Modern Power Vac employees ever connected was 700 feet of 10-inch vacuum hose and pipe in a Sears store. They had workable suction another 300 feet down the duct system that they were hooked into. The tallest high rise we cleaned with vacuum hose from our vacuum trucks was 14 stories. It had an open stairwell allowing us to strap the vac hose to the side of the stairwell and go up to the top floor and then work down. In addition to cleaning ductwork, our vacuum trucks will also clean furnace burners, air conditioning coils, dryer vents, wood stoves, wood burning fire places and attic insulation removal. The dirt hopper in the truck will hold 1,200 lbs of dirt, which means they can go several months without dumping the hopper.
D U C TA L E S
Some of the Modern Power Vac trucks in my own duct cleaning company have front storage compartments that can hold a portable negative air vacuum collector, portable air compressor, pressure washer, water hose, wet/ dry shop vac, hard hats, fire proof coveralls, steel toed boots, etc. Our portable vacuum units are used often but not as much as our vac trucks, which are used daily, in all weather, including rain, snow, extreme heat and extreme cold. On the days we require a portable unit, and still need to get our men and equipment to site, we use a vac truck, which is like a tool box on wheels with lots of storage compartments for hand tools, ladders, safety equipment, etc. Production is the main reason people go with vac trucks, but there is also an appearance of confidence that most customers have when a large vacuum truck pulls into a job site. This is something that typically does not occur when using portable equipment. We are located in Edmonton, Alberta, which is a region of 1 million people. There are over 100 vacuum trucks in my area but there is not one company that uses portable equipment exclusively to clean ductwork.
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
What is the future for Biltwel? Biltwel is now offering aluminum bodies for customers that want to reduce the weight for their overall unit. Stainless steel is also offered for customers that want superior corrosion resistance. We will also continue to offer our galvanized steel bodies, which we have been manufacturing for the past 20 years. Biltwel is planning to build a duct cleaning training center, complete with mock-up ventilation systems, furnaces, A/C coils, rooftop units and 25 feet of vertical duct shafts. We hope to have this facility up and running by November 2015. Biltwel’s greatest challenge is to remain competitive due to the fact we are located in a region that is dominated by oil and natural gas resources and therefore we have to compete against these oil companies for labor. Our labor costs for welders, sheet metal fitters and automotive painters are two to three times greater than anywhere else in North America. Our goals are to continue to hire and retain high quality personnel that will allow us to continue to build the quality equipment for the duct cleaning industry while remaining to stay competitive in the market place.
26
NADCA News
NADCA’s High Membership Renewal Rate is a Testament to Its Value to Members By Kimberly Turner Quevedo
N
ADCA, like most associations, exists for its members. The influx of new members in the past three years and a high membership renewal rate has helped the association grow to almost 1,200 members—a nearly 30 percent increase from just over 900 members in 2012. Just as it is important to have members sign up, it is also essential to keep members coming back. The average association sees a membership renewal rate between 75 and 85 percent. NADCA, at 96 percent, is far above average!
27
“I would likely attribute the consistently high renewal rate to the attention we have given to enhancing our member benefits, strengthening our marketing outreach and investing in a more targeted membership plan,” says Jodi Araujo, CEM, Executive Director of NADCA. With 96 percent of members returning to the association, NADCA is proud to say that it has proven itself to be a valuable professional resource and an authority in the HVAC industry.
D U C TA L E S
NADCA Value There has been an increased awareness of ACR, The NADCA Standard for Assessment, Cleaning and Restoration of HVAC Systems, along with increased consumer awareness of NADCA standards and certification. This drives members to renew their memberships. “Our members receive a high return on investment, which contributes to our above average renewal rate,” says Kristy Cohen, Assistant Executive Director of NADCA. JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
900
800
NADCA News NADCA MEMBERSHIP GROWTH
1200 1200
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
1100
50
Tot al M ember s
1100
1000 1000
20
2008
900
900
2009
90
800
800 150
2006
2006
2010 2007
2007
2011
2008
2009
2008
2012 2010
2009
2011
2010
NEW MEMBER GROWTH 150
60
0
2008 2012 2013 2011
2012
82%
2014
93% 2011
2014
2013
RENEWAL RATE 2009
2014
97% 2012
120
Num b er of New Me mbe rs
30
2007 2013
120
90
9060
30
60
2007
2007
82% 2010
87% 2013
2008
93
88
2009
97% 97%200920122014
88% 93% 2011 2007 82% 85% % 2009% 97% 2012 2011 2008 93% 2011 94% 2010 87% 2013 2008
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 0
2010
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013
30
82%
87
88%
2012 % 96%
85%
2010 87% 2013 % % 2013
94%
94
2014
2014 0
85
2014
96%
96%
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013
D U C TA L E S
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
28
Re w gi w st w ra .n ti ad on ca O .c pe om n
NADCA News
Matt Mangiello, Past President and International Committee Chair; Carlos Gonzalez-Boothby; and Bill Benito, NADCA President, are flanked by some of NADCA’s Latin American members. International membership in NADCA increased 22 percent in 2014. According to NADCA’s first Vice President and membership cochair Michael Vinick, the association is finding that customers are looking for the professionalism NADCA members offer. The strong educational programming, training and certification are what keep members coming back. Kevin Uilkie of K.M. Facility Services, co-chair of the membership committee, says these education and training opportunities are a good way to meet professionals in the industry. “I like attending the annual conferences because it is a great networking opportunity,” says Uilkie. “The vast amount of knowledge within the organization is amazing.”
Look Who’s Talking About NADCA... Industry/Trade Media
Consumer Media & Publications
As part of its ongoing initiative to protect the NADCA brand and members’ investment in the organization, NADCA recently formed an Anti-Fraud Task Force, which aims to educate and protect consumers from scammers and illegitimate service providers. The relatively new task force further supports NADCA’s D U C TA L E S
As a result of working with Association Headquarters, NADCA received 100+ media placements* in trade/industry and consumer publications, with a combined circulation of 6,680,000+** *Placements occurred during the 2013 and 2014 calendar year and do not represent all media placements received. **Circulation number does not include the number of page views for online-only media.
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
30
NADCA News
efforts to show that its members have been professionally trained and certified to assess, clean and restore duct work, and gives credibility to their companies — yet another reason members continue to be part of NADCA.
Continuing the Esteem
NADCA members enjoy opportunities to socialize and network at events.
High membership renewal rates are nothing new to NADCA; they’ve been steadily above 80 percent for the past several years. But, to surpass the average renewal rate, according to Vinick, is unbelievable. “We have done a nice job in the last three years, and even reached 94 percent last year. To exceed that number this year is outstanding and I can attribute it to the due diligence of the committee members, the board and the staff.
Recruitment efforts for new members helped NADCA grow to nearly 1,200 members in 2014.
31
Our renewal process has vastly improved and the execution is welldocumented and monitored.” The new plan has simplified the membership renewal process and increased the communication sent to members to raise awareness about membership protocols and deadlines. “We go above and beyond in customer service to help with this process,” says Araujo. The high renewal rate is evidence that NADCA continues to be the leading authority in the HVAC cleaning industry. “We are fully committed to our members’ success in the industry and this is what drives every benefit and service we offer,” says Cohen.
Members attend events for training and continuing education.
D U C TA L E S
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
NADCA News
Member Spotlight AIRTEK Indoor Solutions Inc.
How did AIRTEK Indoor Solutions Inc. get its start? The company was founded by Travis Peterson in 1993. In 1995 Matt Kelly joined the team and got a contractor’s license so they could do commercial business, along with residential projects. The company later got NADCA certified in 1999. At the time, AIRTEK Indoor Solutions was excited about duct cleaning, as there were new systems and it was basically an unknown trade for a lot of people. It was a really interesting time for them.
How did AIRTEK Indoor Solutions get to where it is today with over 25 years of service? At AIRTEK’s beginning, they had to introduce and educate everyone about duct cleaning and the need for it. People were so interested that AIRTEK had TV stations inquiring about indoor air quality. One was Consumer Bob of CBS 8 in San Diego, who wanted to know the pros and cons of the service. People began to catch on, getting educated and seeing it on the news. There was also two sting operations with Marty Emerald of ABC 10 news to expose companies giving duct cleaning a bad name. NADCA worked with the newscasters, and that helped give duct cleaning a better reputation, supporting that a consumer would want to work with companies that D U C TA L E S
specialize in it and are certified. Many schools, hospitals and airports now know the importance of indoor air quality and duct cleaning is something that is now done on a regular basis. AIRTEK always took pride that it specialized in duct cleaning and is excited to offer this service.
It was foundation-type ductwork. The type of coding used was RS100 by Carlisle, which is a new hardcap product. Unlike the DP1010, which is kind of rubbery when it dries, the RS100 dries with a hard surface, making it easier to seal the ductwork. AIRTEK also uses robotics to help in duct cleaning.
Why is AIRTEK Indoor Air Solutions, Inc. a NADCA member? What are the benefits of being a NADCA What is AIRTEK Indoor member? For AIRTEK, it is absolutely important Air Solutions ultimate to have a NADCA membership, as goal? the company lives and breathes duct cleaning everyday — especially now with the bigger commercial jobs, including airports, hospitals and schools. The need for specifications and protocols to go by is essential and NADCA certification provides that, which gives people confidence they have someone trained and certified working on their system.
What technologies are helping shape how AIRTEK Indoor Air Solutions Inc. does business? Right now the coding and treatments help shape AIRTEK’s business. On a recent project there was a large room that needed its ductwork sealed.
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
AIRTEK aims to be the leader in duct cleaning in California and hopes to expand to the Arizona and Las Vegas areas in the future. AIRTEK has also grown with the type of services provided, which now include kitchen exhaust cleaning and infection control for hospitals and healthcare centers. The company also works on ships and in marinas with the U.S. Coast Guard.
What sets AIRTEK Indoor Solutions Inc. apart from other HVAC companies? AIRTEK’s certifications, extensive experience, capability to handle large projects, technology and having solutions for customers sets the company apart from others. 32
NADCA News
NADCA Presenter Highlighted by ACHR News
M
ike White, ASCS, recently presented “Solving Building Performance Issues” at the AHR Expo, where he and his wife, Cindy, worked the NADCA booth. The session focused on how HVAC system cleaning companies can help contractors and facilities managers solve their building performance issues. White’s session was highlighted by ACHR News.
NADCA’s Award for Association Growth Recognized by HVACR Business
N
ADCA was honored by Association Headquarters, Inc. (AH) for its multi-demensional growth at the inaugural Red Chair Awards held in October 2014. News of this award was shared on HVACR Business’s website, www.hvacrbusiness.com. HVACR Business serves as an information resource with the goal of helping HVACR companies improve their business.
33
D U C TA L E S
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
NADCA News
Committee Spotlight NADCA Working for You
N
ADCA 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.
NADCA White Paper on Interior Insulation Applications in HVAC Systems
The Annual Meeting Committee, led by committee co-chairs Matt Mongiello and Michael Vinick, has been working hard to put together a fantastic line up of program sessions for the 2015 Annual Meeting in Marco Island, Florida.
NADCA members routinely encounter issues with cleaning, cutting, removing, and restoring interior insulation or “duct liner” in HVAC systems. This mustsee presentation contains vital information for anyone cleaning HVAC systems who wants to understand and meet industry standards when working with interior insulation.
Here are just a few examples of what attendees can expect to get out of the NADCA Annual Meeting:
Leverage Your NADCA Membership
Annual Meeting Committee
Dryer Exhaust Duct Performance (DEDP) Standard Learn about NADCA’s newest industry standard and how to expand your business offerings by performing the NADCA Dryer Exhaust Duct Performance (DEDP) Test. 35
Want to make the most of your company’s NADCA membership? Attend this panel discussion and hear directly from NADCA members on how they utilize NADCA Standards, certification and specific NADCA member benefits and tools to set themselves apart from their industry competitors.
D U C TA L E S
HVAC System Cleaning in Healthcare Facilities Before engaging in HVAC system cleaning in hospital and healthcare environments, it’s important for HVAC cleaning contractors to understand the special challenges and requirements that come with this type of work. If you are currently working in or are considering working in these environments, you won’t want to miss this important session.
With Clothes Dryers, Appearances Can Be Deceiving and Dangerous With this session, HVAC cleaning contractors will learn how to provide value to their clients by cleaning the customer’s clothes dryer vent while on the job—either as an add-on cost, or a free bonus that can engender good will. Certified Dryer Exhaust Technicians certified through the Chimney Safety Institute of America, will de-mystify the entire process for attendees.
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
NADCA News
How to Transition from Residential to Commercial Projects Many residential contractors want to get into commercial projects as a way to grow the business. There are many differences between the two and it can be a challenging transition. Attend this session to learn what these differences are and what choices you’ll have to make have to make when making the transition from residential to commercial work.
The Educational Sales Approach Looking to enhance your sales approach? This session will help you understand the importance of Customer Lifetime Value, introduce new marketing techniques and show proven ways to upsell through educating the customer. It will walk through the process of using education to (1) get the job, (2) sell on the job, and (3) create repeat business and increased referral for service jobs.
Introduction to Cooling Tower Cleaning This session will give participants an introduction to cooling towers including what they are, how they work and important tips and common procedures for cleaning them.
Mold in Residential Systems Attend this session to gain an understanding of the various factors that can contribute to mold growth in residential systems and how you can help your residential customers address these issues for improved indoor air quality. D U C TA L E S
The Tesla Lesson The service industry is changing, and if your company doesn’t adapt to the changes, you will be left behind. This session will highlight examples of disruptive companies and how their successes can be
applied to the changing world of service contracting, and will demonstrate how cloud-based, mobile technology solutions can help HVAC cleaning contractors adapt to ever-increasing customer demands and competition.
Don’t miss out on these valuable sessions and more. Register today at www.nadca.com! Don’t forget about NADCA’s “Train the Trainer” Program Do you have multiple ASCS certified personnel on staff who need to renew their certifications? Attend the 2015 Annual Meeting and utilize NADCA’s “Train the Trainer” program as an efficient, cost-effective option! NADCA offers “CEC Training” sessions at the Annual Meeting. These are designed to provide materials you can use to train your company’s personnel back at the office so they can earn the continuing education credits they need for ASCS certification renewal. In addition to helping you implement your own good quality training, the CEC Training Program also allows your personnel to earn CECs toward their ASCS recertification – without ever leaving the office. Upon completion of the training, each employee must sign an affidavit verifying their participation in the training and pay the renewal fee of $75. This will qualify them for six (6) CECs for their ASCS Renewal. Be sure to attend these CEC Training sessions if you want to participate in this program. You must scan your identification badge (received at the NADCA registration desk) in order to qualify to train your personnel so they can receive continuing education credits from NADCA. Please note that in order to qualify to train your personnel through the CEC Training Program you must also hold a current ASCS certification. This is another great benefit of attending the 2015 Annual Meeting that we encourage you to take advantage of!
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
36
NADCA News
NADCA Committee Assignments Annual Meeting Committee Co-Chairs:
Matt Mongiello Michael Vinick
Tommy Gwaltney Peter Haugen Jimmy Meyer MJ Palazzolo Anthony Paterno Keith Reynolds Terri Reynolds Meg Walker Cindy White
By-Laws Policies Procedures Committee Chair:
Dan Stradford Richard Lantz Ronald Nichols
Certification Committee Chair:
Dan Stradford Bill Benito Tom Fehr Brad Kuhlmann Richard Lantz Greg Long Rick MacDonald Mike McDavid Vito Moscato Todd St. Ores Tom Yacobellis
Sub-committee: CVI Job Analysis
Chair:
Bill Benito
Education & Safety Committee Co-Chairs:
Mike White Rick MacDonald
Bill Benito Ron Gray Tommy Gwaltney Richard Lantz Kehau Mendes Dominic Menta Mark Morris Ronald Nichols Tim O’Connor Robert Rizen Dan Stradford Bill Tyrell Tom Wengert
Sub-committee: Training Programs
Chair:
Richard Lantz
Sub-committee: White Paper Task Force Chair:
Dan Stradford
Sub-committee: Safety Program Review and Update
Chair:
37
Dan Stradford
Sub-committee: Fall Technical Conference Committee
Co-Chair: Co-Chair:
Rick MacDonald Jimmy Meyer
Perry Bagley Mike Dexter Tommy Gwaltney Matt Kelly Richard Lantz Mike McDavid Kehau Mendes Jimmy Meyer Vito Moscato Robert Rizen Bob Rousseau Bill Tyrell Mike White
Ethics Committee Chair:
Richard Lantz Kelly Dexter George Grozan Ronald Nichols Michael O’Rourke Dan Stradford
Dave Adams Jim Castellano Chad Cowan Peter Haugen Clayton Ivany Jimmy Meyer Scott Moritz MJ Palazzolo James Shelley Larry Stabb Travis Tassey Chris Wilson Stephan Worall
Chair:
Mike White Bill Benito
Matt Mongiello Julio Cesar Arencibia Nicolas Charland Nelson Costanza Javier Dominguez Carlos Gonzalez-Boothby Richard Lantz Peter Haugen Hugo Hernandez Rosa Lopez Rick MacDonald Travis Tassey
Regional Coordinators United States
Northwest - Vito Moscato, Bill Tyrell Southwest - Matt Kelly, Kehau Mendes Northeast - Rick MacDonald Nelson Constanza Southeast - Tommy Gwaltney, Perry Bagley
Region 11 - Travis Tassey
Region 12 - Chair: Giorgio Ziragachi, Past President of AIISA; Andrea Casa, President of AIISA
China
Region 15 - Robert Nicholson
Central & South America Relations
Chair:
Carlos Gonzalez-Boothby Richard Lantz
Membership Committee
Sub-committee: EPA Website Update Task Force Richard Lantz
Co-chairs:
Kevin Uilkie Michael Vinick
Nelson Constanza James Cooke Tim Fico Peter Haugen Jeff Johnson Andrew McLaughlin Jimmy Meyer Matt Mongiello MJ Palazzolo Mark Zarzaczny
Leadership Development Committee Chair:
Bill Benito
Standards Committee
Sub-committee: Editorial Committee Chair:
Chair:
Italy
Sub-committee: Energy Research Study Task Force
Chair:
International Affairs Committee
Oceania-Australia
Industry & Public Relations Committee Richard Lantz Mark Zarzeczny
Richard Lantz
Region 9 - Gary Lapstra Region 9.5 Quebec - Nicolas Charland
Michael Vinick Bill Benito Richard Lantz John Line Al Sutton April Yungen
Co-Chairs:
Chair:
Canada
Finance Committee Chair:
Sub-committee: Social Media
Chair:
Bill Benito Richard Lantz
D U C TA L E S
Bill Lundquist Bill Benito Brad Kuhlmann Richard Lantz Greg Long Rick MacDonald Byron Ware
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
NADCA News
New Members 977218 Ont Inc. Hamilton, ON Canada BCN Distribucion Inc. Anćon, Ciudad de Panamá Panama Salter Industrial Services Manteca, CA Quality Care Building Cleaning Services LLC Duabi, United Arab Emirates
Giime Srl Parma, Italy
Zerorez Iowa LLC Clive, IA
Capanna Franco Genova, Italy
PuroClean Teaneck, NJ
Zucchet Aldo Srl Roma, Italy
Duct Clean Pro McLean, VA
Bauunternehmung Srl Limana, Italy
Topp Works LLC dba AdvantaClean of the South Sound Dupont, WA
Pfe Srl Milano, Italy
Sedinal Enterprises dba AdvantaClean of the Chicago North Shore Chicago, IL
Germguard Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Ciana Srl Roma, Italy
Altus Global Trade Solutions Vancouver, WA
Nuova Prima Srl Marrubiu, Italy
AdvantaClean of Southwest ChicagoLand Chicago, IL
360 National Restoration East Rutherford, NJ
Green Restoration Stamford, CT
Stanley Steemer of Delmarva Delmar, DE
New CVIs Gary Croshaw Steamatic of St. Louis St Louis, MO
Get the DEDP Standard Free!
KNOW YOUR
FLOW 39
NADCA’s research-based approach to testing residential dryer duct performance is now available to download for free at www.nadca.com. The Dryer Exhaust Duct Performance (DEDP) Standard provides best practices for you to test dryer exhaust duct performance and static pressure, validate performance of dryer exhaust ducts in new residential construction installation and inform customers of conditions that may be impacting their dryer’s venting performance. Download it for free today at www.nadca.com.
D U C TA L E S
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
NADCA News
New ASCSs Benny Castro CSI Maspeth, NY
Emmir Hernandez Corporate Mechanical Contractors Baton Rouge, LA
Mike Ryberg Air Duct Services Braintree, MA
Mike Conlon 360 National Restoration East Rutherford, NJ
Wade Hogen AdvantaClean of Bloomington Inver Grove Heights, MN
Nolita Salter Salter Industrial Services Manteca, CA
Zach Contreras AdvantClean of Southwest Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN
Denise Holsan Green Restoration Stamford, CT
Melvin Sanders Rutledge Environmental Service Louisville, KY
Whistle Lang Servpro of VND Nicholasville, KY
Jason Sims Air Duct Cleaners of Virginia Chesapeake, VA
Gregory Lanides Sedinal Enterprises dba AdvantaClean of Chicago North Shore Chicago, IL
Eric Taylor Mechanical Services of Central Tampa, FL
Benjamin Cruz Agbayani Const. Corp. Daly City, CA Jeff Cuthbertson Servpro of East Chattanooga Ooltewah, TN Darin Doucet Duct Masters Montreal, Quebec Canada Eric Farrell Stanley Steemer of Delmarva Delmar, DE Philip Fields Stanley Steemer of Delmarva Delmar, DE Bret Fleming Ductz of Shelby County Collierville, TN Cameron Goth AdvantaClean of Southwest ChicagoLand Chicago, IL Ketema (Tony) H. Michael Mida Industries Inc Long Beach, CA
D U C TA L E S
Justin Larsen Valley Maintenance & Restoration, Inc. Hailey, ID
Jared Toppenberg Topp Works LLC dba AdvantaClean of the South Sound Dupont, WA
Terrance Nations Aresco of Tidewater Virginia Beach, VA
John Truex Zerorez Iowa, LLC Clive, IA
Amal Niyas Quality Care Building Cleaning Services Dubai, Dubai United Arab Emirates
Jeff Uddo PuroClean Teaneck, NJ
Chris O’Donnell ADW Mainland Heat Inc. Langley, British Columbia Canada Paras Raimugia AdvantaClean of East Central Jersey Summit, NJ Ricardo Remar DuctCleanPro McLean, VA
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015
Matt Wheeler Rainbow Int’l of NE MD Fallston, MD Van Wilcox Master Clean Columbus, OH Josh Wilmes Rutledge Environmental Service Louisville, KY Frank Woolsey Service First, Inc. West Monroe, LA
40
NADCA News
Industry Calendar NADCA Events NADCA 26th Annual Meeting & Exposition April 27-29, 2015 Marco Island, FL
Related Industry Events IAQA 18th Annual Meeting & Indoor Environment & Energy Expo March 16-18, 2015 Grapevine, TX
IKECA Annual Meeting April 22-25, 2015 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
RIA’s 2015 International Restoration Convention & Industry Expo May 6-8, 2015 The Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, NV
SMACNA 2015 Annual Convention September 27-30, 2015 Colorado Springs, CO
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.
41
D U C TA L E S
JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2015