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.
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In Every Issue
Industry News
3
President’s Message
7
6
Executive Director’s Message
Hughes Environmental Moves Corporate Office to New Location
31
Committee Spotlight
8
Breathing in a New Threat
32
Committee Assignments
9
The Seventh ANAM
33
New NADCA Members, ASCSs and CVIs
11
Nabbing the Bad Guys in Colorado
12
36
Industry Calendar
Undercover: NADCA Member Takes Part in Sting Operation
13
Duct Sealing Solutions
NADCA News
Your Business
27
Educating the Masses/NADCA at IAQA
17
28
Up, Up and Away: NADCA’s Membership Growth is Headed Skyward
Media Relations: Increase Your Search Engine Optimization
19
How to Become a Small Business Government Contractor of Choice
30
Member Spotlight: Air Quality Controllers LLC
21
The Cold Calling Trap: Six-figure Fines Add Up for Businesses Calling on the Wrong Consumers
23
Customer Service: Five Behaviors to Use
2
President’s Message NADCA Officers
Nice to Meet You By Michael Vinick, NADCA President
I
am very humbled, excited and honored to have been elected President of NADCA. I want to introduce myself to those of you who do not know me. My name is Michael Vinick and I have been successfully building and operating a duct cleaning business for 25 years. Duct cleaning and related restoration services are the only services that my company performs. My corporate office is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the area where I was raised. I am happily married to Stacey for 19 years this May. Many of you who have attended the annual meeting have watched my two boys, Max, age 17, and Ty, age 15, grow up. We stay incredibly busy between my wife running her dental practice, the boys’ soccer games, ski races, basketball games, track meets and Boy Scout activities (proudly, Max has completed his Eagle Scout project and Ty is working on his project now). On top of all of that, during the last four years, I have been the President of the Western Mass Jimmy Fund Council. This is a fundraising arm of the Jimmy Fund/Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Through our local events we raise approximately $1 million each year for the fight against cancer. My Jimmy Fund Council Presidency is winding 3
down and I am stepping down at the end of this year to focus on NADCA. I have been lucky enough to be on the NADCA board of directors for the past seven years. During my first two terms, I was fortunate to work alongside some very committed board members. Some who were willing to help usher in a new era of change that we needed as an association and industry to move us forward. Our board has guided us into a position to capitalize on our investment. I believe that the window of opportunity to be the “worldwide authority on air duct cleaning” is only going to be open for a short time and we must act now. Over the last three years our board has worked hard to ensure that we have all of the tools in place for our members to benefit professionally and financially. With hard work, investment and streamlining of our resources we can ensure that NADCA members will have substantial gains. We want to solidify NADCA’s place as the unequivocal goto people for duct cleaning, inspection, maintenance and restoration of HVAC systems. When I arrived at my first board meeting in San Diego in 2008, I recall clearly that there was not even a membership committee within our Board of Directors. I immediately asked
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
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 Richard Lantz, ASCS (’18) Interior Maintenance Company 45 Scottdale Road Landsdowne, PA 19050 (757) 754-1453 richard@imc.cc
Treasurer Dan Stradford, ASCS (‘18) Action Duct Cleaning 787 W. Woodbury Suite 2 Altadena, CA 91001 dstradford@aol.com
2nd Vice President Rick MacDonald, ASCS (’18) 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 April Yungen, ASCS (‘18) Air Management Industries 8351 Elm Avenue, Suite 102 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-7639 United States (909) 945-0041 airmgmt@tstonramp.com Jimmy Meyer, ASCS (‘16) Meyer Machine & Equipment 351 Main Street Antioch, IL (847) 395-2970 jimbob@meyermachine.com
Kevin Uilkie, ASCS (‘17) K.M. Facility Services, LLC 5631 N. 52nd Avenue Glendale, AZ 85301 (623) 930-5490 kevin@kmfacserv.com Mark Zarzeczny, ASCS (‘17) Schoen Duct Cleaning 704 Cooper Street Edgewater Park, NJ 08010 (609) 835-9500
mark@ schoenairductcleaninginc.com
Carlos Gonzales-Boothby, ASCS (‘16) Indoor Environmental Consultants PO Box 191648 San Juan, Puerto Rico 009191648 (787) 568-8880 carlos@iec-pr.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 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.
I also want to challenge every one of our members to become NADCA advocates in their daily business lives. Get involved and volunteer. to create one and I wanted to be the chairman of the committee. In fact, it was pointed out to me that it was in our bylaws to have a membership committee but we did not have one. I want you all to know that at my first board meeting as your President I instructed your board that for each and every decision that is made, our board members must ask one question first: “Is this decision going to help our membership earn money?” Our board members must consider the implications that their decisions have on our members. We are all in business to earn money. Otherwise we would each be working for a 401C3. Also at my first board meeting as President I asked the board to ensure you, our members, that we are a Board of Directors that comprises individuals who are here to serve our members. That we will work to professionally develop our chosen industry – air duct cleaning. You each have my commitment to do my best while I am fulfilling the role of President. I also want to challenge every one of our members to become NADCA advocates in their daily business lives.
If you like, or even do not like, where our association is heading or what we are doing you should get involved. Volunteering will pay you dividends. Get involved and volunteer. If you like, or even do not like, where our association is heading or what we are doing you should get involved. Volunteering will pay you dividends. It is not a tangible return that you will be able to measure, but I will make you one guarantee — as a professional it will help you to put more money in your pockets. I often say that “a rising tide lifts all ships.” Come help the NADCA tide rise. I look forward to hearing about all the wonderful successes that you are having in your businesses. If you want to reach out to me please feel free. In closing, my father told me just recently that “if you ask someone if their glass is half empty or half full and they answer half empty, tell them to get a smaller glass.” 4
Executive Director’s Message
By Jodi Araujo, CEM; Executive Director
Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change. — Mary Shelley
T
he sun is shining in my window at 37,000 feet as I struggle to write this through bouts of horrific and steady turbulence. No beverage service today! For those who know me, you can imagine my angst as I bounce around the sky and look apologetically at the petite older woman next to me whose hand I continue to grab for with every drop. Her name is Ruth. Dear sweet, sweet Ruth in 10E, I’m so sorry! Ten Our Fathers, five Hail Marys…OK, a few minutes of calm, thank you Lord! As I make my way down the coast from the Northeast, I ponder what this week will bring. The staff has worked tirelessly and we’re firing on all cylinders. The shipment has arrived, badges are prepped, menus complete, party details on point and registration numbers looking fantastic. General Business Meeting agenda and script are in place, along with a couple of surprises for the members. By the time you read this you’ll have already seen our video presentations and heard your Past President’s rousing rendition of the D U C TA L E S
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NADCA-Rena. That’s right, Mr. Benito has written a song for NADCA, by NADCA, and if you missed it in Florida, visit the website for a quick listen. This year’s speakers and programming are top notch and when the day is done, I know the sun and sand of the Marco Island Marriott will keep our guests relaxed and reenergized. I’m thrilled that this issue brings the introduction of your new President, Mr. Michael Vinick. This is, of course, a bittersweet introduction, as I must say goodbye to my business sidekick of the past two years, Mr. Benito. These two terms saw Bill travel to Japan, China, Italy, Texas (four times), Las Vegas, Florida and even to New Jersey (four times, and probably three times more than he ever wanted to!). He got married to his lovely bride, Donna, he excitedly welcomed his son back to the business, made connections and friends across so many of our industry affiliates and spent a great deal of time forging those relationships to the betterment of our industry and
our association. Bill, thank you for your service. As we say farewell to Bill, we usher in our new President, a man I’ve come to know and respect in so many ways. A man with true gusto and passion for life and volunteerism that is unmatched. I’m elated at the prospect of sitting beside Mr. Vinick in the board room at the end of this conference and eager to help him mold his ideas and his Presidential platform and support him as he forges his own way. The remainder of 2015 will see NADCA executing the strategic initiatives that we put in place in 2014, but be assured that Michael will bring his own ideas to the board room and fantastic things will follow. He is a true leader. It’s time to wrap this up as we begin our initial descent in to Fort Myers. The sun is still shining, Ruth is still smiling and I feel Bill’s proverbial wave rising! Look for the conference recap in the next issue.
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Industry News
Hughes Environmental Moves Corporate Office to New Location H ughes Environmental, an industry leader in combustible dust remediation, commercial duct cleaning, rafter and ceiling cleaning, and other industrial cleaning, is moving their corporate office to a new, larger location in downtown Louisville, Kentucky.
Based out of Louisville, Hughes Environmental has grown quickly since its beginning from a local commercial duct cleaning company into a national level industrial cleaning contractor. This move comes right after the company celebrated its 10-year anniversary in business. The staff and operations have expanded to a point where more space was necessary to accommodate for current and future growth. The company is moving from their location on Pinewood Road to a newly remodeled location at 908 South 8th Street. The building was renovated by Lichtefeld Inc., a family-owned general contractor for commercial and industrial buildings in the Louisville area. The company grew from just duct cleaning when OSHA began investigating industrial explosions caused by combustible dust. During the inspections the U.S. Chemical 7
Safety Board found almost 300 incidents of combustible dust between 1980 and 2005, which caused the deaths of 119 workers, over 700 injuries and millions in damages. OSHA and the NFPA have both made combustible dust remediation a priority, and Hughes Environmental is committed to helping companies provide a safer work environment by eliminating dust hazards and providing education on the dangers it creates.
Send us your business news! We want to know what’s going on with our members’ businesses. Send your business news to Sarah Black, DucTales editor, at sblack@ahredchair.com.
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Breathing in a New Threat Can HVAC cleaning and Remediation Stop or Reduce the Spread of Coronavirus? By Khaled Hamadeh, General Manager, Ahmed Al Mazrouei Trading & Services Est.
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n 2012, Saudi Arabia reported cases of a never-before-seen respiratory illness later named Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The virus has since spread to several other countries, including the United States. MERS-CoV causes severe acute respiratory illness, with common symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that as of February 2015, nearly 1,000 confirmed cases have been reported, and nearly 400 of those cases have proven fatal. While our understanding of MERSCoV is evolving, the WHO has established that the virus is not easily transmitted between people, citing environmental factors as an area of evaluation. However, the WHO is still studying airborne transmission of the virus and whether that could explain a recent, sudden increase in reported cases of MERS-CoV in the Middle East.
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HVAC system cleaning can help eliminate MER-CoV. The IAQ Connection Studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and others show indoor pollutant levels can be 10 to 100 times higher than outdoor concentrations, and is caused by contaminants finding their way into HVAC systems circulating a building’s air. Contaminants in HVAC systems may take many forms, such as dust particles, bacterial or fungal growth, viruses, mold spores and more. Given that people spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, indoor air quality (IAQ) is a significant concern regarding the transmission of illnesses and viruses like MER-CoV.
A Clean Solution Maintaining a clean HVAC system is an important part of sustaining acceptable IAQ. When an HVAC system is a source of contaminants introduced into occupied spaces, properly performed system cleaning services should take place to reduce and eliminate contaminant introduction. The transmission of MER-CoV between humans and in different settings is still being studied. However, emphasis is being placed on practicing good hygiene and infection control procedures, such as hand washing, minimizing contact with infected people and reducing exposure to potential transmission sources. HVAC system cleaning can help eliminate MER-CoV and other contaminants from the indoors air, and is recommended for those concerned about infection control in their home or work.
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Industry News
The Seventh ANAM
T
he seventh AIISA NADCA Annual Meeting (ANAM) was held recently at Klima Hotel Milano Fiere, overlooking Milano EXPO 2015. The newly re-elected President of AIISA, Andrea Casa, welcomed an audience of 150 participants, including old and new members, the staff of the ASL of Lombardy Region (local health authorities), professionals and technicians. The first speaker, Raffaello Maffi (Director of Hygiene Service and Public Health of the City of Bergamo) highlighted the importance of the cooperation between a public health authority and AIISA. AIISA is conducting a training project for public health inspectors working with various hospitals. Part of these inspectors’ responsibility is to verify that a hospital’s HVAC system is clean according to the requirements of Italian law. Fabio Pasini, AIISA Vice President, introduced a proposed price list for contractors writing bids for air duct cleaning. A common problem 9
is that bids don’t include correct information about the duct cleaning process or what is included in the bid. The proposed price list remedies that problem, and includes average business costs, working times and equipment depreciation costs. The price list takes into account the costs associated with implementing and work performed to NADCA’s ACR 2013 and AIISA Operational Protocol. Maurizio Colli and Vittorio Molina, employees of a laboratory near Milan, presented a joint lecture about accurate and acceptable measures of air pollution within confined environments. Their lecture included a discussion of research about possible types of contaminants and related sampling techniques. Claudio Galbiati, from 3M Italy and AIISA supporting member, presented a course that offered continuing education credits for AIISA ASCSs. Special attention was given to the correct use of PPE during HVAC inspection and cleaning procedures. Galbiati also presented ways to avoid accidents and occupational diseases, specifically for ASCSs and teams they eventually lead.
ANAM 7 was concluded by Liliana Frusteri with the Italian National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL). INAIL is a public nonprofit entity safeguarding workers against physical injuries and occupational diseases (reducing injuries, protecting workers performing hazardous jobs and facilitating the return to work of people injured in the workplace). Her speech was entitled “Together to Spread the Culture of Safety.” After a brief overview on the history of the cooperation between ANAM and INAIL, Frusteri discussed the recent INAIL AIISA agreement and its implications for the future. The already-settled Joint Committee is defining proposals for activities and projects addressed to promote a healthy indoor air culture. During the meeting, AIISA members followed the seminars dedicated to the ASCS Continuing Education Program and 14 people attended the 23rd Italian ASCS exam session. In addition to the meeting, AIISA housed a trade exposition open to the cleaning and restoration industry.
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AIISA NADCA welcomed 150 participants to its seventh Annual Meeting.
AIISA President, Andrea Casa, during his address at ANAM 2015.
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Industry News
Nabbing the Bad Guys in Colorado The State’s Fraud Awareness Campaign Targets Air Duct Cleaning Scams
A
ir duct cleaning scammers get busted every day. However, Colorado is on a roll after two recent high-profile cases, where the Colorado Attorney General’s Office successfully sued and barred two air duct cleaning companies from doing business in the state. In the first case, tried at the end of 2014, operators of Seabreeze, an air duct cleaning company, were alleged to have used popular discount websites Groupon and LivingSocial, along with direct mail, to lure homeowners with deals to clean their home’s ducts for less than $35. However, according to the suit and the 220 complaints filed against the company, once the operators were on-site, prices would be jacked up hundreds of dollars. Those who did pay the increased rate were left with damaged ducts or debris littering their home.
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The second case, against 212 Home Inc. (dba Denver Air Duct), was labeled a bait-and-switch operation in which homeowners would contract with the company for a $39 duct cleaning offer, only to later be charged much more after the contractors fraudulently identified expensive and hazardous issues within the home. With the work of NADCA’s AntiFraud Task Force, NADCA is actively working to derail blow-and-go contractors luring unsuspecting homeowners using ultra-low rates. A central tenet of this effort is consumer education, helping homeowners and attorneys general better understand the air duct cleaning industry. “By focusing on education, we’re able to show that these scammers don’t define our industry,” says Mark Zarzeczny, Chair of the Anti-Fraud Task Force. “There are legitimate businesses operating out there, providing a valuable service, adhering to a professional standard, and we want to make sure people are aware of that.”
The Anti-Fraud Task Force’s effort to connect with states’ attorneys general to introduce them to NADCA and educate them about the air duct cleaning industry has been effective. Colorado’s active fraud prevention program, Stop Fraud Colorado, already focuses on air duct cleaning scams and has a website dedicated to raising awareness of various fraudulent activities in the state. “It would be great if every state were focused on these issues,” says Jodi Araujo, Executive Director of NADCA. “It’s good for the consumer, and good for the legitimate businesses that are our members.”
Verified Yet? Get your verified NADCA logo for your website. Contact the Yoshki support desk at nadca@yoshki.com or visit them at yoshki.freshdesk.com.
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Undercover
NADCA Member Takes Part in Sting Operation
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t’s an issue near and dear to the hearts of NADCA and many of its members: squashing scammers. NADCA member, Patty Clisham of Ductz of West St. Louis, was recently featured in the January 2015 issue of Franchise Times for her work on a sting operation to nab some unscrupulous scammers hawking air duct cleaning for unbelievably low rates. During the sting, the scammers claimed to have found a mold problem and aggressively tried to
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pressure Clishman into paying for remediation, insulting her in the process. NADCA solutes members like Clishman and so many others for their work to legitimize the air duct cleaning industry and educate consumers.
Read the full article at www.franchisetimes.com/ January-2015/.
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Industry News
Duct Sealing Solutions
A Look at Mastic and Rolled Duct Sealants
E
ven if your business focuses solely on duct cleaning, you’ve no doubt seen the effects of leaky ductwork: •
Poor indoor air quality (IAQ)
•
Dirty ductwork
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Inefficient and uneven heating and cooling
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Higher energy costs for homeowners
In the November/December 2014 issue of DucTales, Peter Haugen, ASCS, CVI, introduced us to the basics of sealing ductwork, noting that it’s considered “the single most effective way to improve energy efficiency.” Indeed, an estimated 20-30 percent of air moving through duct systems is lost to leaks. Beyond energy efficiency, sealing ductwork is one way to help ducts stay cleaner, longer, and improve IAQ. While there are many options out there for sealing ductwork, two main players 13
are rolled mastic sealants (i.e.,foilfaced butyl tapes or butyl tape) and mastics (duct sealant).
About Duct Sealants Duct sealant is a pliable, nonhardening sealant most commonly applied by hand to seal ductwork. It may come with or without fibers, is available in white and gray and may be water- or solvent-based. They’re ideal for jobs with odd angles that may be difficult to tape, or for difficult-to-seal obstacles, like four bolt flanges. “You can force duct sealant into cracks so you have a complete seal,” says Tim Eorgan, manager of specified products at Carlisle Companies, a manufacturer of both rolled and mastic duct sealants. Duct sealants are also relatively easy to apply, and, when applied to clean ductwork, have a 100 percent adhesion. “There are no splices or seams when using a duct sealant,” says Eorgan. In addition, they’re flexible once they’ve
dried and are relatively resistant to temperature changes and humidity. Newer techniques now allow duct sealants to be sprayed on, ensuring that even hard-to-reach areas are sealed. However, duct sealants do have drawbacks. “It’s not necessarily a uniform application,” says Eorgan. “You want to apply it 20-30 mils thick, but some guys go over 40 mils.” Over application can lead to what consumers complain is sloppylooking work. While this might not matter in ductwork that’s out of sight, spaces with an industrial aesthetic and exposed ductwork can become an eyesore if duct sealant isn’t carefully applied. It can also be more time intensive, potentially driving up labor costs. In addition, duct sealant needs at least 24 hours to cure for solvent-based sealants, while waterbased sealant should be given 48 hours, depending on humidity, airflow and temperature.
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However, duct sealant is still a favorite of many in the industry, particularly for its environmentally friendly performance. “Liquid applied sealants, like duct sealants, are going to be preferred in green building design,” says Harry Zawada, AIA, associate architect at CSR Associates, “especially if you’re going for something like LEED certification.” LEED certification is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, and provides independent verification of a building’s green features. Green building projects pursuing LEED certification encompass all aspects of a building’s design, construction and operation. All members of the building team — from the architect, mechanical designer and contractors — need to be aware of what is going into the building. “Having a complete seal, like the one you get using duct sealant, is going to give you an ultraefficient system and overall healthier building,” says Zawada. “That’s what we care about when we’re looking for LEED certification.” Years ago, there was concern about the environmental implications of solvent-based sealant and debate about the efficacy of water-based sealant. Today, though, the high performance properties of waterbased sealant and low VOC (volatile organic compounds, organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure) levels of just 75 g/L, make water-based sealants ideal for LEED certification. In addition, waterbased sealants have evolved to now represent most of the market of duct sealants.
Tape’s Role While duct sealant is an effective solution for a complete seal, foilfaced butyl tape is often as effective
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“Liquid applied sealants, like duct sealants, are going to be preferred in green building design,” says Harry Zawada, AIA, associate architect at CSR Associates, “especially if you’re going for something like LEED certification.”
and, depending on the job, a preferred type of sealant. Many types of foil-faced tapes and rolled mastic sealants exist. Cloth-backed rubberadhesive tapes have given way to foil-backed tapes and foil-faced butyl tape (also called rolled mastic tapes). The single biggest advantage in using butyl: no drying time. “You can apply the butyl tape and turn the system right back on,” says Eorgan. “The bond time is immediate.” This becomes an important factor when the 24 to 48 hours of cure time duct sealants need isn’t available. Apply butyl tape with a squeegee to ensure that the bond is smooth and creases don’t creep in.
Another advantage is that butyl tape is, obviously, what duct sealant isn’t. Because it’s not applied by hand, the look and seal is much more uniform in width and thickness. “You’re guaranteed a uniform thickness because it’s controlled at the factory,” says Eorgan. Tape can also be painted (a benefit for exposed ductwork that will be part of the aesthetics of a space) and foil-backed tapes are superior for areas with lots of sun exposure. “The foil tapes are rated very highly for UV exposure,” says Eorgan. “They won’t be degraded by sunlight.” In addition, butyl tapes contain no VOCs, eliminating any concern about emissions from the adhesive or sealant. 14
Industry News
Better Together Some jobs allow contractors to enjoy the best of both worlds. Sealing outdoor ductwork poses a specific challenge, especially when the goal is to have a 2 percent or less loss of air. For ductwork that will be exposed to all of the elements and extreme temperature fluctuations, a combined approach is ideal. Apply mastic duct sealant first, followed by a rolled sealant after the mastic has cured.
A Standard of Safety When selecting any sealant, the single most important element is ensuring that the product complies with the UL 181— the standard developed by Underwriters Laboratories to evaluate safety of products. Because of their presence on the inside of a building, duct sealants and butyl tapes must comply with the UL-181 to ensure that the work is up to code. UL 181 classification measures smoke development and flame spread, while UL listing measures many factors, including mold growth, humidity, peel, temperature, pressure and tensile. “These products will be inside the building envelope, and UL testing ensures that the products won’t cause any harmful effects,” says Eorgan. To learn more about UL 181 listing or classification, visit ulstandardsinfonet.ul.com.
The Duct Cleaning Connection The benefits of a well-sealed system are two-fold: customers benefit from a highly efficient, energy-saving HVAC system, and overall IAQ is improved. This is especially the case for outside ductwork. “If a leaky return duct is outside or running through a crawl space, you could be sucking mold spores and moisture into the system,” says Eorgan. Similarly, leaky indoors return ductwork can be responsible for pulling debris and pollutants into the ducts. To ensure that a duct cleaning job lasts, and to help customers get the most out of their HVAC system and its services, educate your customers about duct sealing. 15
Worker wrapping an HVAC duct with foil tape. D U C TA L E S
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Your Business
Increase Your Search Engine Optimization
By Gini Dietrich
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ou are not going to become, overnight, an SEO expert. Rather, you are taking your media relations expertise and using it for the front-end work of optimization. When you do this, you are going to create the very valuable link back to your website or blog that Google places priority on … and you’re going to do it using sites that have more authority and credibility than your own.
Use Media Relations to Increase Your SEO
Having done this, you will have built credibility and authority for your organization, both internally (on the website) and externally (with targeted audiences). This will also have the benefit of increased search results and increased domain authority — the measure of the power of a domain name based on age, popularity and size of the website, and a key influencer of search engine ranking.
Determine your priority keywords or phrases. These are the words people will search to find your company. She’s already told me she wants to rank for something around social media. You can shoot for the moon, at this point. We’ll bring you back to earth as we proceed.
The very best way to increase your domain authority and gain the very valuable link back to your site is to do traditional media relations.
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In a webinar on this topic, I asked Lara Wellman to give me a priority keyword of her agency’s, Wellman Wilson. She’d like to rank for the terms “social media strategy,” “social media coaching” or “social media simplified.” We will use those words to do this exercise so you can see the steps with a real-world example.
Use the Google keyword planner. Take your words or phrases and input them in the Google keyword planner. They’re all good phrases, but because she’ll compete with the likes of Forbes and Inc. to get on the first page of Google results for “social media strategy” (which I
discovered by doing a simple Google search for the phrase), we can narrow down her choices to just “social media coaching” and “social media simplified.” The keyword tool shows me that “social media coaching” has more monthly searches, but the competition is high. While “social media simplified” has only 10 monthly searches, the people who search that term are likely very qualified for Lara and her business. We’ll use that phrase. Do a Google search. Do a Google search for your targeted phrase. Create a quick spreadsheet with “website,” “domain authority” and “can compete?” as the headers. Jot down the websites that are on the first page of Google results for your search. Now, go to a new window and do a Google search for your phrase again. The results will be a little bit different and you may need to go to the second page to get the data you need. Turn your moz toolbar – a free toolbar that helps you evaluate search metrics like domain authority; D U C TA L E S
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get it at www.moz.com – on and look for the websites that are on your spreadsheet. Add the domain authority of each site in your second column. Determine whether you can compete. Lara’s website has a domain authority of 25, which means she sits squarely in the middle of being able to compete with sites that have authority lower than 40. It also means she wants to use media relations to create a link to her website or blog from sites with higher authority rankings. On the first page of Google results for “social media simplified,” there are four sites that have authority between 18 and 22. She can compete with all of those, so she puts a Y in the third column of her spreadsheet. She puts an N next to the other six and now we have our marching orders. Create your pitch list. This is very important! Create a media list by going to the second and third page of search results to see who else has written on the topic and has a higher domain authority than your own. You’ll do this because they have already written on the same topic as you, so you know they’re already interested in the subject, and because their domain authority is higher than your own. In this case, Lara will pitch Time, Blog Tyrant and ViralHeat. Include a link to your website or blog. Write to the editor, administrator or contact for the sites you’re interested in linking with, and pitch interview opportunities, story ideas and contributed content. Work with them to include a link to a page on your website or a specific blog post. If you don’t get that link, this exercise will not work to increase your SEO.
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Anchor text. Go further than just getting them to link to your site. Anchor text—the highlighted and linked words on a webpage—tells Google you are an authority on the subject. So, in this example, Lara will pitch stories that include “social media simplified” as the anchor text and, when clicked, it will lead people to a specific blog post, an FAQ page, a white paper, an archived newsletter or other free content on your website. The link should NOT go to your home page, because readers have clicked the link to hopefully learn more, and your home page will not fill that need. Measure your results. Now we can track who visits the site from each outlet, which outlet is the best lead generator and where the visitors go after landing on the page they were referred to. Use the free tools available through Google Analytics (www.google.com/analytics) to measure which sites are referring readers, and keep an eye on the sites you linked with to see if they are fruitful connections. Track effectiveness. Where the real rubber meets the road is how you begin to rank in search results. Right now, Lara doesn’t rank for “social media simplified” so, after doing this work, she should start appearing on
the first page of Google results. It’ll take lots of elbow grease (meaning, you need to create content, make contacts, develop relationships and get links) and some time, but it will work. In fact, it works so well, you’ll get super excited about it and hit refresh over and over again to watch your website climb up the rankings. This article first appeared 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. Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, an integrated marketing communications firm. She is the author of Spin Sucks, co-author of Marketing in the Round, and co-host of “Inside PR.” She also is the lead blogger at Spin Sucks and is the founder of Spin Sucks Pro.
Want to Learn More? Download the free webinar, “Use Media Relations for Search Engine Optimization,” at spinsuckspro.com/downloads/.
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Your Business
How to Become a Small Business Government Contractor of Choice By Caron Beesley
S
o you think you’re ready to sell to the government, but is the government ready to buy from you?
some extra steps you might want to consider to boost your chances of being perceived as the winning choice, not the risky one.
Government buyers are a discerning group. After all, we trust them to make the right procurement decisions with our taxpayer dollars. Yet, despite the fact that formal goals are in place to ensure that small businesses get their fair share of work with the federal government, winning a share of the percentage of contracts set aside for small business isn’t easy.
Team up
Convincing government buyers that you’re a viable business partner who can help them achieve their goals requires a different approach than one you’re used to seeing in the commercial sector. Here are 19
Collaboration and teaming is very important in government contracting. Oftentimes, set-aside contracts are too big for a single business to handle. Teaming with other small businesses is a great way to provide the collective services that agencies often seek within one contract. Teaming provides another valuable benefit too – it gives small businesses the opportunity to build credibility for themselves and show proficiency not only to the government but to other contractors.
Teaming requires preparation and careful management.
Get a mentor Mentors are invaluable to small business owners, and in the government contracting world they can make the difference between success and failure. If you don’t know the movers and shakers, find someone who can help you navigate the marketplace. Networking events can help you connect with potential mentors, but take the time to consider other mentoring opportunities. Here are some programs and organizations that can help: •
SBA 8(a) Program – Certain small businesses may also
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be eligible to participate in SBA’s 8(a) program, a business development tool that features contracting as one of the program’s vehicles to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the federal marketplace. The program also includes a mentor-protégé program that helps businesses compete for government contracts. •
•
ChallengeHer – The ChallengeHer campaign hosts events around the country to connect womenowned businesses with decision makers and procurement officials at federal agencies and prime contractors to receive guidance on how best to sell their goods and services to them. SCORE – This volunteerbased mentoring organization can pair you with mentors across many fields of expertise, including government contracting – for free.
Demonstrate Strong Performance When it comes to spending U.S. taxpayer dollars, government agencies want to ensure that they take the minimum amount of risk when awarding contracts. This means that they look for companies with experience and a good track record, including on-time service delivery, reliable goods and onbudget execution. You’ll also need to demonstrate that your team is qualified (make an investment in
those with government connections and experience). Is your industry reputation strong? You’ll need to evidence all these proof-ofperformance capabilities when you bid.
Promote GovernmentCentric Value This goes for any industry, but in the public sector, a clear understanding of the buyer’s challenges, issues and ecosystem is a must. As mentioned earlier, what works in the private sector doesn’t always cut it with government buyers. For example, your messaging and proposition needs to position your value in the context of your ability to deliver against clear goals. This is where proof of performance is vital, as is the ability to “governmentize” your sales and marketing collateral. Be sure to talk the talk and walk the walk as a reliable, proven low-risk solution provider.
Get Certified Any small business that wants to compete in the contracting market needs to be certified according to SBA requirements. This basically means that you are officially recognized as a small business and can compete for small business set-aside contracts. That’s standard process. However, there are other certification programs that can help improve your positioning and increase your chances of consideration for an award. These include: •
SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program –
As mentioned earlier, this is a valuable resource for readying firms for success in the contracting marketplace. •
SBA’s HUBZone Program – Provides preferential access to federal contracts for businesses situated in underutilized urban and rural communities.
•
The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses program – Provides access to set-asides for exclusive competition among servicedisabled veteran businesses.
•
Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs) – Gives women entrepreneurs access to certain set-asides designated for WOSBs.
Additional Resources To help you determine if your business is ready, and for advice about navigating the contracting space, get help from your local Procurement and Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs), which are part of the Procurement Technical Assistance Program administered by the Defense Logistics Agency. PTACs also provide up-and-coming government contractors with services such as training, counseling and business matchmaking events. Caron Beesley is a small business owner, writer, and marketing communications consultant. Caron works with the SBA.gov team to promote essential government resources that help entrepreneurs and small business owners startup, grow and succeed. Follow Caron on Twitter: @caronbeesley. This article originally appeared at www.sba.gov on the Contracting Blog.
Industry News
Beware the Cold Calling Trap Six-figure Fines Add Up for Businesses Calling on the Wrong Consumers By Brian Price
I
n late March, four Canadian air duct cleaning companies were assessed a total of $55,000 in fines for making unsolicited phone calls to potential customers. Five additional HVAC companies are facing penalties totaling another $94,000. All nine companies used foreign call centers to make the unauthorized calls, and the Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) says it sent warning letters to seven call centers in Pakistan, India and the United States. “It’s important for HVAC companies to understand and know the rules and regulations regarding do not call lists in their country or state,” said Stephen Worrall, ASCS, CVI, CRT and owner of Integrated Clean Air Services. “Companies that violate these rules get hit hard with steep financial fines.”
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Companies Assessed Fines •
Bridge Home Services Inc. – $6,000
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Cambridge Heating Services – $23,000
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HR Home Services – $3,000
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Top Line Air Duct Cleaning Inc. – $23,000
•
Aqua Duct Cleaning Services – $9,000
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Goodlife Home Services Inc. – $16,000
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Kareem Duct Cleaning – $15,000
•
N. Bro Transport Inc. – $14,000
•
Toronto Breeze Air Duct Cleaning Services Inc. – $40,000
Violating do not call laws and regulations comes with a hefty price. HVAC companies interested in using
a marketing call plan to reach new customers should be mindful of do not call laws and lists or risk a fate similar to the nine HVAC companies in Canada. While the U.S. maintains its National Do Not Call Registry (www.donotcall.gov) – a list of phone numbers from consumers who have indicated their preference to limit the telemarketing calls they receive – the name and set of rules for do not call lists vary by country. The U.S. registry is managed and enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, along with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and state officials. “In Canada, you can’t call someone unless they opt in,” said Worrall. “If you do a service for a customer, you can continue to communicate with them for 18 months, but after that you’re not allowed to contact them.” D U C TA L E S
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The U.S. has a similar rule, known as the existing relationship rule. The existing relationship rule nullifies the do not call rules if a company has an established relationship with a consumer. According to the FTC, there are only two instances in which a business can contact a person on the do not call list:
1.
2.
A person has purchased, rented or leased goods or services from the calling business, or if a financial transaction has taken place between the business and customer. The rule has an 18-month time restriction. A person has made an inquiry or submitted an application (requesting a quote for example) to a company. The time restriction for contact is three months after the initial inquiry.
Caution Cold Calling In addition to the existing relationship rule, there are several other guidelines to follow when taking a cold-calling approach for customers. Companies must compare state and federal call lists (in addition to choosing just one) and federal do not call registries. Companies must also keep a personal business list of consumers who requested not to receive calls. If a consumer has D U C TA L E S
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given written or electronic consent a business may call them even if they appear on the do not call registry. Also, companies must check the registry every 31 days to ensure their do not call list is up to date and accurate. Cold calling has a lot of rules and regulations and may not have a high return on investment. Don’t worry, if you’re interested in finding new clients, there are other alternatives to cold calling consumers. “There are many things you can do if you want to attract customers and market your business,” said Worrall. “Join NADCA, a local chamber of commerce and social media sites. I’ve gotten a lot of work through NADCA referrals and review sites. Find out where your customers are looking and make sure your business appears high on the list of Google searches.” How about recruiting new customers using deeply discounted coupon sites, like Groupon? “I recommend staying away from Groupon,” said Worrall. “Most customers equate Groupon and air duct cleaning with fraud. It’s also important to be proactive in your community. Get involved with trade boards, chambers of commerce and other community groups. It’s more personal and more rewarding than telemarketing.”
Alternatives to Cold Calling/Telesales 1.
Join a professional organization like NADCA.
2. Connect with your community by participating in or sponsoring town events.
3. Get your business listed on
Google Maps, Bing Local and Yahoo local.
4. Build business social media profiles (Facebook, Angie’s List, Instagram).
5. Check out the competition and see what they’re doing well.
6. Ask customers where they
heard about your business to determine where you’re getting the highest return on investment.
7. Ask customers to refer your business to their neighbors and friends.
To access the National Do Not Call Registry or for more information, visit www.donotcall.gov/faq/ faqbusiness.aspx.
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Your Business
Customer Service: 5 Behaviors to Use By Adam Toporek
P
erhaps one of the greatest challenges in customer service is that we do not control the filter through which our customers interpret our words, gestures or actions. The human mind is infinitely complex — it is capable of great sympathy and stark selfishness, of rational analysis and irrational flights of fancy. And, behind it all is a subconscious processing mechanism that controls human reactions in most situations. Working on the front lines of customer service brings the challenges of human psychology into stark and immediate relief. Our success with customer service often doesn’t hinge on what we do for them as much as how we present what we do and how they interpret our presentation. By understanding some of the psychological mechanisms that influence how customers respond, we can shape more effective customer service interactions.
Your Message is More Than Words Nonverbal communication matters — a lot. One famous study by Albert Mehrabian found that the emotional 23
effect of a message (not the meaning) was only 7 percent based on the words used, was 38 percent based on tone of voice and was 55 percent based on nonverbal signals. A great deal of information is carried through body language and facial expressions, signals that are lost in phone communication. In fact, when we train for phone-based customer service in workshops, we have employees stand back-to-back to simulate the lack of information given by nonverbal communication. Digital communications take it a step further, removing not only nonverbal communication, but also any subtext carried by tone of voice. Every time you remove these biological signals from communication, you take away a great deal of the information that people use to interpret that communication’s meaning. When interacting with customers, it is imperative to remember how important tone of voice and nonverbal communication are to human interaction. While you should always respect the customer’s choice of channel, for stickier situations it behooves you to move the conversation to the most
personal form of communication that is reasonable in the situation.
Prime the Customer’s Mind and the Rest Will Follow Everything around a customer affects his or her impressions of a company or the company’s representative: from the color of the sign to the store lighting, to how the employee is dressed to how he speaks. In his book Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely tells of an experiment in which college students were given a series of words in a puzzle. However, the puzzle wasn’t the experiment. The experiment was conducted when the subjects were timed walking down the hall. One group of subjects walked noticeably slower than the other. The only difference between the groups? The slower group had words related to old age such as elderly, bingo and Florida intertwined throughout their puzzle. You can prime customers for better customer service by making sure all of your communication, from signage to eBlasts, prime the customer experience you want her to have. D U C TA L E S
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If You’re Building a Frame, Build a Good One Framing is the art of communicating an issue in a way that helps establish a perspective for the customer. You are always framing, whether you intend to or not, but using it strategically can help you guide the customer to the result you want. What would you prefer: beef that is 75 percent lean or beef that is 25 percent fat? Despite the mathematical equivalency, an experiment studied this very question and found that respondents preferred the 75 percent lean beef, describing it as “being leaner, of higher quality and less greasy.” This is framing at its most fundamental — presenting the same information in a way that has different connotations to the listener. For example, if you often handle delivery issues, you might normally say something such as, “The earliest I can get that to you is by Thursday.” However, it would be much more powerful to say, “I can have that to you as early as Thursday.” Both phrases convey the same factual information, but they are vastly different in how they are heard by the customer.
You Will Have to Pry it From Their Cold, Dead Hands Customers value what they already have significantly more than that D U C TA L E S
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which they don’t. This is known as the endowment effect, and it results in what is called “loss aversion,” which says that you prefer not to lose an object more than you would prefer to acquire it, despite its value being the same either way. In their book Yes!: 50 Secrets From the Science of Persuasion, authors Goldstein, Cialdini and Martin tell of an experiment in this area that found that a group of homeowners were 300 percent more likely to carry out energy efficiency recommendations if the result was framed as “losing 50 cents a day” as opposed to “saving 50 cents a day.” This is known as using a “loss frame.” The idea of loss aversion can be useful in many customer-facing situations, but one that is often overlooked is when companies take away benefits they already had. Think of how you reacted the last time a company began charging you for a previously free service or significantly devalued your membership rewards. Before you reduce or remove something you have already given your customers, think long and hard about the consequences and if there is a better way.
Give Them a Reason Why, and They’ll Give You a Break If you tell a customer why you can or cannot do something, he or she is more likely to accept it. A study by behavioral scientist Ellen Langer tested whether people would allow someone to cut in line to use the
copy machine. Langer’s study found that having a reason why increased compliance by about 50 percent when the stakes were low. When the stakes were high, compliance dropped significantly for those without a reason why, but giving a solid reason for the request still shined, increasing compliance by double the crowd without a reason. Unfortunately, many people are hesitant to explain themselves to customers because they feel as if they are making excuses. In the CATER customer service process I outline in Be Your Customer’s Hero, the “E” stands for explain, because whenever you can provide a person a valid reason for what you are doing, what you can’t do or what you have done, they will generally be much more understanding. Working with customers isn’t always easy, but if you incorporate the five psychological concepts above into your interactions, you will find less resistance to and more satisfaction with the solutions you are offering. Adam Toporek is the author of Be Your Customer’s Hero: Real-World Tips & Techniques for the Service Front Lines (2015), as well as the founder of the popular Customers That StickTM blog and co-host of the Crack the Customer Code podcast. He is the owner of CTS Service Solutions, a consultancy specializing in high-energy customer service workshops that teach organizations and frontline teams how to deliver Hero-ClassTM customer service. This article first appeared 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.
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NADCA News
Educating the Masses N ADCA member and director, Dan Stradford, ASCS regularly contributes content about the air duct cleaning industry. In his latest article, “Breathe Easy: A clean duct system promotes comfort and health,” appearing in the January/ February issue of Community Manager magazine, Stradford educates condominium managers about the different kinds of duct systems found in condominiums and the benefits of maintaining a clean system.
NADCA at IAQA N ADCA board members and staff traveled to Grapevine, Texas, this March for the Indoor Air Quality Association’s 18th Annual Meeting, Indoor Environment & Energy Exposition. Richard Lantz, ASCS, CVI, presented the session “HVAC System Cleaning 101,” while board member Dan Stradford, ASCS, presented “The NADCA White Paper: Ultraviolet Lighting Applications in HVAC Systems.”
ABOVE: NADCA board and staff members traveled to the 18 th Annual IAQA Annual Meeting in Texas. 27
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Up, Up and Away NADCA’s Membership Growth is Headed Skyward
M
embership growth is the lifeblood of any association. New members lead to new interactions at meetings and events, new perspectives to share, new leaders to contribute to the organization and, most importantly, increased revenue and possibilities for the future. But many association leaders are often left scratching their heads at just how to achieve their ambitious, target membership growth. NADCA has taken advantage of industry-leading content and a related membership campaign to boost its membership.
Step 1: Use IndustryLeading Content to Grow Prospective Member Lists One of NADCA’s greatest assets as an organization is ACR, the NADCA Standard, and its DEDP Standard. Specially designed web pages allowed NADCA to gather contact information, including e-mails, company names, job functions and NADCA membership status, from everyone downloading the ACR and DEDP Standards. NADCA’s growing collection of educational content has been downloaded over 3,000 times, with almost 2,000 downloads coming from non-members.
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The results for NADCA have been tremendous 4,700 total opens 590 clicks, including links 265% return on campaign investment The standards also increase brand recognition for NADCA and provide value to non-members from the HVAC industry. Building this relationship pays dividends when it comes time to run a membership campaign, removing the cold calling factor, allowing NADCA to use “warm” leads from people who already have familiarity with our offerings and value.
Step 2: Design a Suite of Membership Collateral Even when organizations have a strong brand, creating a specific membership theme and tagline will help prospective members quickly understand the organization’s mission and value. In creating a membership theme for NADCA, the goal was to capture the core value of NADCA membership: professionalism and quality of service.
NADCA developed a suite of marketing collateral and graphics that could be used in outreach efforts to prospective members that included a new brochure, benefits infographic and an email banner.
Step 3: Email Campaign to Prospect List With a steadily growing membership prospect list and a new suite of marketing collateral, the last step was to start reaching out to prospective members. Over a six-month period, six email messages were sent to prospects explaining the benefits of NADCA membership. These covered topics such as available education resources and the reputation of NADCA among the industry and consumers. They utilized many of the membershiptheme collateral and graphics created by NADCA, as well as the NADCA membership experience video. 28
NADCA News
Member Spotlight Air Quality Controllers LLC By Don Dorff
Managing Online Reputations Having a stellar reputation on Angie’s List, the BBB and Yelp is very beneficial in receiving referrals. The Angie’s List customers in particular are such a pleasure to do business with. If your company has a high number of favorable ratings, the Angie’s List members usually call you first. I still remember the customer who said he was going to put a review on Angie’s List 15 years ago. That one review has snowballed into a priceless referral machine.
A
ir Quality Controllers opened for business in July of 1998. We had enough money to buy some equipment, but had no money for advertising. We did telemarketing in the evenings, and offered a free dryer vent cleaning with a free estimate. This made our days very long for the first two years. We were learning about our industry each and every day. In July 2000, we became NADCA members and started doing commercial work. Currently, our revenue shows a 50/50 split between our residential and commercial customers.
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Driving Business We also do a lot of dryer vent cleaning. We take care of dryer vents that are in single family homes, large condo associations and assisted living facilities. We handle and all of the dryer vents for an assisted living facility chain in Wisconsin and Minnesota. We advertise the service on our website, on Facebook and offer discounts in our advertisements that get sent to over 300,000 homes every month. We drive demand for this service by simply indicating that it is a fire hazard if the dryer vent is not maintained.
The best advice that I can give to a business that is looking to build their online review base is to treat every customer like a VIP.
Our NADCA Membership We became NADCA members to stay at the top of our game and we figured that the certifications would complement our premier image. The NADCA certification has been very beneficial to our company. Many government projects and larger jobs require the certification to bid on a project. Also, since the State of Wisconsin does not regulate the air duct cleaning industry, the certification separates us from many companies in the area.
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NADCA News
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.
•
Resurfacing Tips and Techniques
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NADCA White Papers on Interior Insulation and Chemical Applications in HVAC Systems
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Blueprint Reading and Estimating for Commercial Projects
Fall Technical Conference Committee The Fall Technical Conference Committee, led by Committee CoChairs Rick MacDonald and Jimmy Meyer, has been working hard to put together a dynamic program for the 2015 Fall Technical Conference. The conference will be held Sept. 17-19, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri, and is slated to be one of the best conferences yet! This year’s event will bring the industry’s top professionals together to provide engaging educational sessions for both the technician and advanced track learner.
New Building Performance Series! This year’s event will also include an exciting new Building Performance Series, which will review: •
The fundamentals of building performance for HVAC technicians
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Building performance testing: how to do a home/building checkup and what it will tell you
Technician Track Sessions •
Ventilation Maintenance Technician (VMT) Training Course
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Customer Service
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HVAC 101: Typical Systems/ Components & Tips for Cleaning (both residential and commercial)
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HVAC 101: Hands-On Training n
Cutting Access Openings
n
Coil Cleaning
n
Ductwork Cleaning
n
Air Handling Unit Cleaning
n
Sealing
Advanced Track Sessions •
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Working in Healthcare Facilities
UV Lighting – Installation and Applications in HVAC Systems
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Building performance solutions: how to solve hot room, cold room and recurring dust problems for your customers
This series will help you get an edge on the competition by offering strategies for addressing common building performance issues to help you solve your customers’ problems and expand your services. The conference will also include exhibitors with the latest and greatest in HVAC cleaning equipment and technology, along with opportunities to become ASCS and CVI certified and to network with industry professionals. Online registration opened June 1, 2015 at www.nadca. com. You won’t want to miss it!
ACR Marketing Task Force One of NADCA’s key strategic goals is to increase specification of ACR, The NADCA Standard among facility managers and the consumer market. An ACR Marketing Task Force was formed to develop a plan to support this goal and outline the specific tactics that will lead to success. The task force recently worked with NADCA’s marketing team to develop a new ACR video specifically targeting facility managers to help promote the importance of HVAC system cleaning in accordance with ACR and using a NADCA member. This new video will be promoted to facility managers around the world and will include links to download ACR and NADCA’s General Specifications. To check out the video, visit www.nadca.com today. To help increase awareness of ACR and NADCA members in the consumer market, the task force is also working with the marketing team to develop a consumer-facing tagline that NADCA members will be able to use to help differentiate themselves and create consumer awareness. Look for the new tagline to be released soon! NADCA wishes to thank the following members of the ACR Marketing Task Force for their ongoing efforts to support promotion of ACR for the benefit of our members and the HVAC cleaning industry: Mark Zarzeczny, Chair Jim Castellano MJ Palazzolo Larry Stabb James Shelley D U C TA L E S
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NADCA Committee Assignments Annual Meeting Committee
Ethics Committee
Kelly Dexter Peter Haugen Matt Mongiello Anthony Paterno Terri Reynolds Meg Walker
Melinda Allen George Grozan Michael O’Rourke
Chair: Mark Zarzeczny Immediate Past Chair: Michael Vinick
Tommy Gwaltney Jimmy Meyer MJ Palazzolo Keith Reynolds Mark Tessmer Cindy White
By-Laws Policies Procedures Committee Chair: Dan Stradford Immediate Past Chair: Richard Lantz
Ronald Nichols
Certification Committee Chair:
Dan Stradford
Tom Fehr Rick MacDonald Tim O’Connor Cindy White April Yungen
Richard Lantz Mike McDavid Todd St. Ores Tom Yacobellis
Education & Safety Committee Co-Chairs:
Mike White Rick MacDonald
Jeff Bagley Ron Gray Reece Howell Andrew McLaughlin Mark Morris Ronald Nichols Robert Rizen Tom Wengert
Mike Dexter Chet Goetz Richard Lantz Dominic Menta Vito Moscato Tim O’Connor Dan Stradford
Sub-committee: White Paper Committee Chair:
Dan Stradford
Sub-committee: Fall Technical Conference Co-Chair: Co-Chair:
Rick MacDonald Jimmy Meyer
Mike Dexter Mike McDavid James Queen Bob Rousseau Kevin Uilkie Mike White
Richard Lantz Kehau Mendes Robert Rizen Bill Tyrell Tom Wengert
Sub-committee: CVI Training Task Force
Chair: Dan Stradford Immediate Past Chair: Richard Lantz Kelly Dexter Ron Nichols
Finance Committee
Chair: Richard Lantz Immediate Past Chair: Michael Vinick John Line Dan Stradford
John Muller Al Sutton
Industry & Public Relations Committee Chair: Mark Zarzeczny Immediate Past Chair: Richard Lantz Dave Adams Jim Castellano Peter Haugen Jimmy Meyer MJ Palazzolo James Shelley Chris Wilson
Bob Allen Chad Cowan Clayton Ivany Scott Moritz Larry Stabb Travis Tassey Stephen Worrall
Sub-committee: Anti-Fraud Task Force Chair: Mark Zarzeczny John Line Dan Stradford
John Muller Al Sutton
Sub-committee: ACR Marketing Tast Force Chair:
Mark Zarzeczny
Jim Castellano James Shelley
MJ Palazzolo Larry Stabb
Sub-committee: Website Update Task Force Chair:
Jimmy Meyer
Richard Lantz
Paul Hannah
Sub-committee: Ad Hoc Research Task Force Dan Stradford Mike White
Richard Lantz
Sub-committee: EPA Website Update Task Force Chair:
Richard Lantz
International Affairs Committee
Interim Chair: Michael Vinick Immediate Past Chair: Matt Mongiello Julio Cesar Arencibia Nelson Constanza Javier Dominguez Hugo Hernandez Rosa Lopez Al Sutton Valeria Vega
Carlos Boothby Nicolas Charland Peter Haugen Richard Lantz Rick MacDonald Travis Tassey
Membership Committee Chair: Kevin Uilkie Immediate Past Chair: Michael Vinick Nelson Constanza Tim Fico Jeff Johnson Jimmy Meyer April Yungen
James Cooke Peter Haugen Andrew McLaughlin MJ Palazzolo Mark Zarzeczny
Sub-committee: Regional Coordinators
Chair: Kevin Uilkie U.S. Northwest – Vito Moscato, Bill Tyrell U.S. Southwest – Matt Kelly, Kehau Mendes U.S. Northeast – Rick MacDonald, Nelson Constanza U.S. Southeast – Tommy Gwaltney, Perry Bagley Canada Region 9 – Gary Lapstra Canada Region 9.5 – Nicolas Charland Australia Region 11 – Travis Tassey Italy Region 12 – Giorgio Ziragachi, Andrea Casa China Region 15 – Kenneth Tung Central & S. America – Carlos Boothby, Richard Lantz
Sub-committee: 2000 Members in 2020 Task Force Chair:
Michael Vinick
Nelson Constanza MJ Palazzolo
Tim Fico
Leadership Development Committee Chair:
Michael Vinick
Standards Committee
Chair: Richard Lantz Immediate Past Chair: Bill Lundquist Paul Burns Brad Kuhlmann Rick MacDonald Byron Ware
Charlie Cochrane Greg Long Mike McDavid
Sub-committee: Editorial Committee Chair:
Richard Lantz
Sub-committee: Energy Research Study Task Force Chair:
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Mike White
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NADCA News
New ASCSs Scott Alkire Alkie Enterprises, Inc. Cheverly, MD Chris Allen Hughes Environmental Louisville, KY Celestino Alvarado Airways Systems, Inc. Bensenville, IL Reginaldo Benitez Airways Systems, Inc. Bensenville, IL Jonathan Blue Midwest Duct Cleaning Services Merriam, KS Bruce Boone Stanley Steemer Conway, SC Marcus Callahan Teasdale Fenton Springboro, OH Genny Chavez Ingevida S.A.S Barrancabermeja, Santander Jimmy Condon Duct Dudes Iselin, NJ James Cyriac Ebonite Decors LLC Kottayam, Kerala Don Davis Nelbud Services Group Inc. Egg Harbor City, NJ Jerry Daywalt N.B. Rogers, Inc. Gilbertsville, PA Jacob Denham Jake’s Restoration Denver, CO
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Mario DiCostanzo DiMar Restoration Corp, dba AdvantaClean of Westchester, Rockland, Stamford Eastchester, NY Mark Dunkin Duct & Vent Cleaning of America Springfield, MA Chauncey Follett Airtek Indoor Air Solutions San Diego, CA Sylvian Forand Pur Air Expert Magog, Quebec Brian Frank Airtek Indoor Air Solutions San Diego, CA James Fries Dalton Environmental Cleaning Whitmore lake, MI Marijan Gomojic IND-EXO Ltd. Rijeka, Rijeka Denisse Gonzalez Ducts, Air, Kitchen & Environment San Juan, PR Brad Hassler Midwest Duct Cleaning Services Merriam, KS Brian Johnson Chud Air Abington, PA Dennis Khuttan Airtek Indoor Air Solutions San Jose, CA Daniel LaGrew Midwest Duct Cleaning Services Merriam, KS
Francisco Moreno Airways Systems, Inc. Bensenville, IL Charif Noumair Flex Net Ventilation Blainville, Quebec Jim Perrone Guarantee Service Team of Professionals Baton Rouge, LA Michael Pugal PurAir Hawai’i Honolulu, HI Andrew Queen Circle H Holdings LLC, dba AdvantaClean of Knox and Licking Counties Newark, OH Travis Reeves DSK Pro Inc. Heiskell, TN Dustin Richard Alpha Carpet & Duct Cleaning Surrey, BC Brandon Roberts Guarantee Service Team of Professionals Baton Rouge, LA Miguel Rodriguez Penn Air Control, Inc. Cypress, CA Saul Ruiz Airtek Indoor Air Solutions Azusa, CA Albert San Agustin JWS Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Ltd. Tamuning, Guam
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New ASCSs (continued) Tom Sangalli Abatement Solutions Technologies Louisville, KY
Kevin Smith Melin Enterprises Inc. Merced, CA
Jake Weber Midwest Duct Cleaning Services Merriam, KS
Steve Schauer Airtek Indoor Air Solutions San Diego, CA
Mike Spaulding Indiana Restoration Services, Inc. Noblesville, IN
Terrance Williams Sani Vac Service Warren, MI
Kris Shumard AdvantaClean of Two Rivers Saint Charles, MO
Edgar Vasquez Midwest Duct Cleaning Services Merriam, KS
Hassan Younes Elite Duct Services Dubai, UAE
Fluvio Visone New Air Duct Service Ltd. Toronto, Ontario
New Members AdvantaClean of Two Rivers Saint Charles, MO
Forbest Products Co. Fremont, CA
Pringle Company Malinta, OH
Aerus, LLC Dallas, TX
Fresh-Aire UV - Triatomic Environmental, Inc. Jupiter, FL
Sentinel Products Brooklyn Park, MN
Alkie Enterprises, Inc. Cheverly, MD Alpha Carpet & Duct Cleaning Surrey, BC CAN Atlantic Corp of NC Fuquay Varina, NC Bruno Air Conditioning Bonita Springs, FL CleanAlert, LLC Oberlin, OH Elite Duct Services Dubai, UAE Flex Net Ventilation Blainville, QC CAN
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Hypervac Technologies Lethbridrige, AB CAN IND-EXO Ltd. Rijeka, Croatia K-FLEX USA Youngsville, NC Lambro Venting Products Inc Laprairie, QC CAN N.B. Rogers, Inc. Gilbertsville, PA Preferred Hood and Duct Middletown, CT
Simav SPA Roma, ITA Stratus Construction Co. Stockton, CA Teasdale Fenton Springboro, OH Teconologica Impianti Srl San Casciano In Val Di Pesa ITA ThermalStar Tape Products Phoenix, AZ TrueTech Services Houston, TX Renato Boglioni Borgosatoll, ITA
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NADCA News
Industry Calendar NADCA Events NADCA Fall Technical Conference September 17–19, 2015 St. Louis, MO NADCA’s 27th Annual Meeting March 7–9, 2016 Phoenix, AZ
Related Industry Events ASHRAE 2015 Annual Conference June 27–July 1, 2015 Atlanta, GA SMACNA 2015 Annual Convention September 27–30, 2015 Colorado Springs, CO
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