Sweeping April 2015 VOLUME 39 #3
The Journal of Chimney and Venting Technology
The 2015 NCSG Convention Recap— Articles and Essay by Justin Bailey
What’s Love Got To Do With Your Business Avoid The Family Business Blues It’s a Wrap: Another NCSG Convention Is In the Books
SAVE THE DATE Mark your calendars to join us at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, FL February 24-27.
Chimney Sweeps Anywhere , Planet Earth
Departments President’s Letter 3 Editor’s Letter 5 Technical Q&A 18 Coach’s Corner 19 Industry Watch 21 Progressive Perks 40 Sweeps Advantage 42 New Members 43 Date and Events 44 Around The Tech Center 50 Where Has Your Sweeping Been? 51 Classifieds 51 Darwin Award 52
Table of Contents
On the Cover — Group photo from the 2015 NCSG Convention in Lancaster, Pa.
Sweeping April 2015 Volume 39 Issue 3
Features What’s Love Got To Do With Your Business
It’s A Wrap: Another NCSG Convention Is In the Books
Avoid the Family-Owned Business Blues
Convention Recap
6 10 13 22 S W E E P I N G April 2015
Jim Brewer Gas Venting and NFPA 54 (317) 203-0088 x: 3 John Pilger Oil Flue Sizing, Relining or NFPA 31 (317) 203-0088 x: 4 Randy Brooks IRC, NFPA 211 or Customer Communications (317) 203-0088 x: 5 Bart Ogden Stainless Steel Lining, Video Scanning and Narrative Report Writing (317) 203-0088 x: 6
Fred Joy Installation and Venting of Pellet Stoves (317) 203-0088 x: 7 Jay Walker Dryer Vents (317) 203-0088 x: 8 Rett Rasmussen Vented and Vent Free Gas Logs and Controls (317) 203-0088 x: 9 Rich Martinez Dryer Vents or Masonry (317) 203-0088 x: * Rich Rua General Sweeping or Relining (317) 203-0088 x: 0
NATIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP GUILD BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2014-2015
TECHNICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
Chris Prior Masonry Construction and Restoration and Priorfire Fireboxes (317) 203-0088 x: 2
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2155 Commercial Drive Plainfield, IN 46168 (317) 837-1500 Fax: (317) 837-5365 Frances Kelly Excecutive Director fkelly@ncsg.org Megan McMahon Director of Finance mmcmahon@ncsg.org Debbie Cornelius Membership Development Coordinator dcornelius@ncsg.org Donna Lee Kasmer CSIA Certification Coordinator dkasmer@csia.org Claire Rutledge Program Coordinator crutledge@ncsg.org
April 2015
Darcy Marlett Director of Communications and Marketing dmarlett@ncsg.org Tom Spalding CSIA Director of Communications and Marketing tspalding@csia.org Ashley Edridge Director of Education ashley@csia.org Sara Sichting Office Manager ssichting@ncsg.org
COMMITTEE CHAIRS and TASK FORCES 2014 – 2015
STAFF
Resources
Region 4 Kevon Binder Jr. (517) 423-2832 kevon@drflue.com
At-Large Director Dennis Dobbs (256) 845- 9814 info@ fireplaceservicecenter.com
Region 6 Bob Ferrari (530) 941-5818 bob@flueseason.com
Treasurer, Region 3 Ron Rust (803) 730-5858 tophatswp@aol.com Vice President, Region 5 Jasper Drengler (715) 304-8934 drengler01@gmail.com Region 1 Mike Elliott (508) 987-6348 sootguy@aol.com
To contact any member of the Technical Advisory Council, please call (317) 203-0088 and select the extension for the person who is best qualified to answer your question: Be advised that advice given by NCSG’s Technical Advisory Council (TAC) reflects best practices of the chimney sweeping industry. However, we are unable to account for any particular type of situation since regional variations in construction practices and additional environmental, physical and geographical factors necessarily vary the level of service appropriate for a particular fireplace and/or chimney. Additionally, local laws and ordinances may govern and/ or supersede the information and any recommendations provided. Final determinations are the responsibility of a local professional with firsthand knowledge of the situation, and the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Neither NCSG nor any member of TAC will be held liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from the use of or reliance on information provided by anyone associated with TAC. By your use of this member benefit you acknowledge acceptance of these terms.
President Jeremy Biswell (913) 236-7141 fluesbrothers@yahoo.com
Secretary Gregg Boss (636) 391-2226 englishsweep@att.net At-Large Director Fred Joy (785) 986-6432 joyfredm@live.com Supplier Representative Edmund Poplawski (570) 504-7107 epoplawski@ olympiachimney.com
Region 2 Ed Ridgeway (856) 241-7999 masons@chimney-duct.com Bylaws Jasper Drengler (715) 304-8934 drangler01@yahoo.com
Membership Bob Ferrari (530) 221-3331 bob@flueseason.com
Ethics Andy Raycroft (703) 836-7858 randy@rooftopchimneysweeps. com
NFPA 211 Representative Jim Brewer (757) 523-2400 jbrewer@magic-sweep.com
Governance Jay Walker (850) 562-4692 sweepingJ@aol.com Government Affairs Phil Mitchell (603) 659-7776 sootski@aol.com International Relations John Pilger (631) 863-2460 chimneyman@aol.com
NFPA 31 Representative John Pilger (631) 863-2460 chimneyman@aol.com NFPA 54 Jim Brewer (757) 523-2400 jbrewer@magic-sweep.com Technical Advisory Council Michael Segerstrom (908) 253-9190 chimneysweeps@optonline.net
Long Range Planning Jeremy Biswell (913) 236-7141 fluesbrothers@yahoo.com
ADVERTISING RATES for Sweeping: The Journal of Chimney & Venting Technology may be obtained by contacting Malisa Minetree at (317) 815-4688 or sweepingads@me.com Layout and design by David Bruce, Red2 Design Bureau NCSG encourages industry partners to submit press releases and articles to editor Darcy Marlett at dmarlett@ncsg.org. Submissions should contain items of interest or importance to the chimney and venting industry. Submissions should not contain direct solicitations, prices, or a call to action on the part of our readers. Submissions may contain images or artwork attached in a .jpg format. In all cases, NCSG reserves the right to edit submissions to fit space limitations, keep the release and publish at a later date, or refuse to publish the release for any reason. Neither publishing, nor refusing to publish the submission should be considered a statement of NCSG’s opinion regarding the release. NCSG further reserves the right to reject at any time any advertising determined not to be in keeping with the publication’s standards. Acceptance of advertising by Sweeping magazine does not necessarily constitute endorsement of products or services advertised. NCSG does not make any effort to review or substantiate claims made by advertisers. © 2014 National Chimney Sweep Guild, 2155 Commercial Drive, Plainfield, IN 46168. (317) 837-1500
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ennsylvania may not be a warm and sunny destination in February, but I am glad our convention was there. The hotel was nice and the downtown area was historic and inviting. The weather did cause pipes to burst in the hotel, but the staff of the hotel was amazing in how they dealt with it. With all hands on deck, they pushed water and mopped floors. Anytime we needed more chairs or something for a room, they answered. Props to our hotel staff. I am being told we had over 700 attendees at any given time. We also had a very large amount of international visitors. I would like to thank John and Diane Pilger and the many others that hosted our foreign guests. This may have been our largest convention to date. Numbers are still coming in. I am excited to see all of the figures. I love having our convention at new and exciting places. Many places we visit are areas many would probably never visit in their lives. Every year is a fantastic opportunity to experience the environment, food, and culture of our membership while visiting during convention. I believe the northeast has our largest member population. It is exciting to have the northeast in our convention rotation if only to get to meet members that may have never traveled to convention if it weren’t within simple driving distance from their home base. Being from the Midwest, the population density of areas of the United States is always amazing to me.
Brandi and I showed up several days early to visit some of her childhood friends. Brandi grew up part of her life in Pennsylvania, so she knew the area. I felt blessed to drive around with her, visiting places from her teenage years and listening to her narrate parts of her life she remembers from her years in Pennsylvania. It was a gift to watch her reconnect with several of her friends that she normally only gets to communicate with on social media. The week was filled with good friends, inspiration, and excellent education. After a wonderful membership meeting highlighted by a spectacular prayer by member Tom Hunkele and a singing of the star spangled banner by member Cleveland Pope, our keynote speaker, Mary Lucas, spoke of her life and her father and challenged us to “find the like” in people and life. The week ended with a pirate themed auction and a country chic themed banquet. As president of our organization, I have the honor of choosing recipients of both the friendship and presidents awards. I chose Ken Hoelscher for the president award and Dennis Dobbs for the friendship award. These 2 members have contributed so much of their time and efforts to our organization and have really impressed me over the years. They truly deserved the recognition. I was really flattered by the camaraderie and gifts presented to us by our foreign guests. Such amazing and friendly people. All of the gifts will be on display for
President’s
Letter Jeremy Biswell
President
Wow Convention Was Awesome!
3 the next year at the NCSG home base in Plainfield, Indiana. If you missed out and couldn’t make it to this year’s convention, I invite you to attend next year in Orlando, Florida. It will be another epic gathering of our industry! Until then, enjoy this convention issue of sweeping magazine. Jeremy
April 2015
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elcome to the convention recap issue of Sweeping magazine! After last year’s issue I heard from readers that you would like to see more convention coverage, in response we added convention reporter to our volunteer staff for the event. I am very excited to be featuring the convention stories from Justin Bailey of Bailey’s Chimney Cleaning and Repair in Taos, New Mexico. I met Justin at last year’s convention and when he stopped by the trade show booth to tell us what a great time he was having at his first convention and he mentioned that he used to be a newspaper columnist. When I asked him if he would like to write about the 2015 convention he enthusiastically volunteered. Justin contributed six great articles to this issue,
we both hope you enjoy them. If you have never been able to attend a convention please take a moment to read Justin’s essay on page 27 about what an impact attending his first convention made on his business. Also in this issue you will find an article on running a family owned business from our closing keynote speaker Christine Corelli. With convention comes a new governance year and I would like to welcome our new directors to the board. They are Mike Elliot, Region 1 Director, Ed Ridgeway, Region 2 Director, Dennis Dobbs, AtLarge Director and Chris DatilloWiles, Supplier Representative. Mark your calendars to join us in Orlando in 2016! Cheers, Darcy Marlett
Editor’s
Letter Darcy Marlett Editor
What’s Love Got to Do With Your Business
Carter Harkins
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Spark Marketer Every day, thousands of people across the world wake up and find that they have a need related to their chimney, fireplace or stove. And, smart business person that you are, you have done specific things to put yourself in front of them in that moment, to help them connect the dots between their needs and your services. Some of these marketing activities are going to work, and you will suddenly find yourself with exactly the kind of opportunity you’ve been waiting for. It’s easy to think of the customer relationship from this point of view. It’s the one you eat, sleep and breathe, and you could hardly be more familiar with what it looks like from your side of the transaction. But have you ever taken a minute to think about it from the perspective of your customer? How does this story sound when standing in their shoes? Something like, “I woke up this morning and realized I had a chimney need. At least I think
April 2015
that’s what the issue is, but I’m not really sure. So I spent almost an hour reading information about what might be causing this issue, then searching companies, finding their reviews, and visiting their web sites, and now I have my top pick, and I’m dialing their phone number… deep breath… I hope I’m not about to invite total frustration and complication into my life…” No matter why the person on the other end of that phone is calling you, one thing is for certain: They are not calling in hopes that you’ll make their lives more stressful and complex. And no matter what services you may have available in order to solve their needs when the moment comes, your real opportunity is first and foremost just to love them. Does it seem strange to you to think about the primary function of your business as simply providing loving care to fellow human beings? How weird, right? I mean, pastors and nurses have
April 30, 2015
careers that require them to be loving, but you’re in the chimney business; what does love possibly have to do with the way you run things? (bonus points if you now have a Tina Turner song playing in your head‌ you’re welcome!)
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And yet this is exactly the way many business owners have started to think about their businesses. They have made the effort to intentionally see their interactions for the first time through the lens of what their customers most want from them. They are boldly changing their business story and culture to include the attitude of love, and they are reaping the rewards - not merely financial ones, either! - of loving their
S W E E P I N G April 2015
customers and in turn having customers who love them.
understanding of the inevitable delays inherent in large projects.
Still don’t see it? Think of it this way:
You may have dropped the ball while attempting to love and serve a customer. Keep loving them! More than anything, a relationship worth having is one that can bear setbacks and fight through it to correct the problems and restore the trust needed to thrive. Your customer will give you a lot of grace if they feel that you are doing all you can to change the ending of the story to one that’s all about the love.
Your customer may want to solve a chimney problem. But NOT if it will mean being treated like a number or being spoken to in a dehumanizing or belittling way. Love them! Chimney services is just the way you get to enter their lives and show them that you love them. Your customer may want a beautiful new fireplace. But NOT if it means having to suffer six weeks of uncaring, unsympathetic silence while the right parts are still on backorder and no one has bothered to communicate with them. Just love them! Your timely words and your actions toward them in every interaction will do so much to help them be more
«
services, is to be treated with kindness, care, respect and love. They want to know that their lives matter to you, to your employees and to your business. There is no faking this kind of love. If it isn’t genuine, it will be the worst thing you could try to do. But if you understand the power of love to change your business, you may just get a chance to matter really matter - to the people you are privileged to love and serve.
What a customer wants, more than your products and your services, is to be treated with kindness, care, respect and love.
What a customer wants, more than your products and your
»
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thought of impacting people’s lives through the simple acts of service you get to perform for them make what you do seem more worthwhile? When you think about what you do for others in this light, doesn’t it cause you to stop thinking of it like a “daily grind” and more like a “daily mission”?
About the author: Carter Harkins is one of the Crew Chiefs at Spark Marketer, an online marketing management company that helps clients better tell their stories and grow their businesses. He can be reached at carter@ sparkmarketer.com or (615) 678-0113
Because at the end of the day, in the stories they tell and the reasons they may decide to share you with others, whether you have installed a new liner or found and corrected a potential fire hazard, what your customers are going to remember most is NOT how much you cost or how long you took - they will remember how much you loved and cared for them.
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It’s a Wrap: Another NCSG Convention Is In The Books. Eugene M. LaFlamme
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his was my first year at the NCSG convention and, I must say, I was impressed with the commitment the membership displayed towards education and training. My session on legal issues affecting the industry was well attended, lively and active. While I was unable to get through the entire presentation due to the number of questions, I view that as a sign that the attendees were engaged and interested in the topic. Similarly, the panel on the proposed changes to NFPA 211 on after-market parts was equally engaging and could have easily lasted another hour or two. What this tells me is that the NCSG membership is a passionate and enthusiastic group. This is a compliment and
April 2015
one that I hope never leaves the industry. As everyone returns from Lancaster and settles back into their normal routine, the lessons learned at the convention should not be left behind. To the extent applicable, information learned at the convention should be incorporated into the daily business routines. Further, the educational lessons should be shared with fellow employees that were unable to attend the convention. As I discussed in my presentation, the U.S. is the most litigious nation in the world. While this works out well for attorneys – and the U.S has no shortage of those, myself included – it does create a business environment that requires extra vigilance. Sweeps are often the last individual to work on or touch a chimney before a chimney fire. When a chimney fire occurs, the property insurer must pay out insurance benefits to the homeowner. Once it does that, the property insurer immediately attempts to identify other
parties that may have some liability. Unfortunately, sweeps are often at the top at that list. When a sweep is sued, the plaintiff not only argues that the sweep should have identified whatever defect may have caused the fire, but they will also go through the sweep’s training, education and documentation practices. The plaintiff’s hope is that they will uncover other areas that they can attack the sweep’s business practices. For example, if a sweep lets their CSIA or NFI certifications lapse, the plaintiff will exploit that fact to portray the sweep as one that does not take training or education seriously. This is a tactic – and, an effective one at that – to make the sweep look bad in front of a jury. The
thought process is that if the jury does not believe the sweep takes safety seriously, there is a greater likelihood that the jury will accept the plaintiff’s liability arguments as a whole. Given this reality of our business and litigation climate, the NCSG membership should continue to re-enforce the lessons it learned at the convention throughout the year. Safety and training should be omnipresent. This will not only protect the sweep should they ever face a liability claim, but it will also make the sweep more professional and productive in their business activities.
that they may have thought of since the convention, I would invite you to email or call me. I am always happy to discuss these issues further. With that said, I look forward to the 2016 convention! Eugene M. LaFlamme is a partner at McCoy Leavitt Laskey LLC, a national defense firm specializing in fire and explosion cases. Eugene’s practice focuses on the defense of companies involved in the hearth and chimney industries. He can be contacted at elaflamme@ MLLlaw.com or (262) 522-7000.
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Avoid the Family Owned Business Blues: The Pitfalls of Running a Family Owned Business
By Christine Corelli anaging a business is tough, but running a family owned business is even tougher. Internal conflicts, family matters, business concerns, and ownership transition make running the business very complicated and emotionally charged. In fact, according to the Small Business Administration, only 33% of family owned businesses survive the transition from first generation ownership to the next generation.
M
The causes are usually the same - an inability to separate family from business needs, conflicts of interests, differences of opinion in how the business should be managed, intense rivalries, and, of course, the egos that come into play. In addition, there are instances where the second and third generation often has less appreciation for what their predecessors did to make the business a success. Some don’t have the same drive, commitment or business savvy.
Real World Case Histories Case #1 The president of a successful construction equipment distribution business decided to turn his business over to his son. The president was a smart businessman. He was well liked by his customers, employees and suppliers. Even though his son had worked in the business for almost fifteen years, he lacked sophistication and didn’t know how to develop strong employee and customer relationships. Once, when the president was suddenly hospitalized, the son was lost. He wasn’t sure what to do first. As a result, employees gained little confidence in him. They are worried that the company will fall apart when the president turns the business over to him. While they talk about the situation with each other, they are not comfortable sharing their feelings with the president.
April 2015
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Case #2 The founder of a popular restaurant figured it was time to turn her business over to her son and retire...or so she thought. Putting her son in charge, she took some time off. She stopped in a few weeks later to see how things were going. Unbeknownst to her, the day of her visit was his day off. She saw several things that needed immediate attention. She asked a staff member to call her son and tell him to come right away. The assistant manager hesitated saying, “ I can’t do that. Bob told us never to call him for any reason on his golf day off”. Like most entrepreneurs, the owner had worked sixteen-hour days for years to keep her business up and running. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into making it a success, and now her son was letting it all go. She also discovered that he did not treat her employees well, nor did he share her vision of opening more restaurants based on this successful model. The result was a frustrated staff and a business in jeopardy. She was a very unhappy woman who did not feel she could retire in peace. She now has to go in on a regular basis and work hard to make sure her business will survive until her son is responsible enough to be given this opportunity.
Case #3 The owner of a well-established and highly profitable construction company turned the business over to his two sons and his daughter. All three had been brought up in the business and were highly capable. The eldest brother was
made president; the second son was appointed vice president; the daughter headed up marketing. The brothers did not see eye to eye on anything and fought over every decision. Finally, the younger brother left the family business and started his own competitive company in the same town. The result? Although both companies are still in business, the parents are broken hearted, and the brothers have not spoken to each other in years. These examples are all negative. Family owned businesses do not need to have these problems. I have worked with an abundance of progressive family owned business owners who have practices in place to ensure all employees are happy and that future generations will be able to enjoy the business and benefit from its continued growth and profitability. Is your family-owned chimney sweep business positioned for success? Are you confident it will grow and prosper into the future? If something happened to you, are you confident your business would run like a well-oiled machine? Have you established quality relationships with both family employees and non-family employees?
Tips to Avoid the Family Owned Business Blues Share Vision and Values To achieve success as a family owned business, every family member should share the same vision of the business in the future. If one person wants to keep it small and another wants to build an empire, it won’t work. If one person just wants to make a living and another
wants to make a fortune, that’s another type of problem. If family members do not share the vision of the founder or top executive, they have to be comfortable enough to express their feelings. Ultimately, everyone must be on the same page to avoid constant conflict. Core values are the beliefs and principles that guide individual behavior and form the foundation upon which your family and business should operate. The family should discuss the company’s core values and agree to how they will demonstrate them. Honesty, integrity, respect, teamwork, excellence, customer focus, health, safety and family relationships should be among every company’s core values. Set Clear Roles and Responsibilities In many family owned businesses (especially those that are start-ups), everyone does a little of everything. Whether yours is a new business or one that is well established, family members’ job roles and responsibilities have to be clearly defined. Expectations should be set with clear agreement what each member will be accountable for. Manage the Family Owned Business Like Any Other Business. Many family owned businesses operate with an informal management style. There may also be disparity in how each member leads. This can frustrate employees, inhibit the growth and profitability of the business, and prevent it from reaching its true potential. Every manager in the organization should lead in the same way, setting high standards for
performance and being an example for others on staff. Make sure someone can step right into your place, and the company can operate at full capacity if you should have an accident or suddenly become ill. Systems and procedures should be in established. Someone should have access to the books. In addition, other family members and employees should be cross-trained, and by all means, if they are sweeping chimneys, they should be certified! Challenge the Status Quo Maintaining the Status Quo is the kiss of death for any business. Efforts must be made to ensure the delivery of superior customer service and new ways of doing businesses must be considered. Some family owned business owners unknowingly try to preserve the status quo. This is especially true if new ideas are proposed by a family member or younger employee. A common phrase is “We’ve always done it this way.” The owner is more comfortable doing things the same way because that is how he or she gained success. But these attitudes can frustrate employees and can hamper
business efforts in a contemporary world. Avoid and Manage Conflict No business or family is perfect. But if there is conflict and feuding among family members, it will be impossible to establish a positive work environment. A dispute between family members will impede high levels of teamwork and customer service. Most problems can be worked out, worked through, and resolved. If everyone is open to finding a solution, they will have to manage their emotions and maintain respect for each other. They must also be willing to be flexible...perhaps even meet each other half way without being too aggressive or demanding. It’s not about who is to blame or who is right. The bottom line is that conflict can be resolved by agreeing to do what is in the best interest of the business. If that can’t happen, the business owner should consider bringing in an outside arbitrator or trusted business consultant to help work out the issues. Establish Healthy Boundaries - If you are a husband and wife team, set, agree, and adhere to boundaries.
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There need to be limits that the business “needs” cannot cross. For example, don’t discuss business after 6:00 pm or at home. Go to dinner but do not talk about business. If you are at a family event, do not discuss business for more than fifteen minutes. It is not fair to your family. By all means, refrain from arguing in the workplace. It makes everyone uncomfortable. Don’t Alienate Employees Don’t create two types of employees-family vs. nonfamily. Conduct performance reviews for family and nonfamily employees alike. Refrain from showing favoritism or giving special treatment to family members. For example, if a family member borrows a company vehicle, make sure other employees have access to that vehicle as well.
16 S W E E P I N G
Avoid alienating employees by practicing nepotism. Hire, promote, and pay people based on their actual merits, abilities, and contributions to the business. If you don’t, the non-family employees will lose their motivation. They may feel like a promotion is out of their reach because they aren’t a family member or a friend of the family. They may also become jealous and resentful. Refrain from passing off personal expenses as business expenditures for a family member. If you purchase company cars, purchase mid-sized cars that are fuelefficient. Do not allow family members to use the company credit card for dinners with their families. Don’t put family members on the payroll if
April 2015
they’re not making a real contribution to the business. Create a Culture of Open Communication Effective communication with all members of the organization is critical. Nonfamily employees shouldn’t feel like family members are more ‘in the know’ about what is happening with the business. Establish a culture of open communication where everyone is well informed on what’s going on and on plans for the future. If you plan on hiring a family member or retiring in the near future and turning the business over to someone in the family, let your staff know. If you are the person who will run the company, hold a meeting. Let employees know you may run the company a bit differently, but that you are going to do your absolute best to make it a great place to come to work each day. Keep in mind that they may be in fear of losing their jobs. Let them know you do not plan on making any changes in staff or eliminating jobs if that is in your plan. Ask employees what they recommend and what they would like to improve upon once you take over. Involve employees in decisionmaking and idea sharing. Ask for their ideas on how to improve customer service, teamwork, communication and productivity. Provide feedback on their ideas and implement the best. Make Employees Feel Like Family - Treat employees as well as you treat your best customers. Make people feel they are working with you and not for you. Hold
employee appreciation events and annual picnics. Include employees’ families at these events. Take a different employee to lunch once a week. Provide unexpected bonuses when you have a great Quarter, or yearly bonuses. Create a Succession Plan Sooner or later, you will retire. If there is not a succession plan in place, you are setting your business up for failure. Be prepared with a succession plan to ensure your business lives on long after you are gone. Part of that plan is to prepare your successor for the position. Most likely, it will be a family member who is already working in the business for several years. Ideally, he or she will possess interpersonal and relationship building skills. If your successor does not have a degree in business, enroll them in a course on Business 101. Make sure they understand how to read financial statements and fully comprehend that “Revenue is Really Nice. Profit’s All That Matters.” The more business and financial acumen your successor possesses, and the more they know the business, your industry, and your customers, the better. If they are well liked and respected by your staff, all the better. In addition, provide training to help them to excel in the five essential facets of leadership: 1. Create vision and a competitive strategy. 2. Communicate Number 1 to entire organization 3. Implement and manage change necessary to create
and sustain success.
work for YOU?”
4. Motivate and reward employees.
©Copyright, 2015 Christine Corelli & Associates, Inc.
5. Execute the competitive strategy.
Christine Corelli is an internationally renowned conference speaker and workshop facilitator with a no-nonsense, cut to the chase approach to public speaking and management consulting. In any venue, hers is a voice to be reckoned with ...in more ways than one.
Consider hiring a consultant or coach for a six-month period to work with your successor. An experienced professional can help your successor identify his or her strengths, help to build on them, and also identify areas for where improvement is needed. Creating a succession plan and implementing smart familyowned business practices involves a great deal more. For now, look at your chimney sweep business through the eyes of your family and employees and answer this question honestly: “Would you want to
studies, tangible ideas, and valuable take-away information on vital business topics that drive business growth and fuel high-performance - dynamic leadership, profitrich growth strategies, sales excellence, customer service, creating a high-performance culture, communication, and change management. Visit Christine on the web at www.christinespeaks.com
She is the author of five business books including the bestselling, “Wake Up and Smell the Competition.” “Capture Your Competitors’ Customers and KEEP Them,” sold out the first print run in just two weeks and is still selling strong. Her presentations, books, and articles provide intriguing case
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17 S W E E P I N G
Technical
T
Micheal Segerstrom
Question: How do I get involved in the industry?
Q&A
NCSG Technical Advisory Chair
Involvement Question:
How do I get involved in the industry?
his month we’ll take a break from the normal Q & A and take a look a question frequently asked at convention.
Answer: Volunteer! The question that was asked of me the most frequently this year at convention was “how do I get involved?” The answer is to volunteer, and this can be done in many ways and on many levels. We can serve on committees, serve on Boards or simply help out at various events. If we would like to get involved with the NCSG, we can contact our Region Director and let them know. Whether it’s by phone or e-mail, or both, we can let the director know that we would like to volunteer, what committee(s) we would like to serve on, and what our interests are. It may not take long for the NCSG to contact us with an opportunity. If we don’t want to start with the NCSG on the national level, we may consider a state or regional Guild or trade group. Once we have experienced volunteering for smaller organizations, we may be more confident and comfortable to work at a national level.
18 S W E E P I N G
We may also contact the CSIA and express our interest to volunteer for committee work that interests us or that we have a passion for. The CSIA is structured differently than the NCSG, but volunteering for committee work is a good way to get involved. There are also affiliated trades that have regional and national
April 2015
organizations and associations that are always looking for volunteers. These may be associations for home inspectors, hearth appliance specialists and even HVAC contractors. Many organizations will often keep active lists of individuals willing to volunteer, and when the need arises, these groups will already know who to contact. Whatever our interest is, no one will know that we want to get involved, unless we let that group know!
O
ver the last decade, in various service businesses a new thought process has sprung up: The development and evolution of the in-house training center. This is now evolving even further with the position of the in-house trainer now a part of the organizational chart for any truly progressive company.
requires repetition. What we are finding is that instructional periods of even 5 to 15 minutes can often be more powerful than instruction periods of hours or even days. One of the things any instructor knows is that periodic review and questions on material covered is invaluable in the learning process for the student.
Here’s why. When companies do this successfully here is what happens: • Drastic reduction in wasted in time and effort • Increased productivity of the staff members • Increase in sales and profits • Improvement in morale and knowledge of the team members
Because of this, after my years in this industry, I feel it is time to take a hard and honest look at the training we provide for our staff members. Let’s face it, if our education level was where it really needed to be, would not all service issues be noted? Would not all phone calls be analyzed? Would not all potential sales be presented and a higher percentage closed? Would we not have zero call backs? Would we not be doing more profitable work and spending way less time on callbacks? Would not every member of our service team be much more effective at selling ALL the services that a customer needs?
Look around, look at other similar industries that place technicians into homes, plumbers, HVAC Contractors, search and you will find others who utilized these processes and have grown businesses that in those industries one would not have fathomed a few short years ago. You may believe, as I used to, that a few annual trainings at conventions or regional gatherings are sufficient to grow your knowledge base. Having interviewed students after many classes over the years, I’ve found that very little of the material that was provided has been retained and even less has resulted in meaningful changes in the business practices of my students. Why? It’s simple. We are constantly trying to provide too much material in a given class. What is learned is not built on, effective learning
So how do we turn this all around? The main thrust of all progressive companies concerned about liability, profits, running lean, maximizing sales and minimizing call backs should be to identify and train a permanent in-house trainer. The in-house trainer is the person who puts together the programs and the presentations that are done on a daily & weekly basis. Yes you read that correctly, a daily and weekly basis. This in addition to periodic trainings as required by outside trainers who possess specific knowledge of selected subject matters.
Coach’s
Corner Jerry Isenhour
ARE YOU STILL TRAINING IN YOUR CUSTOMER’S HOMES? Now understand I am not talking about daily and weekly trainings of hour’s duration, even though at times this is the need. Rather I am talking about a series of daily “power” trainings that are composed of a 5 - 15 minute time frame which might stretch to 30 minutes once a week. Why a 5 to 15 minute time frame? Because this will bring a much higher percentage of comprehension and recall of the material presented. It will allow a specific subject to be drilled down on in a powerful, easy to remember fashion. This does not mean that we stop attending longer industry
April 2015
19 S W E E P I N G
trainings. Rather, the daily and weekly efforts enhance these longer trainings. It makes any subsequent training much more likely to be not only grasped in its fullness, but put to immediate and permanent use in our business. Here are the basic characteristics for a good in-house trainer: • Patient • Understanding • Able to listen • Able to think like the student • Able to speak in the words the student understands • Able to review and repeat (multiple times) • Able to review themselves • Committed to growing their own level of education and expertise Perhaps you are thinking, but sounds like an added expense. I would stress, it is an investment with a tremendous payback.
20 S W E E P I N G
Yes, after selecting or hiring the right in-house trainer, that person will still have a lot to learn in order to maximally effective, and you may not be the person to provide the training to your staff. However, the information and training is available from multiple on-line sources and in today’s computer age is not hard to locate and easy to follow. So if moving your company to a whole new level of productivity and efficiency that leads to increased profits is something you aspire to, then I highly suggest you take a hard look at the concept I have presented here. Start with an honest evaluation of the skill levels of your staff members. Take a hard look and determine if you
April 2015
have a turn-key business that can operate at peak efficiency without you? Am I the person that it all centers around? Do I have to be here every single day to answer the questions? Track over the coming months each and every time your phone rings from a tech who is unsure what he needs to do, each time you are doing a call back, each time you have to be on the phone because your office staff could not answer the question. Track the company results and develop the measurement tools to sharpen your tools. Review the daily documentation; are you truly capturing every opportunity? Track all calls for service and how many you are closing, the dollars per call, are you truly capturing every opportunity that comes your way.
I would welcome your thoughts in this regards, and encourage you to take the points presented here very seriously. I know it’s a lot to digest. But I am convinced implementing a change like this will be a part of the master plan to create the business you always wanted to have. Jerry Isenhour is an industry consultant, educator and coach who authors a monthly article in Sweeping as a service to the industry. For more information about Jerry and how his team can assist you individually and your business in your quest for success and your ascent to the next level, take a look at his web site www.cvccoaching.com He can be contacted at jerry@cvccoaching.com or by phone at (704) 425-0217. You can also obtain great business tips from his Facebook page CVC Coaching and Youtube channel CVCCoaching.
Industry
Watch
M&G DuraVent is the proud recipient of the prestigious Vesta Award. The award was for the DirectVent Pro Horizontal Termination (DVA-H2) product. Matt Bertler, Director of R&D, led the team that designed and engineered the new innovative product. “The DirectVent Pro Horizontal Termination (DVA-H2) includes improvements that have an impact through the supply chain, including our OEM partners, distributors, retailers, installers and home owners. The response across the board has been very positive, which is rewarding to see! Receiving the Vesta Award recognizes DuraVent’s commitment to innovation”, stated Matt Bertler. In designing the DVA-H2, the engineering team took a fresh look at an established product and sought out new ways to improve it’s functionality. By actively participating in round table discussions, actively listening to what the market needed, investing in new test techniques, and fostering creative collobaration; the team produced a truly innovative DirectVent solution. The new DirectVent Pro Horizontal Termination incorporates interchangeable and customizable shrouds, allowing customers the flexibility to tailor the look of the termination. Shrouds will be available in a variety of materials and/or designs. The heart of the termination is a patent pending combustion air control. This control reduces the need for internal appliance baffling, and allows for improved combustion performance across a variety of gas
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Stainless steel relining for masonry chimney. The Ventinox family has been expanded to offer Ventinox Rigid, rigid liner for use in existing or new masonry chimneys. Rigid stainless steel liner is used to mend and improve masonry chimney liners that vent Category solid, liquid or gas-fuel (coal, wood, oil, etc) fired appliances. Controlled-combustion stoves are designed accordingly to highly efficient heat transfer and combustion technologies. Their rate of performance increases when they are installed with a chimney of suitable diameter. UL 1777 ULC S635M ULC S640M
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April 2015
S W E E P I N G
Convention Recap After Market Parts For Listed Appliances Referenced in NFPA 211 Panel Panel of Experts: Michael Segerstrom Eric Adair Jim Brewer Randy Brooks Russ Dimmitt Eugene LaFlame Moderator: Ashley Eldridge, Director of Education for CSIA
22 S W E E P I N G
by Justin Bailey
THE PROBLEM
E
very American chimney sweep comes across factory built fireplaces. We call them ‘prefabs,’ or ‘zero clearance,’ or ‘disposable’ fireplaces. We find them in condos, apartments, and houses all over the country. They are inexpensive fireplaces that often sit on plywood decks with tubular sheet metal chimneys surrounded by combustible wood frame chases. The air cooled, snap-together sections of chimney pipes sometimes come disconnected, leaving
April 2015
breaches between sections of tubular sheet metal where sparks and smoke can escape the inner wall of the chimney. Near coastlines, the galvanized chimneys corrode in the salt air, showing rusty holes that whistle in the ocean breeze. Refractory panels in the fireplaces eventually crack, break, and crumble. The fireplace grates burn out and disappear, the chimney caps blow off in the wind, the damper handles come loose, fall off and get lost. Meanwhile, chimney sweeps try to help their customers cope with maintenance and repairs
of these prefab fireplaces. It’s not an easy task, because many of the existing prefab fireplace models are no longer manufactured, and there is a lack of support from the manufacturers when it comes to making parts for fireplaces that are no longer on the market. It’s common practice in the industry for a sweep to replace worn out parts with “aftermarket parts” that were not necessarily tested in the Underwriter’s Laboratory as a part of the original prefab fireplace system. Many aftermarket parts are readily available from chimney suppliers. Meanwhile, proposed changes to the National Fire Protection Agency Standard for wood burning appliances (NFPA 211 code) will further restrict a sweep from installing aftermarket replacement parts in prefab fireplaces. That’s why the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) contracted with Intertek labs to conduct testing on aftermarket parts. The CSIA also produced a treatise (known in the industry as a white paper) on the topic, written by professional engineer Eric Adair.
THE ASSEMBLY
A
standing room only crowd of pretty much everyone who is anyone in the chimney industry — sweeps, sales reps, manufacturers, distributors, consultants — packed into the Commonwealth Ballroom at the Marriott Convention Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Thursday Feb. 19, 2015. There
were about 700 people attending, an excited hum in the ballroom, an air of expectation. NCSG staff and volunteers brought dozens more chairs in to seat the overflowing crowd. A panel of experts had assembled to discuss the proposed changes to NFPA 211, and the effect of those changes on the chimney industry. Ashley Eldridge, director of education for the CSIA, served as facilitator for the discussion. A longstanding expert, published author, and developer of educational curricula for the CSIA, Eldridge is one of a handful of people who could effectively and impartially serve as moderator for a discussion on such a hot button topic. Eldridge opened the proceedings by welcoming and thanking the panelists and audience members. After detailing the qualifications of each panelist, Eldridge said, “This is an important subject that we are all interested in. I expect everyone to be civil, and I won’t allow any personal attacks.” The crowd laughed. “I gotta say it,” said Eldridge. “I gotta say it.” Eldridge asked the panel if the current edition of NFPA 211 addresses the issue of aftermarket parts in factory built fireplaces.
THE DEBATE
“T
he code is clear on new installations, but there isn’t anything on repairs,” said panelist and CSIA board member Michael Segerstrom.
Panelist Eric Adair agreed. Adair is a licensed engineer and the author of the recent CSIA white paper published Nov. 12, 2014, titled, “The Use of Aftermarket Components and Their Effects on the Safety and Performance of Factory-Built Fireplaces.” He quoted NFPA 211: “‘Section 11.1.1 …factory built fireplaces shall be installed in accordance with their listing.’ With Regard to repair work,” Adair added, “that becomes the grey area. In fall back, we go to what it says regarding in accordance with listing.” “I don’t know if ‘grey area’ is the word I would use,” responded panelist Russ Dimmit, a patent holder on a certain aftermarket part designed for factory built chimneys, called “the liner adaptor for chimneys,” US Patent 6852023 B2, specifically designed to retain the airflow between the inner and outer walls of a factory built chimney that has a new liner. “The aftermarket part is often superior to the original part,” Dimmit said. Panelist Randy Brooks, a member of the NFPA 211 standard committee, according to his LinkedIn profile, mentioned the UL127 (Underwriters Laboratory standard for factory built fireplaces) terms of listing and said that the current NFPA 211 does not allow for inclusion of non-OEM [Original Equipment Manufactured] parts. Brooks several times during the meeting brandished code books and the Successful Chimney Sweeping manual, holding them in the air. Panelist Jim Brewer, meanwhile,
April 2015
23 S W E E P I N G
agreed with the others about the existing language on installations, but he said if the new proposals pass, “I don’t think that’s a direction we want to go in. The CSIA did testing and the testing shows there’s no [safety] problem there. But will anybody write it down? No they won’t, because the attorneys won’t let them, they’re all practicing good CYA.” As it happened, there was an attorney on the panel. His name was Eugene LaFlamme. “If you just need to replace a chimney cap and the manufacturer is out of business,” LaFlamme said, “if the AHJ [Authority Having Jurisdiction] doesn’t sign off on it, you can’t use the unlisted part.”
24 S W E E P I N G
Eldridge thanked the panelists for their input, “The whole idea is to have some interaction,” He said. Then he read off a rapidfire series of other questions the panel could address: What are the major concerns or risks when using aftermarket parts? How important is it to maintain the product listing? How are aftermarket parts different from installing gas logs? How is it that some manufacturers will allow vent free logs and others don’t allow it? How would you be able to identify or make a determination without the original manufacturers installation instructions?
THE WHITE PAPER AND THE QUANDARY
T
hese questions, many of which went unanswered
April 2015
throughout the meeting, show that the chimney industry is in a quandary when it comes to aftermarket parts in prefab fireplaces. The Nov. 12 CSIA white paper (available from the CSIA office) addresses these questions in more depth than the panel at the assembly had time to. I spoke with Adair, author of the white paper, by telephone. He said the paper came about because the NCSG asked the CSIA look into aftermarket parts. Stakeholders in the chimney industry were looking for answers. “If you want a black and white answer, the answer is no.” said Adair. “You can’t use the aftermarket parts. The grey area is that we know people are using aftermarket parts every day and we know that can be done safely.” So what is a sweep to do when a fireplace needs a part that isn’t supplied by the manufacturer? The white paper, which begins with a disclaimer saying it doesn’t endorse the use of aftermarket parts, has an entire section describing the safest way to install the most common aftermarket components, including inserts, refractory panels, grates, glass doors, liners, termination caps and shrouds. The white paper itself embodies the quandary we face. When I asked Adair about this, he said the disclaimer was written by the CSIA’s lawyers. He said the white paper was commissioned for two main reasons: 1 — to educate industry
professionals, including sweeps and installers, so that if and when aftermarket parts are installed the work is done in a way that maximizes safety; and 2 — to provide an official document from the CSIA that could support the NCSG’s comments to the code board. “What my paper was trying to do,” Adair told me, “is to identify what parts we have to worry about and what parts there is no definite answer about.” The white paper addresses perhaps the thorniest issue we chimney sweeps have to deal with. Those of us who are involved in the industry (to such an extent that we attend conferences, maintain CSIA certifications, pay guild dues, peruse Sweeping magazine, and educate ourselves in the developments in our trade) are aware of our position between a rock and a hard place. The official position of the CSIA, which was last updated in 2008, is quoted in the white paper, on page 4. A summary of it is: The CSIA recommends the use of OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) parts, but contains a caveat: if aftermarket parts are installed they should be cleared with the AHJ, should perform in the same manner as the original part, and the situation should be disclosed to the homeowner and documentation should be created that shows the homeowner has authorized the aftermarket part installation. This still doesn’t solve the
problem for sweeps, because, as Adair told me, “The installers are at the tip of the spear as far as liability goes.”
THE REAL WORLD
C
racked refractory panels are a common problem; replacing them is a common solution. Chimney sweeps have been installing wood burning inserts in factory built fireplaces for many years. Some insert manufacturers I’ve spoken with say this is okay, but the fireplace manufacturers might not agree. Panelist Jim Brewer pointed out that he has represented the National Chimney Sweeps Guild at code board hearings for 25 years, and he said lot of the listing process has to do with marketing. He didn’t articulate how this works specifically, but his statement brought up a lot of questions in this correspondent’s mind about how code boards operate. Adair has for many years been involved with code boards and the creation of safety standards and the UL listing process for new products. His white paper explains the process in detail. He will be attending the next code board meeting at NFPA HQ in Quincy, Mass., March 18th and 19th. The chimney industry’s aim when it comes to the code changes, he said, is to make sure that a couple of the proposals, proposed by Randy Brooks, do not end up in the code book. The industry sees the proposals as redundant and overly
restraining. NFPA 211, section 11.1.1 already addresses the issue. “I’ve worked with a lot of codes and standards groups,” said Adair, “and one of the things you don’t do is say the same thing in multiple places.”
THE AUDIENCE
P
eople lined up at both microphones in the audience at the Commonwealth Ballroom to ask questions. A chimney sweep from the audience asked if there was any specific case law in the legal system that pointed to an aftermarket part actually causing a house fire. Eugene LaFlamme, the lawyer panelist, said that case law varies from state to state. A lot of areas have not adopted NFPA 211 as the legal requirement, he said. LaFlamme said that he wasn’t aware of any Supreme Court cases on the topic. He said, “A lot of time an argument [that an unlisted part was installed] will just get thrown in to make a sweep look bad [in court or a deposition.]” A manufacturer in the audience got his turn at the mic and explained, “We make aftermarket parts and caps. This issue has been dealt with in other industries. It can be done, it has been done.” He pointed out that sometimes products installed according with their listing don’t work. None of the panelists had a ready answer to the point about other industries having solved these kind of problems. This
issue is addressed to some extent in Adair’s white paper, on page 16, but was not thoroughly discussed in the meeting. Panelist M. Segerstrom pointed out that some aftermarket manufacturers “have gotten their stuff listed. Not for everything, but for recently made stuff. We need to put pressure on these manufacturers to do this.” Panelist Randy Brooks held up a code book and said: “We all know what the word ‘shall’ means. The limited language has always included that word with regard to these factory built fireplaces. Its up to us to let the customer know that if it [a prefab] has a non-OEM part, its no longer listed. I always recommend a level II inspection. The language says ‘It Shall be listed.’ Thats always been the language. Sure, it’s easier to sell $500 worth of parts than it is to sell a $6000 replacement. And if you can get approval from the AHJ, then God Bless America.” Though this article isn’t about the Nov. 12 white paper, I should mention here that the paper says that an AHJ cannot be held liable for damages, and that while AHJ approval of an aftermarket part installation can lessen a sweep’s liability, it doesn’t necessarily absolve an installer. Panelist Russ Dimmit seemed to agree with the white paper when he pointed out, “If you put it on there, you own it. You can’t have the customer sign anything that eliminates your liability. UL
April 2015
25 S W E E P I N G
(Underwriters Laboratory) is a for profit corporation. They are gonna cover their assets.” Panelist Jim Brewer said that there aren’t a lot of cases where the aftermarket parts were causing fires. “The companies who are making the parts aren’t getting sued. That’s what they tell you privately. The insurance data and the fire reports don’t specify whether the parts are aftermarket or OEM. The NFPA is essentially silent on the subject.”
THE FALLOUT
A
fter the meeting, this correspondent held interviews with Randy Brooks and Jim Brewer at the NCSG conference, and with Eric Adair, author of the Nov. 12 white paper, by phone.
26 S W E E P I N G
“Customer communication is the key,” Brooks said, sitting with me in an empty booth on the NCSG trade show floor. In the case of a unlisted fireplace grate, he said, it’s the sweep’s duty to inform the customer that a listed, tested grate is required prior to operation. “I’ve now warned them. Am I predicting disaster? No. But I don’t have the authority to tell them the unlisted grate is acceptable. “I don’t go into somebody’s house and say, ‘you’re missing your grate so we need to rip your fireplace out and replace it. However, the rules of engagement, IRC (International Residential Code,) NFPA 211, Manufacturers installation manuals and UL 127 collectively forbid the use of unlisted
April 2015
aftermarket parts.” Brooks says the only way he will install an aftermarket part is if the customer signs a hold harmless agreement that includes a warning not to use the fireplace. In the case of a missing cap that needs a replacement, he will put one on because rain coming in is a problem, but he will still require the hold harmless agreement. “If you are going to throw caution to the wind and use your fireplace, then you probably want this cap,” Brooks will tell the customer. “You do it at your own peril.” Jim Brewer spoke about what is going on in the real world of chimney sweeps and fireplace owners. “These factory built fireplaces, there’s thousands of them in the field,” he said. “There’s a lot of manufacturers that have gone out of business or don’t offer parts. I think we need to find a way to help these people with these fireplaces. It doesn’t make sense to tell someone they have to replace their fireplace because they need a new grate or a cap. “It would be different if we had a lot of info that aftermarket parts are causing fires. The companies who are making the aftermarket parts aren’t getting sued because their parts are causing problems; that’s what they tell you privately. I would like to see the conversation move to a place where we’re talking about how to do repairs responsibly. Have guidelines that make sense. How do you evaluate a cap? The insurance
data and the fire reports don’t specify whether the parts in the fireplaces [where fires occur] are aftermarket or OEM.”
WHAT NEXT?
C
himney sweeps who attended the meeting in the Commonwealth Ballroom walked away with a lot of information, but few answers. The fact remains that we don’t know what the new code is going to say. The March 18-19 code board hearings occurred after the deadline for this article. It seems like the best thing for a chimney sweep to do is to educate him or herself as thoroughly as possible about the issue. Get and study the Nov. 12 white paper. Learn the official CSIA position on the topic. Attend NCSG conferences that will keep you apprised of NFPA code changes. Inform customers about the ins and outs of the issue. And then, when it comes to whether or not to use an aftermarket part in a factory built fireplace, be sure the decision is based on the most current, complete information available. A sweep is always free to recommend level II or III inspections before doing any repairs. The results of such inspections will provide a technician with more information on which to base a decision.
Convention Recap I’ve been a certified chimney sweep for years, and a member of the NCSG too — on and off. I’ve been getting Sweeping magazine once a month, every now and then I’ve taken advantage of the many discount opportunities available to Guild members from various suppliers and manufacturers. In business since 2000, I’ve gotten by for years; I paid the mortgage, kept my one and two truck operation going by borrowing some money from a credit card during the off season and working insane hours during the fall, often working in the office (which was in the kitchen) until 11 p.m., catching up on paperwork, billing, putting orders together, replying to emails, etc. I never came to a convention because I thought I was smart. I thought I was so smart, I spent years reinventing the wheel, all by myself in Taos, New Mexico. I was constantly figuring it out — when it came to technical issues in the field or administrative problems in the kitchen. I’m a problem solver! Whenever I got invitations to the guild conventions I thought, ‘Why would I want to spend a bunch of time and money to go most of the way across the country and meet with a bunch of chimney sweeps? I can’t afford that!’ My business: was it growing? No. But the bills got paid. Was I miserable during the busy season, working 16 hour days? Yes, but that’s the life I chose. Did I have a panic attack every August, wondering how I
could survive another fall? Yes. My staff: mostly drunks and potheads. But things came to a head, and I came to a point in life where it became clear that big changes were not optional, they were required. As part of my project of becoming a better human being, I decided that I should visit my elderly grandparents, in their 90’s, who live in Toledo, OH. The NCSG was happening in Columbus that year, so it looked like I could write off a trip to visit my grandparents. I booked my ticket, found a cheap place to stay, and signed up for the convention.
Then and Now Justin Bailey
What I found in Columbus at the NCSG convention amazed me. I learned that there are highly successful, profitable chimney service companies all over the country. They run like real businesses. Better yet, these companies are owned by wonderful people, willing to share their knowledge and expertise with somebody like me. I met Mark Stoner, president of the CSIA, who told the story of his business failures and eventual success to the entire convention.
27
Presentations by people like John Meredith, Jerry Eisenhour, and Russ Dimmit opened my eyes to new possibilities. Interactions with other sweeps inspired me to improve myself and my business.
S W E E P I N G
The connections and friends I made at the NCSG 2014 convention and trade show changed my business and my life forever. I’ve upgraded most
April 2015
of the equipment we use in the field. My staff are now sober, responsible citizens. My full time office manager takes care of the phones, the books, and other administrative duties so I can quit work at 6 p.m. I added another truck, and my business grew 60 percent in 2014. I’m able to provide them with a real livelihood. They can take care of their families. None of those changes would have happened if I had not attended the NCSG Convention in March of 2014. That’s why, when Sweeping Editor Darcy Marlett asked me to contribute some articles about the convention this year, I jumped at the opportunity to be of service to the organization.
As I write these words in my hotel room in Lancaster, PA, I’m very grateful to the NCSG and all the folks who work so hard to make the convention happen. Sure, the wind chill factor its 21 below outside. But I’m nice and warm, and my business is running on its own while I am here; the team did a relining yesterday and a chimney installation the day before that, and I didn’t have to lift a finger. My business answered the phone, made deposits, completed payroll, and one of my sweeps is busy designing our booth for an upcoming home show in Santa Fe, NM.
mygrandparents) and as a result ended up attending a NCSG convention for the first time in 2014. It was a good family visit; I helped my grandfather with chores around the house, I read books to my grandmother (she’s mostly blind now) and listened to stories from their life together. Best of all, with my new financial and business freedom, I hope to visit my grandparents every year for the rest of their lives, whether there is a chimney convention in Ohio or not.
All of those good things are possible because I tried to do the right thing (visit
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Convention Recap
by Justin Bailey
Seminars at NCSG Convention Some chimney sweeps I spoke with at the NCSG 2015 convention said you can learn as much after hours, chatting informally with colleagues in the industry, than in the seminars. That may or may not be true, but in any case, I attended as many classes and seminars as I could. Many of the seminars I attended would have been worth the entire entry fee to the convention. It’s never possible to attend them all, but this year, the organizers offered some of the seminars more than once, giving attendees more flexibility.
“Grow Your Business” by Michael Boudart “Grow Your Business” presented by Michael Boudart, of Lindemann Chimney Co. was a quick summary of the material he covers in more depth, over two or three days, with chimney
business owners who can make the trip to Lindemann HQ in Lake Bluff, IL, for Lindemann’s Ignitor program. When Boudart joined Lindemann in 2007, he said, it was a four truck operation. In 2014 Lindemann’s chimney service company sold 1100 chimney liners, with gross revenues over $8 million, and a couple of dozen sweeps in the field. The first step Boudart recommends to grow revenues in a chimney business is counterintuitive: scheduling fewer service calls per sweep, per day, will increase sales. “The most dangerous guy in our industry is a $15 per hour guy racing through 8 appointments a day,” said Boudart. Scheduling too many service calls for a chimney sweep means he is unable to do a thorough job, and won’t spot
the needed repairs. The quality of sales, service and safety all deteriorate when a chimney sweep is in a hurry. Putting into practice the three service call workday, with three hour windows of time for each job, is having a huge impact for the companies that have implemented it. Another facet of the Lindemann school: pay the chimney sweeps 100 percent commissions, based on a percentage of the gross margin. This drives sales upward, Boudart said, and enables technicians to make really good money. Lindemann had five chimney sweeps with over $500,000.00 in sales in 2014. Sweeps at that level typically earn over a hundred thousand dollars a year. The high earning potential then attracts better workers to the trade. The lower number of jobs per day also means a company needs to hire and train more
April 2015
29 S W E E P I N G
chimney sweeps. “It’s all about hiring,” Boudart said. Another important facet of the Lindemann operation is the tracking of a metric they call Sales Per Opportunity (SPO.) Each time a sweep visits a house on a service call, it is considered an opportunity. The more money each customer spends, the higher the SPO. SPO is derived by dividing the amount of sales (Gross revenue) by the number of customers. For example, if a sweep has sales of $20,000 in a month, and he had 32 customers that month, his SPO is $20,000 divided 32, which equals an SPO of $625. The importance of the SPO metric is a key reason to schedule fewer service calls per day; a sweep in a hurry will not have a good SPO. A sweep who scans every chimney, and checks every dryer vent, and has time to build a rapport with the customer, will have a better SPO than a sweep who runs a brush up the chimney and then rushes off to the next job.
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“It’s easier to grow horizontally, by increasing the SPO, than it is to grow vertically, by increasing the number of times the phone rings,” said Boudart. Lindemann also offers business building education at Lindemann University, an annual dealer’s conference held at a beachside resort.
“How to Get Your Customers to Call, Buy and Beg for More,” by John Meredith. John Meredith’s “How to
April 2015
Get Your Customers to Call, Buy and Beg for More,” was a lively, informative session. Meredith, founder and CEO of SaverSystems, is one of the primary movers and shakers in the industry. With a constantly expanding line of game-changing products, SaverSystems helps chimney sweeps all over the world provide better service. Meredith came up with a concept called the preappointment email, which prepares the customer for the chimney sweep’s visit by letting the customer know that the chimney sweep will be doing more than just cleaning the chimney. Meredith provided a sample of his preappointment email in his powerpoint, and suggested an email program like Constant Contact or Mailchimp to streamline the process. The pre-appointment email solves a common problem chimney sweeps have: the customer was expecting just a chimney cleaning, and then they find out their chimney needs some expensive repairs. This can lead to unhappy customers. The pre-appointment email is “like carpet bombing before you send the ground troops in,” he said. Using the pre-appointment email, it should be possible to double the sales of a chimney business, he said. Meredith also covered the importance of online reviews. “Online reviews are like word of mouth, on steroids,” he said.
Replacing Factory Built Fireplaces, by Bob Priesling Bob Priesing’s class on replacing factory built fireplaces was informative, funny, and highly relevant to current issues in the chimney industry. Millions of factory built fireplaces need to be replaced, all over the country, and this is a ripe opportunity for chimney professionals. Priesing covered everything from how to tell if a prefab fireplace needs replacing, interviewing the customer to find the best option for them, removal of the unit, options for replacement, and decorative facing around the new fireplace. Priesling went through potential pit-falls, innovative techniques for removal of existing units, and the best options for replacement, using high-quality, instructive photos that showed exactly what was going on. Other Seminars Other seminars I attended dealt with safety, a top priority for my business: Fall Protection presented by Erik Nunez, Lindemann Chimney Safety Manager. A seminar called OSHA fundamentals, taught by Dale Glaken, was really fast and covered a lot of material. I also attended a highly informative session conducted by Copperfield’s Russ Dimmit, called “What went Wrong with My Liner Install.”
Convention Recap
Winner
MAJ Tool Roof Scaffold System The Pete Luter Innovation Award by Justin Bailey There were four contenders for The Pete Luter Innovation Award for the best new product in the chimney industry, sponsored by the Chimney Sweep News (SNEWS), at the NCSG Convention in 2015. The winner was The MAJ Tool for the MAJ Tool Roof Scaffold System -- an adjustable roof scaffold system that allows chimney professionals and roofers to set up workstations, on planks, on steep roofs. Using the system, workers can move freely about the roof, with plenty of space for materials and tools, gaining the mobility to work effectively. The system is a free floating, quickly assembled
scaffold system that works on shingle, tile, and metal roofs with pitches between 8/12 and 14/12.
layers of glazed, stage 3 creosote. Upon contact with the creosote deposits, the PCR begins to melt the creosote.
The other three entrees for the Pete Luter Award were:
As it dries, PCR forms a poultice that weakens the bond between the glazed creosote and the clay flue tiles. The creosote begins to flake off, and is then easier to remove, using mechanical sweeping equipment.
1) DrySafety: an alarm that can be installed between the dryer and the transition duct. Powered by a 9 volt battery, it senses restricted airflow and excessive heat, and it signals an alarm of 3 beeps. Similar products have been marketed before. 2) Poultice Creosote Remover (PCR): created by SaverSystems, is a dry powder. When mixed with water to a mayonnaise-like consistency, it is applied to thick
3) ServicePal: is a customer relations management software program that can be used with an iPad and QuickBooks online, and has been adapted to the chimney industry with help from Jake Cromwell of Top Hat Chimney & Roofing in Arkansas. At the time of the show, ServicePal
April 2015
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wasn’t quite ready for full compatibility with QuickBooks, but Cromwell said it will be ready soon. ServicePal combines scheduling, point of sale, invoicing, and check pointed chimney inspection functions in one customizable online application. I spoke by telephone with the winner, James Vieira, inventor and patent holder of the MAJ Tool Roof Scaffold System. A general contractor by trade, Vieira said he does a lot of roofing work, which gave him the idea for the product. “We were looking for a safer way to be able to work off the roof,” said Viera. “Still being able to work under the surface of the scaffold, without causing damage to the roof. It allows you to lift up the rails if you need to.” Vieira said the evolution of the system has been a long process. “We’ve been testing it in the field for 12 years. We got a patent last year; it took us nine years. This is the only free floating system there is. We have a 20 year patent on it; they grantedus an additional 3 years because of how long it took to get it.” Funded completely out of pocket “from doing
construction work and little by little building the company up,” MAJ Tool’s manufacturing facility is in “a shop of my own,” Vieira said. “We do all the manufacturing in house. We buy all the materials local, U.S. made.” The MAJ Tool Roof Scaffold System retails for $470.00. It comes with two sets of twenty feet of railing, two ridge mount brackets, and four plank mount brackets, giving sweeps the capability to mount two, movable work platforms on a pitched roof. “I’m getting the best response from the chimney people,” said Vieira. “Our biggest sales day, by far, was the NCSG trade show. It seems like the chimney people are more concerned with safety. MAJ Tool gives you a good solid work platform to hold your tools and materials.” MAJ Tool is available directly from the manufacturer. To learn more, go to rooffaster. com, send an email to majtoolllc@gmail.com, or call Vieira at 570341-8960.
2015 National Chimney Sweep Guild
National Convention
Congratulations to our 2015 Award Winners!
NCSG President’s Award Ken Hoelscher
NCSG Friendship Award Dennis Dobbs
CSIA Don Leavitt Education Award Jerry Isenhour
CSIA Unsung Hero Award Debbie Wiedwald
Veteran Attendee Profile Veteran Attendee Profile Andy Raycroft (center) Alexandria, Va. 703-403-2742 Rooftop chimney sweep Since 1978 When Andy Raycroft went to his first NCSG convention in Chicago in 1979, he didn’t know what a chimney cap was. “The trade show was the size of this room,” he said, gesturing around the dining room of the restaurant where we met. “Bob Daniels [the famous ‘Sooty Bob,’
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founder of Copperfield Chimney Supply] was there. He was selling his chimney deodorant. He had one cap. That was it. I placed my first order for chimney caps. They were called O.D. Funk. I ordered a dozen. When the caps showed up, by freight line, I had no place to put them but in my living room. I looked at them and I thought, I don’t know if I can sell these.” Raycroft has been to a lot of NCSG conventions since 1979. He became a certified chimney sweep in 1980, and has maintained his certification ever since. He is CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep #140. “That was the first year they had the certification. Your number was determined by where you were standing in line.” Andy’s brother, Tom, got certified too. “By the spring of ‘80, Tom was full-time in the business.” Raycroft has two
sons, Tristan, 31 and Dylan, 29. Both boys also work for Rooftop Chimney, after putting themselves through college by working as sweeps during the summers and during breaks. Raycroft’s business has had ups and downs. “We grew to 5 trucks in the 80’s,” he said, “but I didn’t know what I was doing, businesswise.” The business shrunk back down to two trucks. Tristan decided he wanted to pursue a career in the family chimney business in 2007, and they started growing the business. Things have changed a lot in the chimney industry since 1979. They’ve changed for Andy Raycroft too. His company, Rooftop Chimney Sweep, now has 17 employees. It grew 35 percent in 2014. In January of 2015 he gave his first annual State of the Chimney Address to his entire staff. “I showed them everything,” he said, “The profit and loss statement, all the numbers. they know what my salary is, and they know what the profit is.” Raycroft attends several conferences every year, and participates in a MIX group, which allows business owners to share best practices with each other in a professionally facilitated
way. Raycroft credits attending the convention with not just his success, but his survival as the owner of a chimney business. “It was a smart thing to do. I would guess that if I hadn’t joined the guild I would have quit sweeping years ago. I was the only one in my area, in the whole DC area.” He said. “Imagine you just started doing a job, not related to what you’ve been doing. I was doing historical research [for a living] and now I’m sweeping chimneys.” Raycroft shared the secret to his success as a family business owner: “With the respect and the love that we have for each other, there’s a real trust factor there. We all look out for each other, as we do for the people that work for us. The most important part of your business is people, whether it’s your customers, your employees. You want to treat them the way you want to be treated. You treat people like people. Raycroft recommends the NCSG convention to any chimney sweep working in the industry.
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“You learn more outside of the classes than you do in the classes.” He said. “From my very first convention, I’ve made friendships that have lasted 35 years.”
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environment. NCSG conventions provide the networking opportunities that are necessary to get involved in the industry in that kind of
April 2015
New Attendee Profile
Christopher “Buck” Owens, 44, attended his first NCSG convention in 2015. Owens has been sweeping chimneys for two years in St. Petersburg, FL. He hopes to buy the business he works for, but he paid for his own trip to the NCSG 2015 Convention. I caught up with him in the lobby of the Hotel Lancaster, a five minute walk from the convention center at the Marriott. “I’m the luckiest sweep in the world,” said Owens.
Christopher “Buck” Owens, 44 407 491-2850 starbucksound@gmail.com St. Petersburg Fla. Works for Swept Away, Inc By Justin Bailey
Before becoming a chimney sweep, he worked as a sound engineer for rock shows. “I was tired of being gone all the time,” he said. “My boss and I are friends from outside of work, we’re both
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He likes the warm weather in Florida, but in the summer he carries three changes of clothes with him to get through a day’s work. “We start really early in the morning and at 11 we stop working until around 4 pm, when it cools off. Then we work late. My wife made me go buy a washing machine just for the sweep clothes.” Owens plans on attending the Chimney Sweep’s School at the CSIA Technology Center in June, to further his education in the industry.
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members of Freemasons Lodge. I told him I was looking for a career change. He told me, ‘Why don’t you come ride around with me for a week?’ And I’ve been with him ever since.”
“I have an opportunity to be successful,” he said.
home, to expand the business.”
I asked Owens what inspired him to leave his home in sunny Florida and travel to a place as cold as the North Pole for a giant pow-wow of chimney sweeps. “My boss told me about it,” said Owen. “He told me, ‘You’ve got to go to the convention. It will change the way you look at the industry, and it will make you a better sweep.’ It’s been worth every dime that I’ve spent to get here. I knew that I would learn a lot. You work for onecompany and you only learn so much. I got a lot of really good information from the vendors about products that I definitely want to purchase when I get
Owen’s favorite thing about the convention is the camaraderie. “Talking to people and gaining from their experience, and learning things that I can use to improve the business I work for. I got a lot of peoples’ phone numbers, people that I know I can call at any time. Every sweep that I’ve met since I’ve been here has made me feel like, hey you can do this. They’re encouraging, they’re here to help each other. There’s not anybody that I’ve met that I didn’t like. There’s a great vibe amongst the people that I’ve encountered.
in our hotel Lobby, I found Owen at the CSIA fundraiser auction, where he’d bought a European Chimney Sweep’s jacket, complete with two rows of gold buttons running down the front. As it turns out, the auction had a pirate theme, so I took some photos of him under a pirate flag, wearing his new uniform. “My boss told me about these jackets,” he said.
Everybody’s been very open and very friendly.” A few hours after our interview
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Volunteers — What Would We Do Without You?
40 S W E E P I N G April 2015
T
here are never enough words to describe the importance of those that volunteer at the NCSG Convention and Tradeshow. Many attendees not only volunteer each year but give several hours of their time. Volunteers are those not motivated by a paycheck, but the success of the National Chimney Sweep Guild’s Convention. Without their assistance, the success of the NCSG Convention and Tradeshow just would not happen. For many years, some volunteers have shown up a day or two early to help the NCSG staff unload the truck and setup an off-site office at convention. Others assist at the registration desk, scanning at technical sessions, running errands, etc. They even help raise funds for Sweeps Week, getting more volunteers to give of their time to complete the list of projects at the CSIA Technical Center
during that event in June. Yes, just about everything we do at the NCSG convention takes volunteer support down to the convention photographer who is a fulltime volunteer. Therefore, on behalf of the NCSG staff and Board of Directors, I would like to once again say thank you to those who have helped each year and to those that joined the group of NCSG volunteers this year. The credit of our success firmly rests in your dedicated volunteer efforts and it is a pleasure to work with all of you. “Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer.” ˜Author Unknown
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Featured Coupons of the Month The 2014 – 2015 complete offers are available in the “Members Only” section of the NCSG website at www. NCSG.org. These coupons will be good until June 30, 2015 unless otherwise noted. These are just a few of the many offers available to you as a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild. Visit www.NCSG.org “Members Only” to learn the complete details of each coupon and how to redeem!
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Kyle Pompey Sin Cal Chimney’s Hillsboro
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44 55 66 43 S W E E P I N G April 2015
Dates and
Events
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April 6-12, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org April 13-19, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org April 20 - 22 CVC Success Summit 2015 Plainfield, IN For more information please contact jerry@ cvccooaching.com April 20-26, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org April 27 – May 3, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org May 4-10, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses
April 2015
- Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org May 11-17, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org May 15, 2015 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exam Scranton, PA For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org May 18-24, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org May 25-31, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org June 1-7, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org June 5, 2015 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams CSIA Technology Center For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org June 8-14, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics
- CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org June 15-21, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org June 22-27, 2015 CSIA National Chimney Sweep Training School CSIA Technology Center- Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org June 22-28, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org June 29-July 5, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 6-12 , 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 13, 2015 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams Golden State Conference
July 13-19, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 20-26, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 20-24, 2015 CSIA Installing & Troubleshooting Gas Appliance CSIA Technology Center- Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 23-26, 2015 NYSCSG Annual Summer Workshop -Engaging hands on seminars with CEU’s -Large trade show tent -Gigantic Auction -Golf outing on Thursday -Fun activities for the whole family -Plenty of onsite camping and lots of food For more information, please call (518) 882-6091 or visit nychimneysweepguild.org July 27-August 2, 2015 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 29-30, 2015 CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Workshop & Exam CSIA Technology Center For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org
April 2015
45 S W E E P I N G
CSIA Update APRIL 2015 REPORT
www.CSIA.org
‘Tool fund’ honors Blackburn Memorial announced at banquet; Isenhour is 19th recipient of Don Leavitt Education award Six professional-grade carbon monoxide detectors were the first purchases made by the Chimney Safety Institute of America from a newly created fund established in the memory of longtime chimney sweep Steve Blackburn Steve Blackburn. The CO detectors were immediately put into use by students attending the National Chimney Sweep Training School held March 23-28. “Because we teach chimney sweeps and chimney sweep trainees about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Having these available changes the game for us,” said Ashley Eldridge, CSIA Director of Education. “CO detection is a service that chimney sweeps can provide in the field to customers and if they weren’t already doing this for customers, it’s going to be a great add-on service.” The purchase came just six weeks after the Blackburn Memorial Fund was established with a $5,000 donation from Blackburns Chimney Services President Debbie Wiedwald. “The National Chimney Sweep Guild and the CSIA are extremely important to our company, and this memorial was a way for Steve’s legacy to live on,” said Wiedwald, Steve’s widow. “It’s a way to help the industry and make it better. That they have Some of the carbon monoxide detectors purchased with the the right equipment Blackburn fund were on display at NCSTS March 23-28. is a good thing.” Steve Blackburn, a longtime CSIA certified sweep who passed away in a plane crash in July 2011 on the way to a Chimney Sweep MIX meeting. Blackburn, who obtained
his CCS credential from 1990 and kept it until his death, loved using tools and equipment, and was known to often modify a purchased product to make it easier for his employees to use in the field. “You know the adage, work smarter not harder?” said Jim McKee, Blackburn employee and CSIA Chimney industry veteran Jerry Isenhour was Certified Chimney the surprise winner of the 2015 Don Leavitt Sweep since 1991. Education award at the NCSG banquet on Feb. “Steve just enjoyed 21 in Lancaster, PA. CSIA President Mark A. making stuff. He Stoner presented Isenhour with the award, was innovative and which debuted in 1997. “It was because Don creating ways to educated so many sweeps,” Isenhour said. “ There are so many guys in this industry that make the job easier. share, and that’s what this whole industry is He was always about. This means a lot.” Isenhour is owner happy about doing of North Carolina-based CVC Coaching, a well and learn new consultant and educator to business owners things and new with a specialization in the venting, hearth and outdoor living industries. Isenhour was safety items for all president of NCSG-CSIA from 1994 to 1997 and the sweeps.” In from 2001 to 2004. talking about the new CSIA tool fund, Bill Blackburn, Steve’s older brother, added: “I hope it lasts forever.” CSIA President Mark A. Stoner announced the Blackburn Memorial during the NCSG Convention annual banquet in Lancaster, PA. At the same time, Stoner also presented Wiedwald with a special president’s award, “The Unsung Hero,” for continuing Blackburns Chimney Services. It was because of her leadership, tenacity, and determination that the company had the financial footing At Blackburns: CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Jim to prosper and to create the memorial. CSIA McKee (l.), Bill Blackburn (Steve’s older brother), and Debbie Wiedwald, president of Blackburns thanks the Blackburn employees and family. Chimney Sweeps.
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APRIL 2015 REPORT
www.CSIA.org
CSIA tops 1,500 mark in CCS New CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps California Darrick McGuire | A to Z Chimney Sweep | Lincoln Connecticut Michael Maiscalco | Northeastern Chimney LLC | West Hartford Florida James Scott, III | Jay Walker Enterprises, Inc. | Tallahassee
Michigan Jeremiah Campbell | Brickworks Property Restoration LLC | Clinton Township Missouri Eric Fuller | Fuller Stoves & Spas LLC | Branson Bobby Ivicsics and Aaron Moseley | Advanced Chimney Techniques, Inc | Jamestown
Indiana Troy Keen | Chimney & Masonry Outfitters | Indianapolis Aron Holcomb | Top Hat Chimney Sweep | Lucerne Kentucky Levi Bogue | All American Chimney Service | Louisville Maryland John J. Thompson, III and Kip Harris | Clean Sweep of A.A. Co., Inc. | Millersville Massachusetts Daniel Culhane | The Chimney Chap | Hanson John Brasili | On Duty Chimney Sweep | Ashburnham
Washington Ronald Bardwell | A-1 Rooftop Chimney Sweep | Deer Park
New Hampshire Noah Baker | Black Moose Chimney and Stove, LLC | Antrim New Jersey Jeremy Bennett | McPuff Chimney Services, LLC | Branchburg
Georgia Larry S. Harden | Professional ChimneyNew York Services | Columbus Alan Ruta | Cambridge Stove and Illinois Mike DeBias, Joe Marino and Eric Widing | Lindemann Chimney | Lake Bluff Nikki Thompson and Anthony McCoy | Superior Chimney Services, Corp | Lombard
Heating | Stoystown Jason Snyder | Fireplace & Chimney Professionals LLC | Ottsville Keith Marr | Spring Hill Chimney Service | Gouldsboro Donnie Decker, Jr | Mr. Chimney Sweep, Inc. | York
Chimney | Cambridge Kurt Felgemacher | Brush & Brick Chimney Sweep | Amherst Johnathan Shear, Paul Lachar and William F. Brown, Jr | Northeastern Masonry & Chimney | Selkirk North Carolina Thomas Simon | Smoke Alert| Garner Casey Russell | Chimneys Plus, Inc | Pittsboro Jonathan Curry | Mr. Smoke Stack | Raleigh Christopher Allen , Taylor Thielen, Ryan Price and Brandon Whitt | Owens Chimney Systems | Charlotte Timothy Madden, Jr. | Environmental Chimney Sweep Inc. | Fairview Pennsylvania Charles Blair | Hearth & Stove Inc. | Philadelphia David Curley | Lou Curley’s Chimney Service | Drexel Hill Patrick Raisch | Jamison Chimney Services | Oreland Clayton Denlinger | Country Hearth &
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Look for the coupon!
A hearty thank you to vendors that are helping CSIA boost the ranks of chimney pros who have either the CCS or C-DET credential. Look for a postcard or digital coupon that discounts online reviews by $49, making it $150 through Sept. 31. (There’s separate charges for books and the Mark A. Stoner test.) Thanks to coupon participants: National Chimney Supply; Copperfield Chimney Supply; Lindemann Chimney; Olympia, Regional Chimney; Royal Chimney Supply; ChimneySavers; Dave Pomeroy Signature Training;and CVC Coaching. It’s promotions like this that will help CSIA grow our numbers beyond 1,500. Info: certification@csia.org
APRIL 2015 REPORT
www.CSIA.org
CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps, Renewed With CEUs
Upcoming in-person education classes Chimney Physics
Illinois Gary Pozzi | Pozzi Chimney Sweep Hinckley
CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exam
Iowa Shawn Dacre | Des Moines Chimney Sweep | Des Moines Maryland Mark Dent | Chesapeake Chimney & Company | Prince Frederick Massachusetts Scott Smith | Chimney Care|Marston Mills Thomas Reynolds and David Seamans | Clean Sweep Chimney Sweep | Lee Scott Hollis | Swept Away Chimney Sweep | Marshfield Dave Bancroft | Sweepnman, Inc. | North Reading Michigan Jacob Retter | Doctor Flue, Inc. | Tecumseh Minnesota Jim Smart | Smart Sweep Chimney Services Inc. | Rosemount New York Richard DesChamps | Clean Sweep Chimney Sweep | Ancram Ohio Rick Comstock | Clean Sweep Chimney Sweeps | Vermilion Pennsylvania John Baker | Professional Chimney Sweep | Mc Donald Canada Manon Lalumiere | Healthy Chiimney Boisbriand | Quebec
Aug. 10-11 in Plainfield & Aug. 12-13 in Fredericksburg, MD [sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Chimney Association]. Resolution of chimney performance issues, solving air pressure problems, identifying the symptoms of indoor air pollutants, determining combustion air requirements for vented appliances. CSIA CEUs: 3-T, 3-CS, 3-HS, 3-CL NFI CEUs: 4-E
May 15 | Scranton, PA [sponsored by Olympia Chimney Supply] June 5 | CSIA Technology Center, Plainfield, IN June 20 | Gaithersburg, MD [sponsored by Regional Chimney] July 31 | CSIA Technology Center, Plainfield, IN In-person intensive review sessions help candidates prepare for the exams. The review sessions are not a substitute for advanced study. CSIA CEUs: 1.50-T, 1.50-CS, 1.50-HS, 1.50-CL NFI CEUS: 6-T
National Chimney Sweep Training School June 22 – 27 | CSIA Technology Center August 24 – 29 | CSIA Technology Center Sept. 28 – Oct. 3 | CSIA Technology Center Fundamentals of sweeping and inspection of chimney systems, equipment operation, health and safety considerations and step-by-step instruction in codes, clearances, standards and practices. CCS CEUs: 4-T, 4-CS, 4-CL, 4-HS NFI CEUs: 16-T
Complete calendar: csia.org/education New CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technicians Alabama Austin Campbell | Top Hat Chimney Sweeps | Opelika Connecticut Bill Crawford | W&K Property Services, LLC | East Hartford Indiana Matt Oesterling | Oesterling Chimney Sweep, LLC | Batesville Maryland Kip Harris | Clean Sweep of A.A. Co., Inc | Millersville North Carolina Steve Brandes | Smoke Alert | Garner Ohio Mark Moseley | Moseley Masonry & Chimney Sweep | Troy ADVERTISEMENT
Pennsylvania Kevin Bleam and Michael Iannece | Jamison Chimney Services | Oreland Texas Santiago Ramirez, Jr. | Hi-Tech Home Services | El Paso Wisconsin Grant Kastning | Chimney Mechanix LLC | Shawano Vermont Scott Dziadul | Black Magic Chimney Sweeps of Southern VT, LLC | Manchester Center Pat Jenkins | Brickliners Corp | Williston
Dateline: Nashville, TN at HPBA
NCSG President Jeremy Biswell of Kansas City, MO, with Doug and Frances Hetsch of All American Chimney Service of Louisville, KY.
CSIA Board Member Hope CSIA President Mark A. Stoner Stevenson with CCS sweep with Eric and Kerry Haldeman of Mark Maynard (left), Katie Mt. Vernon, OH. Maynard & Amy Nieuwenhuis, all of Menasha, WI; and CCS Vic Imgarten of St. Charles, MO.
We met Woody and Sarah of Obadiah’s Stoves of Montana. They refer/use CSIA sweeps!
CSIA Education Director Ashley Eldridge with longtime CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Chuck Benzinger of Bulldog Chimney Sweeps of Hotchkiss, Colorado.
At CSIA’s booth, we used the e-mail option on csia.org to contact CCS and let them know sweeps they are appreciated!
CSIA Education Director Ashley Eldridge taught several classes, including NFI Wood Burning.
Bill Matteson of HPBExpo vendor A.W. Perkins got two CSIA beverage coolies, as he (and Bob Fish) recommended to uncertified chimney sweeps to visit the CSIA booth. Thanks!
CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep and NCSG board member Dennis Dobbs with Mark Stoner.
Ashley Eldridge, center, with Charlie Robinson of Best Clean Plus of Farmington, MO [left] and CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Brad Evans.
CSIA and NFI instructor Mike Van Buren and spouse SueAnn of Essex, Vermont.
Lots of people eyed our NCSGCSIA van parked in front of the hotel.
CCS Jim Brewer, Mark A. Stoner, Cliff Slagle and Jake Loeffler.
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A HOME AWAY FROM HOME Chimney Safety Institute of America has exhibited at the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association annual convention March 4-7 because many professionals in the hearth sales/installation industry are: looking for a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep to boost their stove shop’s credibility; already use a CSIA sweep and wanted to tell us; looking to get an employee certified so they can grow their businesses. Our booth in Nashville was also a “home away from home” for CSIA sweeps/supporters - a friendly face, on the road. We are happy to accommodate all needs.
WE TEACH, TOO! CSIA was a big part of HPB Education. CSIA Education Director Ashley Eldridge taught NFI classes, CSIA Instructor Michael Van Buren taught a version of CSIA’s chimney physics course, and Marketing Directors Tom Spalding and Darcy Marlett jointly taught a course on do-it-yourself video.
NFI/CSIA MERGER ‘OFF’ FOR NOW The boards that oversee the National Fireplace Institute and Chimney Safety Institute of America said there will no merger between the two organizations for now. However, we can promise it will not slow down efforts to work together to make the industry better! Those that are NFI Certified can receive a discount on either of two CSIA certifications plus CSIA advanced educational offerings, while those that are CSIA certified will receive a discount on all three NFI certifications as well as the manuals and 200+ online classes offered by the Hearth Patio & Barbecue Association Education Foundation. We’ll continue looking for ways we can partner with each other.
Around the
Tech
Center Frances Kelly
Executive Director
H
ere at the Tech Center we are already jumping straight into summer events and classes. As soon as we were unpacked from convention we welcomed American Home Inspector’s Training (AHIT) for a class here at the Tech Center.
50 S W E E P I N G April 2015
The last week of March we held our first National Chimney Sweep Training School class of 2015. Our March class had 29 students including NCSG Vice President Jasper Drengler who attended along with one of his technicians. Chile, the dog of new member Andy Mudd,
came with his owner all the way from Montana. The staff and I had a wonderful time meeting and sharing time with all of you in Lancaster and hope to see you all along with some new faces in Orlando.
?
Where Has Your Sweeping Been
Classifieds Gotta chimney question? Sizing? Codes? Call Royal Edwards! Make Royal your tech department. CALL NOW 813-982-0219 for on-call tech support. Continuing Education special bonus ask how you can get the Friday morning E-Blast for FREE. CALL NOW 813-982-0219 GasVent Software for Sizing Chimneys only $195 Call 1-800-648-9523 for more info and visit www.elitesoft.com to download a free trial version.
NCSG Staff brought Sweeping Magazine to Wheeling, WV on their way to Lancaster, PA for Convention 2015. Where will you take your Sweeping? Send us a photo to marketing@ncsg.org to see yourself in the magazine.
51 S W E E P I N G April 2015
Darwin
Award Have you snapped a photo of a peculiar chimney in your area that made you shake your head in disbelief? Send it to editor Darcy Marlett at dmarlett@ ncsg.org. for publication in Sweeping. Or, mail it to NCSG, 2155 Commercial Drive, Plainfield, IN 46168. Include a few words about the scene and location.
T
his is a guy in Minneapolis that called and said, “I have some stucco chipping off the chimney.” Also, he said, “You’ll have to get on the roof to look at it because it’s behind the stucco.” We saw this from the end of the block a quarter mile away! Steven Cody (CSIA Certification #8150) The Chimney Pro’s
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52 S W E E P I N G
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, PROTECT TREES FORESTS AND OUR COMMUNITY FROM THE THREAT OF INVASIVE SPECIES
New infestations of insects and diseases can start if you take firewood with you when you travel. Keep your trees safe by following these tips: · Don’t take firewood with you when you go camping, hiking or traveling. · Buy locally harvested firewood. · Tell your friends not to move firewood.
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National Chimney Sweep Guild 2155 Commercial Drive Plainfield, IN 46168
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