A CELEBRATION FOR THE AGES
2024 RAINSOFT INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’
While most people were arriving in town and getting familiar with the hotel and downtown area, the Dealer Meeting was already taking place. It was a highly productive session and began with presentations from our three largest International Convention sponsors.
PCI president Greg Windfeldt presented the Pillar Award to Tim Randolph and Susan Curie for achieving sales of $10 million in business and partnership with PCI. Doug Glascock with Liquid Soap Products introduced the WOW BOX, a new concept designed to enhance the new customer experience. Zach Padilla at Aqua Finance introduced Aqua+, a new, faster and safer digital platform for dealers.
Curt Wunder asked everyone to renew their pledge to Manna Worldwide. Their latest successful fundraising effort – climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa – raised almost $200,000 to support projects in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Erin Temme provided marketing updates regarding The Home Depot, a brand refresh and Pipeline. Pentair’s Liz Brown and Great Lakes regional sales manager Alan Kniffen analyzed results of the five market DNS survey and what non-customers revealed.
Mike Fritz, Pentair’s general manager of residential products, shared details on two new product offerings: UltreFlo Protect is a certified whole house PFAS/PFOS removal filter and HydroStart is a pressure regulating system.
Central regional sales manager Peter Rushmore provided a Recruiting Incentive recap, highlighting the great accomplishments of many dealers. One key stat: since 2018, 20% of annual installs come from new sales reps, proving that recruitment has and always will be the lifeblood of RainSoft business.
An Experts panel included presentations from Fernando Costello, Brian Edwards, Bob Hogan, and Joe Holstein, with input sharing from Jake Anglin, Don Bruce, Younes Haddouche, Jesse Hudson, Sarah Mazer, Tim Randolph, and Curt Wunder.
THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING SPONSORS
The fantastic experience in San Diego could not have been achieved without the help from our sponsors. Our sincere appreciation goes to:
A ROLLICKING GOOD TIME
For the first time in RainSoft history the International Convention was held in California, and the beauty and tranquility of San Diego was on full display during our time at the Hilton Bayfront resort. From the bustle of the nearby Gaslight Entertainment district to the calming waves of San Diego Bay, the city had plenty to offer in honor of our 70th anniversary.
The skyline provided a gorgeous backdrop for the opening night celebration as picture-perfect weather greeted the boisterous partygoers. Many revelers embraced the 1970’s theme with the appropriate fashion: strikingly retro bell-bottom pants, leisure suits, disco attire and long hair were all the rage. Our judges had many choices to determine the winners of the costume contest.
The Liquid Blue Party Band jammed for hours amid intermittent calls for “more cowbell”. It was a great start to a memorable event.
STAYING CLASSY IN SAN DIEGO
If anyone was experiencing any lingering effects from the Welcome Party the night before, they disappeared at our first gathering Friday morning.
Steve Connell from Spoken Cinema opened the General Session with a bang and proved he was not your typical speaker.
His 10 minutes of non-stop, rap style messaging delivered one high energy wave after another.
The spoken word artist, supported by a music soundtrack, quickly and effectively told stories and presented resolutions to problems we could relate to. Some of his takeaways:
“People have to be involved.”
“Learning to win is learning how to lose.”
“Deciding who we are is up to us.”
“Learning to win is learning how to lose.”
“The best teams are great because they invest in each other,” and concluding with this reminder:
“It’s About You.”
He ended by introducing Andy Palframan. Ever the showman, Andy arrived on stage to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck and set the tone for the day by telling everyone, “The sky is not the limit, but is the playground to greatness”. After introducing host city dealers Michael Ross and John Vasquez of High Quality Water, he thanked Convention sponsors Aqua Finance, Liquid Soap Products, PCI and The Home Depot.
Andy explained how celebrating RainSoft’s platinum anniversary was “a dream come true” as he spoke about company founder John Grayson’s vision. He explained Mr. Grayson was the original Top Gun Maverick who first pushed the organization’s boundaries, and reminded all of the six guiding principles: Education, Motivation, Networking, Recognition, Celebration and Innovation.
Recognition was a major theme throughout the Convention, especially to new attendees. So was the celebration part. The first of the day occurred when Vince Izzo and Mike Forman presented The Home Depot Service Provider of the Year for 2023 to Jesse Hudson, who accepted on behalf of his team at Lifetime Solutions.
NEW PAC CHAMPIONS
PAC Rockstar Achievers were recognized with Rolex watches. Kim Johnson at Environmental International and Raymond Pauchek at High Quality Water in Tempe achieved PAC Level 10. And Gina Acree at Sweetwater Home Services received a standing ovation for being the first female and only the second to reach PAC Level 25. Leonard Ulibarri was the first to do so in 2018.
A WORLD WITH CLEAN WATER
Deepak Rao, president of Pentair Residential Water Treatment, stressed the importance of being involved in the water business at the right time. He said consumer awareness and demand is higher now than ever, and explained how it presents an opportunity to provide a solution about PFAs/ forever chemicals to them.
A 70th anniversary products video followed, featuring interviews highlighting innovations throughout the years and their uniqueness in the marketplace. It served as an introduction of Pentair’s Mike Fritz, who said “Water is the Driver of Life.” He talked about the daily demands on water by the average person, continued the discussion about PFAs, and reminded everyone the value of learning about the new products in the History room.
After announcing details about the new Top Gun Regional Sales Contest and before introducing keynote speaker Lt. Colonel Dan Rooney, Andy had one important message. “We have never been in a better position to grow and expand our portfolio. You are in the right place at the right time, and have the right opportunity with this company.”
“‘I WILL’ IS AN
AN AMERICAN HERO ADDRESSED OUR TROOPS
Colonel Dan Rooney is an American hero, an F-16 fighter jet pilot, a two-time Top Gun recipient, Folds of Honor founder, PGA golf professional, and a family man. He may also be the most charismatic keynote to ever speak at a RainSoft International Convention.
Over the course of a decorated 23-year career in the United States Air Force, Rooney flew many missions during his three combat tours in Iraq. Acknowledging that he and his wife are the parents of five daughters, he shared a series of faith-based messages and connected with us by saying, “I’m a student of life trying to figure out how to succeed.”
He explained there is an Air Force acronym he lives by and practices every day. CAVU means “ceiling and visibility unrestricted”, which he used as the foundation to develop a focused circular path of principles – Enthusiasm, Objectives, Reactive, Habit, Discipline, Confidence and Fulfillment – to live by. Rooney proceeded to share stories with personal telling points.
“Ten percent is what happens to you, and 90% is how you react to it. Every choice you make follows a logical path. ‘I Will’ is an unstoppable force in your life.”
“Ten percent is what happens to you, and 90% is how you react to it.”
Practicing discipline has helped guide him to making good choices. Rooney said waking up every day and reading the Bible with a cup of coffee helps him stay ready to meet challenges; by hiding nothing, you have nothing to hide and it will lead you to the right place on your journey. He demonstrated this by pulling down the dark visor of his helmet, and explained how he tuned out everyone when confronted with a critical issue involving a $165 million jet at Luke Air Force Base.
“Discipline is about not being comfortable. The place your greatest discomfort lies is where a defining moment lives to build your self-worth.”
It’s a philosophy he used to eventually – after initial failure – convince Budweiser to sponsor the Folds of Honor program. Since its 2007 inception, 63,000 educational scholarships worth more than
$300 million have been awarded to students in all 50 states.
“Your life is defined by how when things don’t go your way and how you react,” he said before talking about the concept of ‘Divine Echo’. It means what you give comes back, whether it is through service to others or helping ourselves.
“The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose,” he added, acknowledging RainSoft’s commitment to Manna Worldwide as an example.
Rooney received a standing ovation for his speech. He then offered his special edition Folds of Honor leather bomber jacket to the top producer of the Top Gun sales contest. On that inspiring note, Andy encouraged everyone to enjoy San Diego for the rest of the day. Dan Rooney stayed after to personally sign copies of his book, Fly Into The Wind, for the audience.
CENTRAL REGIONAL AWARDS
Dior Mandrell of Envirotech International Inc., #1 Inside Sales People (Did Not Attend)
Dawson Franklin of Quality Water Systems, #1 Smart Money Upgrades Service People (Did Not Attend)
Monica Yaacoubi of Quality Water Systems, #1 Inside Sales Manager
Quality Water Systems of Houston, Texas #1 Office
Harry Ramos of Envirotech International Inc., #1 Outside Sales People
James Wagley of Quality Water Systems, #1 Outside Sales Manager
Quality Water Systems of Houston, Texas #1 Dealer
Quality Water Systems of Houston, Texas #1 Smart Money Upgrades Office
GREAT LAKES REGIONAL AWARDS
Marcia Ferrigon of Lifetime Water Systems, #1 Inside Sales People
Kevin Freas of Pure H2O, #1 Inside Sales Manager
Lifetime Water Systems of Mississauga, Ontario, #1 Office and #1 Smart Money Upgrades Office
Bill Thompson of Blue Wolf Concepts, #1 Dealer Sales People
Raheem Bahadur of Lifetime Water Systems, #1 Outside Sales People
Angel Minton of Pure H2O, #1 Outside Sales Manager
Pure H2O of Columbus, Ohio, #1 Dealer
Robert Sliwka of Lifetime Water Systems, #1 Smart Money Upgrades Service People
NORTH ATLANTIC REGIONAL AWARDS
Joseph Erbland of Anderson Water Systems, #1 Inside Sales People
Kim Spencer of Atlantic Water Products, #1 Inside Sales Manager
Atlantic Water Products of New Castle, Delaware #1 Dealer
Cerrone Washington of Safe Water Solutions LLC, #1 Dealer Sales People
Mike Defalco of Atlantic Water Products, #1 Outside Sales People
Den Del Signore of Atlantic Water Products, #1 Outside Sales Manager
Atlantic Water Products of New Castle, Delaware #1 Office
Water Boy LLC of Winchester, Virginia, #1 Smart Money Upgrades Office (Did Not Attend)
Kevin White of Water Boy LLC, #1 Smart Money Upgrades Service People (Did Not Attend)
SOUTH ATLANTIC REGIONAL AWARDS
Florida Energy, Water & Air of Maitland, Florida #1 Office
Sharlene Hamm-Gabriel of Florida Energy, Water & Air, #1 Top Inside Sales People (Did Not Attend)
Fiorella Quintana of Miami Water And Air, #1 Outside Sales People (No Picture)
Christopher Berryhill of Green Solutions TPS, Inc., #1 Dealer Sales People (Did Not Attend)
Hayden Fantino of Florida Energy, Water & Air, #1 Inside Sales Manager (Did Not Attend)
Ricky Shotwell of Charlotte County Water, #1 Smart Money Upgrades Service People
Charlotte County Water of Port Charlotte, Florida, #1 Smart Money Upgrades Office
Ryan Vernoy of Florida Energy, Water & Air, #1 Outside Sales Manager
Florida Energy, Water & Air of Maitland, Florida #1 Dealer
WESTERN REGIONAL AWARDS
Pamela Oliveira of Quality Home Services, #1 Top Inside Sales People (Did Not Attend)
Esteban Telleria of Life Water, #1 Dealer Sales People (Did Not Attend)
Asher Hudson of Lifetime Solutions, #1 Inside Sales Manager
Lifetime Solutions of Victorville, California #1 Office
Patricia Cruz of Quality Home Services, #1 Smart Money Upgrades Service People
Higor Perez of Lifetime Solutions, #1 Outside Sales People
Doug Newby of Lifetime Solutions, #1 Outside Sales Manager
Lifetime Solutions of Victorville, California #1 Dealer
Lifetime Solutions of Victorville, California #1 Smart Money Upgrades Office
WAVES OF INSIGHT AND ADVICE
Asthe marine layer was lifting and disappearing from San Diego Bay, the always lively Breakout Sessions were taking place. Four separate groups met and many people took advantage by popping in and out of each morning-long event.
The intent was to help educate attendees as panel speakers shared their respective journeys and experiences. They learned what it takes to be successful by listening to a wide array of stories. From what to expect in the first 90 days of your RainSoft career to a lifetime of knowledge and overcoming challenges, the speakers covered the gamut.
Our sincere thanks to all who participated:
Inside Sales: Kevin Freas, Marc Fisher, Mercedez Zielinski, Annette Hogans
Outside Sales: Higor Perez, Michael DeFalco, A.J Washer, Tristan Bamberry, Tony Valencia, Rod Coleman, Jack Londe
SMU/Service: Scott Harmon, Dan Pfister and an array of service personnel shared ideas
The Home Depot Marketing: Peter Rushmore Asher Hudson, Lori Meddaugh, Aiko Johnson
KARL SEMINAR
MIND OVER MATTER TO INFLUENCE SALES
Following the attendee and PAC luncheons, it was a great time to stretch your mind in a different direction. Michael Karl is a mentalist, communicator and professional motivator who has made a career of amazing people by studying their actions. Reading body language to influence decisions goes beyond just guessing what they are thinking. It can also influence sales.
He started on this path when he was a kid and became interested in magic. Karl later played high school basketball and was good enough to earn a college scholarship. An injury ended his hoops dreams but years later, his other talent attracted the attention of the Orlando Magic. He performed at every one of their home games, including the 2009 NBA Finals.
One recent trend of Convention speakers is to purchase a home RainSoft system. By doing so, Karl arrived in San Diego armed with knowledge to help deal with prospective customers.
Mentioning he couldn’t have succeeded at his job with the basketball team without understanding the building blocks of communication, he first talked about the skills most important to him. He then offered examples for each of his Influence Bands:
• A smile is contagious and gets people to react. A slow smile makes it more personal.
• Don’t complain, look for positivity in any conversation. Win through actions, such as asking, “What makes you say that?
• Emotions drive people and people drive performance.
• Be humble. Humility disarms people so no matter how successful you are, remember how you got there.
• Ask questions. People who ask better questions get better results.
• Communicate with confidence. Remove filler words such as ‘ah’, ‘um’, ‘like’ and ‘you know’. Instead, build your Foundation speech skills: rate, volume, pitch, tonality and the art of pausing.
“People may forget what you said and forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
The participation exercises Karl did with the group emphasized these skills. Recommending to have empathy for others and having the self-awareness to know is a powerful tool, he followed by saying, “You can make more friends in two months by being interested in other people than you can have in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
Karl returned to his five Foundation Speech skills by explaining the value of each one.
• The Rate of how fast or slow someone talks means something. Slow down to have your words make more impact.
• Remember your Volume. A whisper draws them in to your conversation, so don’t shout it.
• Practice your Pitch by connecting through stories, and improve your Tonality by stretching them out.
• The art of Pausing is the most important. Most people are afraid of being silent and compensate by wrongly filling the gap with filler words. Avoid this because it reduces confidence.
Throughout the afternoon, Karl told stories of his life and did so to emphasize one more key skill: Listening. He mentioned Columbo, a hit TV series from the 1970s. Peter Falk played the humble detective role who, just before solving a crime, would ask: “Just one more thing.”
Karl offered these tidbits the next time you meet with a prospect:
• Speak only 30% of the conversation and listen 70% of the time.
• After a person finishes talking, wait 3-5 seconds to respond. It resonates that you heard them.
• Ask, “How can I be most helpful to you right now?”
• The final takeaway: “People may forget what you said and forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
Most people in the room would agree he accomplished this. You can, too.
NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS
Given the build-up over three days and taking into consideration the 70’s theme in honor of the anniversary, it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if the Night of Champions program included Carly Simon’s 1971 hit song, “Anticipation”.
But Andy Palframan reached into the time machine and went one better, channeling his inner John Travolta by opening with and dancing to the Bee Gees’ hit, “Staying Alive”. That and a new edition of “Carpool Karaoke” set the tone for the evening.
In the video, Andy and his new trusty sidekick – Alan Kniffen, who took over the role after Don Miller retired – pick up entertainer Jason Hewlett who proceeded to sing “Staying Alive” in high pitch mode. Hewlett was hilarious in both of the entertainment sets he performed.
Both emcees were outstanding with each and every person being recognized on stage. Not every winner spoke but those who did exhibited so in true RainSoft style; they were eloquent, humble with their remarks, and thankful of the people who helped them earn this achievement.
Following the In Memorium tribute video remembering past colleagues, including former president Robert Ruhstorfer, Mike Defalco accepted his Rookie of the Year award (see separate story). Several dealerships achieved significant Service Milestones ranging from 15 to 40 years.
Mr. Miller returned for the festivities and was greeted with a standing ovation for the new Don Miller Maverick Award announcement. He presented the highest honor to the RainSoft Top
Gun champion who does whatever it takes to achieve record-breaking status and reach the next level. The first recipient was Tim Randolph of Florida Energy & Water (see separate story).
After all of the winners were crowned and before the celebrations continued well into the night and early next morning, Andy wrapped up the proceedings with a few succinct thoughts.
Embracing the success of the 18-year partnership with The Home Depot, he said each day is an unlimited gift while thanking and acknowledging everyone in the room.
“We know the future of RainSoft has never been brighter. Now is the time to focus, spread your wings and chase reality.”
Raheem Bahadur of Lifetime Water Systems, #1 Top Outside Sales Champion
James Wagley of Quality Water Systems, #1 Top Outside Sales Manager
Lifetime Solutions, #1 Top Home Depot Sales for over 30 Stores
American Home Design, #1 Top Home Depot Sales for 11-30 Stores
Charlotte County Water, #1 Top Home Depot Sales for under 10 Stores
A THANKFUL NEWCOMER
When Mike Defalco accepted the Dan Hager and Michael Keck Rookie of the Year Award, it wasn’t the first time he was on a stage collecting hardware.
The Brooklyn native has won multiple state and national bodybuilding and powerlifting titles and still competes in strongman events. A former owner of a nutrition and training company, general manager of a fitness organization, and automobile industry sales and management pro for 20 years, he understands what it takes to achieve success.
“What I enjoy most is I get to impact the lives of people and families with an essential need at a fair price, and also give them a health benefit. I try to live by a Richard Branson quote where, instead of entrepreneurs asking how they can make a lot of money, they should ask what impacts lives in a positive manner. If you get that right, the money follows. I feel we’ve gotten that part right at RainSoft.”
A devout Christian, he had many people to thank.
“I owe all these accomplishments to my savior, Jesus Christ, my wife Stacy and our family, and the team at Atlantic Water Products. They deserve this award as much as myself. I want to thank Curt Wunder and his wife Barbara for the opportunity they gave me to impact peoples’ lives.
“None of this would be possible without my general manager, Younes Haddouche, and sales manager, Dan Del Signore; Kim Spencer and her telemarketing team setting appointments; Deshawn Smith and Othman Haddouche and their Home Depot store setters; Bill Woodworth and Charlie Raimondi and their service team and installers; Carrie Hogue and the finance team; and Julie Kolendorski, Amy Adams, Brandi Shadrick, and Chrissy Riffle with our customer service and office staff.”
Marcia Ferrigon of Lifetime Water Systems, #1 Inside Sales Rep Worldwide
Three-way tie with Elias Rivas of Quality Water Systems and Bill Woodworth of Atlantic Water Products.
Michael Martin of Moore Water and Air, #1 Excellence in Customer Experience Installers.
Cruz of Quality Home Services. #1
Upgrade Champion
TIM RANDOLPH IS A TRUE MAVERICK
It was one RainSoft legend congratulating another soon-to-be legend when Don Miller presented the first-time award to Florida Energy, Water & Air’s Tim Randolph.
“This is really cool, and having my name associated with Don is quite an honor. I really appreciate it,” he said.
He further certified his Top Gun status later in the evening. When he accepted the Top Dealer award for the Florida Energy, Water & Air team, it was for an unprecedented 29th time in a row.
“I’m 54-years-old and I went to my first RainSoft Convention when I was 24, so I’ve spent more than half of my life focused on this. For me, it’s about the people and the lives that are affected by the process,” he remarked while thanking fellow dealers and others in his drive for excellence. Then he touched upon three aspects that fuel his business fire.
“Determination, passion and ambition. Optimism always matters, too. There is always light at the end of the tunnel and I’m always preparing for the great days to come.”
RainSoft of Turkiye, #1 Top International Dealer
Florida Energy, Water & Air, #1 Top Dealer Worldwide
William & Tonya McGraw of Quality Water Systems, #1 Top Smart Money Upgrade Dealer
Coastal Energy, Water And Air of Pompano Beach, Florida
NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS
HOME SERVICES BART RICHEY, DONNA, JOE & JILL HOLSTEIN
2 FLORIDA ENERGY WATER & AIR TIM RANDOLPH
1 QUALITY WATER SYSTEMS WILLIAM & TONYA MCGRAW THD SALES
1
Envirotech International of Dallas, Texas
Anderson Water Systems, Rochester, New York
High Quality Water, of Arizona
Aqua Resolution of Lombard, Illinois
A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP
Weeks after the Convention ended, Andy Palframan decided to embark on a new chapter of his life and retired after his 36-year run with RainSoft, including the last 15 at the helm. Mark Gagnon was promoted to replace him as Sales Manager for North America, effective October 1.
During his time here, Andy helped lead and shape the company to what it has become today. He created the Smart Money Upgrade program and developed the relationship with The Home Depot, which reached $1 billion (“that’s One billion with a ‘B’ everyone”) in sales in 2022. And he orchestrated some remarkable and memorable Conventions over the course of his career.
In his final act at RainSoft, Andy sent a note to everyone – corporate and field sales teammates
to dealers and support personnel – thanking them for the support he received. And he expressed confidence in Mark leading the way with the same level of excellence and dedication.
“From the moment I met Andy in the early 1990s, I recognized he was someone special. His charming English accent, quick wit, and many other wonderful qualities stood out while becoming a lifelong friend,” reflected Mark.
“His immense contributions to our collective achievements will be deeply missed, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Although you won’t see me riding a unicycle, I promise to bring the same passion and dedication to elevate RainSoft to new heights. It is a great time to be in the water business and I look forward to celebrating your newfound successes.”
Andy Palframan, Regional Director Alan Kniffen, New Director Mark Gagnon