The weather outside soon will be frightful, and world news is less than delightful. But the holiday season is here, so let us cheer, let us cheer, let us cheer.
As I write this, Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas and Hanukah are fast on its heels. It’s a time for reflection as we begin to close the books on 2019 and get ready for whatever awaits us in 2020.
So here is a look back through the ‘eyes’ of my 2019 Today’s Word columns as well as through the lens of events that impacted all aspects of the HVAC Industry.
2019 In A Nutshell
This time last year we began living with the results of a midterm election that created the scenario for a lame-duck Congress and set the stage for 2019 to be a year of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
It’s enough to make your hair turn gray. Speaking of which, the technician shortage continues to be a big issue as the gray tsunami (of baby boomer retirement) is upon us. What are you doing to attract young people into your companies and into this industry?
In 2018, economists made predictions of a looming recession. In early 2019 HVAC manufacturers were far more optimistic, as reported by a study conducted by the AHR Exposition Company in January.
Of course, the 2019 U.S. and China trade war went gangbusters and its impact on the HVAC industry is still being assessed.
Good News from 2019
On the bright side, the new tax laws went into effect and helped small businesses around the country. Plus, 2019 was a year of great advances in science, especially in stem cell research and the first-ever image of a real black hole in space. Let’s not forget the 50th Anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s taking one small step.
With the onset of 2019, there were at least 14 reasons to celebrate and Performance-Based contractors around the country set the pace for actively working on the dream. That includes the Performance-Based Contracting concept of measuring and not guessing. The dream calls for a lot of training, not only on ductwork and equipment but also on the tools needed to get the job done right.
It was a year to determine priorities — things like balancing tech safety with the need for the big summer payday. That also includes thinking about CO (carbon monoxide) and its impact on the High-Performance HVAC contractor. Are you ready to handle these situations? Are you and your people trained and certified?
So, let’s keep the learning going and hopefully attract more people into the industry. You will always improve your abilities to test, measure, and diagnose airflow issues if you follow the idea of training by the rule of one degree.
Furthermore, we all know that the need for comfort will never go away. But 2019 showed us that Performance-Based contractors also need to focus more on branding their High-Performance businesses as well as maintaining strong, positive online business reputations to grab a bigger share of the comfort business pie.
Setting the Tone
With all this in mind, now is the time to look forward to 2020. From the team at High-Performance HVAC Today and National Comfort Institute, we wish you — our readers ‘ a safe, healthy, and productive year!
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