hvactoday.comJANUARY 2022 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM If You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing! ™ ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: • Do You Believe in Science? • Master Airflow Diagnostics • Partner Spotlight: CI Web Group Conquering COVID ... ... in the Commercial Restaurant IndustryTECHNICAL: Do You Believe in Science? Jim Davis compares the HVAC Industry to the COVID pandemic and explains the importance of the underlining science. 16 JANUARY 2022 VOLUME 6 NUMBER 1 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM DEPARTMENTS JANUARY 2022 3HVACTODAY.COM Today’s Word .........................................................................................4 High-Performance Product Review ...............................................5 Partner Spotlight: CI Web Group, Inc. ..........................................6 NCI Update .........................................................................................19 HVAC Smart Mart ...............................................................................20 Ad Index ................................................................................................21 One More Thing ................................................................................22 TECHNICAL: The Key to Mastering Airflow Diagnostics Based on his upcoming High-Performance HVAC Summit presentation, Jeff Sturgeon shares real world tips on how to perform and interpret airflow diagnostic tests. 12 09 COVER STORY: Conquering COVID in the Commercial Restaurant Industry Don Langston of Aire Rite® Air Conditioning and Refrigeration highlights how pandemic shutdowns impacted his commercial refrigeration business and clients during the shutdown.your technicians to keep up with technology, account for those costs in your prices as well. Don’t worry about customers balking at that. They know prices are rising. It’s currently un- avoidable. They will, for the most part, be more than willing to spend the cash for improving their home’s comfort and efficiency. Another thing to be thankful for and proud of is the ability of the HVAC Industry to be nimble. So many contractors were able to pivot as the world panicked and closed down. As an industry, we adapted to that new normal and found ways to accommodate customer needs, keep employees on the job, and serve the community. You did this by getting creative in the services you offered or in the ways you approached sales calls. You put customer and employee safety first. You made the stay-at-home environment better. Your work will pay dividends far into the future. And be thankful that you are entrepreneurs, masters of your fate. You understand that adver- sity is part of the game. Sure, inflation is rampant right now. But you have the ability and resources through your trade associations, membership or- ganizations, distributors, and manufacturers for turning the corner. These industry entities can help you with mar- keting - standard and digital. Yes, you’ll need to spend more on that front, but that is how you grow leads. That is how you increase business. And that is how you thrive in the new normal. Finally, be thankful that the world is beginning to open back up. Think about attending indus- try events like NCI’s High-Performance Summit (gotosummit.com) to add the peer factor back into your knowledge equation. As an industry, we are in this together. As con- tractors, you’ve got this. Be thankful and set your sights on a winning year in 2022. T hey say that change is always difficult, and that those who can’t adapt to chang- es get rolled over by them. OK, I made that up, but I think you get my point. Now that 2021 is in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to step away from the negativity of the pandemic and take a look at all the things for which we, the HVAC Industry, should be thankful. First on my list is the HVAC contracting indus- try itself. Contracting is perhaps the only industry that can never be outsourced to another country! It is national in scope but focused locally. Con- tractors are unique in that each job you do is a custom project where your creativity IS the prod- uct and service. That creativity directly results from your training and your ability to sleuth out issues that impact comfort. The industry should also be thankful that HVAC contracting is finally recognized as essen- tial. Comfort is directly related to productivity, health, and safety at work and more than ever at home, thanks to the changes wrought by the pan- demic. That means Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has become an even bigger part of the comfort lexi- con in the 21st century. That is great news. If you’re not sure about the importance of IAQ, especially in commercial HVAC and refrigera- tion, just read Don Langston’s article on page 16. One hold-out issue from 2021 that will con- tinue impacting Americans is the supply chain. Shortages of goods are helping to drive up pric- es on everything from gasoline to food to house- hold appliances. Think about what it costs today to fuel up one of your service trucks. It would be advantageous to reflect cost increas- es in your pricing. That means your prices should increase too. Think of it this way – your costs are rising because it’s harder for you to get equipment, tools, and parts. Plus, if you spend more training 4 JANUARY 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY Be Thankful for the Industry You Serve and Set the Goal for a Prosperous 2022 TODAY’S WORD By Mike Weil Mike Weil is editor- in-chief and director of communications and publications at National Comfort Institute, Inc. Contact him at ncilink. com/ContactMe.JANUARY 2022 5HVACTODAY.COM The Fieldpiece STA2 includes: z STA2 Hot-Wire Anemometer and a 9V battery z Replaceable probe with protective shroud z Magnetic rubber boot with hanging strap. The most common use for this instru- ment is in a duct traverse . You take a se- ries of readings with the anemometer probe in a grid pattern inside the duct to determine average velocity and airflow. The STA2 offers timed or point-by- point traverse options. Personally, I pre- fer a point-by-point traverse for sim- plicity and so I can see the different air speeds in a duct. This anemometer is a great way to ver- ify fan airflow when a blower wheel is dirty, and you need an accurate measure- ment. You can also use use it to check the air speed mov- ing across regis- ters and grilles when customers complain of noise. In addition, it helps you discover excessive turbu- lence inside a duct system and can verify the face velocity of air filters to assure they operate in an acceptable range to capture particulate. If you’re interested in learning more about the Fieldpiece STA2, go to the National Comfort Institute store at ncil- ink.com/FieldpieceSTA2 . — by David Richardson, Director of Technical Curriculum FIELDPIECE® STA2 IN-DUCT HOT-WIRE ANEMOMETER Airflow can be one of the most chal- lenging measurements a high-perfor- mance HVAC contractor must take. The Fieldpiece® STA2 Hot-Wire Anemometer is an affordable test instrument that of- fers an accurate and simple way to assist with this challenge. The instrument measures velocity, temperature, and airflow quickly inside a duct system so you can tell how much air is moving through a duct. The STA2 has a backlit dual display al- lowing you to measure velocity in fpm (feet per minute) and calculate airflow in cfm (cubic feet per minute) with the duct dimensions entered on the display. The instrument also displays the dry bulb (db) temperature in the duct. HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCT Written by HVAC Professionals for HVAC Professionalsindustry from a completely different universe. Her professional career began in the global supply chain sector of the retail industry. SOME HISTORY At 29, she went into business for her- self by launching a mortgage and real estate company that grew to have more than 200 agents and loan officers. That led to starting two additional compa- nies, one of which was called Compli- ments International, LLC — a referral rewards business. Within that compa- ny, Bagley started a web and marketing group. The third company was called Busi- ness Blitz, a marketing and business training organization. Bagley says, “Our internal web and marketing team took on many side projects. We began designing websites, marketing for clients, referral partners, and more. We started handpicking our highest referral partners, and whoev- er referred us the most business, we’d take on their website and marketing.” “It wasn’t a formal business,” she says. “It was an internal ‘special proj- ects’ group within our Compliments International, known as the CI Web Group.” Bagley closed the mortgage business after the 2008 mortgage industry col- lapse but stayed with the marketing ap- proach. She took that internal special projects group, and changed its name from Compliments International, LLC to CI Web Group, Inc. At first, it was not a company, just a team. LET’S GO HVAC Bagley was introduced to the HVAC Industry in 2011 when she was asked to be a speaker for a Mitsubishi Dia- mond Dealer conference. She met a lot of contractors and began picking up a lot of clients from the HVAC industry. Since then, CI Web Group has be- come the preferred digital marketing agency for the most prominent dis- tributors in North America, including Ferguson, Standard Supply, Thermal Supply, Geary Pacific, and more. Bagley says. “We fell in love with ev- ery person we came in contact with. People in the HVAC Industry are so real, so transparent. Contractors are true entrepreneurs down in the trenches, taking care of business. It’s real. And that is exciting. “However,” she adds, “we also saw an industry severely behind from a technology, marketing, operations, ERP, eCommerce, and customer ex- perience standpoint. Every part of this industry, other than HVAC equip- ment, was severely behind the curve. It was mind-boggling.” She says that her team at CI Web Group saw many opportunities to help contractors be more success- ful through marketing and advertis- ing. Despite the business technology backwardness, she says they came to D id you know that more than 75% of Americans go online daily? Not only that, but 43% go on more than once a day, and 26% are online “almost constantly.” This is why so many mar- keters have taken to the Internet. As an HVAC business, contractors should also take advantage of the dig- ital world. They should have a digital strategy that helps their online pres- ence build their brand by providing a great customer experience that also attracts more potential customers. THE MARKETING CHALLENGE Building a brand can be challenging because so many contractors feel like they don’t have the time or know-how to market. To add to their challenge, today there are so many digi- tal marketing and advertis- ing agencies out there and not all of them are helpful. Sure, almost any online marketing organization can help contractors bring sales leads in, but for how long and at what cost? Then, in 2011, a company called CI Web Group began making its mark in the HVAC Industry. Its founder is Jennifer Bagley, and she came to this 6 JANUARY 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT By Mike Weil CI Web Group: Digital Marketing and Beyond Jennifer-Bagley, founder of CI Web Group, Inc. z Truly understanding the end con- sumer now and in the future — rela- tionship marketing, integrated mar- keting, internal marketing, and societal marketing. z Understanding the goal of the en- trepreneur who started the business and helping them accomplish their personal goals of attaining more time, money, and freedom. TRAINING AND REFERRALS “The difference between contractors who are well trained and certified and those who aren’t is drastic,” she says. “We know this because we manage our contractor customers’ reputations,” she explains. “In fact, we manage reviews across more than 120 voice, directory, and review sites. We find that it’s a battle when we’re trying to help bring con- tractors new prospects, but they have negative reviews coming in because of performance issues, sales issues, CSR issues, technical issues, etc. “There is a point where we can’t win that battle,” she continues. “We can bring 100 new unique visitors because they’re looking for heating and air conditioner problem resolutions, and they won’t convert because of negative reviews and visible reputation issues.” She says that it’s at that point CI Web account managers tell the con- tractor to get trained and certified to improve their overall performance and reputation online, or else what’s the point of bringing them leads? THE NEW NORMAL CI Web Group has been a leader in helping manufacturers, distributors, franchises, and dealers thrive in the new normal. As consumer demand continues to increase, manufacturers struggle with equipment and supply chain issues, contractors are facing increased chal- lenges with human resources. CI Web Group has driven acceler- ated change by implementing virtual dealer meeting solutions for distribu- tors, interactive platforms for distrib- utor and dealer learning management systems, virtual reality training envi- ronments, and eCommerce solutions for contractors and consumers. They have been featured in the HVAC Accelerated Success Program and Thriving in the New Normal se- ries on YouTube. Furthermore, CI Web Group has gone the extra mile by working with industry partners to help contractors get the training and certifications they need to help improve perfor- mance and turn around negative on- line reviews. Some of these partners include Na- tional Comfort Institute, Amana Brand Academy, Goodman Business Toolbox training, Fyxify, Power Selling Pros, EGIA, Ruth King, and others. Bagley says this referral group addresses the contractor as a whole simultaneously. understand that the HVAC Industry cannot be outsourced. “It is never going overseas. It’s nev- er going to be automated. HVAC is a brilliant industry that consumers will need forever!” CI WEB GROUP TODAY Bagley says that today, 95% of their growth is in the heating and air condi- tioning, plumbing, electrical, and solar space. “Sure, we still have amazing lega- cy clients who have been with us since 2006. But the contracting world is our world.” CI Web Group currently has 121 full- time team members across the U.S. and overseas. Their goal is to provide con- tinual world class service by leveraging technology to be efficient and cost con- scious. They pass savings along to their clients allowing any size contractor an opportunity to work with them. “Our contractors love the fact that we have a love-us-or-leave-us philos- ophy (we don’t believe in long-term contracts). They are very vocal about how different we are from our industry competitors. “We just ask our dealers to show up, suit up, and participate.” CI Web Group takes a comprehen- sive and holistic approach to digital marketing. It’s not just about lead gen- eration and website design. Here are some of the key holistic points they help clients with: zDoing the right things, in the right order, at the right time to create a strong and profitable business with sustainable growth. z Leveraging technology to accelerate permanent results vs. burning through cash on temporary ad’s. JANUARY 2022 7HVACTODAY.COM CI Web Group, Inc.’s 12-Step Roadmap program8 JANUARY 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT Technology is the infrastructure behind everything a contractor does. Strategy is about helping contractors to plan and be forward-thinking. Net- working revolves around who con- tractors surround themselves with and what information they get from that peer group. Mindset is how you think. “Once you look at marketing as an investment in the growth of your busi- ness,” Bagley concludes, “it becomes permanent. It has compounding in- terest. The dollar you invest today is worth more two years from now, 10 years from now, and so on.” For these and many other reasons, High-Performance HVAC Today magazine shines its spotlight on NCI Partner CI Web Group, Inc. Congratu- lations to the entire team. “When you address all of those things,” Bagley continues, “it will posi- tively impact the business. But it takes a certain mindset to take all of that on simultaneously. It isn’t easy.” This holistic approach is key to help- ing contractors become successful, build solid reputations, create sustain- able growth, and take advantage of the referrals that will come in as a result. “As partners,” Bagley explains, “our job is to understand our clients’ differ- ent communication styles. We track every ounce of it. We meet our clients where they are. “Our logo says, ‘“CI Web Group: Technology, Strategy, Network, Mind- set.’ This says everything about our methodology and what we believe in.” She defines this as follows: “As we build their websites and launch their marketing strategy, we refer them to groups who can help train their team in other areas or im- plement needed infrastructure tech- nology. For example, their techni- cians get high-performance training and certification with NCI. “While that’s happening, we reduce the contractor’s technology stack, simplify home service management, maximize profitability, and deliver a consistent, high-converting sales ex- perience by integrating Fyxify.” She adds that Ruth King helps con- tractors keep their finances on point and track the right KPIs. Power Sell- ing Pros works with the contractor’s CSR’s to help them with their call con- version and customer service skills.JANUARY 2022 9HVACTODAY.COM for 2020 was just blown up. Step one was to communicate to the team that our business was an essential service, and we were NOT shutting down. Step two was to meet with our managers and assess the impact within our different customer segments. We do a lot of work within the entire spectrum of restaurants — from fine dining to fast food. We analyzed our custom- er base to determine who would be impacted the most and how that would impact our workload across Southern California. We cover an area of 23.8 million people in 50,000 square miles. Step three was to analyze our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) in each department. Next came our cash flow. We do well with our collections, so we knew cash would continue to come in for a few weeks. Most of our customers are on a 30-day net, and most pay within 35 to 40 days. By comparing cash flow by segment and customer, we began working with our managers on the short and long-term impact on labor and what layoffs would be necessary for our survival. Aire Rite is very tied to customers through maintenance or service contracts. Of the nine de- partments at the company, service is the largest because they work on both HVAC and refriger- ation systems. Based on the reduced workload, I had each manager handle the first round of lay- offs in their departments. OPPORTUNITIES AND PLANS It was at this point that we pivoted. We knew that Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) was where every- thing was pointing. No one understood how the vi- rus was transmitted. So, we put ourselves through a crash course on handling IAQ when it comes to viruses. Much of the info was already available. B ack in 1972, when my parents started their commercial refrigeration services company, nobody could imagine that 50 years later, Aire Rite ® , our Califor- nia-based company would be swept up in a world- wide pandemic that impacted everything we do. As we prepare to celebrate our 50th Anniversary in February, it’s interesting to note that today our company is a $22 million commercial HVAC and refrigeration service provider with 148 employees. We specialize in proactive maintenance, ser- vice, and installation of HVAC, refrigeration, and cooking equipment. Our customer base includes commercial real estate, data processing, restau- rant, and the foodservice industries across South- ern California. We also lease refrigeration equip- ment, are in the new construction market, and perform commercial system optimization. In the United States, the COVID-19 virus first showed up in mid-January 2020, and by March, the country (and the world) began shutting down. California shut down fast, first, and the hardest. SHUTDOWN AND SURVIVAL The hardest-hit part of our customer base was in the refrigeration and restaurant sector. When the governor shut California down, my first thought was how that would impact my team, customers, vendors, etc. Our entire business plan Conquering COVID in the Commercial Refrigeration Industry By Don Langston COVER STORYNext >