Also In This Issue: • NCI Summit 2023: High Performance Starts with Service • The Science of Commercial Duct Leakage Testing hvactoday.comJUNE 2023 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM If You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing! ™ INFLUENCERS 2023 Industry of High-Performance HVAC Drew Cameron Flow Odyssey Nancy McKeraghan Canco ClimateCare Jim Brown, Sr. Jim Brown CompanyJUNE 2023 3HVACTODAY.COM JUNE 2023 VOLUME 7 NUMBER 6 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM TECHNICAL: The Science of Commercial Duct Leakage Testing Duct air leak testing is a critical part of the mechanical construction process. Scott Fielder explains why. COVER STORY: 2023 HVAC Industry Influencers We welcome the Class of 2023 to our growing cadre of High-Performance HVAC Industry Influencers. DEPARTMENTS Today’s Word .........................................................................................4 High-Performance Product Review ...............................................5 NCI Update .........................................................................................23 HVAC Smart Mart ...............................................................................24 Ad Index ................................................................................................25 One More Thing ................................................................................26 06 13 MANAGEMENT: Summit 2023: High Performance Starts with Service If you missed this year’s annual meeting, this story will help you see why it’s important NOT to miss it next year. 174 JUNE 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY and excited to contribute to customer well-being and company success. Care: Be genuine. Show employees that they’re part of a team. Demonstrate why things like test- ing and measuring are so important to THEIR success as high-performance field technicians. Listen to what they have to say and let them be part of the process, not just cogs in a machine. They will realize the company isn’t only focused on profits or marketshare. Connect: Have regular informal chats, re- views, and goal setting check ups, and find out whether team members are happy in their work. Coach: Actively coaching your team members means guiding, training, and listening to them. It does not mean barking orders or micromanag- ing. This helps employees feel useful and creates an environment where they want to contribute even more. Contribute: Encourage your people to share ideas, suggestions, and other feedback. By lis- tening to them and following up with them, they feel like they are a significant part of the compa- ny’s success. That builds pride and a desire to do more. Congratulate: Celebrate successes with your team. Show proof that they are helping customers reduce energy use, increase comfort, and more be- cause of the processes and tools they use. Praising them in front of their peers is the secret sauce here. This builds confidence and can be the reason that others strive harder to succeed as well. Experts, like Sinek, say that by following these simple steps to employee engagement, you set your company on a path of improved employee relations and general workplace happiness. That, by itself, can be the foundation on which your high-performance HVAC approach can build, grow, and set you apart from competitors. A ccording to author and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek, “When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” Sinek writes quite a bit about this and is a strong believer that engaging with employees is vital for long- term success of a business. This is a generic HVAC truism, but even more vital in companies that want to move toward a fo- cused high-performance approach or are already involved in that process. Why? Because change is hard and focusing on the testing and measuring, diagnosing and re- solving airflow issues can be very different from the everyday approach to HVAC service. Interestingly, the best way to engage with your team is to answer the question, ‘why?’ Sinek says communicating ‘why’ taps into the part of the lis- tener’s brain that influences behavior. The ‘why’ of things involves clear communica- tion between you and your managers, your man- agers and the team, as well as the team and your customers. Engagement also involves something that ex- perts call “The Five C’s.” These are: Care Connect Coach Contribute Congratulate. This is all about helping employees to be enthu- siastic about their jobs, proud of the work they do, Employee Engagement: The Key to Long-Term Success “WHEN PEOPLE ARE EMOTIONALLY INVESTED, THEY WANT TO CONTRIBUTE.” 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.HVACTODAY.COMJUNE 2023 5 Tubing Bender, which is made by CPS Products , is made from steel and aluminum which enables in- stallers to bend copper from ¼-in. all the way up 7/8-in. It can achieve this by using easy detachable mandrels and shoe arms that are color coded for easy recognition for visual install- ers like me. The BTB300 comes in a hard case for easy storage and is streamlined so you can store it in the truck with- out taking up too much room. This bender can also perform a reverse bend for those tighter applications. The ratchet handle has a double fea- ture not only to compress the copper to set the angle, but also click it in reverse to release the tubing for easy removal. Coming from the days of using a thigh bender, the BlackMaxx BTB300 is a per- fect tool to reduce time and material and provides a cleaner looking job. For more information, go to ncilink. com/btb300 . — By Casey Contreras, NCI Instructor BLACKMAXX BTB300 PREMIUM RATCHETING TUBE BENDER Cooling Season is right around the corner meaning that installers are going to be at full speed all over the country. With today’s tools and technology, why not make the job easier. With the way of today’s world, it is critical that every as- pect of system installation practices and profit are in line. Refrigerant piping is critical, and it takes time and money to do it right. We are way past the days of using our thigh as a tubing bender, or needing five cop- per 90s and two 45s to make a connec- tion from lineset to equipment. Black- Maxx has built a unique tubing bender to save instillation time and reduce cost for copper fittings. The BlackMaxx BTB300 Ratcheting HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCT REVIEW Written by HVAC Professionals for HVAC ProfessionalsThe following three individuals fit this defini- tion to a tee. Please remember that we don’t con- sider the time or era these influencers served. We look at what candidates have done or are doing and the impact of those efforts. To submit a nominee, let us know who they are and why they are influencers. Send us your nom- ination via email at ncilink.com/ContactMe. Here is the Class of 2023 High-Perfor- mance HVAC Industry Influencers: NANCY MCKERAGHAN When Nancy and her husband, Bob McKer- aghan, started their HVAC business, Canco, in 1984, they were determined to create a company that delivered professional, high-quality heating and cooling to Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, and surrounding areas. They also wanted every employee to be pas- sionate about customer comfort. After three de- cades, the company is proud to be among New- market’s top choices for luxurious home comfort solutions, with one of the highest customer reten- tion rates in the industry. Nancy began her professional career as a school teacher but then decided to go into business with her husband based on what she said was a false- hood. Nancy tells the story about how her hus- band convinced her to make this career move be- cause “if we start our own business, we can pick our hours and take vacations whenever we want!” Well, we know how that goes. But Nancy nev- er shies away from a challenge or her belief in ed- ucation and teaching. She tackled the challenges T he dictionary definition of ‘influencer’ is “someone within a niche or indus- try who has some sway over a target audience. Influencers have specialized knowledge, authority, or insight into a specific subject.” Our influencers make a difference in the in- dustry’s direction and future through their ex- perience, knowledge, industry position, and re- lationship with others. These folks are leaders. Most are servant leaders. In other words, they lead through service to others and their commu- nities. By putting the needs of others first, they empower people to perform at their best. Such people serve every industry and the High-Per- formance HVAC Industry is no different. They are not just members of the High-Per- formance HVAC community. They are active- ly helping others to be more successful and, through those actions, contribute to this com- munity’s growth and acceptance throughout the greater HVAC Industry AND among consumers. Influencers believe in education and training, and continuous improvement. They lead by ex- ample. They take what they learn and imple- ment it successfully into their businesses, then take the time to share what they know during that process with others. Selecting a class of influencers is no easy task. It is based on the NCI team traveling the coun- try, visiting and working with many contracting firms, manufacturers, distributors, utilities, and trade associations. The NCI team met people who believed in test- ing duct systems, equipment, and the building itself. They measure airflow, temperature, and more, then calculate their impact on delivered comfort and energy efficiency. 6 JUNE 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY 2023’s Class of High-Performance HVAC Industry Influencers By Mike Weil COVER STORYSummit and will tell you that she al- ways returns from that event refreshed and ready to take on the world. Over the years, she has talked about the importance of high-performance to her company and customers. Train- ing is a big part of that, and she advis- es young people to do as she did and take as much training as possible to upgrade their knowledge and join as- sociations such as the NCI and HRAI. Nancy practices what she preaches when it comes to education. In an arti- cle written by another publication sev- eral years ago, she said, “Everyone in our industry should be learning about evolving HVAC technology. We have a responsibility as citizens of the world, and it’s also smart business to keep up with what’s new and have an edge over the competition. “If we want to hire young talent, we know modern, clean technology is a way to attract them. At Canco, we take co-op students. It’s gratifying to see them move on and succeed. And if we decide to hire them ourselves, we don’t have to untrain them.” She also says, “Efficient solu- tions are important to our cus- tomers and employees. At Can- co, we are strong believers in High-Performance HVAC con- tracting. On every call, we do static pressure testing to ensure the system is operating correct- ly and make or suggest improve- ments to increase its efficiency and comfort.” McKeraghan says contractors face a quickly changing world of differ- ent building approaches, precision load calculations, electronics, decar- bonization, new natural refrigerants, and young talent, including women who care about efficiency and clean- er systems. Adding capable and detail- oriented women is one way to win in this environment. Nancy has written several articles for national trade publications like of learning about and running an HVAC business and eventually took over managing all the business func- tions of Canco ClimateCare. The issues of running an HVAC business in a highly regulated Cana- dian environment led her to become heavily involved with Canada’s HRAI (Heating Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute) orga- nization, where she first joined the marketing committee, then chaired the contractor’s division, and eventually became the HRAI Chairperson. Nancy served on HRAI’s ca- reers committee and helped or- ganize skills competitions and mentoring programs for young people considering entering the HVACR business. She attributes success to contin- uous learning and getting involved with others in the industry, sharing best practices and horror stories, and learning to avoid costly pitfalls before they happen. Canco ClimateCare became a National Comfort Institute (NCI) member in 2008 and has sent many of its people to technical training with that organization. She has attended al- most every High-Performance HVAC JUNE 2023 7HVACTODAY.COM Canco ClimateCare’s management team (left to right) Bob McKeraghan, Nancy McKeraghan, Will Horner.8 JUNE 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYCOVER STORY licensing legislation in that state. He also served two terms as a mem- ber of the Arkansas State HVAC licens- ing board, with one term as chairman. He continued writing for a nation- al HVAC publication. He was also a speaker and leader at many national conferences over the years, including Lennox’s Focus on the Future program, Contracting Business magazine’s HVAC Comfortech event, as well as with National Comfort Institute. Servant leadership also means giv- ing back to your local community, and Jim Brown, senior, served one term as a councilman for the city of Mountain Home and 15 years on the Mountain Home Planning Commission. Today he is the chairman of that commission. From a consumer educational standpoint, Jim is a board member of the Arkansas State University Moun- tain Home Foundation. Furthermore, he is a past foundation board mem- ber of the Arkansas State University Jonesboro Campus. It is no stretch to say that Jim Brown Senior is committed as a leader of his performance measurement. After that, he invested in performance. Their efforts led to the company be- ing named a National Comfort Insti- tute Contractor of the Year in 2010. Due to the company’s venture into Commercial Design/Build work, resi- dential performance contracting took a back seat until 2012, when Jim’s son, Jim N. Brown, “rediscovered it” and began pursuing it with vigor. Accord- ing to Jim N. Brown in an article NCI published in 2011, the performance approach aligned with his technical passion and selling style. “We used to make money off of the 40-foot lift we own on our commer- cial jobs,” JN Brown said in that arti- cle. “Now we make more from a pair of knee pads doing a residential duct renovation.” Externally, Jim Brown, Sr. wanted to continue sharing and teaching finan- cial skills to contractors. This pursuit led to his involvement with the Arkan- sas Heat Pump Association where he eventually became president and was instrumental in helping to pass HVAC High-Performance HVAC Today, participates in industry panel discus- sions, and testifies through HRAI and other agencies on behalf of HVAC con- tractors across Canada. For these and many other reasons, High-Perfor- mance HVAC Today magazine is pleased to announce that Nancy Mc- Keraghan is part of the NCI 2023 In- fluencers class. JIM BROWN, SR. The Jim Brown Company of Mountain Home, AR, is a three-gen- eration-old company that opened for business in 1964. James D. Brown, joined the company and eventually bought the busi- ness in 1967. He always believed in building a sol- id HVAC con- tracting busi- ness through sound and con- servative financial management. From pushing the learning curve on capitalizing service agreements to making and saving cash by sell- ing value, he not only taught his son, Jim N. Brown, but over the decades, he shared his knowledge with contrac- tors nationwide through his writing, speaking engagements, and participa- tion in industry events. Regarding the high-performance approach to contracting, Jim will ad- mit that in the early days, his compa- ny struggled to embrace it. So, in 1993, Jim traveled to California, met with former NCI President and Co-found- er Rob Falke for personalized air bal- ancing training, and questioned Rob for hours. In Jim’s words, he was testing Rob’s commitment to system JUNE 2023 9HVACTODAY.COMNext >