RSES Releases Gas & Oil Heating CD for NATE Exam Prep
Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES) announced the release of Gas and Oil Heating, the fourth title in the Preparing for the NATE Exam Instructor CD series. The series of CDs is designed to help RSES Chapters and HVACR instructors prepare students for the NATE (North American Technician Excellence) Gas and Oil Heating exam.
The Preparing for the NATE Exam: Gas and Oil Heating Instructor CD uses Microsoft PowerPoint software and allows educators to conduct two- to eight-hour review sessions. The CD contains a complete overview of all materials covered in the Preparing for the NATE Exam: Gas and Oil Heating study book.
The CD contains more than 500 slides, and includes answers to all review questions at the end of each lesson in the study book. RSES sources say the CD is an excellent tool for instructors that have extensive knowledge in the field and who seek an outline as part of a program of NATE exam review.
Topics covered include: combustion; furnace installation; venting; air flow; troubleshooting; oil burner; oil tanks; and preventive maintenance.
To order the Preparing for the NATE Exam: Gas and Oil Heating Instructor CD, contact RSES by calling 800/ 297-5660 or visit rses.org/store. rses.org
Bill Joplin's Compressor Services Named Carrier Dealer of the Year for 5-State Region
Bill Joplin's Compressor Services, Inc., McKinney, TX, has been named Carrier Dealer of the Year from over 900 dealers in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
Dealerships were honored at a ceremony held during the South Central Carrier Annual Dealer Meeting, in Frisco TX, January 18, 2012.
Joplin's also received the North Texas Area Dealer of the Year Award for the second year in a row, plus recognition for its commitment to employee development: employees have attended more than 100 Carrier factory training sessions.
"I'm extremely proud of our employees for their dedication to providing the best HVAC services," said Bill Joplin. "This award is a reflection of that dedication. The bond of all employees is united around our motto of serving the people of the community honestly and professionally. Every job, every challenge is met with one goal, and that’s to be the best at what we do, while doing it with pleasure for the customer."
Family-owned by the Joplin's, Bill Joplin’s Compressor Services, Inc. is recognized for its exceptional customer service, value, and employee development. joplins.net
Kathy 'Kate from NATE' Corr Announces Retirement from HVACR Industry
Kathy Corr, director of strategic relationships for North American Technician Excellence (NATE), has announced her plans to retire at the end of March 2012. Known throughout the industry as "Kate from NATE," Corr has been an integral member of the NATE team since 2006.
In her role as director of strategic relationships, Corr has traveled the country to spread the word about NATE’s commitment to technician excellence through qualified testing and certification. Her affable personality and professionalism have solidified relationships with countless industry professionals and groups, affording NATE many new opportunities and helping to significantly increase the number of certified technicians.
Throughout most of her tenure at NATE, Corr has overseen all marketing efforts, including a new consumer advertising campaign.
“Kathy has been a vital member of the NATE family for years, and we can’t thank her enough for everything she’s done to expand and enhance this association,” says Don Frendberg, chairman of the NATE board of trustees.
"Through her hard work and leadership, she's made an enormous impact on the long-term success of NATE while also managing many of the day-to-day operations. She will truly be missed, and we all wish her nothing but the best," Frendberg says.
"My retirement is a bittersweet end to a career that’s spanned numerous trades, and I’m incredibly grateful that the last chapter was with NATE," Corr says. "I take great pride in being a part of this association, as well as the HVACR community as a whole; this job has allowed me to connect with so many amazing people, and I will forever appreciate my time as 'Kate from NATE.' As much as I will miss working with the NATE team and seeing my industry friends on a regular basis, the beach is calling." Kathy Corr can be reached at [email protected] until March 30. natex.org
Unified Group Hosts Service Management Forum
The Unified Group hosted its 14th Service Management Forum on Jan. 22-25, in San Antonio,TX. Sixty-three attendees represented 44 member companies. The three-day session focused on leadership, people skills, improving operational efficiency, and sales and client retention.
The session kicked off with speaker, Steve Thomas’ "Creating a Coaching Culture" session. He encouraged attendees to "sip" the information and strategies presented. "Too many times you come back from a training session with a pad full of notes of things you’re going to change," Thomas said. "Then work gets in the way and that note pad gets lost. Sip, don’t guzzle."
Thomas stressed the important roles that people skills and core values play in building an effective team. “At times I felt like Steve Thomas must have spied on my company prior to his session,” said one member company.
The sessions included member discussions of their experiences with field automation systems.
Unified Group members who have implemented some form of field automation shared what product/service their company is using, challenges encountered during implementation, initial and ongoing costs, and return on investment.
“The field automation member panel provided good insight. It will help immensely on avoiding pitfalls,” said one attendee. Other meeting topics included, “Using Financial Data to Make Solid Business Decisions for the Service Department,” and, “Best Practices in Safety.” theunifiedgroup.com
THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT!
From Majestic Steel, the “Unravel” flat-rolled steel calculator makes it easy to verify steel coil and sheet specs. Calculate the weight of a steel coil without a scale, convert gauges to decimals instantly, and find the number of sheets in a bundle. Convert easily between imperial and metric units for both coil and sheet measurements. Input the cost per CWT to compare prices. Works with all coated and uncoated steel. galvanized, aluminized, prepainted or cold rolled material. http://bit.ly/unravelapp
THIS MONTH IN CB HISTORY...
1993: In "Maximize Your Company’s Value," Michael B. Jones provided a guide to planning for financial success through an exit strategy. Types of strategies he described were: generation hand-off; selling the company; absentee ownership; going public; recapitalization; acqusition; and a combination of the above. “A short definition of an exit strategy is, ‘a plan to maximize the value of a company at all times, including at the date of exit from the company.’ By maximizing value at all times, you maintain maximum flexibility at all times,” Jones wrote. “To prepare for an exit strategy, you need to first identify your destination, then develop the business plan of how to get there.”
EVENTS
ASHRAE — American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers — High Performance Buildings Conf., Mar. 12-13, San Diego, CA; ashrae.org/HPBConference.MCAA – Mechanical Contractors Association of America— Annual Convention, Mar. 18-22, Walt Disney World Resort; mcaa.org
HVACR Excellence – Educators & Trainers Conference & Expo, — Mar. 18-20, Las Vegas, NV; 800-394-5268; hvacexcellence.org