Industry Icon, Tom McCart, Dies After Lengthy Illness

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - Tom McCart, “HVAC’s Million-Dollar Salesman,” industry icon and Service Roundtable Consult & Coach Partner passed away on June 10, 2004 after a lengthy bout with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is an incurable fatal neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness resulting in paralysis. Tom McCart distinguished himself by being the first salesperson to sell $1,000,000 in residential replacement HVAC equipment in one year. He did it his first full year in the business, which was 1985. In a career marked with firsts, McCart was the first recipient of the “Thomas R. ‘Doc’ Rusk Award” as well as the Service Roundtable “Servant Leader Award.” He began his career in HVAC at Modern Air Conditioning in Fort Myers, Florida., where he remained for four years. He spent the next few years working as a combination salesperson/sales manager for a few local companies then, with the exception of three years as vice president of Training and Development for Dwyer Trade Services, spent the balance of his career as an industry consultant, speaker and sales trainer. McCart was the author of numerous articles printed in industry publications and seven HVAC industry-related books and a software package, all of which are available at www.hvacprofitboosters.com, which will also move ahead with plans to release an interview with him, shot in April of this year, on DVD within the next 90 days. He founded and served as President of No Secrets, Inc., a HVAC training and consulting firm. His wife of nearly forty years, Diane, has assumed the role of President. His seminars and consulting business has been turned over to long-time friend and colleague, Mack Heaton. His website, www.nosecrets.com will remain online. Up until a few days before his passing McCart remained active on the Service Roundtable as a Consult & Coach Partner, where he responded to member questions on an almost daily basis. He also mentored and assisted contractors over the telephone and via e-mail at no charge. “Just as Tom made a tremendous contribution to our industry, his passing is a greater loss,” says long-time friend and associate, Charlie Greer. “With Tom, it was always about the needs and wants of others. This industry may never see another individual who gave so freely of himself, to the industry, and to the people he loved.” McCart accepted his medical condition with a degree of courage that is seldom seen. “What makes my situation easy to accept is that we were born to die,” says McCart. "Life, to me, has been one challenge after another. You’ve got to meet it head-on. You accept life for what it is, but you don’t have to suffer from it. Be the best you can be. For me, survival is not an option. I want to win. I feel very fortunate. I feel like a winner.”