• International Service Leadership Joins National Comfort Institute Group

    Oct. 1, 2008
    With a goal of being the leading organization in North America focused on helping HVAC contractors grow and differentiate their businesses, National Comfort Institute has acquired International Service Leadership Inc.(ISL).

    With a goal of being the leading organization in North America focused on helping HVAC contractors grow and differentiate their businesses, National Comfort Institute has acquired International Service Leadership Inc.(ISL).

    The joining of forces will result in an all new service partnership that provides technical best practices and industry leading Performance-Based Contracting programs and education along with sales, marketing and business programs to help contractors thrive in a highly competitive environment.

    Together the two companies will be able to provide training and education on Performance-Based Contracting™ services for HVAC contractors along with the methods to implement, market and sell these services to the consumer. "We are very excited to team up with ISL," says Dominick Guarino CEO of National Comfort Institute. "The programs that ISL offers fit in perfectly with what we are doing. Now we will be able to offer a truly turn-key package of products and services for Performance-Based Contractors.

    NCI believes HVAC contractors must be equipped to deliver products and services that respond to the demand for increased energy efficiency and “green” services. The NCI Group provides them with the tools and training they need to deliver measured efficiency, comfort and performance to their customers,” says Guarino. “With ISL's added expertise we feel that contractors that participate in NCI’s programs will be the most successful in the nation."

    National Comfort Institute has long been known as a leader in providing professional training on topics such as air diagnostics, air balancing, carbon monoxide detection, combustion efficiency and overall HVAC system performance. Over their 15 years in business NCI has trained over 15,000 HVAC professionals in various technical disciplines through their 1, 2 or 3 day courses along with PerforMaxx University.

    International Service Leadership has evolved from the 1990 membership organization named Contractor's Success Group. Through the years ISL has taken many forms but most recently was owned and operated by three leading contractors. ISL's focus has always been to help their membership with sales, service and general business practices.

    Late in 2007 the principals at NCI and ISL began working on a joint program for ISL members entitled SCORE (Seasonal Calculated Operational Running Efficiency). During this project the two companies realized how well they complimented each other and the idea of joining talents hatched. Milt Baum, President of ISL and owner of Keil Heating in New Jersey remarked "the background and resources of NCI will be a major value to the ISL membership. Together we will be able to help our members grow in ways that we never could as separate companies. I see NCI and ISL as experienced enough to offer the highest level of training and support in all areas of HVAC along with the flexibility needed to adapt to the changing economic and marketing conditions."

    All staff will remain at both NCI and ISL and they will continue to function as they have in the past. Both companies have membership groups that will benefit from new services offered as a result of the merger. New member benefits will be announced to both groups as they are available with new benefits to contractors belonging to both groups.

    "One of the outcomes of joining forces is to provide higher quality services and a better value to our customers" says Rob Falke, President of NCI. "People that know Dom, Milt, Bob (Wilkins) and I know we are sincere in our goal of improving our industry as a whole. This company provides more options to do that." National Comfort Institute currently supports a number of subsidiaries including: National Balancing Council, a commercial test and balance certification organization; Energy Stewards International, a business that offers third party verification and performance rating programs; and National Comfort Team, NCI's own membership organization created to improve contractor's knowledge and implementation of Performance Based Contracting services.

    The announcement was first made at the ISL Owners Conference, October 16-18 in Atlanta Georgia. The next combined company event will be at the NCT Summit scheduled for February 2009.

    For more information on National Comfort Institute and International Service Leadership contact Steve Vannoy at 440/949- 1850.