Nearly 250 manufacturers’ representatives, architects and engineers participated in this year’s ClimateMaster national sales meeting, held March 6 and 7 at the Sheraton Oklahoma City Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City.
The meeting provided attendees with the latest information on topics such as: overall system advantages; geothermal project planning; system financing options; identification of new sales opportunities and channels; and earning maximum LEED points and other green building/energy credits with geothermal technology. It also furnished attendees with several hands-on learning opportunities, including those involving hybrid geothermal systems and geothermal loop design.
“Summarizing this year’s ClimateMaster sales meeting, I’d boil it down to two words: education and motivation,” said John Bailey, senior vice president of sales and marketing at ClimateMaster, Inc. “We provided something of educational value for everyone in the audience, whether it was a training on our latest product lines, a session on tools for streamlining the sales lead tracking process, or a presentation on some of our latest project success stories. We also addressed many of the reasons why our sales staff, rep firms and their key customers should be more than elated at our trajectory of achievement in commercial projects, as well as the additional opportunities currently in the pipeline.”
“The ClimateMaster 2012 national sales meeting was a huge success,” said Dennis ‘Denny’ Meyer, director of commercial sales at ClimateMaster. “Many new products were announced and the excitement from our commercial sales representatives was well received. From across all our attendees, we heard enthusiastic feedback that ClimateMaster continues to show its muscle as an innovator and clear leader in the water source and geothermal industry.”
Sales meeting attendees were introduced to and provided with training on a number of ClimateMaster’s newest products, including:
- Tranquility Two-Stage Rooftop (TRT) Series unit,
- Tranquility 30 (TE) unit,
- Tranquility Vertical Stack (TSM and TTM) Series units,
- Tranquility 22 Two Stage Compact (TY) and Two Stage High Efficiency (TZ) Series units
- Tranquility Compact Belt Drive (TCV) Series unit with a vertical cabinet.
“Our most recent units reflect a response to demand for a broader size and efficiency range in relation to specific application parameters, as well as greater ease of unit installation, troubleshooting and maintenance,” said Tony Landers, marketing director for commercial products at ClimateMaster. According to Landers, ClimateMaster units being rolled out in 2012 will include features such as advanced controls systems and infield configuration capabilities to streamline installation and setup, as well as reduce maintenance and callback issues.
“It was evident from the meeting that ClimateMaster is dedicated to constantly evolving its product line in order to address the new and changing needs we see every day in the field,” said Darrin Beller, president of Air Products Supply in Oklahoma City. “I know the latest products for 2012 are going to help us increase business, and innovations like the new controls system will further streamline our involvement with unit installation and maintenance.”
“ClimateMaster’s newest products definitely created excitement at the meeting, which was managed exceptionally well from a customer relations, networking and entertainment aspect,” said David Pleasants, principal of Pleasants Energy Services LLC in Greensboro, NC.
“This year’s ClimateMaster national sales meeting was very informative, and sessions like the one on geothermal loop design by Trey Austin will definitely be beneficial to my business,” said Dale Vest of Vest-Feld-Hazer & Associates, Inc. in Grimes, IA. “We were also impressed with the single pipe geo projects we visited throughout Oklahoma City, especially as I’ve only had a couple of single pipe projects in Iowa, and have been promoting the single pipe since returning from our trip. The factory tour was also enjoyable and educational, and I would recommend it as a requirement for everyone at next year’s meeting," Vest said.
The meeting featured four learning tracks, and was tailored to the individual needs of a variety of participants.
“This year’s attendees included not only our commercial sales force and rep firms, but a number of their key architects, engineers and contractors as well,” Landers said. “To accommodate the differing interests, we provided several whole-group learning sessions, as well as breakout sessions designed to bring unique value to these individual audiences.”
Attendees also received information on several recent ClimateMaster projects and participated in project site tours throughout the greater Oklahoma City area.
“It was rewarding to have the opportunity to present at the ClimateMaster sales meeting and exemplify our success in incorporating geothermal at Gloria Marshall Elementary School, Spring, TX, while also sharing knowledge with peers about how something like this can be achieved,” said architect Jody Henry, LEED AP, of SHW Group. Houston, TX. Henry’s firm was responsible for the design of the Spring Independent School District’s 105,000 sq. ft. Gloria Marshall Elementary School, which successfully secured a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and was also designed to earn an ENERGY STAR rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Constructed in 2010, the school features a high-performance HVAC system that incorporates geothermal technology from ClimateMaster. As the first of its kind to be used for heating and cooling in a Houston school, the system is expected to facilitate at least a 25% energy savings beyond that specified by code.
“Bringing attendees to several geothermal project sites throughout Oklahoma City was a great way to shed light on the advancements we’re making in this industry, as well as show them how simply yet effectively geothermal can be incorporated into their own projects,” said Meyer.
The meeting included a sales awards presentation recognizing 13 “outstanding sales reps for 2011:
- Air Products Supply
- Air Tec
- Airtechni, Inc.
- Chesapeake Tower Systems, Inc.
- HVAC Distributors, Inc.
- KRS Associates, LLC
- Macaire, Inc.
- Mechanical Products Nevada
- Mechanical Products Southwest
- Sass Moore & Associates, Inc.
- Tobey-Karg Sales Agency
- Vest-Fest-Hazer & Associates, Inc.
- Weber-Huff, Inc.
"We were honored to receive an award from ClimateMaster for outstanding sales at a national level in 2011,” said Beller, of Air Products Supply. “It’s nice to be recognized and supported by suppliers, and we’re hoping to do even better this year.”
"I’m confident we were successful in arming our largest sales force to date with the motivation and knowledge to make 2012 a phenomenal year for ClimateMaster,” Bailey said. “I expect great things, and am really excited to see our reps take us that next step forward.”