A “consummate professional.” “Integrity.” “Honesty.” “Deep industry knowledge.” These words were used to describe Joe Cunningham as a candidate for the Contracting Business HVAC Hall of Fame.
“Training has always been part of Joe’s DNA,” the nominator continued, with fine examples how Joe Cunningham has indeed devoted his life to instructing HVAC business owners and technicians in the ways of excellence in sales, management, leadership and technical proficiency.
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Cape Gerardeau, Mo., Joe Cunningham’s professional career began in home improvement sales. Before long he returned to the DC region, where the economy was stronger and work more plentiful. But, in the 1980s, when the DC economy was struggling, Joe took the advice of a friend from Houston, who couldn’t say enough about work opportunities in the booming Texas town. He set up four interviews, got hired by four companies, and picked the
one he thought was best.
He worked as a home improvement contractor for another eight months and started subbing out air conditioner installations. Soon, he was exclusively into AC sales. He sold $1 million of HVAC system replacements in one year, which got the attention of distributors and OEMs. Carrier hired Joe to train two struggling dealers in the art of selling, and later hired him to teach sales to its distributors in Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon and Louisiana, through a program known as “Texas Tough.” He was also a key contributor to Carrier’s “Value-Added Selling” and “Value-Added Service” training programs.
Joe Cunningham's Technical Arts Academy provides a course of study that turns someone with no HVAC experience into an entry-level maintenance technician in nine days.
After two years, Joe joined Brandon Reed at retrotec, and built a selling
program for retrotec blower doors, and then ran a retrotec distributorship that covered most of the eastern and southeastern United States.
Next came training stints with Contractor Success Group, owned by Jim Abrams and John Young. Abrams and Young hired Joe to run their new training venture, Future University in St. Louis, followed by Service Experts. Cunningham says he stopped counting the number of people he had trained once it reached 30,000. “It’s hard to find anybody that’s been in business for awhile that doesn’t know me or hasn’t been to my training programs,” he says.
Tired of all the travelling for Service Experts, Abrams and Young offered a change, and soon Joe was teaching the HVAC industry’s first regularly broadcasted scheduled training program, out of a studio in Tyler, Texas. “After about six or eight months of that, I ran a couple other centers for them and fixed some issues there. After that, they wanted me to move to Nashville, which just wasn't in the cards for me,” he said.
Cunningham went back into business for himself in 1998 by starting SuccessTrack Network, which continues to this day. His training for technicians improves sales, profitability, improves technician working conditions, provides better outcomes for homeowners and reduces call back visits.
Joe Cunningham's Technical Arts Academy provides a course of study that turns someone with no HVAC experience into an entry-level maintenance technician in nine days.
In 2008 Cunningham came calling at the door of Service Nation/Service Roundtable, for an informative show-and-tell of his methods. Service Nation’s leaders Matt Michel and David Heimer were impressed. Heimer set Joe up as the headliner in a limited series of sales training road shows, which were ultimately expanded across the country. He continues today as a Service Roundtable “Coach-Consultant.”
Joe Cunningham was Honorary Chairman of the President’s Small Business Council under President George W. Bush.
“For over thirty years, Joe Cunningham has selflessly given of his experience and expertise to raise the level of professionalism and competence within the HVAC industry. I am honored to call him a friend,” said Steve Miles, president/CEO, Jerry Kelly Co.
“Joe was the first consultant I worked with. Our relationship has spanned over 35 years. He helped my staff and me with all of my companies. No other trainer or consultant has done more or worked with more companies than Joe. He is at the top of my list when I have industry questions,” said HVAC entrepreneur Ben Stark, now a trainer for Go Time Success Group.