AI has been all the rage since ChatGPT was unveiled. Not only is it the talk of every conversation relating to technology, price management, operational improvement, customer service, marketing and more, it has also powered the construction market with the explosion of data centers, advanced chip manufacturing, and, of course, the stock market. But, it’s impact to date is … [Read more...] about Making AI Real Intelligence
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Data Centers, a Sustainability Growth Opportunity
As the world embraces digitalization ... everything from eCommerce to AI and more, the need for data centers appears to be growing logarithmically! It is a significant growth opportunity for many HVACR distributors as these "keepers of data" are huge energy hogs and need to be cooled to operate efficiently. Global spending is expected to grow a minimum of 10% per year … [Read more...] about Data Centers, a Sustainability Growth Opportunity
Opinion – HVACR Distributors are beginning to pivot to find new ways to communicate with their end customers
This week, I had a chance to get out of the home office and visit a Mingledorff's HVACR distribution branch location in the Atlanta area close to my home. I follow them closely on social media and have been observing for the past year plus that they are trying to reach and communicate in new ways with their end customers. The Mingledorff's marketing team is communicating … [Read more...] about Opinion – HVACR Distributors are beginning to pivot to find new ways to communicate with their end customers
Opinion – Quick thoughts from the 2024 NAW Executive Summit
The National Association of Wholesale-Distributors Executive Summit was held this week in Washington D.C. Jan 30- Feb 1. This event has a wide mix of distribution leaders from leading Industrial, MRO, Construction, Food, Packaging, Specialty, and two step distributors. It is one to the few events where you can see Electrical channel leaders sitting next to MRO leaders … [Read more...] about Opinion – Quick thoughts from the 2024 NAW Executive Summit
Can Yesterday’s Pricing Strategies Drive Tomorrow’s Profitability?
Pricing is an important element of a distributor's go-to-market approach. If you're not, at least, competitive, you know what will happen to sales. But if you are too low, getting a reputation for that isn't good, nor does it help your bottom line. The past few years, inflation and product availability enabled HVACR distributors to, hopefully, optimize pricing (and net … [Read more...] about Can Yesterday’s Pricing Strategies Drive Tomorrow’s Profitability?
Passion Powers, and Empowers, Leaders
Late last year Dr. Jeffrey Magee, a leading “leadership and marketing strategist” asked me to contribute an article to his publication, Professional Performance Magazine. I had recently been talking with some people about the changes in the industry and what was driving the rate of acquisitions over the past few years. This inspired the below article. And remember, most … [Read more...] about Passion Powers, and Empowers, Leaders
GRN Coastal – Helping The Industry With Talent
Every manufacturer, rep, and distributor leader knows, in their core, that the HVACR industry is a people business. People do business with people. Further, it's the people in your business who deliver the service (and products) that generate revenues. It's the rare occasion when product trumps people. The industry is going through generational change with many "aging out" … [Read more...] about GRN Coastal – Helping The Industry With Talent
Opinion- WATSCO Results show how WATSCO continues to focus on digital programs
WATSCO highlighted their continued commitment to digital enablement in their Q3 Results and recent investor conference presentations. In the world of distribution many private or PE companies do not report results. As a public company Watsco, Inc. in October released their Q3 results and right before the holidays presented some once a year results on digital at an investor … [Read more...] about Opinion- WATSCO Results show how WATSCO continues to focus on digital programs
10 Technology Trends for HVACR Distributors in 2024
Technology is an ever-growing element of improving customer experience and corporate profitability for a distributor. The days of only having an ERP and the equivalent of MS Office on a server are gone. Nowadays every function within the business benefits from technology and essentially there is now “an app for that” inferring if you can conceive it, there is technology that … [Read more...] about 10 Technology Trends for HVACR Distributors in 2024
Launching New Products Effectively
Channel Marketing Group's Gene Biben, with over 40 years' experience in helping manufacturers generate demand for new products, recently shared some thoughts on effectively launching new products and a major flaw in many manufacturers' product launch strategy ... not properly funding the launch strategy with an appropriate sales investment. He uses an experience he had in … [Read more...] about Launching New Products Effectively
