home builder. The HVAC portion of my business has now become Aire Serv of Southern Michigan. How did your experiences prior to Aire Serv help you make the transition to owning an Aire Serv franchise? As a successful business owner for both building custom homes and being able to flank with an appendage HVAC business, I have always approached both businesses looking at all sides of the issues being contemplated. What are some of your goals in 2017? • Increase social media exposure • Hire an HCD • Experience greater revenue from our already established customer base • Increase revenue through increased Advantage Plans sales • Improving our presentation of accessory options • Implementing “the big board” • Watching employees succeed with taking on the Aire Serv way of moving forward Looking back, did you ever have those days when you wondered, “Why am I an entrepreneur?” If so, what helped you push through and continue on the road to success? No, I have accomplished what was needed to have continued success. I have enjoyed entrepreneurship and will continue enjoying watching my business continue to grow in ways of which I had not yet thought. Howmany people do you have on your team? Do you want to give a shout out to some or all of them by name and position/role? We currently have nine employees. I will say that I am fortunate to have Marc Heibel, our Lead Service Person, who has been employed by me, has served beside me, bringing great ideas and strong centering, since the day I bought the company, more than 27 years ago. This dedication is unparalleled by anyone else on the team. Sherri Laing has also been a long- standing employee of more than 10 years and has brought many ideas to the table, with great enthusiasm, significant cooperation, and successful implementation of these ideas. The other people on my current team also significantly make my business a collective success on any given day. Do you have plans to expand your team? Yes, plans for expansion have always been useful to building and growing my company. I absolutely will continue along this way, growing the team as the new business requires.
worldwide web, with instant quotes, and assurances that may or may not be real. Therefore, they do ask for more competitive pricing with more thrown into the quotes. In this way, the consumers seem to be comparing apples from our quotes to oranges from the online, less explained quotes, all while holding our company to the same expectations. How do you see our industry changing in the next five years? I am heavily involved with geothermal, however, I believe with the tax credit gone after 2016, there will be a dip in new geothermal installations. I see no reason the servicing of the already placed geothermal systems will diminish, but the sales for new installs will assuredly fall. Therefore, the replacement needs will grow, but not the installs. We already have experienced a jump in sales for mini split systems and heat pumps. I believe this trend will continue to grow. What are some new technologies you are intrigued by or interested in? • Inverter compressors • Air source heat pumps that provide lower winter time operation • Wi-fi thermostats • Greater smart home automation I would first have to consider the level of their experiences before I could advise them any further. I could easily speak of my own experiences, but having served as an adviser for many years at Lennox Industries, I know the importance of considering precisely what it is they are asking about. I might also say that it is important to take their time when deciding and to be sure their questions are being answered in the way they need to hear the information. I would also encourage new franchisees to reach out to the support system Aire Serv has in place. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family. How do you relax? What are your favorite hobbies and interests? My wife, Eileen, joins me in my business as she has 30 years of experiences in the HVAC world. We spend a lot of time with our families. With two adult children and eight grandchildren, our blessings are many. We also have a four-year-old Golden Retriever, Leo, who has been the star of some advertising for my business. Relaxation for us is gained through travel, boating, lake activities, and farming over 450 acres of land. Name two things that you feel make you unique. I have a caring and giving personality, a sense of humor that keeps us laughing, and an ability to solve problems quickly. What is some advice that you would offer to new Aire Serv franchisees about starting and building their franchise business?
Do you see any trends in what homeowners are asking for? Consumers have access to more information via the
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