Hardi Promotions 3 October 25, 2010 : Page 1

C O NVE NT IO N D A IL Y MONDAY October 25, 2010 Houston, TX hardi FORGING NEW FRONTIERS EV E N T S C H E D U L E TUESDAY 7 a.m. HALO-HARDI cancer walk 8 a.m. General membership meeting/HARDI briefs the industry 8:15 a.m. Friendship breakfast 9:45 a.m. Hydronic heating and cooling council Controls distributors council Refrigeration systems council HVAC systems and equipment council 11:30 a.m. Lunch, ‘Reading Those Economic Tea Leaves’ (Jeff Dietrich) 1 p.m. Historic bayou bend tour (optional) 1:45 p.m. Regional TRENDS analysis ‘Loving Some Customers More Than Others’ (Al Bates) 3 p.m. ‘Getting Back to the Good Old Days’ (Al Bates) ‘Word on the Street: Forecast for HVAC’ (Stephen Tusa Jr.) ‘Service Leadership and the Triple Win’ (Sid Strickland) 6 p.m. Reception 7 p.m. Closing festivities S Wailea, Hawaii ee you next year in HARDI’s convention dailies are produced by BNP Media. Sally Fraser, publisher and advertising sales; Michael McConnell, editor; Karen Talan, production manager; Wendy Zaremba-Just, senior art director; and Ally Caruss, art director. Texas company chief operating offi cer to be HARDI president H VAC distribution was not where Rich-ard Cook started his professional life, but he’s very happy that it’s where he ended up. Although his father worked as a manager for a gas company, selling air conditioners that ran on natural gas, Cook initially went into accounting and later of⇒ce management. However, he soon realized neither ⇒eld paid as well as HVAC sales. That realization led to a job with York and eventually a position as commercial sales manager at Houston-based Johnson Supply and over time, Cook’s position as 2010-2011 HARDI president. Cook will be taking over for outgoing presi-dent Chrissy Nardini ofAmericanMetals Sup-ply Co. Inc., at the close of this week’s event. It’s a challenge that the 58-year-old presi-dent and chief operating of⇒ cer at Johnson Supply said he looks forward to undertaking. “I was honored to do so,” Cook said. “I think HARDI is one of the best things that in⇓u-ence our industry. I really, passionately believe in the orga-nization.” Cook has a long history with HARDI and prede-cessors such as the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Wholesalers. After ARW merged with the Northamerican Heating, Refrigeration and Airconditioning Wholesalers to form HARDI in 2002, Cook became director for the new group’s southwest region. Richard Cook Currently, representatives from 14 companies, including some of Johnson’s com-petitors, sit on the board. “We all work together pretty well,” he said. But that doesn’t mean board members don’t compete as hard as ever to secure busi-Continued on pg. 4 EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES Admit it: Some customers are wrong By Jim Olsztynski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 2 Going ‘green’ can mean more money for your business By Al Levi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 10 HARDI Convention Daily 1

Texas Company Chief Operating Offi Cer To Be HARDI President

HVAC distribution was not where Richard Cook started his professional life, but he’s very happy that it’s where he ended up. Although his father worked as a manager for a gas company, selling air conditioners that ran on natural gas, Cook initially went into accounting and later of. Ce management. However, he soon realized neither . Eld paid as well as HVAC sales. That realization led to a job with York and eventually a position as commercial sales manager at Houston-based Johnson Supply and over time, Cook’s position as 2010-2011 HARDI president. Cook will be taking over for outgoing president Chrissy Nardini of American Metals Supply Co. Inc., at the close of this week’s event. It’s a challenge that the 58-year-old president and chief operating of. Cer at Johnson Supply said he looks forward to undertaking.Our industry. I really, passionately believe in the organization.”“I was honored to do so,” Cook said. “I think HARDI is one of the best things that in. Uence Cook has a long history with HARDI and predecessors such as the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Wholesalers. After ARW merged with the Northamerican Heating, Refrigeration and Airconditioning Wholesalers to form HARDI in 2002, Cook became director for the new group’s southwest region. Currently, representatives from 14 companies, including some of Johnson’s competitors, sit on the board. “We all work together pretty well,” he said.Ness in the region. But that doesn’t mean board members don’t compete as hard as ever to secure busi-Ness in the region. “It still doesn’t make us any less competitive,” he said. “We still get pretty intense at times.” The relationships, both professional and personal, that HARDI has been a part of cultivating have meant a lot, he added. “Everybody says this, it’s a cliché, but it’s true in my case — I enjoy the people” of this industry, Cook said. While he’s busy tending to the new duties and travel that come with being HARDI’s president, Cook said Johnson Supply will be in capable hands thanks to CEO Carl Johnson, Cook’s executive staff and Johnson’s talented employees. The company currently has about 245 workers spread out at its 23 branches throughout Texas and Louisiana, including Texas cities Austin, Corpus Christi and Fort Worth, and Louisiana locations in Lafayette and Lake Charles. The 57-year-old company currently does around $100 million in annual volume and is “probably pretty lucky to be in Texas,” Cook said, adding that the Lone Star State hasBeen less affected by the U.S. recession than some other markets. “We’ve had a little bene. T from the (hot summer) weather,” he said. And HARDI has been a tremendous resource to company of. Cials at JohnsonCook said, from using the data in the association’s pro. T reports and forecasts to the annual “. Y-in” lobbying event it holds with the Air Conditioning Contractors of America each year. That event keeps him busy. Cook said that in one day during this year’s event, he met with 13 legislators or their staff members. “HARDI does a wonderful job of organizing the meetings,” he said. Cook admits that he isn’t always happy after his interactions with senators and representatives. “I . Nd it’s not always as satisfying as I would like it to be,” he said, adding that he still believes it’s important to make the effort, especially with industry issues such as taxes and regulations likely to continue cropping up and potentially affecting members. In the next year, Cook said he hopes to continue working to improve relationships between manufacturers and distributors in the supply chain. “There are a lot of times that we don’t understand each other as well as we should,” he said.

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