Hey there, Air Flow’s followers.
LONGER POST WARNING.
On March 3rd, it will be 25 years since I purchased the company from my father’s partner’s wife Mary Alice Drees.
Feels like the 20th anniversary blog post was written yesterday, and not 5 years ago.
Since I wrote that post, my title has changed. You see my signature as ‘Visionary’. It’s the most appropriate role for me in our business operating system. I don’t work on many individual projects anymore; rather, I work on whatever is next for Air Flow and for all of you. That’s why our training course book exists, why we’re taking a bunch of customers to Price, why we had a huge and awesome 50th anniversary celebration, and why we have a business operating system in the first place, and why I spend a lot of time on marketing.
If you read that old post (link at the bottom) know that I could write that post all over again and say the same thing.
But around here, it’s all original content. Here goes.
10 Years Ahead
For Air Flow
· Air Flow will still be here, better than ever.
· Air Flow will have a new Visionary. By 2034, with all the technological advances, Air Flow will need (and find) a younger and hungrier leader who will be better suited to the 2.0 world we’ll be living in. You (hopefully) won’t be rid of me in 2034, so don’t plan the retirement party just yet.
For our Industry
· Our economy and your company will have dealt with another massive recession. Some of you will leave the industry by choice or force, but most of this resilient group will still be grinding it out. Some of the weak players will fall, just a symptom of a recession. Leaders, watch your balance sheets. Don’t leave yourself short.
· A new and higher level of service expectation swill be created for the entire supply chain. From architects and engineers to contractors to manufacturers, to reps like us. I used to think reps would go away, and now I see the rest of you can’t live without us. Thank goodness for that.
· AI will become an industry tax to remain competitive for larger companies. AI may build some of our models, but they will be fraught with problems that require human intervention.
· Your skill set will need to change once again. The early adopters of REVIT and the contractors that have undertaken prefabrication will appreciate this. Your company’s future will depend on its ability to make decisions and then carry out changes. I suppose that never really changes, it’s just going to be faster. Think about it this way. By 2034, you’ll have brought on an AI software partner, decided that it sucked, bit the bullet and picked up one that’s better, and are still training it.
· As an industry, we will all be far more focused on the long-term consequences of our systems instead of the first cost. Projects of scale will include forecasts for operational and utility costs. Bank financing will be based upon both sets of parameters.
· Banks and lenders will be better informed and more capable of financing longer-term energy retrofits. I thought that would have happened already, but dang we still can’t get a building to be appraised to include the value of a higher performing HVAC system.
· We will all understand energy (sources, distribution, efficiencies) far better than we do now.
Some things you will see in 2034
· Half of you will have an electric car.
· Half of you will have a heat pump at your home.
· Most (not all) commercial buildings in Wisconsin will be built without gas.
· I will still be thankful for the opportunity to work with all of you. You’re the best.
Sincerely,
An older, and hopefully wiser,
Tom
Here’s a copy of the 20th anniversary post, if you’re curious.
