Women in HVACR PresidentAdrienne Breedlovekicked off the group’s third meeting Sept. 13 with a report on the group’s activities over the last year. She then introducedKathy McCauley, president of Bridgeview, Ill.-based McCauley Mechanical Construction.
McCauley spoke of her career in a male-dominated industry, and said that meeting women in the same situation, such as at Women in HVACR meetings, is “not measurable in dollars, but in work performance.” A fourth-generation president of her family’s company, as well as the fourth McCauley to be president of MCA of Chicago, she has one key piece of advice for women in the industry: “Don’t make it about being a girl.”
Managing change was the subject ofVicki LaPlant’spresentation. LaPlant, of Vital Learning Experiences Enterprises, discussed the different paradigm shifts occuring in the industry and pointed out that, with women making the majority of home purchasing decisions and the shift in generations, changes need to be made in how businesses sell and market product.
Barbara Keil, president of Keil Heating and Air Conditioning, Riverdale, N.J., spoke about her family’s company, and how it has stayed in business for 98 years. She listed five key things that she believes result in business longevity: 1) flexibility; 2) good customer service; 3) put money back into the business when you can; 4) choose a successor; and 5) always think long-term.
“Working at the company [as a family member] was not an entitlement, but a responsibility,” she said.
Breakout sessions covered two topics: everything you always wanted to know about HVAC (withEd Blum, A.O. Reed & Co., San Diego) and making safety training a priority (Valerie Stakes, Multilingual Training Solutions).
Also speaking wasRuth Kingof HVACChannel.tv, who offered strategies for small businesses, andSharon McGeeof RK Mechanical, who talked about mapping out a strategy for what to do once you’ve reached the pinnacle of your career.
The next Women in HVACR Conference will take place Sept. 25-27, 2007, in St. Louis. Those who register before Jan. 1 can do so at the 2006 rate. For more information, visitwww.womeninhvacr.org.
