Reflections on Innovation and Community
The NCI High Performance Summit is always one of my favorites, and this year’s event in Asheville, NC was no exception. The contractors in attendance have already bought into performance contracting – and measureQuick is now simply providing the tools to make it faster and easier to practice their craft.
I was thrilled to attend alongside our measureQuick team members Joe Medosch, our Director of Training, and Brian Feenie, our Business Development Manager. Joe led several engaging sessions on the practical applications of our new features, while Brian was supporting contractors and gathering valuable feedback. What struck us most was the overwhelming enthusiasm for measureQuick – at least half the attendees raised their hands when asked if they were using our software, and there wasn’t a time when people weren’t talking about it.
This year was particularly exciting as we unveiled our groundbreaking integration with NCI and The Energy Conservatory (TEC) – the NCI Air Upgrade™. Our integration was so well-received that measureQuick was incorporated into three daily sessions by NCI’s own trainers, showcasing the True Flow grid and our software capabilities.
A Tight-Knit Community
One of the things I love most about the NCI Summit is the sense of community. While there’s a deep caring for the industry, there’s also a profound care for each other. This is a tightly knit group that wants to ensure everyone’s success, happiness, and well-being.
The summit also provided an opportunity for meaningful connections. During my presentation, I shared a personal story about my health journey, which resonated deeply with many attendees. This led to numerous conversations throughout the conference, strengthening our bond with the NCI community.
During my livestream at the event with Bryan Orr, Bryan captured why we’re both so excited to be at events like this with this statement:
“
Nobody cares what political party you’re part of, or a lot of the things that normally would divide people. In a place like this, it doesn’t exist. It’s not what we’re talking about. It’s not what we’re interested in. There isn’t that level of agenda. I hear it really is about problem solving.”
A Culture of Continuous Learning
The educational content at this year’s NCI High-Performance HVAC Summit was exceptional, addressing the rapid changes in our industry. From electrification and heat pumps to inverter technology, the summit prepared attendees to meet new opportunities head-on.
Though I wasn’t able to attend them, I heard that the breakout sessions were particularly impressive this year. John Boylan’s insights on building a high-performance culture and Dawn Mroczek’s strategies for high-performance sales were standout presentations. On the technical side, Dustin Cole’s session on HVAC renovations and Mark Hunt’s advanced combustion testing techniques offered crucial knowledge for improving our work. The summit also covered cutting-edge topics like climate-resilient heat pump strategies and solving inverter installation issues.
Bryan Orr‘s keynote on attracting and retaining talent was a highlight, providing valuable insights for team building. I was particularly struck by something Bryan said that resonated with many attendees. Jennifer Manzo shared it during our Misfits of HVAC live stream session:
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Bryan said today to stop trying to fit contractors into those boxes. Let them be who they want to be and who they’re meant to be.”, realizing that “not everybody’s me. Not everybody wants to go home and do HVAC and then go to sleep and do HVAC and then wake up and do HVAC and HVAC all the time.“
The hands-on experience in PerformanceTown, featuring advanced diagnostics with the latest tools, was an excellent opportunity to put theory into practice. Overall, the summit provided transformative knowledge, equipping attendees with the tools to outperform in the coming year and beyond.
measureQuick, TEC & The NCI Air Upgrade™
At the heart of our participation this year was the introduction of our integration with NCI and TEC – The NCI Air Upgrade™. We’ve been working hard on this, aiming to solve a problem that plagues our industry: low profit margins and high callback rates due to airflow issues.
During our presentation, we demonstrated how the NCI Air Upgrade™ works seamlessly within the measureQuick app. We’ve introduced three new quick tests:
- AirMaxx with True Flow – When the user has a True Flow grid and static pressure measurements. Goes out to the TEC app, captures measurements and sends them back to mQ.
- AirMaxx with Fan Tables – When the user measures static pressure and uses OEM fan charts.
- Static Pressure Screening – When the user measures static pressure only.
What we’re most excited about is the tangible benefits for HVAC professionals. We’re talking about potentially increasing revenue per ticket by $2000-$3000 at 60-70% gross margin, while reducing callbacks and increasing customer satisfaction.
Looking Ahead
The enthusiasm for this new integration was palpable at the summit. I overheard David Richardson from NCI say during The Misfits of HVAC live stream:
“
It’s all about perspective – and you get different perspectives from different parts of the country, and sometimes it’s just somebody pointing something out that may be 90 degrees different than what you’re doing, things that you had never considered. It’s looking through a different lens. And we tried to take one gold nugget that we could take back and use. And some of them, they worked, While others… we absolutely killed it with them.”
I believe the NCI Air Upgrade™ is one of these gold nuggets – it’s a game-changer for solving airflow problems that seemed unattainable for most contractors before now. It embodies what the NCI Summit is all about: innovative solutions that drive our industry forward while fostering a community of professionals who support each other’s success.
As we look ahead to next year’s summit in Austin, Texas, I’m excited to see how HVAC professionals will leverage these new tools to transform their businesses. In the meantime, I invite you to experience the NCI Air Upgrade™ for yourself:
- Download the measureQuick app and try out the new NCI Quick Tests
- Consider investing in a TEC DG8 Digital Pressure Gauge or Digital TrueFlow® Grid
- Explore NCI membership for even more benefits
Together, let’s continue to elevate our industry, one Air Upgrade™ at a time.
See you at next year’s NCI High Performance Summit?
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