Joe Wills, SMO Energy, MD.; Bob Williamson, Moyer Indoor/Outdoor, PA.; Steve Bridge, Shipley Energy, PA.; Rich Goldberg, Warm Thoughts; Jim Townsend, Townsend Energy, MA.; Craig Snyder, Wesson Energy, CT.; Sam Gault, Gault Energy, CT.; Ken Davenport, Heritagenergy, NY; David Singer, Robison Energy, NY ICM: Can you give me some examples? EC: Often, what happens after the meeting is as important as what we discuss during the sessions. We have members calling each other all the time. Many times, they’ll do site visits with their team, especially if they hear that someone is doing something smart they want their guys to learn about. For instance, we have a lot of guys who are trying to diversify into propane or broaden their HVAC services. Doing either of these things can be very tricky, and it helps to hook up your service manager, dispatcher or safety manager with someone you know is doing it right. RG: Here’s one: A few years back, some areas had a very serious propane shortage and it was a bear getting product. One of our members had significant storage and arranged for two other members to pick up from him. It was a long haul, but at the time, everyone nearby was dry. The same thing happened with another guy who couldn’t get his oil barge up river because it was frozen over. One of the members with a terminal basically bailed him out. EC: Normally, the support isn’t that extreme. In my last meeting, we focused on the sales process—from lead generation to sign up—and how the sales team could streamline procedures and improve effectiveness. They shared equipment proposals and there were more than a couple of exclamations of, “Wow, I need to do something more like this.” We did a deep dive into service department profitability and had a big discussion about insurance options, weather hedges and bio. ICM: Who participates? EC: Principally, the participants are owners or general managers of companies. Most of them are very experienced at what they do, but we also have some “next generation” members—the kids who are going to take over the business in a few years. Ninety-five percent of the members are renewing every year, which says a lot about the experience. ICM: Do you set the agenda for the group and is it the same for each group? RG: No, we base the agenda on what that particular group wants/needs to discuss. We reach out to each member and ask whether they are facing anything they’d like feedback on. It could be a question around structuring the company, a better way to handle acquisitions or a problem with a partner. It’s really about helping each member deal with their stuff. We then supplement that with broader topics that we know are important to look at: safety, technology, sales and customer retention, etc. We will also benchmark important key performance indicators (KPIs). Each of us consults with companies so there’s a fair amount we bring to the table from our own experience. ICM: Do members have to be Warm Thoughts customers? RG: Well, we love it when they are, but no, they don’t, and many aren’t. I decided early on that this wasn’t going to be an advertisement for Warm Thoughts’ marketing services. If companies want to go there, great, but this is all about adding value through the group experience. ICM: Have your groups been discussing anything recently that would be worth noting for our readers? EC: Absolutely. Our members run the gamut from as small as 1,500 customers to as large as 70,000, although they belong to different groups. Since we’re in 12 states, we see a wide range. The margin for error is shrinking along with degree days, so finding ways to use technology to track and react to key performance metrics is gaining ground. You have options like BRITE (briteinfo.com) business intelligence software that seems to be making a big impact. Tank monitors are starting to come up more and more in discussion as ancillary heat sources are throwing k-factors Ray Tomasso, Tomasso Brothers Energy, NJ; Ed Cardell, Warm Thoughts Communications, Roy Rucci, Rucci Energy, NY; Jennifer Tracey Carlo, Tracey Energy Services, CT; Mark Brideau, Brideau Energy, MA; Nick Warren, Fisher Churchill, MA; Jorge Castillejo, Snows Energy, MA; Shane Casey, Casey Energy, CT; Steve Ohlert, Oehlert Brothers, PA and Chris Behrens, Dowling Fuel, NJ. 14 ICM May/June 2017
ICM May-June 2017
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