This is my favourite time of the year because I love beginnings, starting afresh and especially the whole ‘clean slate’ routine.
Best of all, beginnings hold the promise of endless possibilities.
This is the one time of the year when its okay to be brimming with optimism, to be enthusiastic about all that success not yet realised.
We all like to think the next 12 months will be better than the last, that we are entering a period of our lives just bursting with good fortune. Isn’t that what December 31 celebrations are all about?
It’s in this hysterical state of happiness (aka good champagne) that I tend to become reckless. That’s right I carelessly commit to silly things like new year resolutions.
The intoxicating (and intoxicated) voice in my head tells me that this year will be different, that I will actually stick to my new year resolutions.
But who am I kidding, new year resolutions? I’ve never kept them.
New year optimism? I’ll be lucky if it carries me through to February.
Seriously all that new year fervour that has me dancing with joy celebrating the final hours of December 31 never lasts (thankfully, I would be unbearable to be around otherwise).
Let’s be honest the holiday period is a wonderful time of year and I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable break.
Better days
As we all know 2012 was a huge year for this industry but I am confident that there are better days ahead.
Talking to wholesalers for this month’s feature provided me with valuable insight into where we have been and where we are heading (the wholesalers feature begins on page 21).
Heatcraft managing director Bill Moltner said the industry saw more upheaval in 2012 than it has seen in many years (probably decades). Sure it is a pretty bold statement but he is not alone.
Other wholesalers readily agreed.
However, instead of shying away from this volatility these organisations have taken huge strides forward. I cannot help but be impressed by the way they have dealt with all the economic and political uncertainty - they didn’t allow it to overshadow their decision making. Instead of withdrawing the bigger players seemed more confident than ever.
For example, Heatcraft has been busy introducing a range of new initiatives for customers, Actrol is undergoing rapid expansion while RealCold and ebm-papst continue to set new standards in energy efficiency.
What’s remarkable about the wholesalers feature is that, regardless of the external environment, these organisations never lose their focus or their commitment to excellence.
As Moltner pointed out when I asked him about this year’s federal election: “We try not to waste too much energy on things we cannot control.”
Instead the focus is on what they can control and how they can do it well.
An example of this is the Heatcraft Innovation Centre, located west of Sydney.
I recently undertook a tour of the centre which Heatcraft has been busy developing for the past couple of years.
It is an impressive showcase of products from around the world. Not only are products refreshed regularly but customers also use the centre for product testing.
Subscriber news
On the subject of customers, I have some news for subscribers to Climate Control News Online (CCNO).
Your free weekly online newsletter will be returning on January 16, 2013.
If you do not have a subscription simply go to www.climatecontrolnews.com.au
Until next month try to hang on to your new year euphoria for as long as you can.