Category: The Cooling Journal

No matter the level of sophistication of yours or someone else’s business, I can assure you there is always something to learn that will make a difference in your business. New ideas are created by exposing yourself to the ideas of others. The greatest compliment to another individual or company is when you take an idea that has been shared and make it your own. Just like all of your relationships in life, they are only as good as the effort that you put into them. 

Not a NARSA event goes by that someone doesn’t pull me aside for a quick anecdote about a kind gesture that my grandad did when they were first starting in the radiator business or a story of how my dad was tasked with giving the blessing at each event he attended. These two men have created such a strong foundation for our family in this industry that it seems only natural for me to follow in their footsteps and serve as the next NARSA/IDEA president, but boy will these be some awfully big shoes to fill.

The Board of Directors decided on a different approach to start the search for my replacement. In the past, the search was kept behind the scenes. Sometimes head hunters were used to identify candidates, but now the Board is convinced that a person from within our industry is best suited to help manage the affairs of the association.

So this is it… my last editorial as NARSA/IDEA President. One thing I can say is that in no way did it go as expected. As NARSA/IDEA’s first and hopefully only pandemic President, my experience was in many ways unique. What should have been two years full of meetings with members and visiting shops and factories was converted into virtually zero travel and lots of zoom calls. I think I can speak for virtually all members in stating that I will not be missing the lack of in-person events that my term in office unfortunately necessitated. However, like all radiator professionals worldwide, we did what we did best and adapted to the new reality.

I recently had the honor to preside over the induction of one of the most admired members of the NARSA/IDEA community. David Bienvenu has been a fixture of the NARSA community for more than 30 years now. I first met David at a NARSA event at his shop in 2009. It was one of the most successful Ed-Techs to that point, and it opened my eyes to a whole other branch of the heat transfer industry.

We live in an age where we are more connected than ever and yet paradoxically, it is also easier than ever to exist in cultural and professional silos where everyone thinks like us. While this may be comforting, it usually does not promote learning new ideas. It is precisely that exchange with others who may look at something from a different perspective that helps you grow.