The future of HVACR distribution is already here. But if your company is solely focused on the impending changeover to more eco-friendly components, it’s missing out on future-proofing the industry’s workforce. Rhonda Wight is miles ahead on both fronts. As CEO of Ohio-based Refrigeration Sales Corporation (RSC), she believes that developing next-gen talent is everyone’s job.
Jason chats with Rhonda about her commitment to mentorship and why it’s beneficial to the entire HVACR ecosystem. The pair also discuss RSC’s systematic approach to budget planning and how it pays off in the long run.
“I got involved on accident,” laughs Rhonda. “I answered an ad, started working [at RSC] part-time while finishing my degree, and fell in love with the industry.” Fast-forward three decades. Rhonda still enjoys working in the HVACR industry, the relationships she’s built through committee participation, and her company’s obligation to customer care. Rhonda points to RSC’s “Just Say Yes” initiative, an example of the latter. “We’ve gotta figure out a way to say yes to whatever it is they need from us,” she says, especially as the industry mandatory change to H2L refrigerants.
Budgeting is another area in which RSC excels. “It’s literally a line-by-line process that we go through, says Rhonda, adding, “Some people argue that it takes too much time and includes too much detail. Sure, but one of the things we get by doing it that way is ownership. People really feel like they’ve signed up for what they think they can do.”
As arduous as budget forecasting is, Rhonda still finds time to volunteer for board participation and mentorship programs. In addition to serving with Blue Hawk and NEEP, Rhonda was the first HARDI chair to serve the shorter two-year term. “It was a lot of work,” she admits, “but it was time well spent.” She’s proud of her work with HARDI’s Emerging Leaders Program and encourages everyone in the industry to consider becoming a mentor. “We talk a lot here about the different generations in our industry,” Rhonda says. “If we can master getting all these generations to work together, I just think we can be so much better.”
RECOMMENDED EPISODES
QUOTES
“We never say we won’t make mistakes. We try not to repeat the same mistakes and to own our mistakes and make it right for our customers.”
“The industry has given me so much. I’ve learned from so many great people that are in this industry, that know so much more than I do, more than I ever will. I guess I look at it as it’s my duty, and it’s my honor to give back, and to sort of pay it forward, if you will.”
“There’s so many young people that want to get into our industry and we need to embrace that. We need to help them.”
“There’s so many facets in this industry, and the more personalities and more different generations we can have involved, I think it’s better for all of us.”
“I’ve built some lifelong friendships that I cherish from some of those board seats that I held and just from the industry in general.”
“Preparing ourselves for the future and developing that next level of management is what we all should be doing for our businesses and for our industry.”
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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.
This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios
Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices, and INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.
