In two-and-a-half days of complete collaboration and excellent company, more than 30 members of The Unified Group made their way to Chicago, IL to participate in the first ever Small/Special Projects Forum. Attendees from all over the United States spoke of their issues, while also creating solutions and sharing HVAC-related experiences.

“The best part of this meeting was being able to bounce our everyday struggles off others who are going through a lot of the same issues,” Robert Price of A&G Services said. “Now I have connections to other small/special project people to help refine processes.”

Jake Ramsey of Fez Mechanical kickstarted the meeting with interactive introductions, where members were able to learn more about each other, while sharing a few laughs. The guest facilitator, Randy Nemchin of Radical Guidance Consulting, hopped into the conversation and began facilitating panel discussions. “Managing Manpower & Scheduling” was day one’s highlight. This topic began with panel specialists covering the processes they use within their company, then they went back to their small groups to facilitate a discussion between tablemates.

Day one concluded with a group dinner at Joe’s Live, where members shared camaraderie and a delicious barbecue meal.

“Strategies to Avoid Tech Burnout” was the highlight of the second day. Members discussed occurrences and how they accommodate the technicians’ stress and exhaustion that is often not talked about. Nemchin shared the importance of caring for employees’ mental health, which leads to the success and productivity of a company. This topic was so valuable because many of the leaders in the room were not fully aware of the importance and substantiality of mental health in the workplace.

“The highlight from these sessions is how the conversations make me think about several issues in a different light,” Jeff Beekman of Legacy Mechanical said.

After two productive days with Nemchin, members came back on day three ready to conclude an excellent conference. “How to Handle the Clash Between Service & Construction” was day three’s highest rated segment. Members participated in small group discussions covering fundamental topics such as the logistics of making it work, through in-depth examples of specific tactics implemented to progress company-wide success.

Overall, attendees and facilitators made the 2023 Small/Special Projects Forum a great addition to the meeting schedule with insightful discussions, successful strategies shared, and memories that will last a lifetime. If your company is interested in participating in an upcoming conference (ie: Construction Forum, Safety Directors’ Forum, Annual Meeting & Owners’ Forum, Service Management Forum, Sales Forum, and many more), contact Janet Kelleher at KelleherJ@theunifiedgroup.com for more information.