Jim Chesmore
New member
I have been resi in the past and this year I am branching out to resi-comm (condo, apt, complex). I will become a member of UAMCC after my season picks up.
Air Filter & Coil Cleaning
100% Commercial - Subcontracting all residential out. (except one as a favor) (Paying 90% of net just to get out rid of the accounts)
And YES, the profit MARGIN is higher on residential but the HOURLY income is less than 1/4 commercial. It's more beneficial for me to do 20 jobs a day at $300/hr than one job a day at $75/hr. even though my profit MARGIN on the latter is more.
I'm not a member of the UAMCC. I am not a member of N(ational) A(ir) F(ilter) A(ssociation). or any other associations. I've spent thousands on them over the years.
Beginning in 1994 I thought I had to sign on with every association that came along and get certified for this and certified for that, but in the end, as large as the associations were, they offered nothing more than I could get shopping around myself.
The insurance discounts were eventually proved to be bogus.
The supplier discounts were a joke - funny how the discounts always came from the highest priced vendors and even with the discounts you end up paying 20% more than if you just shopped around!
The government representation eventually became limited to whatever benefited the leaders of the orgs and were crafted to eliminate others.
Some Air filter contract TEMPLATES for schools and government bldgs. have been written in a way that completely eliminates anyone but members - and sometimes narrows it down to one supplier via specs - I see them all the time - Ask Scott Stone, he just sent me one! Fortunately this mode of operation is worthless when the local and state governments aren't flush with cash and all those requirements somehow mysteriously find loopholes opening the bids up to everyone else.
(Fill in the blank) has been around for YEARS trying to supposedly "raise the bar" by selling their certification and selling companies on the idea of hiring only their "certified" contractors. In four years of commercial bidding I've only had one company ask me if I was (fill in the blank) certified (I am not) and in the end I got the account anyway. (I used "fill in the blank" because you can almost insert 95% of all organizations into this sentence)
Is that what The UAMCC is trying to accomplish here? Is the intention to get into government regs and strongarm companies into using UAMCC contractors? I hope not.
That's a UNION and it's already in the process of destroying our economy.
If that's not the direction the UAMCC's going how do you plan to offer these exclusive "bennies" (and that is the correct spelling btw) I keep hearing about?
The UAMCC was the first Org I considered joining since 2001, but after posting on here and seeing the cannibalism going on between contractors and the secrecy and protection of paying members instead of gently working them toward a better attitude towards other contractors it appears this is on the same path as most of the others.
The Western US has little or no representation here.
The commercial contractor has little or no representation here.
Maybe it would be beneficial if you concentrated on the base of residential contractors and the East coast. You guys live in a different world from us out West and seem to have fully populated and staffed the UAMCC already. (Carlos is the exception, but Carlos really lives in West Massachusetts. :biggrin And Jeff can tell you there's no such thing as regular building washes or roof cleaning out here. Jeff is a great example for commercial contractors but his market is a niche that is not nationwide. Dirty concrete, Air Filters and coils and other general pressure washing IS however, nationwide.
The UAMCC may end up being a great resource for the residential contractors and suppliers. If I was washing houses or roofs, I might join.
I would reconsider if there was a genuine change in direction. The concept is a good one. The challenge isn't to make the org. work, anybody could do that. The challenge is to do something RADICALLY different that has not failed the contractor all over the country in other industries.
If you really wanted to "raise the bar" and make the industry more respected wouldn't it make more sense to try to EDUCATE the hackers who are HACKING because they are too broke and too uneducated to rise above that? How can that happen when the membership dues cost more than the pressure washer they are using? Once a hacker becomes educated he will realize that there's a lot more money to be made with equipment that makes the job go faster with better results.
Nothing would make me happier than to be wrong about this. You all know I came over here after the Phoenix RT in full support. People who know me personally know that's the truth.
Lastly, I know words on a screen cannot be read with the same clarity as the spoken word. Before anyone misjudges my words here, I want you to know this was written without any bitterness, sarcasm or disdain. I'm simply spelling out my thoughts on the org and letting you know why I do not intend to join at this time. Additionally I'm throwing out some mistakes in direction made by other orgs for discussion and reflection.
Thanks
Tony
Thanks for you honest views Tony. It sounds like the UAMCC is not the org for you. It is to bad, you will be missed, you are a smart guy. Orgs arent for everyone. It doesnt make a contractor substandard because they choose not to join for what ever thier reason may be. There are people who will never join an org, even if it was for free.
I have used the logo already in my marketing and is has worked to my advantage. I used it to gain leverage over a competitor on a bid and won the job.
The benefits of the UAMCC may help everyone to a greater or lesser degree. The benefit for me is showing something to my customers that go beyond a quote for simply spraying water on a house. I work for a lot of professional people who belong to thier own organizations of their profession... Doctors, Nurses, Lawyers and such... I think they relate to a parrellel in identity and "small town pressure washing business belonging to a national organization" and I use the Charter Member at every turn.
It is about networking to get a competitive edge in the industry.
The BBB does just that and all my customers already know who the BBB is.
If I put a uamcc logo on my website and marketing material I don't think even .1% would know who they are.
I'm not completely anti uamcc I just want to see how this year rolls out for others that have gave money.
Tony two questions for you.
1) Do you pressure wash?
2) Does anything not thought of by Tony Shelton work for you?
You've been around this industry for what accounts to about five minutes yet you have commentary on everything. I don't care if you are doing fifty million a year in filter cleaning, to the pressure washing industry, you are a noobie. Even if you were born with a wand in your hand, you don't know anybody well enough to make your accusations and poorly supported jabs. If everything doesn't go exactly to the gospel according to Shelton, you get bent out of shape and everyone else is an azzhole in your eyes. Its gettin old.
Tony two questions for you.
1) Do you pressure wash?
2) Does anything not thought of by Tony Shelton work for you?
You've been around this industry for what accounts to about five minutes yet you have commentary on everything. I don't care if you are doing fifty million a year in filter cleaning, to the pressure washing industry, you are a noobie. Even if you were born with a wand in your hand, you don't know anybody well enough to make your accusations and poorly supported jabs. If everything doesn't go exactly to the gospel according to Shelton, you get bent out of shape and everyone else is an azzhole in your eyes. Its gettin old.
Why does everything have to be "go UAMCC :clap:" to have any value as an opinion?
My post was from me to you. Contractor to Contractor. I don't know you, Tony. As it stands right now, I just don't care for the things you post. You may be a great guy in person. We'll leave it at that and hope to meet at an R/T one day.
I retired from the UAMCC transition team two weeks ago.
http://www.uamcc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1795