Goodbye 2019 and Welcome 2020
December 17, 2019
I’m just back in town after visiting the teams in the Ft. Myers and Miami branches in Florida. It was great to breakfast with the crew and hand out some on-the-spot awards in Ft. Myers, before heading over to Miami to meet with our folks there for a Q&A session.
It’s hard to believe that 2019 is already coming to an end. What an amazing year it has been in CoolSys Land. In just one year, we have grown a ton; we have a new private equity partner in Ares Management; we welcomed new additions to the CoolSys family with the acquisitions of Arjae, ABC, Agape, and Building Air Services; and we added hundreds of new employees. As I sit here today, we are closer than ever to reaching our goal of having an enterprise value of $2 billion.
We are not just bigger — we are also better than ever before. So, in this edition of Coffey’s Corner, Iet’s take a look back at some of the highlights of 2019:
- We partnered up with Rise Against Hunger to make a difference in our community by packaging 10,000 meals!
- We’re in the midst of a technology transformation, and we celebrated the kickoff of our ERP project.
- We were recognized as one of the biggest and fastest growing private companies in Orange County, CA by the Orange County Business Journal, Burton was named General Counsel of the Year and yours truly was named as one of the Top Influential Business Leaders for 2019!
- We completed some high-profile projects for our customers, such as the Yosemite Foods Project – the largest CO2 refrigeration system in the U.S., and the Star Market TD Gardens opening — the largest Energy Management System (EMS) project in our history.
But that just scratches the surface of all the cool accomplishments we packed into this last year. And, it’s not over yet! (HINT – by the time this edition hits the streets I will announce two more acquisitions that occurred THIS WEEK!)
As we look forward with “2020 vision,” we have so much to get excited about. We have our leadership conference coming up, new training programs slated, and we’ll be strengthening our brand presence with all our operating companies officially adopting the CoolSys name. Plus, the first waves of our ERP project will become a reality, taking a giant step towards making the work of our employees easier. But I know with change — even if it’s for the good — comes hard work and challenges, so buckle up your chin straps – it’s going to be a fun ride!
Before the hustle and bustle of the holidays takes hold, I want to take a moment to tell you all how much I appreciate the work you do day in and day out. We couldn’t have reached all these milestones, or have so much to look forward to, without our employees. I am truly honored to be your CEO (a.k.a. Head Janitor) and to work beside a fantastic group of talented people every day. In a service business like ours, it’s our people who are our product. You can’t put service or installation in a box. So, once again, I’m grateful for all you do.
Speaking of boxes, when you’re unwrapping your presents this holiday season, please take a moment to pause, think of those less fortunate, be thankful for all the good stuff in your life, enjoy the time with your loved ones and be mindful that “To whom much is given, much will be required”. I’m looking forward to the merry days ahead and watching the wonder in my young daughter’s eyes as she enjoys all the festivities that come with the season. Happy Holidays, everyone!