ST. LOUIS — Contractors Services, the parent company of Plumbers’ Success International and AirTime 500, has changed its name to Success Group International, as of Jan. 1.
“Changing our name reflects our focus on the future,” SGI President Terry Nicholson said. “Our goal is to help independent business owners become successful and build wealth. Today, our focus is on independent plumbing and HVAC contractors. In the future, we may expand to other trade fields where the term contractor may not apply, but the term success will always apply. With that in mind, we are changing our name from Contractors Services to Success Group International.”
The change will not affect the operations of either AirTime 500 or PSI. However, contractors will notice the change reflected in correspondence, publications and on the soon-to-be-released SGI Web site.
SGI is a subsidiary of St. Louis-based VenVest Inc., which is also the parent company of New Millennium Academy, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and One Hour Air Conditioning.
More than 350 of PSI’s independent plumbing contractor members attended the Summit held Jan. 20-23 in San Antonio, Texas, where they received a game plan for success in 2004. Among the attendees at the Summit were 48 companies making their first trip to a Summit since joining PSI. The Summit kicked off with three days of Leadership Essentials to provide the newest members with a head start in implementing PSI systems.
“After only three days of Leadership Essentials, these companies will have the tools they need to succeed,” Nicholson said. “They’ll know how to price for prosperity, train their people to achieve more, and create a plan and budget to guide their business.”
While the newest PSI members received these business-building tools, veteran members learned more advanced strategies and increased their knowledge through a series of specially designed workshops, Nicholson said.
PSI co-founder John Young held a workshop on using the power of branding to build client loyalty.
“Capturing mental real estate in the minds of your marketplace requires a strong combination of logo, name and message,” he said. “When you can perfect those three items, you’ll be on your way to creating a powerful brand name.”
During a question-and-answer session with PSI CEO Mike Diamond, members sought solutions to some of the challenges they face. Many of their questions pertained to finding and training quality technicians. Diamond also is the owner of a residential service plumbing business generating more than $20 million of revenue annually.
Other workshops offered members information about acquiring competitors, technical tips for drain cleaning, and an insider’s look at the technology and software that should make the lives of plumbers easier in the future.
On the last day of the Summit, members listened to PSI co-founder Jim Abrams discuss their future. He gave members a step-by-step look at what they must do in their businesses to be ready for the opportunity should it arise. He walked the attendees through the tools and systems that PSI has created for them to increase their businesses and boost their profits.
“The window of opportunity may be opening this year in the plumbing industry,” Abrams said.
Nicholson presented PSI’s newest training system, The Professional Plumber’s Playbook, which was created by PSI and New Millennium Academy as a way for contractors to train their team on what makes a successful service call. The system comprises a series of CD-ROMs, each designed to highlight a particular area of the service experience.
“The Plumber’s Playbook highlights the 267 strategies of a client service champion,” Nicholson said. “If technicians learn and internalize these strategies, their clients will be happier and they’ll experience greater success than ever before.”
Members also learned tips on fleet management and insurance, and how PSI is trying to lower their costs for providing health care to their employees.
PSI’s next Summit will be held April 27-30 in Orlando, Fla.
For more information on Success Group International, AirTime 500 and PSI, call 800/505-8885.