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Shop Management Co-opetition Working with a competitor for mutual benefit By Barry Cunningham Anyone who watches NASCAR Nextel Cup racing or any NASCAR competition knows who Darrell Waltrip is. For those who don’t, Darrell is one of stock car’s all-time greats with three Cup titles, 84 wins (third on the all-time list) in 780 starts. A colorful character during his career, he now does color commentary for the Fox network’s broadcasts of NASCAR events. Early in his career a fellow competitor nicknamed him Jaws “because he was always jawing ‘bout how good he is” – an example of the psychological warfare we now call ‘trash talking’. Waltrip seems to go by ‘Ol’ DW’ nowadays. So why am I telling you this and what’s it got to do with being a mechanical contractor? Well, early this season while discussing the upcoming race, Darrell coined a new word. He is always doing that, driving the English majors nuts, but the word he used was ‘co-opetition’. To use another Waltripism, I gotta ‘splain that. In a long race, 500 miles usually, one of the truisms is that in order to finish first, you first have to finish. It seems pretty obvious, but getting caught up The idea for this co-operative group is to gain advantage over the other guys … Supplying PRE-INSULATED PIPE to the HVAC, municipal & industrial sectors for over 30 years. racing hard early in the race can lead to equipment failures, driver errors or just plain accidents. As one driver explained after climbing out of his wrecked car, “I got down into the corner too fast and just ran out of talent.” Share the workload Co-opetition is racing only as hard as you have to early and, if someone is faster, let them go. In the last hundred miles or so you can “get up on that wheel” and race hard for the win, but only if the competitors cooperate enough to get to that point without wrecking. At some of the big tracks the speeds are so high that the cars make a big hole in the air as they go through. The car second in line gets an advantage of not having to push that air and can go faster than the one ahead. We call that ‘drafting’. The car behind is also doing the one ahead a favor by displacing the air that normally would draw in behind, slowing him as well. The aerodynamics are complex but the outcome is that those two cars working together go faster than each one running separately. Three cars are better than two. That’s what Waltrip was talking about. Working together makes that group U.I.P. Factory Insulated Piping Systems Thermocable Heat-Trace Cable & Related Accessories Portafoam Paks Engineering & Computer Design Assistance District Heating & Cooling Systems LOGSTOR Pre-Insulated Flexible Pipe (in coils) ISO 9001:2000 Registered Company St-Lazare, Quebec (450) 455-0961 Calmar, Alberta (780) 985-3636 www.urecon.com Two stock cars can go faster if they worker together. Two contractors can also achieve more if they co-operate. (NASCAR photo) faster than the other guys fighting amongst themselves. This co-opetition can be applied to what we do as well. Groups of contractors can, for instance, co-operate in what’s still a competitive environment with everyone gaining. The idea for this co-operative group is to gain advantage over the other guys that are not part of it. They share ideas and experiences, work together at home and trade shows, perhaps share advertising where sensible and even share work sometimes. If you are too busy and simply can’t look after a call, phone another member of the group who can. He’ll do the same one day. If you have to be away for a much needed holiday, for example, perhaps the group can split up some of your emergency calls while you’re gone. There’s even an opportunity to do bulk purchases of commodity items. There are literally dozens of ways that AquaGard Thermostatic Mixing Valve... a responsible solution! The Wilkins models ZW1070 and ZW1017 provide the most reliable and precise means of maintaining temperature control despite fluctuations in water pressures and/or temperatures. ■ Simple to install and service with choice of multiple union connections. ■ ASSE Listed Standard 1016 (Model ZW1070) and 1017 (Model ZW1017) Zurn Industries Limited 3544 Nashua Drive, Mississauga, ON L4V 1L2 www.zurn.com • 905-405-8272 • Fax: 905-405-1292 these groups can gain advantage and it’s happening all over North America, as small independent operators are discovering. Trust is key Of course a certain amount of trust is involved. Make sure the outfits you get involved with are as trustworthy as you are. (You are trustworthy aren’t you?) You probably already know the ones in your area you can work with and those that you can’t. As time goes on, the benefits start to show in the quality of output, seamless customer service and most important, satisfied repeat clients and more cash in your jeans. A bonus is that it can be fun. These informal groups sometimes wind up as small associations that plan social activities together. In the worst case, maybe you can get in a golf game or something. I think this type of arrangement is going to be big. It’s a way for the small firms to help themselves compete with the bigger outfits. Think about how you could take advantage of this type of arrangement. Check around for an existing group and maybe talk to a few of the members. It may be one that’s far enough away that it’s not workable for you, but you will get a feel for how it works. If there’s not a group working the area, maybe it’s time there was one. It’s worth looking at. Better I think to be working with them than against them. Co-opetition. Three guys drafting are faster than one guy alone. Just ask Ol’ DW. Barry Cunningham is the chairman of the Canadian Hydronics Council and sales manager for Triangle Supply in Red Deer, Alberta. Editor’s note: This also works on the provincial and national level. Contractors that belong to groups like the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada, the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors of Canada, the Canadian Oilheat Association, etc. find real benefit in the ability to share ideas and issues with other contractors. These groups all have local chapters that focus on issues of concern in their particular regions. Circle Number 148 for More Information Circle Number 149 for More Information 38 Plumbing & HVAC Product News – November/December 2005 www.plumbingandhvac.ca
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Page 1 and 2: These adapters allow new rooftop un
Page 3 and 4: Features In This Issue Departments
Page 5 and 6: Hot Seat November/December 2005 Vol
Page 7 and 8: Industry News In Brief 13 SEER date
Page 9 and 10: Industry News New National Plumbing
Page 11 and 12: Industry News HRAI CONFERENCE REPOR
Page 13 and 14: Mid furnace line The Armstrong and
Page 15 and 16: Hot Water Heating Zoning strategies
Page 17 and 18: Hot Water Heating Integrated mixing
Page 19 and 20: Controls Pressure Transducer The Se
Page 21 and 22: 2618 * That’s the retail value of
Page 23 and 24: Faucets & Fixtures Four-litre flush
Page 25 and 26: Trucks for the Trade it morphs into
Page 27 and 28: Pipes, Valves & Fittings Waste pipi
Page 29 and 30: Tools & Instruments Economical root
Page 31 and 32: E-Business Piping design software V
Page 33 and 34: Industry News MCAC CONFERENCE REPOR
Page 35 and 36: People & Places People American Sta
Page 37: Mechanical Marketplace The bulletin

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