| Watsco, Incorporated Earnings Conference Call (Q4 2007)
Watsco, Inc., along with its subsidiaries, distributes air conditioning, heating, refrigeration equipment, and related parts and supplies in the United States. Its products primarily comprise residential central air conditioners; light commercial air conditioners; gas, electric, and oil furnaces; commercial air conditioning and heating equipment and systems; and other specialized equipment. The company also offers various parts, including replacement compressors, evaporator coils, motors, and other component parts; and supplies consisting of thermostats, insulation material, refrigerants, ductwork, grills, registers, sheet metal, tools, copper tubing, concrete pads, tape, adhesives, and other ancillary supplies. Watsco operates through approximately 380 locations in 32 states. It distributes its products to contractors and dealers who service the replacement and new construction markets.
Give your attic a breath of air
Winter weather can find every weak link in a house to create drafts and raise utility bills. So how dumb is it to purposely let cold air into an attic or crawl space? Not dumb at all -- in fact, it's essential, and a component of each of the four building code systems in the country. Ventilation makes obvious sense in summer when temperatures soar in attics, and sunstruck shingles become so gooey you can't walk on them. Thorough ventilation is the answer. It keeps temperatures in check, reduces air conditioning cost, and also extends the life of asphalt shingles. It may seem counter-intuitive, but venting attics is just as important in winter. Seal up roof vents the way you seal up windows, and moisture created in the house will be trapped and condense in the attic.
Kindred: No more excuses for a half-empty Redbird Arena
A bunch of non home-grown players who are here for the basketball more than the education. Why do I want to cheer for them? How about ripping people for not spending more time helpign their kids with homework, or volunteering at a nursing home- you know, things that actually are important in the scheme of things... " .
Communication can stave off headaches on car repairs
When it comes to spending money, the expense that causes the most angst is cars. A review of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado files found car dealers and repair shops were the most popular complaints in 2007, similar to the level they did the year before. Each month last year, they were among the top 10 complaints received. And according to BBBSC executive director Carol Odell, those complaints will remain a fact of life. "That will always be because that’s not a science," she said of car repair. "It’s hard to determine what’s really going wrong." Because cars are used daily, what’s fixed one day may break the next and not always be related to the last repair, she said. "When a consumer brings their vehicle in for one thing, there could be other problems," said Blair Reeves, director of operations with the BBBSC.
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