NCHPBA Conference 2012
Re-Uniting to Learn and Grow
Celebrating NCHPBA’s 20 years.
May 20-22, 2012
Glacier Canyon Lodge
45 Hillman Road
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin 53965
1-800-867-WILD (9453)
Block # 300792
Block Release Date: 4/19/2012 (discounts may not be available after this date so book your room before
4/19/2012).
www.glaciercanyonlodge
$85/night standard or $135/night for suites.
We asked, you answered, we responded. Yup, this year’s program is in direct response to what you told
us you wanted. These are the education sessions you said were needed. We also extended break times
as you requested so you could spend more time talking with other attendees and sponsors.
This is your association. The Board of Directors and all the Committees work throughout the year to
help make things better for ALL members. This year we are celebrating 20 years as an association. A
lot has happened since 1992. Come and hear about all the changes. As always, these programs will be
informative and fun.
Schedule.
Sunday, May 20. 2012
10:30 a.m.
Golf Outing at Wild Rock
$80/person. Fees include cart and box lunch.
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Display area set up in Wilderness Room
5:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.
20 Year Anniversary Family Reunion & Picnic
Wilderness Room and patio
Sponsor Game Challenge – fun for all ages, yes even those who have been a member for 20 years!
Typical reunion games will be revised to depict the sponsor’s product or unique concept (a/k/a crazy
idea). This event is included with program fees. One complimentary guest pass for each program
registrant. Extra guest passes available for $15/each.
Sunday to Monday
Heads & Tails Game – Chance to split the pot. Bring a $20. Last year’s pot was over $1,300!!!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Time
7:00 – 8:00 a.m.
7:45 – 8:00 a.m.
8:00-9:30 a.m.
Track One
Track Two
Registration/Breakfast/Displays
General Assembly- Welcome
President Alison Van Lanen and Education Chairman, Dan Green
Reading & Understanding Financial
HearthCheck
Statements
Mike O’Rourke
Steven Pullara
Wilkening Fireplace
Smith & Gesteland CPA
Walker, MN
1.5 NFI CEU Technical
Madison, WI
1.5 NFI CEU Business Elective
Partner and business consultant.
Specializes in providing financial
management advice to a variety of
growing and small businesses. Serves
more than 100 small business clients
and has been teaching this series with
the UW Small Business Development
Center for over 12 years.
This program was developed by NCHPBA to teach the
important of the house as a system. The hearth
appliance can only work optimally if there are no
depressurization issues. Learn the principles of house
pressures and air flow. You will also learn how to set
up and test a house for depressurization as well as how
to diagnose a problem. Remedies will also be
discussed.
This session will cover why financial
management is important as well as how to read
the three types of financial statements. Speaking
the language of business will be discussed as well
as how management decisions impact your
company’s financial statements.
9:30 – 10:15 a.m.
10:15 – 11:45 a.m.
Break/Displays
Analyzing and Interpreting Financial
Statements.
Steven Pullara
Smith & Gesteland CPAs
Madison, WI
1.5 NFI CEU Business Elective
HearthCheck continued
Mike O’Rourke
Wilkening Fireplace
Walker, MN
1.5 hours NFI CEU Technical
Part 2 of the house as a system presentation.
Learn how to make financial decisions based on
the data and not the emotions. Basic financial
analysis techniques will be discussed as well as
how to determine your break even sales volume
and the relationship between your costs, sales
volume, pricing and profits.
11:45 – 1:45 p.m.
Lunch & Annual Meeting
1:45 – 2:00 p.m.
Break/Displays
2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
NFI Proctored Exams.
Separate registration fees apply. An NFI onsite review is not provided. HPBEF offers online courses that
cover materials similar to a review but go into more detail. HPBEF offers a package deal that includes these
courses plus a full year subscription to over 140 other education offerings. For online study details, contact
Rick Vlahos at HPBEF. See the registration form for exam, manual and testing options and fees. Anyone
taking the NFI exam and passing such at the NCHPBA May meeting will be eligible to apply any program
CEU’s toward recertification. NCHPBA program fees are separate from NFI fees. NFI fees do not include
any other event offerings.
2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Profit Planning & Budgeting
Steven Pullara
Smith & Gesteland CPA
Madison, WI
1.5 hours NFI CEU Business Elective
Learn how business planning drives your budget
and annual profit plan. Learn the steps to
develop a budget and how to improve the
profitability of your business. Techniques for
improving your forecasting for sales will also be
explored.
Beyond HearthCheck
Roy Mjelde
Top Hat Fireplace & Chimney
Madison & Baraboo, WI
Mike O’Rourke
Wilkening Fireplace
Walker, MN
1.5 hours NFI CEU Technical
These two seasoned wood burning experts will present
case studies that demonstrate the problems that can
arise with houses that have air pressure imbalance and
what various types of strategies can be employed to
work with the owners to identify the problems and
derive solutions.
3:30 – 4:15 p.m.
4:15 – 5:45 p.m.
Break / Displays
Cash Flow Planning & Management
Steven Pullara
Smith & Gesteland CPAs
Madison, WI
Pellet Stoves: Technology Advances
Chad Curtis
Earth Sense Energy Systems
Dale, Wisconsin
1.5 hours NFI CEU Business Elective
1.5 hours NFI CEU Technical
Learn how to use the most powerful financial
management tool to improve your cash flow.
Understand how your business can be profitable
yet not have any cash. Learn techniques to better
manage your business cash flow as well as the
steps in preparing a cash flow plan so you can
forecast and manage your cash flows to assure
cash is available as bills become due.
The pellet stove is the most complicated of the solid
fuel burning appliances. Learn how this appliance has
evolved over the years to earn the status of being one of
the cleanest burning. Learn the basic steps of
installation and diagnosing problems.
5:45 – 7:00 p.m.
7:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Reception / Displays
Dinner / Games
Tuesday
7:00 – 8:00 a.m.
Registration / Breakfast/Displays
8:00 – 11:00 a.m.
NFI proctored exams.
Separate registration fees apply. No formal reviews provided.
8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Protect Your Assets: Practical Tips
to Successfully Defend Against Third
Party Liability Claims.
Eugene LaFlamme
The McCoy Law Group
Waukesha, WI
1.5 NFI CEU S/H/L
Regardless of the safety measures taken, a
company can never escape the risk of being
involved in litigation. This is especially true for
products that utilize flammable gases and other
combustibles. This seminar will provide business
owners, managers, and other employees
associated with risk management the tools and
information needed to understand and protect
against third party liability claims. We will
discuss best business practices, risk management,
insurance coverage, and recent legal
developments within the HPBA community.
9:30 – 10:15 a.m.
10:15 – 11:45
1.5 hours NFI CEU Technical
An overview of the systems that are commonly found
on a generic gas fireplace will be presented including
the delivery system, combustions systems, ignition
systems, safety control systems and vent systems. This
is an introductory session for the second program that
will be on troubleshooting.
Break Displays
Social Media: The Future is Here!
Tracey Fuller
Director of Marketing
Wilderness Resort, Wisconsin Dells,
WI
1.5 NFI CEU Business Elective
The various types of social media will be
reviewed. How these can be used to promote
your business will be explored as well as time
involvement, costs, etc. An example with a
hearth store will be demonstrated.
11:45 – 1:00 p.m.
Gas Technical
Art Sewall
Valor Radiant Gas Fireplaces
Portland, TN
Gas Technical
Art Sewall
Valor Radiant Gas Fireplaces
Portland, TN
1.5 NFI CEU Technical
The proper tools and procedures for troubleshooting
service problems on generic gas fireplaces will be
demonstrated. Included is testing thermocouple
circuits; testing thermopiles, testing gas valves,
pressures and vent systems. Identifying ignition system
problems and evidence of poor combustion will also be
covered. Hands on practice sessions will be employed
using actual testing boards.
Lunch / Displays
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Hearth 101 for Sales and Customer
Service
Rick Vlahos
HPBEF
Arlington, VA
Wood Venting: Owner Proofing the
System
Russ Dimmitt
Copperfield Chimney Supply
Fairfield, IA
1.5 NFI CEU Business Elective
1.5 NFI CEU Technical
Designed to provide new employees with
fundamental technical and safety information
about hearth systems and product categories, this
course will introduce wood, coal, pellet and gas
appliances, venting systems and basic
combustion theory. This course is perfect for any
new employee: sales personnel, installers, service
techs, and office staff. It is recommended that
participants have a copy of the manual Hearth
101: Introduction to Hearth Systems.
We will discuss various ways to minimize and prevent
issues from developing with our installations after we
are gone. Discussion will center on ways to address the
possible issues that might arise caused by the
homeowner, other contractors and even home
handymen who may be in the home long after we have
completed our installations or service.
2:30 – 3:00 p.m
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Break / Displays
Hearth 101 for Sales and Customer
Service
Rick Vlahos
HPBEF
1.5 NFI CEU Business Elective
Part 2 of the hearth systems sales and service
presentation.
Gas/Pellet Venting: Avoiding Explosions
and Melt Downs
Russ Dimmitt
Copperfield Chimney Supply
Fairfield, IA
1.5 NFI CEU Technical
We will cover ideas and various methodologies to
avoid issues with pellet and gas appliances. Topics will
include venting, cleaning and installation.
The views expressed are those of the authors and may not be the views or opinions of NCHPBA or HPBA.