Category: Industry News

The National Retail Federation today issued its annual forecast, anticipating that retail sales will grow between 6.5 percent and 8.2 percent to more than $4.33 trillion in 2021 as more individuals get vaccinated and the economy reopens.

“Despite the continuing health and economic challenges COVID-19 presents, we are very optimistic that healthy consumer fundamentals, pent-up demand and widespread distribution of the vaccine will generate increased economic growth, retail sales and consumer spending,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “From the outset of the pandemic, retailers have gone above and beyond even the most conservative safety guidelines to protect and serve their associates and consumers alike. Retailers are increasingly engaged in working with federal, state and local health officials to distribute and administer the vaccine. This partnership has been key to our economic health throughout the pandemic and will continue this year.” 

Early results show that retail sales in 2020 grew 6.7 percent over 2019 to $4.06 trillion, nearly doubling NRF’s forecast of at least 3.5 percent growth, which did not account for the impact of a global pandemic. This figure compares with 3.9 percent growth in 2019. Online and other non-store sales, which are included in the total figure, skyrocketed to 21.9 percent at $969.4 billion as consumers shifted to ecommerce. The numbers exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants.

The 2020 November-December holiday season accounted for nearly one-fifth (19.4 percent) of overall annual retail sales. Retail sales during this period grew an unexpectedly high 8 percent to $787.1 billion. Non-store and other online sales represented $206.9 billion of total holiday sales, up 22.6 percent over the year before.

NRF forecasts that 2021 retail sales are estimated to total between $4.33 trillion and $4.4 trillion. Online sales, which are included in the total, are expected to grow between 18 percent and 23 percent to between $1.14 trillion and $1.19 trillion.

NRF expects the overall economy to gain between 220,000 and 300,000 jobs per month in 2021, depending on the pace of the overall economy in the second and third quarters. Despite the economy’s stalled momentum at the end of last year, NRF forecasts real GDP growth between 4.5 percent and 5.0 percent.

  

“The trajectory of the economy is predicated on the effectiveness of the vaccine and its distribution,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said. “Our principal assumption is that that the vaccination will be effective and permits accelerated growth during the mid-year. The economy is expected to see its fastest growth in over two decades.”
 
Kleinhenz noted that this year marks the second year of savings, record high stock valuations, increased home prices, enhanced government support and record low interest rates, which are all contributing factors towards the economy and consumer spending behavior. 

 

Additionally, Kleinhenz said households will still consume retail goods but will turn to services as they are able, which normally account for 70 percent of consumer spending. While the pandemic has precipitated broader adoption of multichannel services for the retail industry, households are becoming attached to the convenience and product selection of buying online.  

 

As the available data and factors surrounding the economy are subject to change due to several extenuating circumstances, NRF will update its estimates accordingly.

About NRF
The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. 

CoolSys™, the parent of market-leading refrigeration and HVAC services companies nationwide, announced that Jamie Williams has joined the company as chief information and technology officer (CITO).In this executive role, Jamie will be responsible for developing and executing the CoolSys information technology vision and strategy.

 

“As CoolSys accelerates its growth and leverages technology to differentiate the customer and employee experience, we are fortunate to have someone of Jamie’s caliber to lead our technology team,” comments Adam Coffey, CEO at CoolSys.“He is an experienced leader who excels at solving critical business challenges with the latest technology solutions and has earned a reputation as being a catalyst for change, combining innovation with business acumen to deliver creative solutions.”

 

Prior to joining CoolSys, Jamie was chief information officer (CIO) at Alterra Mountain Company, a private equity sponsored outdoor adventure company that operates 15 iconic ski resorts across North America. At Alterra, Jamie oversaw the successful technology integration of what was previously seven separate companies and the launch of Alterra’s Ikon Pass product. Before Alterra, Jamie spent nearly two decades in telecommunications. As CIO at Roger’s Communications Inc, a $14B Canadian communications and media company, Jamie was a member of the executive team that led a turnaround resulting in a 60% increase in price per share. Prior to Rogers, Jamie worked for Sprint for over 15 years where he held a variety of technology leadership positions of increasing responsibility. He started his career in software development after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Science in information systems technology from George Washington University.

 

“I’m excited about joining CoolSys and I look forward to contributing my expertise to support the company’s rapid growth,” Jamie comments. “This is a rewarding opportunity to work with a great team with a progressive vision for the company and an appreciation for the important role of technology to its success.”

 

About CoolSys

CoolSys is the market-leading refrigeration and HVAC services company, specializing in a full spectrum of best-in-class service experiences and solutions for customers in the retail, foodservice, commercial and industrial market segments. CoolSys and its operating businesses cover every stage of mission-critical systems from engineering and design, to installation, service and maintenance, and energy optimization. Headquartered in Southern California, CoolSys has more than 3,000 employees nationwide, serving the daily needs of more than 45,000 customer locations across North America. For additional information, please visit www.coolsys.com.

In January, BOSS Facility Services, Inc celebrates its 20^th anniversary. For 20 years BOSS has been providing world class service and helping their clients achieve both their short- and long-term goals. BOSS was founded in 2001 with a single goal of providing “Superior Service” to several vertical markets such as retail, financial, convenience stores, restaurants, and healthcare facilities. BOSS represents hundreds of years of experience that goes back 3 generations.

Founded in 2001 by brother and sister Keith and Kerri Keingstein they knew there was a need for a multi vertical centric outsourcing model. Keith recalls when he founded the company in 2001, he had trouble attracting clients. He was just 26 years old and few companies were willing to take a chance on a newcomer. Instead of giving up, he enlisted the help of the people he knew best: his family. He brought in Bob, his father, and an HVAC/R expert; Kerri, his sister, who brought experience from the lighting and security industries and an acute mind for business; and Kevin, his brother, who took the reins in the plumbing and reoccurring services departments. One client became a few clients, and eventually, the roster began filling up as the company established a reputation as a service-oriented facility management provider.

Our mission since inception has been to provide innovative, best of class superior service at the right price for our clients while we provide an engaging environment that fosters both individual and team growth for our employees.

The firm has seen tremendous growth over the last 20 years. Starting in the MEP space with just 2 employees to quickly expanding its service offerings to include project management, janitorial, locksmith, general maintenance, rollouts, fixturing and refreshes. Keith Keingstein, CEO and principal “the company has experienced year over year growth since inception and looks to continue on that track for the next 20 years. Considering some of the difficult hurdles we’ve endured during this timeframe such as the financial collapse, housing collapse, multiple presidents, changes in technology, overall retail landscape and now a pandemic, it reaffirms our success and need in the market”. “Our continued success is a true testament to our people, process, and performance. “

BOSS moved its headquarters in September of 2019 to allow for its continued growth and is committed more than ever to expanding the firms reach. Unfortunately, earlier this year, one of the founding members of BOSS Bob Keingstein passed away after his short bout with cancer. Bob was a prominent figure in the HVAC community and an essential part in BOSS’ success. Bob was also a huge advocate of ACCA and would often tribute a lot of his management success to the association’s programs. From management training to his beloved mixed group, he adored his interactions on both a professional and personal level.

BOSS and all its associates would like to thank their clients for the trust they have given to allow BOSS to meet and exceed their needs daily for the last two decades. We would encourage any new potential clients and partners to reach out to us so that we can forge new relationships delivering on both your short- and long-term goals. 

Economic challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic will continue in 2021, but stimulus legislation signed into law just after Christmas will help maintain and accelerate the nation’s ongoing recovery, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said today.

“As we closed out 2020, it was an end to a whirlwind year whose challenging economic environment will almost certainly continue in 2021,” Kleinhenz said. “The coming year might be just as eventful as the economic recovery faces many uncertainties. Recoveries do not proceed in a straight line and the prospects for volatility over the next few months are high. Nonetheless, just like the old Timex watch commercials, the economy takes a licking but keeps on ticking.”

“We expect retail sales spending to see a boost from the new round of stimulus,” Kleinhenz said. “Consumers responded quickly to last spring’s stimulus checks, and distribution of the new checks will come at a critical time that will help carry 2020’s momentum into 2021.”
 

Legislation signed December 27 will provide one-time $600 stimulus checks to individuals making up to $75,000 a year and extends $300 weekly checks for the unemployed for almost three months. The new aid is particularly important to low-income families and the unemployed, who have faced challenges paying day-to-day bills in recent months, Kleinhenz said.

Kleinhenz’s remarks came in the January issue of NRF’s Monthly Economic Review, which said economic activity will likely pick up after the winter months and into mid-year as COVID-19 vaccines allow more activities to resume. The availability of a vaccine during the first quarter – historically a soft spot in the economy every year even without a pandemic – “couldn’t be better,” he said.

Even though full recovery has yet to come, the economy has made considerable progress. Retail sales for the first 11 months of 2020 (excluding automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants) were up 6.6 percent over the same period in 2019 and November’s year-over-year increase of 8.8 percent put the holiday season on track to meet NRF’s forecast of between 3.6 percent and 5.2 percent growth, the report said. Results for the full holiday season will be known when the Census Bureau releases December’s numbers on January 15.

Some of the money normally spent on traveling, dining out and entertainment shifted from services to goods in 2020, especially big-ticket home-related items like appliances and furniture, the report said. Rising wealth from increasing home values and stock prices have supported additional consumer purchases of retail goods, and the new stimulus checks should encourage consumers to “reengage” on non-durable goods and services.
 

While consumer spending and retail sales have largely returned, results have varied among retail sectors and “economic uncertainty is very prevalent and at near-record levels,” the report said. Overall economic activity is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until late 2021 and employment at pre-pandemic levels is unlikely to return until well into 2022 or possibly 2023.

About NRF
The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies.

AQUALIS, a portfolio company of DFW Capital Partners and the leading national provider in comprehensive water management services, today announced it has acquired the assets of Weeks Utility Services, Inc., a Florida-based company headquartered in Jacksonville delivering wastewater and stormwater lift station and pumping services to commercial and industrial end markets.

Over the last year, AQUALIS has invested in the expansion of its lift station service line, which includes preventative maintenance, inspection, repairs and rehabilitation to stormwater and sanitary lift stations or sump pumps. The acquisition of Weeks Utility Services serves as the lift station platform in the Southeast for AQUALIS, allowing the organization to provide best-in-class, self-performing services.

Richard Matero, CEO of AQUALIS, said, “As one of the largest lift station providers in Duval County and the surrounding area, Weeks Utility Services, strengthens our expertise in the lift station and pump management services field as well as bolstering our regional support in the Florida region.”

“Weeks Utility Services brings a deep level of lift station expertise and regionalized support in the Northeast Florida market to the AQUALIS team,” said Richard Weeks, President of Weeks Utility Services. “I am excited to help foster the expansion of this service line to all AQUALIS customers through the quality service for which we are known today.”

“This is an exciting acquisition for AQUALIS,” DeVer Warner of DFW Capital Partners stated. “Weeks Utility Services solely focuses on lift station and pump services, a service line that we have continued to grow over the past year. This acquisition greatly deepens our lift station and pump services reach, as we remain focused on broadening AQUALIS’ services in critical watershed areas throughout the U.S.”

 

About AQUALIS

AQUALIS is a leading nationwide provider of commercial, retail, industrial and governmental post-construction stormwater management and lift station services through consulting, inspection, maintenance and repair. AQUALIS caters to national retailers, logistics providers, engineering firms, hospitals, military and industrial facilities, real estate management companies, distribution centers, national and multi-state organizations, individual and commercial property owners, airports and universities. For more information, visit www.aqualisco.com.

Lightserve has announced the acquisition of Illumetek. Lightserve is a leading provider of customized lighting distribution, maintenance, and retrofit solutions across various industrial and commercial markets throughout the U.S.

According to Lightserve CEO Kevin Franklin and President Bill Hurd, “The acquisition of Illumetek represents a unique opportunity to further strengthen our national presence in all vertical lighting markets, provide enhanced opportunities to expand our current technical service capabilities, and reaffirms our collective commitment to provide exceptional customer service and value over a broader footprint.”

Lightserve CFO Jason Brafford added, “The timing of this transaction closing in the current market environment could not be more important. With increased uncertainty resulting from COVID-19 our collective financial strength and further diversified business model positions the combined company to not only weather, but excel through, further market and economic turbulence.”

Headquartered in Stow, OH, Illumetek is a national industry leader in commercial lighting and electrical upgrades with a unique commitment to logistical expertise for enterprise-level program management. Additional specialties include reactive and preventative maintenance, electrical rollouts and installations, lighting and HVAC controls, IoT initiatives, and labor only management. Illumetek is also an award-winning participant in utility incentive programs, filing all customer rebates and returning 100% of those dollars back to the customer.

James Pulk, CEO of Illumetek, is excited about joining Lightserve, saying, “The need to act responsibly when it comes to energy consumption is vital, now more than ever. This acquisition is an opportunity to combine two great organizations and multiply the effect we have on our client’s contribution to the continued integrity of the environment and safety of our planet.”

ABOUT LIGHTSERVE

www.light-serve.com

ABOUT ILLUMETEK

www.illumetek.com

iVueit, the nation’s leading visual verification app for multi-site facilities (retail, restaurant, hotel, bank, convenience store chain locations, etc.) under management, announced that its platform has reached a new milestone surveying more than 4.5 billion square feet across 20,000 cities courtesy of more than 150,000+ mobile app users (a.k.a. ‘Vuers’). The explosion in customer requests and Vuer fulfillment was aided by a new app update in September that improved photo location accuracy as well as several other feature enhancements.

Mike Popadak, CEO and Co-Founder of iVueit, commented, “It has been a long-time struggle for those who manage facilities to tackle issues with limited visibility of their sites. This year, the pandemic only accelerated that situation. iVueit has been able to provide visual verification—often within minutes of a request—when no other way existed to assess facility condition.” He continued, “We experienced record growth on the Vuer side, too, as our nation had greater availability to perform site assessments due to flexible work schedules.”

As health and safety concerns remain at the forefront, iVueit anticipates its growth to continue in 2021. The company has already expanded its infrastructure to better serve the world’s largest brands including Chase Bank, CVS, Home Depot, Dollar General, Speedway, Sprint, Starbucks, Target, T-Mobile and many more.

Clients agree with the benefits: “iVueit’s disruptive visual verification platform enables us to quickly request and receive job site photos thanks to their nationwide on-demand network. We no longer play the back-and-forth game with field personnel and subcontractors. We will be loyal customers.” – Facilities Director, National Cellular Carrier

For more information, please visit ivueit.com.

About iVueit

iVueit is an innovative platform and mobile app that simplifies the process of collecting, exchanging, and maintaining visual verification and data of a location’s interior and exterior status. iVueit has verified billions of square feet in retail, bank, hotel, c-store, and commercial real estate for national brands. The app is available for download at Apple and Google Play app stores. Follow iVueit at @iVueit on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

CoolSys™, parent to market-leading refrigeration and HVAC service companies nationwide, has deployed several new technology initiatives to help combat COVID-19 in recent months. Bipolar ionization is one of these technologies which creates charged ions in the air to attach to airborne particles, increasing their size, and making them easier to trap with air filters.   Scolari’s Food and Drug Company in Reno, Nevada is a CoolSys customer adopting the technology to combat COVID-19 as they recently began work to expand a part of their facility that contains a casino gaming area and are focused on keeping customers safe.   

“Businesses and companies are looking for solutions to minimize COVID-19 transmission as they re-open and bring back employees and customers to indoor workplaces and environments,” comments Adam Coffey, CEO at CoolSys.  “As an industry leader in providing HVAC technologies, including bipolar ionization, CoolSys is doing its part to help slow the spread of COVID-19 with our customers across the country.” 

Bipolar ionization is among several tech-based approaches that CoolSys installs to help fight COVID-19 in indoor spaces.   These technologies are gaining wider adoption as COVID-19 has caused many formerly shuttered businesses to renew interest in proper air ventilation and sanitization. There is significant scientific consensus that COVID-19 is transmitted via aerosols, which has caused HVAC and air treatment technologies to take center stage for many businesses, especially those that welcome customers into their facilities for extended periods of time.  Bipolar ionization not only offers health benefits, but also the added value of energy reduction by reducing the amount of outdoor air that must be conditioned, as well as eliminating odors. 

“It’s more important than ever to place emphasis on safety. The ionization technology that CoolSys installs is high efficiency, low maintenance, and has a history of effective use. The added benefit of removing odors from the air doesn’t hurt either,” comments Jerry Scolari, COO at Scolari’s Food and Drug. “We’re proud to be able to say we’re doing everything we can to protect our customers during such an uncertain time.” 

About CoolSys 

CoolSys is the market-leading refrigeration and HVAC services company, specializing in a full spectrum of best-in-class service experiences and solutions for customers in the retail, foodservice, commercial and industrial market segments. CoolSys and its operating businesses cover every stage of mission-critical systems from engineering and design, to installation, service and maintenance, and energy optimization. Headquartered in Southern California, CoolSys has more than 3,000 employees nationwide, serving the daily needs of more than 45,000 customer locations across North America. For additional information, please visit www.coolsys.com. 

About Scolari’s Food and Drug Company 

Scolari’s Food and Drug Company is an independently owned supermarket chain based in Sparks, Nevada. The company operates two stores in the Northern portion of Nevada. The company also operates two stores in Reno and one store in Carson City under the Sak N Save brand. The company also franchises one Save-A-Lot Store in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

Energy and facility management company, NexRev, announces the availability of its real-time demand response service with market-leading demand response solution provider, Voltus, as part of their multi-site building management system, Freedom. Demand response programs allow commercial and industrial customers the opportunity to curtail their energy consumption during periods of peak electricity demand in exchange for financial benefits such as utility bill credits or rebate dollars.

This new API integration allows Freedom Choice customers to enroll their facilities in Voltus demand response programs without any additional hardware or active management required to participate in a demand response event. This streamlined functionality creates cash flow opportunities for the customer that correlate with their performance within the Voltus demand response programs.

NexRev customers can now leverage this innovative demand response service to create additional revenue streams from assets they already have installed. With the recent approval of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order No. 2222, demand response programs will continue to grow across the country, creating further opportunities for Freedom Choice customers.

“At NexRev we focus on reducing the cost to operate your commercial facilities. The API integration with Voltus allows our customers to create positive cash flows from the Freedom building management systems they already have installed,” said Kenneth Smith, CEO of NexRev. “Execution of a demand response program across a large portfolio has been difficult in the past, but the working partnership between NexRev and Voltus has simplified the process for our customers, but most importantly, the solution helps our customers further reduce the cost to operate their portfolio.”

“Our goal is to make it as simple as possible for companies to participate in demand response in support of their sustainability and financial goals, and NexRev is executing on our vision with this new integration,” said Todd Krause, Senior Vice President of Sales at Voltus. “We are excited to see enrollment numbers increase and deliver a positive return for both customers and utilities across the country.”

About NexRev

NexRev is an energy and facilities management company, helping clients realize operational efficiencies while proactively managing the cost of comfort. NexRev’s specialized team of analysts, engineers, and technicians maximize the performance value of commercial spaces by implementing technology, managing data, reducing energy and operational cost, and expanding the sustainability of equipment lifecycle. NexRev provides scalable solutions to streamline managing BMS, HVAC, and facility-associated costs. Discover how NexRev’s technology can improve the performance of your facility’s environment by visiting www.nexrev.com.

About Voltus

Voltus represents the “potential of us” to better manage energy through simple, cost-free energy management products. Our commercial and industrial customers generate cash by allowing us to be their energy expert while we deliver innovative demand response, energy purchasing, and energy efficiency programs to them. It’s this simple: a customer signs up with Voltus and every quarter we deliver dollars. Voltus makes money when our customers make money by sharing the cash generated from working together. What’s more, there are significant community benefits that accompany working with Voltus – a cleaner, more reliable energy future and dollars invested back into your business and jobs instead of being wasted on a larger energy bill. For more information on Voltus, visit www.voltus.co.

CoolSys™, the parent of market-leading refrigeration and HVAC services companies nationwide, announced it has appointed Chris Schulken as chief operating officer (COO). As COO, Chris oversees day-to-day administrative and operational functions at CoolSys and serves as a member of the executive management team, steering the company on its rapid growth trajectory.

 

“I’m thrilled to have Chris join the CoolSys team and we are fortunate to have someone of his caliber in the role of COO,” comments Adam Coffey, CEO at CoolSys. “Chris brings hands-on experience to his position. He has an engineering background and a great track record as a collaborative leader who aligns operational practices with company strategy to achieve great results.”

 

Originally from the New York area, Chris began his career working on ship HVAC systems as a cadet learning to be a third assistant engineer while attending Maritime College, State University of New York. After earning a B.E. in electrical engineering, he worked as an engineer at Techmatics, Inc. in Washington, D.C. before joining Carrier Corporation, where he held several positions of increasing responsibility on the East Coast. Chris returned to Washington D.C. during these years, where he earned his M.B.A. from George Washington University. He subsequently joined York International, where he oversaw multiple regions across the U.S.When York was acquired by Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI) and later when JCI merged with Tyco, he played an instrumental role in these integrations.Once the Tyco merger was complete, he assumed responsibility for the Northeast Territory of JCI, which was a $1.7 billion business at that time.

“I’m looking forward to working with the CoolSys team during this time of continued nationwide expansion,” Schulken comments. “As a servant leader, I’m focused on all of the voices on my team, particularly those in the field with our customers. Together, we’ll work towards the operational and growth objectives of the company.“

 

About CoolSys

CoolSys is the market-leading refrigeration and HVAC services company, specializing in a full spectrum of best-in-class service experiences and solutions for customers in the retail, foodservice, commercial and industrial market segments. CoolSys and its operating businesses cover every stage of mission-critical systems from engineering and design, to installation, service and maintenance, and energy optimization. Headquartered in Southern California, CoolSys has more than 3,000 employees nationwide, serving the daily needs of more than 45,000 customer locations across North America. For additional information, please visitwww.coolsys.com.