NEWS
and Events
Check here often for what's new at DuctPro.
"The King" meets Jack Canfield
September 18, 2007
Michael S. Palazzolo, founder of DuctPro, and several friends were guests at a speaking engagement featuring Jack Canfield. Jack is the co-author of the incredibly successful “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series and is featured in the movie “The Secret.”
As one of Michael’s personal heroes and a like-minded “positive thinker,” Jack teaches the Laws of Attraction and the power that they have in our lives. Those who know Mike have heard him enthusiastically spreading this message and how it has changed his life for the past twenty-five years. The presentation, as expected, was wonderful!
Michael invites you to contact him about realizing the Power of Attraction in your life! mike@ductpro.com
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Glenn Haege (Master Handyman) visits DuctPro
September 6, 2007
As a proud sponsor of Ask the Handyman with Glenn Haege on WJR 760 AM, DuctPro hosted a visit from the man himself during our weekly technical meeting on September 6. Glenn shared stories from his radio show and lessons learned from other visiting with the “front liners” of the companies he promotes. Likewise, the technicians illuminated pertinent industry news and shared their own experiences from the field. After the formal meeting took place with the technical staff Glenn came out to the shop area to see the fleet off for the work day. He took the time to pose for a few pictures with the staff and meet each technician personally. Afterward the office staff had some time to interact with and communicate their experiences to Glenn. If anyone wonders why Glenn seems to personally know all the contractors he accepts as sponsors, it’s because he really does. DuctPro thanks Glenn Haege for taking the time to visit our operation and to meet our most valuable asset, our people.
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DuctPro at 2007 Home Improvement Show
Macomb Community College Expo Center, Macomb, MI
February 16-18, 2007
Operations Manager MJ Palazzolo, Supervisor of Shows and Exhibits Marcus Palazzolo and Technician Chris Nevens were all there mingling with the crowd and answering questions. One of the smaller shows that DuctPro participates in, the 2007 Macomb Home Improvement Show provided a more intimate setting and more time with each person who was interested in DuctPro's services. Even owner Mike Palazzolo made an appearance to the delight of those who have known him for years and enjoy his knowledge and expertise on his industry.
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DuctPro at 2007 Home Improvement Show
Rock Financial Showplace, Novi
January 26-28, 2007
Marcus Palazzolo, supervisor of conference and convention exhibits was out proudly representing DuctPro again this year at the Novi Home improvement show Jan 26-28. He had one of our monster trucks on hand so interested attendees could see firsthand what the most powerful vacuum truck available on the commercial market looks like. Marcus answered many, many questions from participants. His pleasant demeanor seemed to set them at ease and encourage even more questions.
All this of course was aimed at once again showing our shared community why DuctPro is the best investment they can make in HVAC duct system cleaning.The event was a success and DuctPro looks forward to returning next year. Also at the show but not pictured were Technicians Matt Moscone and Chris Nevens along with Operations Manager Michael J. Palazzolo.
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Safety King at 2006 NADCA Convention
March 4-9, 2006
DuctPro sponsors NADCA’s 17th Annual Meeting and Exposition. Held in Dallas, Texas, the “2006 Indoor Environments” meeting was one of the most successful to date. Sponsored by DuctPro, attendance was robust and the programs were informative and powerful, yet focused and concise.
Below, a view of the beautiful Dallas skyline.
New initiatives in training and certification were introduced and the standards for member companies continue to be raised. A hot topic of discussion was a new member designation exclusively for those companies that guarantee certified ASCS personnel on every jobsite, something DuctPro has done for years.
Below, DuctPro President Michael S. Palazzolo has the honor of introducing the keynote speaker George Hedley.
After the keynote address it was off to the exhibit hall where Michael spent hours promoting the healthy growth of the organization as well as that of the industry as a whole. “We continue to distance ourselves from the cheap, untrained companies of the past. The public is becoming more aware of the disservice these ‘blow-and-go’ companies can do to an uninformed consumer. The evidence has become overwhelming that it is imperative to hire only trained, licensed, and certified companies equipped with the best tools. And this only makes sense. If we demand the highest standards from those we hire to clean our teeth, repair our cars or care for our pets, why wouldn’t we demand the same of a company servicing the systems that control indoor air quality for us and our families?”
Symbolic of DuctPro's dedication to the trend toward higher industry standards, Operations Manager Michael J. Palazzolo, below, accepts the first place award for new member sponsorship.
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New Corporate Headquarters Opens
We're proud to announce the Summer, 2005 grand opening of our new corporate headquarters building on the corner of 22 Mile Road and Ryan Road in Utica, MI. The complex consists of a 10,000 square foot training facility/garage and an adjacent 4,000 square foot office building.
This new building replaces the former headquarters building, a turn-of-the-century farmhouse. “It was a question of space, really,” says the owner, Michael S. Palazzolo. “We had seriously outgrown our former quarters. Plus, we needed more space to maintain and service our fleet of twenty Power Vacuum Trucks between jobs. We also needed more space to support our training programs. We continuously train our own NADCA certified technician team and we also offer technician and marketing training to other companies, some from as far away as Indonesia and Australia.”
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Handgun Found In Duct
Not long ago, two of our Technicians, Gene and Dave, found a loaded pistol inside an air duct while doing a residential cleaning. Here is Gene's report.
"In the beginning of the procedure, Dave cut a one-inch hole in the duct work. When withdrawing his drill bit, he saw that there was aluminum foil and shredded paper caught in the bit. Dave called it to my attention and said “Gee this is gonna be a dirty one.” Dave then cut a four-inch hole in a different part of the duct and noticed that objects were visible in the duct. He said it looked like it was more aluminum foil. He extracted several foil wrapped packages. Inside the packages were various documents including tax returns and what appeared to be copies of criminal records. We brought this to the attention of the customer and she assured us we could just leave it all on the table in the basement because she found it interesting and wanted to look through it.
I began brushing the interior of the ductwork as usual. As I did so, I noticed the brush did not seem to be rotating normally. I began retrieving my brush from the duct work and I could hear that something was definitely being dragged down the main trunk line. I pulled the brush out of the ductwork and saw the object, which was wrapped in insulation and masking tape. It was obvious from its shape that it was a handgun.
I immediately called it to my partner’s attention and then alerted the homeowner. She called the police and an officer arrived before we had finished the duct cleaning. The officer took the gun for disposal, along with the bullets it was loaded with.
We finished our work, thanked the customer and the officer and started our truck to embark on the next stage of our mission to save the world…one house at a time. Who knows what could be lying in your ductwork?" [end of Gene's report]
Our Technicians have become pretty blase about things that are found in ductwork. Nobody seems to be surprised anymore. That's understandable, though. Here’s a partial list combed from our records: soiled diapers, two diamond rings, magazines hidden away by teenage boys, diaries written by teenage girls, used hypodermic needles, immigration papers, and lots of money. The money thing is pretty amazing. We have found Pesos, Rubles, Francs, Yen, Kroner, Duetchmarks, Lira, Confederate Dollars, over a trillion dollars in play money and, once, $8,000 in coins. Apparently, lots of people who want to hide things think of an air duct as a likely spot. Dixie cups, beer cans and the occasional builder’s lunch don’t even raise an eyebrow. Our owner, Mike, has a personal favorite, though. A brand new clarinet in the case. The home owner couldn’t wait to confront her son with the long lost instrument. She kept mumbling something about “all those payments…”
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Training for Continuous Improvement
DuctPro carries on frequent in-house training for members of our technical staff. Each of our lead Technicians has already been certified as an Air System Cleaning Specialist (ASCS) by NADCA, the National Air Duct Cleaners Association. Even so, DuctPro wants to keep all Technicians constantly updated on the very best techniques for serving the duct cleaning needs of our customers. In these photos of a recent training session in our new 10,000 square foot garage and training facility, Technicians get hands-on practice in the most effective way to clean the air conditioning coil in a residential air duct system. Cleaning the air conditioning coil is included in each of our air duct cleaning jobs at no extra charge, unlike many of our competitors.
