Some entrepreneurs gave no sign that one day they would be their own boss so how can you tell if you have picked the next BIG extension of yourself and business?  Based on Margaret Heffman a serial CEO out of Texas with businesses like InfoMation Corporation, Zinezone Corporation and iCAST Corporation.  The conditions she uses are easy, only four major core conditions she instills in her company culture that keep her cranking out some of the most productive talent.

So what were those conditions?

An open atmosphere. Every team we have ever run has been highly democratic. Any good idea gets attention. Ideas didn’t have to fight their way through a structure. They could be blurted out.

Extravagant diversity.  Our youngest employee was eighteen and our oldest was 68. They’d worked in different countries, states and industries. Some demonstrated enormous emotional intelligence; some had virtually none.

Time didn’t matter.  Time frame wasn’t as much a priority as much as their productivity.  Individuals figured out what worked for them, and for their families—and that worked for the business. Too many companies seem to feel they have to fight for priority over family life and in that jealous feud, vast amounts of energy and workplace enjoyment are dissolved.

Stretch goals were just the start. Almost everything the company faced was difficult. We liked big challenges and cheered anyone who met them.

Doing great work and thinking outside the box is hard, that’s why great people love it.

Read more: http://blog.birddogjobs.com/you-cant-predi…lent-foster-it/

Here is a great idea for all business owners and hiring managers, build the atmosphere that promotes professional growth and you will go far, great people like a challenge and want to continue being the expert in their field.

Read any Honeywell catalog on control valves and most likely you will end up with red eyes and possibly a bald spot on top of your head from scratching it in frustration.

Let’s see…Stem up to close, Stem down to close, reverse acting, direct acting…..ARRRGGG, I just want a normally closed valve with a pneumatic actuator with a 8-13 psi spring range!!!

The easy way….Call Stromquist and Company they know what I want… Yes, but there is a lesson being taught here so I need to do my job.

Pneumatic Control valves are inherently spring return and modulating valves, always opening and closing the valve to whatever location the temperature controller deems correct to maintain proper conditions in a controlled space. For this reason when we get to the electronic portion of this article the actuators will be modulating and spring return.

Pneumatic Globe Style Control Valves and Actuators:

Valve Action = Stem down to close. This means that the valve body is Normally Open and the actuator would have to push the stem down to close the valve.

Valve Action=Stem up to close. This means the valve body is Normally Closed and the actuator would have to lift the stem up to close the valve.

Directing Acting Actuator =Stem up.  This means with an increase of air pressure the actuator will pull the stem up

Reverse Acting Actuator =Stem down. This means with an increase of air pressure the actuator will push the stem down.

So in the field if you need a normally closed pneumatic actuated valve you would need to pick an N/O valve (stem down to close) and a RA (reverse acting) actuator; this will fail closed (stem down) on a loss of air pressure. If you need a normally open pneumatic actuated valve you would need to pick an N/O valve (stem down to close) and a DA (direct acting) actuator; this will fail open (stem up) on a loss of air pressure. Having said that; remember that pneumatic valve action (not fail position) is dependent on the action (DA/RA) of the thermostat AND if you are doing cooling or heating (hot water or steam will also change things). Final selection of the pneumatic actuator will depend on the spring range you need and the body size and close off pressures needed. This paragraph applies only to Honeywell, as other manufacturers do things differently (most manufacturers have true NC and NO valves and use only DA actuators). Proper valve sizing and actuator selection is vital with today’s temperature control systems for proper control and tenant comfort. If you are unsure of which valve/actuator combination to select just call the professionals at Stromquist and we can “walk” you thru it.

Electronic Globe Style Control Valves and Actuators:

Thank goodness the valve bodies for the electronic applications are the same as the pneumatic applications so the Valve Action for the electronic control valves will remain the same as the pneumatic control valves.

Care must be taken in the selection of the spring return modulating actuator. The first consideration is the close off pressures necessary in the system so an electronic actuator with the proper torque can be selected.

As I was reading through the specification sheet of the spring return actuator I noticed in the application and features section of the sheet the statements “reverse/direction action” and “An internal selector plug can be used to reverse the direction of action.” DANGER!! DANGER !! Honeywell is NOT stating that the valve can be normally open or normally closed by changing the selector plug. The changing of the selector plug can and is used to reverse the action of the CONTROL SIGNAL only.

The decision of a normally open or normally closed valve is based on the direction the actuator drives the valve stem (up or down) on power failure.

I hope this has cleared a little of the mud away when selecting Honeywell globe valves with pneumatic and electronic actuators. Goodness knows we need our eyes clear and our hair intact.

One, if not the favorite of our Holidays, is Thanksgiving Day. This day more than any of the 365 days of the year allows us to think about how grateful and thankful we are. This Holiday asks no more from us than just to be Thankful.

We at Stromquist and Company are thankful in so many ways to YOU our clients, vendors, and viewers of this web site and our business.

 A moment in time is all we need to be thankful for the moments in time we spend together.

Stromquist and Company will be closed at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday November 24^th and will reopen Friday November 26^th until noon.

Stromquist & Company launched its online ordering website over five years ago. Many of our customers have enjoyed the convenience of being able to order parts 24/7 and do confidential direct shipments to their customers.

We have added several new features that we are really excited about! You will notice the link next to the part you are ordering; this links you to a PDF of that part’s specification and installation sheets. In one easy step you can place your order and download your submittals. You can also see all your account information, and if you have an open invoice you can even pay it online with a credit card.

In addition to all these great time saving benefits, we are also offering web only specials. For example, through the month of October 2010 we are offering an additional 10% discount on the Testo 327 and Testo 330 combustion analyzer kits, as well as 10% on the Johnson T600 thermostats.

Sign up at Controltrends and we will email you these web specials and control news you can use.

Honeywell interview: Integrating Energy Management with Access Controls http://bit.ly/Zlbcy via @AddToAny

How to use the internet to grow your HVAC business http://bit.ly/dxxuO via @AddToAny

Gas Pressure Regulator Installation http://bit.ly/YLk2Q via @AddToAny

Got the Honeywell and CGNA Interviews working http://bit.ly/1AyrHM via @AddToAny

Check out the new Honeywell Dampers http://bit.ly/1lgcLs via @AddToAny

My interview with Jim Hayman from CGNA http://bit.ly/19pBwH via @AddToAny