Billy Blurb

One of the things my dad was known for were the little sayings he would share in different situations. Some of them would be obvious, while others would remind you to make wise decisions in the various situations you would find yourself. While I can’t share all of them here, I’d like to share a few that I keep coming back to all the time. “Why are you worrying about things you have no control over?” is one that keeps me from taking undue responsibility and burden than I should in certain situations that are beyond my control. It helps me keep perspective of the challenges in life. Another practical one that has kept me out of trouble when pulling a trailer is “The number one thing to remember when you’re pulling a trailer . . . . Is that you’re pulling a trailer!” I know, I said some of them are obvious, but very practical. Here’s one that is not so obvious, but trust me, it works – “If you want to have a great day, and you have a list of things to do for the day, the one you really don’t want to do, do that one first!” The sense of accomplishment that goes with that one is huge, and spills over onto the other tasks for that day.

The one that I think embodies him the best, though, is one that helped shape the culture of our company. He would say “If you want to make your day better, make someone else’s better!” I regularly saw him do that with customers, and at the end of the day, he was able to feel the worth of having cared for other people, even if the job or the unit was a disaster. It’s that mentality that is behind our slogan “No Matter What The Weather, Tri County Makes It Better”. But even before our customers, it starts with us making each others’ days better. I would encourage you to look around you at work and see who you’re sitting near, driving with, or installing alongside of, and ask if there is some practical way you can make their day better. It doesn’t have to be big, either. Start with something small, because it just might end up being a lot bigger than you may realize. By doing so, you’ll be living out our values of Caring and Respect, and be making a real difference.

Benefits Highlight

Tuition Reimbursement up to $1,500/year is available to employees who take certification or other education coursework that furthers their knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in the workplace. Employees must obtain prior approval from Human Resources before enrolling in the class in order to become eligible for reimbursement, and must achieve a grade of “B” or better with the certification or coursework. There are some other requirements and stipulations that you will need to agree to, but the spirit of this is to help you continue to develop and excel as a person, which will have a direct impact on how we can continue to develop and excel as a company. Reach out to Victoria May for more information on this benefit.

The 2025 Big Summer Golf Card offers discounts at multiple golf courses in Southwest Florida, and if golf is how you find rest and restoration in your time off, we want to contribute towards that by providing the card for you. The only stipulation is that you have to use the card. Let us know if you want this benefit by clicking here and filling out the form. We will get the card to you once we receive it.

Invest In The Eternal

Tap on the image above to see the latest update from Guatemala regarding the Care Point we are partnering with to make a difference in the lives of children and their families in the slums of that nation’s capitol. We truly are comforting others in such a way that it honors the Great Comforter, Jesus Christ. This is a recorded update from the Director over the Guatemala Care Points, Mafer Rodas.

We are close to finishing up the funding for the fourth well in Chad, Africa, which helps a whole community thrive in ways it never could without it. Each well serves hundreds of individuals, and opens the door for the message of the Living Water to be shared with an open door into their villages. As you may know, Africa is experiencing a lot of unrest, and it tends to spread across the continent like a virus. This partnership with NeverThirst enables us to invest in lives and communities that we may never meet, but has an impact that will reverberate for generations to come. You can track how we’re doing on our current project by clicking here.

We get to celebrate some very special people through their birthday and work anniversaries. Give these people affirmation and encouragement as they mark these special milestones.

Pics From Around

Pics From The Office PopStroke

Pics From The Meeting

What Our Customers Are Saying

We had soooooo many positive reviews coming in, that we can’t put them all in, but here is a good sampling of them. Thanks to those who captured and shared these with the rest of us. You Rock!

From The Hart

”Are you seeing straight?”

In the picture above, the four horizontal lines are perfectly straight, and are perpendicular to each other. No, they are not slanted. And no, I am not lying. To see for yourself, just scroll the picture up to the edge of your screen to see how they each align straight across. Crazy, isn’t it? By adding a few squiggly lines and geometric figures intentionally placed in the picture, it distorts the mind, even though the lines are straight, and aligned to each other.

If an image can be so easily distorted by a few lines and figures added into the mix, imagine how much more distorted our view of life, of people, and of the countless situations we find ourselves in each day can be by adding in a few extra elements into it. Things like emotions, deeply held beliefs, hurt, early wounds we received growing up, fear, past relationships, greed, hurry, and countless other added elements can greatly impact whether we’re seeing things clearly or not. Or better said, whether we’re seeing things for how they really are.

So how do we see straight, especially when everything around us seems crooked? I’ve found help in a couple different sources. First, I want friends who can see clearly. I’ll know them by the way they live their lives with wisdom, and the order and lack of chaos that is in their lives. Having someone speak into an area of my life I’m desiring to see more clearly in is huge, especially when I am confident that they are willing to speak boldly and honestly, even when it might be something I don’t want to hear. If we don’t have friends who can do that for us, we can seek counsel from those who may not know us very well, but can discern for us the bit of clarity we are seeking. That can come in the form of counselors, pastors, books, podcasts, and a host of other sources. The challenge is to make sure the source is reputable, even if not popular.

The second thing that helps me see straight is a world view, or a belief system, that transcends the immediate situation in which I may find myself. I have personally found that in trusting the Bible as a means to know God and discern His wisdom. That has led me to be a follower of Jesus Christ, though I must admit, imperfectly. I have found following Him to bring clarity and consistency, so even when I fail to follow Him, there is no one else I need to look to than myself as the reason for the confusion. It’s helpful to identify what our world view is and what our basic beliefs are, so we can see how they are guiding us, for better or for worse, when life gets distorted like that image above. And similar to how I see the truth about the lines in the image above by scrolling it against the frame, the same is true when I hold my life and decisions against the frame of God’s Word, and it brings insight to whatever I’m looking at.

If Barbie or I can serve you in addressing anything I discussed above, please reach out to us. We’d be honored to come alongside of you in your quest to “seeing things straight”.

Owner Q & A

Below are some of the questions that were submitted at the Annual Meeting. There are others that were asked that will be addressed by the Directors in the next newsletter.

Q: “What do you love about travel?”

A: My wife loves to travel and I love my wife. -Billy Swanson

Q: “What are some of the dynamic offerings we are planning on offering? When do you think the first one will start?”

A: The first offering we are looking at is Plumbing, we are unsure when it will start because we want to make sure it will be done to excellence.

Q: “Is there a way for employees to invest in the company, like a stock or dividend?”

A: No, we are privately owned not a publicly traded company. But, we do offer to match you up to 6% investing for yourself through your 401(k).

Q: “What is the meaning of life?”

A: To Honor and Glorify God.

Q: “Would you ever consider opening a branch in the North GA or NC area? I know several of us that will relocate.”

A: Our vision is to expand our services in our service area but as we expand there will be opportunities for us expand geographically.

Q: “Plumbing license was mentioned for the company. Very much interested in that Does that mean we get extra training for the plumbing or help for funding the extra education?”

A: We are always looking to invest in our employees, we currently have a policy to help pay for additional training see HR(Victoria) for more details.

Looking Ahead

More To Come On These As We Get Closer. Save The Dates!

March ????? – Swanny’s Baby Arrival. Stop by the Kitchen and fill out your guesses regarding the name, the weight, the length, the time of day, and the actual day. You can win some prizes. And speaking of prizes, consider sharing some love with Daniel & Aubrey through their Registry by clicking here.

April 12-13. Venice Sharks Tooth Festival. We are the lead sponsor for this event. Come enjoy live music, food trucks, educational speakers, merchandise and fossil vendors, a kids corner, and more in downtown Venice. When you do, stop by the Tri County Air tent and say hi!

April 18th, Second Annual Employee Golf Tournament. Save the date, and we’ll have a signup link in the April Newsletter.

Ten Til Tuesdays. Every Tuesday, at 6:50am or 8:20am, we invite you to join us in the Comfort Care office for an encouraging word for living and a quick prayer time to face life.