Tim Willems has worked in various trades since 2002, and his professional path was never in question. “I was definitely going to be a trades kid,” he says. Tim started his trades career in the hearth industry. About 16 years ago, though, he moved over to HVAC—and from then on, the fireplace side got only a small portion of his attention. But that all changed this year. After hiring his replacement, he took on the full-time hearth lead role at Waconia Comfort, where he serves as General Manager. He describes the return as a “baptism by fire.” His office is the showroom now, and that vantage point has given him something rare: decades of industry experience paired with fresh eyes on the floor. That perspective is on full display in this month’s “President’s Perspective,” where Tim identifies the three things that will shape our industry this burn season and beyond—the product customers are asking for, the people it takes to deliver it, and the partners who are there when we need them.

Tim’s advice for his fellow industry veterans comes from an unlikely teacher: Doug, a retiree with no industry background who recently joined Waconia Comfort for a “retirement gig.” After 20-plus years in the trades, Tim is the first to admit that he and his longtime colleagues can bury a customer in technical jargon without ever noticing. Doug, in contrast, still thinks about the industry and its products the way that customers do. When Tim’s shop talk got too thick during a recent in-home quote, for example, Doug cut in with four simple words: “Put it in English.” Tim laughed—and then he took the point. The lesson is one every seasoned retailer can use: Whenever you’re explaining something to customers, put it in plain English.

Outside the showroom, Tim enjoys playing sports of all sorts—including basketball, volleyball, and pickleball—with his kids and friends.

Thank you, Tim, for bringing your fresh eyes and hard-won wisdom to The Fire Time Magazine. We’re grateful to have you aboard!