ServiceOne is celebrating an anniversary! On April 3, 2003, we legally incorporated our business. Since that time two decades ago, we have been blessed to have had undeniable support from great vendors, fantastic friends, and loyal customers who referred us to others and helped us grow into the strong regional presence we are today.
Words cannot express our appreciation!
In view of this business milestone for ServiceOne, I’ve been thinking a lot about the last twenty years. It’s surprising how fast they’ve gone by and how much I’ve forgotten in the blur of activity from year to year. I thought it might be fun to look at events of the last two decades and remind myself what really happened in the time it took us to build a lasting business.
What do you remember about the last amazing twenty years?
Major events
You know how the older you get, the more the years mush together?
Here are three major events that have occurred over the last twenty years. Identify the year they happened:
- Release of the first iPhone
- The final film of the wildly popular Harry Potter series
- Death of Michael Jackson
- The Boston Marathon bombing
- Release of Iron Man, the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Passings…
Life ebbs and flows, and in the past two decades, many notable Americans have died.
Which of the following people did NOT die in the last twenty years?
Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Kobe Bryant
Steve Jobs
Audrey Hepburn
Robin Williams
Mohammad Ali
Anthony Bourdain
Chadwick Boseman
Innovations in Technology
“The times, they are a’changing,” says Bob Dylan.
Can you list three innovations in technology that have dramatically impacted your life and the world around you?
Progress in the world of HVAC and plumbing
Because our business is heating and air conditioning, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that there have also been great innovations in our industry.
Over the last twenty years, we’ve benefitted from industry improvements like these:
Air Purification systems that can kill germs.
Plumbing, too, has seen strides in technology. We now have tankless water heaters, super-efficient fixtures, and UV water filtration systems!
Music in the last twenty years
Based on record sales only, what two artists had two of the top songs of the last twenty years?
Movies and the cinema experience
Before millions of people streamed movies, they actually sat down in a movie theater with buckets of popcorn and candy snacks.
Remember those days?
If you had to name three of the top eight movies of the last twenty years, which ones would you guess? The answers may surprise you.
The Next Thirty Years….
Tim McGraw has a song that seems appropriate right now as we celebrate our anniversary and twenty years in the business:
“I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era, and the turning of a page
Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord, have mercy on my next 30 years…”
Thank you for letting us serve you over the last amazing 20 years.
Now on to the next thirty, continuing to take care of your heating, air conditioning, and plumbing needs!
Answers:
Major events:
- Release of the first iPhone, 2007
- The final film of the wildly popular Harry Potter series, 2011
- Death of Michael Jackson, 2009
- The Boston Marathon bombing, 2013
- Release of Iron Man, the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 2008
Passings:
The correct answer is Audrey Hepburn. She died thirty years ago, on January 20, 1993.
Innovations in technology:
The good news is that there is no right or wrong answer!
Here is a list of some of the innovations in technology that have probably impacted you. It’s not a complete list because there are thousands more.
- Smartphones
- Social media
- Streaming services
- Online shopping
- AI and machine learning
- Cloud computing
- Electric vehicles
- 3D printing
Music in the last twenty years:
Was your guess correct?
In the last twenty years, two artists are listed in the top 20 songs of the last twenty years:
Ed Sheeran and Adele.
Ed Sheeran’s 2017 song, “Shape of You,” is the top-selling song of the last two decades. His “Thinking Out Loud,” released in 2014 is listed at number twelve.
Adele has two songs listed as the top-sellers of the last twenty years:
“Rolling in the Deep,” 2010, comes in at number six on the list.
“Hello,” 2015 ranks in the number nine slot.
Movies and the cinema experience
Out of the top 10 highest-grossing movies at the box office in the last twenty years, four of them are part of franchises: Avengers. Star Wars. Jurassic World. Fast & Furious.
Two of the top ten are re-releases.
How many did you guess?
- Avengers: Endgame, 2019 - 2.798 BILLION
- Avatar, 2009 - 2.790 BILLION
- Titanic, Re-released in 3D in 2012 – 2.194 BILLION
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2015 – 2.068 BILLION
- Avengers: Infinity War, 2019 – 2.048 BILLION
- Jurassic World, 2015 – 1.670 BILLION
- Lion King, Re-released, 2019 - `.656 BILLION
- Avengers, 2012 – 1.519 BILLION
- Furious 7, 2015 – 1.516 BILLION
- Frozen II, 2019 – 1.450 BILLION