I was staring out the window this morning, wondering what to write about. It was snowing, and the wind was battering the sides of the building. It looked a little like a snow globe, if those idyllic scenes were intended to represent the nightmares of winter rather than the merriment of Christmas.

A text message snapped me out of the swirling scene. It was from a lifelong friend, who also happens to be the foreman of a local water system. He was actually commenting on my December Cleaner column about resolutions. It’s always nice to know at least someone is reading it.

It’s interesting having a close friend who happens to be in the industry. His knowledge is based on years of experience with his water department. Mine comes mostly from reading and conversations with people like you. But I’m sometimes amazed at how much I’ve learned from those conversations.

You’re in the field every day and have plenty of perspective on the work you do. But how often do you talk to other contractors, subject matter experts or equipment manufacturers to gain their perspective? There’s no better place to do just that than the Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show.

This year’s WWETT Show, once again being held at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, gets underway with Education Day Feb. 21. The exhibit hall opens the following day and gives you three days’ worth of opportunity to see and discuss all the tools that can help you make your business stronger.

And, of course, there’s no bigger gathering of your peers and no greater opportunity to compare notes and gain the perspective of other successful contractors. Think of it as four days of business building.

I met one of the contractors featured in last month’s issue, Ben Smith of Minnesota-based Marvel Sewer and Drain, at last year’s show. We were at the Industry Appreciation Party. I was talking to another contractor when he came up and started chatting. That led to some email correspondence, a couple mentions in my monthly column, and eventually the story in January. It’s a great story about growing within the industry and taking advantage of the opportunity it provides.

I’ve met a lot of other people at the show, too — a lot of people like my buddy who have given me a better understanding of the jobs you do every day and what it takes to be successful in this industry. I’m always appreciative of that.

I’ll be at the show again this year, and I hope you will be, too. If you see me out on the floor, feel free to introduce yourself. I’m always interested in hearing your stories.

It might not be a full escape from winter, but the WWETT Show is a chance to get away from the day to day and do something that will pay dividends in the long run. Plus, you can move around a lot of downtown Indy without ever going outside, and the shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo Steak House will put you in a warmer frame of mind.

Enjoy this month’s issue.