Nordyne and WinWholesale Co. announced a new partnership on Dec. 7. WinWholesale’s HVAC distribution groups will begin selling NuTone heating and cooling products, a new brand of air-conditioning, heat pumps, and furnaces.

WinWholesale® will make the product available initially through its wholly-owned Noland Co. with 107 locations. WinWholesale also has 57 Winair™ participating locations which involve shared ownership with operators that will have the ability to sell NuTone heating and cooling products in the future.

The move by WinWholesale will replace the Ruud Air Conditioning brands that were the only lines sold at its Noland branches. Noland will now only carry NuTone, Gibson, and Mammoth brands in addition to any remaining Ruud inventory.

Noland Co. has locations across the eastern and southern United States and employs about 1,300 people. Approximately 6,300 individual HVAC contractors purchase heating and cooling equipment from Noland on a routine basis. The company’s goal is to transition all of them to the new brand.

Discussing the major move for his company during an interview with The NEWS, Dave LaGrand, Nordyne president and CEO said, “Over the last couple of years the market has drastically changed. Residential new construction and home resales are down, raw material costs are up, and the change to 13 SEER as a federal regulation has decreased replacement opportunities with repair solutions. These factors are forcing distributors and dealers to change their strategies and seek opportunities and relationships that will make them more profitable.”

The NuTone heating and cooling brand will be a premium line of heating and cooling products available through Noland Co. WinWholesale will also make this line available to their Winair distributors. The line includes 13-16 SEER split system air conditioners and heat pumps; iQ Drive 23 SEER air conditioning systems; 13-14 SEER packaged systems including heat pumps, air conditioners, gas-electric packs, and the latest iHybrid heat pump-gas furnace packaged system.

Also included in this offering are 80–95.1 AFUE gas furnaces, as well as oil furnaces. NuTone accessories will include IAQ products such as UV lighting, air cleaners, zoning, humidifiers, and ERV-HRV systems.

“NuTone is a very respectable brand that is already associated with indoor air quality and home improvement. Heating and cooling products are a natural extension of its core line, which makes this a very desirable brand as a premium replacement product line,” said Doug Jones, vice president, sales and marketing for Nordyne. “We are thrilled about this partnership. We share common goals such as creating profitable growth opportunities and supporting independent distribution. Having parallel strategies really makes this a win-win situation.”

“The opportunity to provide our contractors with such a high quality line and have a partner like Nordyne who is as committed to making sure our customers are as successful as we are is incredibly thrilling and has me very optimistic about the future,” said Jean Preston, COO of Noland Co.

WINWHOLESALE STRUCTURE

WinWholesale Inc. is a supplier of domestic and industrial supplies and materials headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. The privately held company has an equity-partnership model with each of its 460 locations - which include the 57 Winair locations - where WinWholesale is the majority owner of these locations and there is also local ownership.

Noland Co., acquired by WinWholesale in 2005, is a wholesaler headquartered in Newport News, Va., which adds another 107 branches to the Win Group of Companies. Noland’s approach is to only carry one line of HVAC equipment. Therefore, all Noland branches will now carry NuTone heating and cooling products.

Noland Co. provides HVAC equipment, accessories, and refrigerants for residential and commercial construction, equipment replacement, and retrofit. The company has long been known for its expert technical assistance and training. Noland’s Advanced Signature Stocking Plan enables qualified dealers to maintain on-hand supplies in their shop without an upfront investment.

WinWholesale also sells HVAC equipment through its Winair branded locations. Winair locations have the ability to carry lines their local customers demand, so the migration to NuTone heating and cooling products will be more gradual. Some of the Winair companies are already doing business with Nordyne and will have the opportunity to switch to the NuTone brand if they so desire.

“This partnership is very exciting for WinWholesale as it brings high quality HVAC equipment to the market from a leading manufacturer and a leading wholesale distributor,” said Rick Schwartz, president and CEO, WinWholesale.

During the joint announcement, spokespersons for both companies assured customers that the transition would be conducted in a manner that is in the best interest of all parties.

LaGrand said, “Nordyne and our employees are excited about this opportunity. Everyone is working hard to make sure the transition is smooth for WinWholesale and Noland. We understand it is human nature to be apprehensive when change occurs, but we are going to do everything we can to make this a positive experience for WinWholesale, Noland, and their heating and air conditioning contractors.”

A WinWholesale representative said the company has developed an integrated communications campaign that gives local managers the tools they need to explain the change and the strong benefits of the NuTone heating and cooling products. “We kicked things off on Dec. 7 with a live Webcast with our employees and the delivery of initial product materials and marketing collateral. We’ve got local meetings set up for the remainder of the month and then have a kick-off meeting for all branch managers in early January,” said Steve Edwards, director of corporate communications.

Noland will continue to work with Ruud to complete any orders already in process or booked jobs that need to be handled for the benefit of its customers. Noland will work with Ruud for an orderly transition of the orders to the successor of the line. “Our primary goal is to not cause a disruption to our customers’ businesses and we don’t want them to fail as a result of the change. If Ruud is specified or partially installed on a job requiring additional Ruud equipment, we will do everything we can to help customers complete the job as required,” said Preston.

Collectively, WinWholesale is referred to as The Win Group of Companies. In the group are companies conducting business-to-business wholesale distribution of plumbing and heating supplies; industrial pipes, valves and fittings; heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment; electrical equipment; electronics; industrial and commercial fastening hardware; waterworks and utility supplies; and domestic, commercial and industrial pumps.

“We are committed to providing our customers the best service delivery including dependable expertise as well as breadth and depth of available products,” said Schwartz. “Offering NuTone Heating and Cooling Products fortifies this commitment.”

For more information, visit www.nutonehvac.com.

Publication date: 12/10/2007