RANDLEMAN, N.C. - The Replacement Parts Department of Rheem Air Conditioning Division has announced the opening of its new 180,000-square-foot Parts Distribution Center (PDC) located here.

According to the company, the state-of-the-art facility is designed to better serve the manufacturer's network of independent Rheem and Ruud HVAC distributors with the highest level of customer satisfaction, inventory availability, special order delivery, and quality standards.

The Rheem Replacement Parts Department, formerly located adjacent to the company's Fort Smith, Ark., manufacturing center and division headquarters, offers wholesale distributors its Protech™-branded HVAC parts and supplies for resale to dealers and contractors. The new PDC allows the Parts Department to keep pace with expanding market demand, especially as a result of the Prostock® store program, says the company. Prostock utilizes advanced merchandising techniques found in many retail customer-convenience environments, the company says, such as well-stocked inventories offering many choices in wide, well-lit, color-coded aisles that separate HVAC parts, supplies, and tools into easily identifiable categories.

Rheem said it selected the new site in Randleman based on a number of key factors, including its proximity to 85 percent of its distributor customers, the area's well-developed transportation corridors, and the soon-to-be-developed Federal Express hub located nearby.

"This move reflects the entrepreneurial spirit we foster at Rheem, and our climate of listening and responding to our customers," said Don Harter, general manager, Rheem Replacement Parts. "We look forward to being a vital part of the Randleman community and continuing to better serve the needs of our HVAC customers."

For more information, visit www.rheemac.com.

Publication date: 09/05/2005