ARLINGTON, Va. — At the 2012 Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) annual conference, four NATE awards were given to HARDI members, recognizing the outstanding efforts of HARDI distributors in promoting technician certification and the advancement of the HVACR industry.

The 2012 Top Certifier of NATE technicians went to Mingledorff’s Inc. and was accepted by company president, Bud Mingledorff. The organization was honored with this award for being the HARDI distributor who certified the most technicians since last year’s conference.

“In the past, these awards have recognized our partners’ efforts based on the number of exams given by each organization,” said Don Frendberg, chairman, NATE board of directors. “However, this year’s awards have been updated to reflect the number of technicians actually certified, which is more realistic since many technicians hold multiple certifications.”

The 2012 Single Location Top Certifier of NATE technicians went to Johnstone Supply in Denver. With a total of 138 certified professionals, they were recognized for certifying more technicians than any other HARDI member. The award was accepted by Rick Hull, Johnstone Supply president.

Virginia Air Distributors, with 57 technicians certified, received the award for being the HARDI distributor with the most improvement in the number of technician certifications in the past year. In addition, the 2012 Rising Star award was given to S. G. Torrice Co., the HARDI distributor with the greatest annual improvement in technician certifications.

“The awards are presented in the form of banners, which the recipients can hang in their businesses to recognize their accomplishments, while also driving interest in technician certification among their customers,” said Frendberg.

Publication date: 11/26/2012