The ink has long dried on the agreement between retail giant Sears and HVAC cornerstone Carrier Corp., whereby Carrier-brand equipment is sold by Sears and installed and serviced by Sears subcontractors (The News, Sept. 30, 2002). More than eight months later, what are dealers thinking and feeling?
While it’s true that some are still dealing with strong emotional reactions, many more have found reasons to rejoice — especially those who market their own company as their brand, and those with very intimate knowledge of how Sears goes to market in the HVAC world. This article will represent their points of view.