BOSTON, MA — The efforts to unite the Northamerican Heating, Refrigeration, and Airconditioning Wholesalers Association (NHRAW) and the Airconditioning and Refrigeration Wholesalers International (ARWI) into a new combined trade association moved another step closer to reality as a joint task force on consolidation issued its final report and recommendation following a June 21-22 meeting here.

The proposal, which calls the new group Heating, Airconditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors Inter-national (HARDI), will go before the respective boards of ARWI and NHRAW prior to being submitted to their respective memberships for an October vote.

NHRAW President Jim Truesdell and ARWI President Johnnie Drury, in a joint statement, said they were confident the task force had fashioned a proposal which retains the best features of both associations and which offers “a tremendous total value to the respective memberships.” They said they anticipated a favorable reception from their respective boards and memberships.

The proposal addresses a multitude of details resulting from the work of four project teams formed by the joint task force on consolidation. Upon approval, the new association is expected to be up and running in place of the existing organizations by January 2003.

Publication date: 07/01/2002