ARLINGTON, Va. - North American Technician Excellence (NATE) has selected seven technicians to compete in the 5th annual Certified Technician Competition. Contestants will compete in a series of timed, hands-on events in real-world situations. HVAC simulators will be rigged with specific heating and cooling problems that require contestants to demonstrate their problem-solving skills by analyzing, diagnosing, and correcting the equipment and system malfunctions. The technician who correctly solves the problems in the shortest time will be awarded the Top Tech title.

Out of more than 11,000 possible contestants, NATE selected Dan Dearden of Bountiful, Utah; Doug Correll of Ogallala, Neb.; Craig Drabenstadt of Camp Hill, Pa.; Jeff Harshman of Pendelton, Ore.; Tom Hull of San Antonio; Eric Jones of Plainfield, Ind.; and Steve Madsen of Lakeland, Tenn. "Contestants' scores on a recent NATE exam place them on the highest tier of HVAC technicians," said Rex Boynton, president of NATE.

The competition will take place in St. Louis, Sept. 15-18.