The International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Expo (AHR Expo) announced its call for entries for the 2016 AHR Expo Innovation Awards. The awards will be presented at a formal ceremony during the show, set for Jan. 25-27 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
Within the HVAC universe, pure-play manufacturers have led the market since January 2012 with a cumulative return of 173 percent. Diversified HVAC manufacturers and HVAC service and distribution stocks have also performed well, gaining 67 percent and 62 percent, respectively.
I suggest, as a contractor, you put this show on your 2016 calendar. As an added incentive, next year’s show — scheduled for Jan. 25-27 — is in Orlando, where the weather in January is likely to be much better than it was in Chicago.
As an editor, I’m wedded, at least slightly, to the editorial calendar for each issue. Distribution Center’s editorial calendar for January essentially called for articles about the economic picture and our industry.
The 2015 AHR Expo blew into the Windy City and proceeded to trump all previous Chicago expo records as manufacturers, contractors, and distributors from all around the country traveled to the Midwest to discover what’s new and trending in the HVACR industry.
Government regulations, in addition to an increase in end-user environmental awareness, are having a significant impact on the residential air conditioning market, and, based on the products exhibited at the 2015 AHR Expo, manufacturers are heeding the call.
Terminology talk at the AHR Expo focused on variable-speed compressors, electronically commutated motors (ECMs), and variable-capacity systems as well as diagnostics and troubleshooting tools for contractors.
Commercial vehicles occupied some of the largest booths at the 2015 AHR Expo and certainly left their mark on the event and its 61,000 attendees as major manufacturers showcased new lines of trucks, vans, and accessories.
The HVAC tool market is trending toward wireless and Bluetooth technology as well as multipurpose tools — anything that can make the job faster and more accurate.
Wi-Fi thermostat advancements have been talked about by many inside and outside the HVAC industry the last couple of years. The AHR Expo was no exception as a plethora of companies showcased just how smart their thermostats have become.