Distributors who made it through 2009 can congratulate themselves on surviving one of the most difficult years that HVACR wholesale distribution has endured in a long time. And while business is not back to pre-recession levels, the outlook is definitely improving.

The NEWS met with Talbot Gee, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Heating, Airconditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI). Gee recently assumed his new responsibilities while Don Frendberg has elected to transition to chairman of the association.

Emerson Climate Technologies Inc. recently acknowledged its top-performing wholesalers for outstanding sales performance in 2010. Exceptional wholesalers were presented awards in four different sales categories: Peak Performance, Summit, Signature, and Center Stage. The awards were handed out during the company’s annual National Wholesaler Conference, which was held in Tucson, Ariz.

Is online buying becoming just as important as one phone call and a pickup at the parts counter? Maybe the HVAC trade isn’t ready to concede that online buying will surpass local purchases or put a big hit on traditional relationships. Yet, online sellers are making themselves hard to ignore and are working to make the buying experience quick and convenient.

When Dana Marr graduated from college, she agreed to work temporarily as a service dispatcher in her family’s business - Wooldridge Heating, Air & Electrical - as she prepared for what she thought would be a career in banking. Twenty-four years later she’s still there, having carved out a career in a male-dominated industry.

The theme of the 2010 Annual Fall Conference of the Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) association was Forging New Frontiers: Sales/Growth/Profit. There was much talk among attendees about the expected slow recovery from the Great Recession, and the general mood was upbeat.

Heating, Airconditioning, Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) held its fourth annual legislative fly-in in mid-May. According to Talbot Gee, executive vice president and COO of HARDI, the 2011 fly-in was HARDI’s largest, with more than 60 members attending nearly 200 meetings on Capitol Hill in one day.

In good times and bad, it is always comforting to know that there are people and businesses willing to step up and offer support as well as new ideas.

Venstar®, a leading thermostat and energy management systems supplier, announced that it has expanded New York state distribution of its commercial and residential thermostats by adding two new distributors.

Carrier Corp. has presented its Territory Manager of the Year Award to Greg Chassey of Carrier Enterprise South Florida.