James A. Wheat & Sons, one of the leading HVAC contractors in Maryland, was named Contractor of the Year by the National Comfort Institute (NCI) at its 2012 Annual Conference.

Guaranteed Refrigeration president and board member Larry Johnson recently passed away following a valiant fight with cancer.

Source Refrigeration & HVAC, Anaheim, Calif., announced that Bruce Buchholz has been named president and chief executive officer. Buchholz replaces Lauren Abrams, who resigned as CEO of Source for medical reasons.

Direct Energy finalizes acquisition of Home Warranty of America; SCIenergy announces acquisition.

ACP Sheet Metal president elected to SMACNA board.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has announced the extension of its HVAC Business Partners Program, which provides training and support to HVAC contractors to use advanced diagnostic tools as part of national standards for quality maintenance of rooftop units.

EMCOR Group Inc., a leader in mechanical and electrical construction, energy infrastructure, and facilities services, announced that its DeBra-Kuempel Inc. subsidiary has been awarded a contract for the mechanical systems renovation for a product development laboratory for General Electric in Cincinnati.

The Building Performance Institute Inc. (BPI) has announced two new options for HVAC contracting companies to earn accredited contractor status, drawing upon the training and independent certification programs administered by North American Technician Excellence (NATE) and the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA).

Crockett Facilities Services earns GreenSTAR designation.

John Romanelli, owner of Burt’s Reliable, Southold, N.Y., was involved in a biofuel accident that ignited a flash fire on Dec. 30, 2011.