Everywhere we turn, businesses are urging us to visit their Facebook pages, read their blogs, or follow them on Twitter. HVAC contractors are following that trend, having been thoroughly schooled by keynote speakers at just about every industry event on the importance of embracing social media or being left in the dust.

Consider the number of tablets that are now available from Apple, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Samsung, Microsoft, and Google. Add in the vast array of smartphones, netbooks, and laptops that are continually being introduced, and it’s no wonder that contractors may have a hard time deciding which mobile device(s) to choose for their field personnel.

Turbocor began as a research and development company in 1993 in Australia before moving to Montreal in 1999. In 2004, Danfoss formed a 50-50 venture called Danfoss Turbocor. The company has since relocated its headquarters to Tallahassee, Fla.

Operating rooms, critical-care facilities, data centers, imaging centers — plus worker productivity — are, to some extent, dependent on the reliable operation of the HVAC system, particularly in warm weather.

Some contractors, in an effort to stay afloat, began to diversify the services they offered, allowing them to break into new markets and stay in business during that turbulent time — a trend that is still seen today as the bruised economy continues to recover.

Just when Geothermal Exchange Organization (GEO) president Doug Dougherty thought Congress had passed a bill recognizing geothermal heat pumps as renewable energy sources, it was taken away.

Manufacturers of walk-in coolers and freezers; water heaters; deli-style coolers; through-the-wall central air conditioners and heat pumps; and small-duct, high-velocity systems are rejoicing the passage of HR 6582, the American Energy Manufacturing Technical Corrections Act.