This has been a pretty quiet year in the HVAC distribution business, at least according to the latest survey information from the Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI).

BNP Media, the publishers of The NEWS and the Heating, Airconditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) have entered into an agreement to launch a new publication. This bimonthly magazine will cover every aspect of HARDI and the HVACR distribution community and will be the official publication of HARDI.

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.

What started out as a lack of space has turned into a pot of gold for one HVAC contractor. For Wesley Holm of Thompson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling of Cincinnati, the realization that his building was too small was the beginning of the end of keeping a large cache of parts and equipment in his physical inventory. And he couldn’t be happier.

Comfort Supply, a wholesale distributor of Ruud HVAC products, opened a fifth location in Knoxville. The 14,000-square-foot warehouse and showroom at 608 Business Park Lane opened for business in April. Comfort Supply has stores in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Cookeville, and Clarksville.

Venstar®, a thermostat and energy management systems supplier, expanded Canadian availability of its HVAC systems, including its thermostats and accessories, in an exclusive distribution agreement with Trane Canada Co.

WinWholesale Inc. appointed Andy Holmes and Tom Schleisner as area leaders in the company’s eastern region to oversee the growth and operation of more than 90 Win local supply houses in 14 states.

Industrial Controls Distributors LLC released a new sourcebook for its customers in the Southeast region. The 1,200-page full-color catalog features over 100,000 control products in diverse areas such as industrial instrumentation, process controls, HVAC controls, and industrial valves.

Emerson Climate Technologies Inc. and Embraco renewed the appointment of Emerson Climate Technologies as Embraco’s North American distributor.

Tecumseh Products Co. has established a broad network of Authorized Wholesale Distributors in Mexico as part of its renewed commitment to the country’s growing refrigeration and air conditioning market. A total of 11 geographically-dispersed distributors are now in place.