Building Information Modeling, or BIM, is a quickly developing trend in building design, and it goes deep into building mechanical systems in a way that contractors are finding to be very beneficial to them. Among its benefits, BIM provides conflict detection, informing team members about systems or components in conflict.

In this installment of “The Changing Face of HVACR,” two legislative representatives from key industry organizations share their views on the three most significant pieces of legislation changing the face of HVACR, and what contractors need to do to respond appropriately.

For many of us, snow in January and February isn’t such a big deal. For folks living down South and in parts of the Southwest, however, the first few weeks of 2010 could become the coldest, snowiest winter days in recent history. Contractors and their customers won’t be forgetting them any time soon.

People in the southern United States will be talking about the winter of 2010 for a long time. Snow, ice, and freezing temperatures are normal January weather for many of us, but not for the folks who live in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Florida. And not for the contractors who service their systems.

Additional information made available to the person taking customers’ calls allows them to answer questions knowledgably without having to ask someone else to give the customer a callback. This can be a huge benefit in both customer relations and time savings if applied correctly, by an owner or manager who doesn’t object to sharing information.

From the equipment being installed, to the refrigerant used to provide cooling, so many things have changed in the HVACR industry that only one thing is really clear: There is no such thing as business as usual. That’s why this year The NEWS is running constant articles on “The New Face of HVACR” in 2010.

In the spirit of doing more with less, Dexter + Chaney has introduced a new Service Request center in its Spectrum® Construction Software that provides, on a single screen, access to all of the information required to handle a customer’s service request. A dispatcher can use the information to create a new work order in seconds.

Like so many companies, Service Plus HVAC, a residential and commercial HVAC contractor, is doing more with less these days. For this contractor that meant combining FormSpring and the iPhone to grow revenue 60 percent in 2009, without an increase in staff.

There has been some personnel changes at North American Technician Excellence (NATE). The group announced both the resignation of its president, Rex Boynton, and the addition of interim president and industry veteran David R. Pannier, who is replacing Boynton effective immediately.

When you think about the qualities that make a contractor a great company to work for, Halco Heating and Air Conditioning has what it takes: steady work, plenty of training opportunities, the chance to advance, prime benefits, and community spirit. You could say this NEWS Best Contractor to Work for in the East created a blueprint other contractors could follow.