Gas prices and the economy are not the only factors affecting current business practices. New ideas of technology, efficiency, and productivity have altered distribution formulas as supply and demand evolves into a commanding link in the supply chain.

Most everybody has walked though your run-of-the-mill tradeshow. The Distribution Virtual Tech Fairâ„¢, was not your run-of-the-mill tradeshow. It was a free, two-day event that offered more than a Website tour to its attendees.

North America was hit hard by an unexpected heat wave this summer. The heat began in the West and as it moved to the East, it left in its path a trail of deaths, forest fires, and heat exhaustion. One good thing did come from the heat this summer - HVAC's busy season was hopping.

The heat index isn't the only thing reaching new heights in 2006. The June 2006 combined unitary shipments realized its highest level this year, totaling 921,281 units, according to the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI).

Distributor sales growth increased 11.5 percent in 2005 over 2004, according to a polling sample of 100 HARDI distributors across America. The pretax profit margins also continued a five-year climb, totaling 3 percent, a 58 percent increase from the record low in 2001. Sales per employee were up 8 percent from 2004-05, and 13 percent from 2001.

"Construction spending rebounded in June after a tiny drop in May and a small increase in April," said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Simonson was commenting on an Aug. 1 report from the Census Bureau.

Many companies venturing into the IAQ market are seeking technology and application examples to follow that will keep techs on the cutting edge. AxAir Nortec and Mee Industries are two companies bringing new humidification technology and application examples to the HVAC industry.

When it comes to mold detection, what a person doesn't know can hurt them. Visible mold is often easy to recognize and can be relatively simple to remediate. Hidden mold is another story. Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) recently conducted a study promoting new technology for hidden mold detection.

Simple, diverse, and hassle-free describes the winners of the HVAC Residential Equipment category of The NEWS' third annual Dealer Design Awards.

The competition was intense in one of this year's categories, Refrigeration and Ice Machines, in The NEWS' third annual Dealer Design Awards. The gold, silver, and bronze winners all brought cool and easy solutions to diverse refrigeration and ice machine issues.