NORMAN, Okla. - Norm Leifried, a retired technical service manager with Virginia Air Distributors Inc., recently received the Distinguished Technical Service Lifetime Achievement Award from Johnson Controls. David Negrey, director of technical services and application engineering, Johnson Controls-Unitary Products, presented the award to Leifried during the York® Service Managers Meeting in Wichita, Kan. The award recognizes individuals who have provided an exemplary level of technical support to customers within the HVAC industry.

“This represents just the 12th time that Johnson Controls has presented the lifetime achievement award,” said Negrey.

“Norm earned this special recognition for his tireless efforts to help educate and train service technicians, sharing his more than 40 years of experience in the HVAC industry. In the process, Norm provided outstanding technical support that benefits York contractors and, ultimately, the customers they serve.”

Following military service in the U.S. Navy, Leifried enrolled in a five-year union apprenticeship in Miami, to learn the air-conditioning trade, while working as a service technician for Hill York Sales and Services. In 1977, he joined York/Borg Warner as service manager of the company’s Richmond, Va., branch and remained with the company when Virginia Air purchased it. Eleven years later, he accepted a position with York International, York, Pa., and provided field service support for the company until he moved to Charlotte, N.C., in 1996 to work for HVAC distributor Ferguson Enterprises Inc. In 2002, shortly after Virginia Air acquired the York product line, Leifried returned to Virginia Air and remained there as technical service manager until his retirement last August.

“I was both surprised and thrilled to receive the award,” said Leifried. “I’ve accumulated a collection of plaques and awards throughout my career that were meaningful for me at the time. But this one is particularly special to me because it makes me feel that not only did I contribute to the guys in the field, but I also contributed something to York and Johnson Controls.”

Pictured holding his award in the photo above is Johnson Controls Distinguished Technical Service Lifetime Achievement Award winner Norm Leifried, surrounded by Johnson Controls-Unitary Products employees (left to right) Scott Nelmark, manager of training services; Steve Maddox, vice president of engineering; Mark Freund, manager of residential field service; and David Negrey, director of technical services and application engineering.

For more information, visit www.yorkupg.com or www.johnsoncontrols.com.

Publication date: 02/09/2009