NCI Summit 2022 Recognizes High-Performance Contractors of the Year

**SMALL CONTRACTOR:** Rob Falke (left) and Dominick Guarino (far right) present the Small Contractor of the Year award to Ken Dean of Dean’s Heating and Cooling. (Courtesy of NCI)

**MEDIUM CONTRACTOR:** Hearn Plumbing and Heating receives the Medium Contractor of the Year Award. Pictured left to right: Rob Falke, Matthew Griswold, Tom Hearn, and Dominick Guarino. (Courtesy of NCI)

**LARGE CONTRACTOR:** Don Langston of Aire Rite (center) receives the Large Contractor of the Year Award from Rob Falke (left) and Dominick Guarino of NCI. (Courtesy of NCI)

**AWARDS:** Dominick Guarino (front) and Rob Falke present the Annual Contractor of the Year Awards. (Courtesy of NCI)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — During the High-Performance HVAC Summit 2022, which took place March 27-30, National Comfort Institute (NCI) recognized several companies and individuals for excellence in training, technology, and sales. This recognition is the highlight of every Summit event and 2022 marks the 18th year that NCI recognizes excellence in the high-performance HVAC Industry.

Each year, NCI presents three Contractor of the Year Awards based on company size — small (less than $2 million in volume), medium ($2 to $6 million), and large (more than $6 million).

Contractor of the Year Awards

Contractor of the Year awards go to companies that demonstrate consistent work in implementing performance-based testing on every service and installation call. These companies also work to create a performance-based business culture in their firms, having strong service departments that incorporate high-performance methods into their service agreement programs, and who consistently sell system renovations. Winners accomplish all the above by maintaining a strong training ethic within their overall company culture.

The 2022 winner of NCI’s Small Contractor of the Year Award was Athens, Ohio-based Dean Heating and Cooling. Ken Dean was presented with this award.

“This company practices what they preach, and they do what they say they’ll do. This is quite a standard to live up to for a small company and we are delighted with their development, advances, and engagement with high-performance principals in their daily business," said Rob Falke, president of NCI during the award presentation,

Next, NCI Chairman and CEO Dominick Guarino presented the Medium Contractor of the Year Award to a company that is relatively new to the high-performance HVAC family, but not the HVAC industry. The winner was Hearn Plumbing and Heating of Madison, Ohio. General Manager Tom Hearn was presented the award.

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The company is 76 years old and is focused on “implementing NCI airflow and combustion testing on all their service calls and installations,” said Guarino. “This includes quoting and selling air upgrades.”

The 2022 Large Contractor of the Year Award was presented to a California-based company that, in the words of Falke, “oozes industry leadership.” Owner Don Langston was presented this award.

"[Aire Rite Air Conditioning and Refrigeration is an] adventurous multi-generational enterprise whose owner is focused on finding better ways to service customers and fellow contractors through training, looking for better ways to get things done, and more," said Falke. "Air Rite is primarily a commercial full-service company that recently entered into the residential marketplace, participants in training with and for local utilities, and a generous contributor to inspiration and enthusiasm for NCI and its members.”

Curious about the next summit? Mark your calendars for April 16-20, 2023. The High-Performance HVAC Industry will descend upon the Ozark mountains at the Chateau on the Lake in Branson, Missouri.