Trying to make sense of distribution trends these days can be a headache. On one hand, business for many is booming. According to recent HARDI research, the association’s HVACR member distributors have experienced annual sales growth of 24.3% for the 12-month period ending in July 2022. But on the other hand, HVAC contractors and distributors alike are struggling to hire new employees and pay those employees enough to retain them, forcing them to turn away jobs. Adding insult to injury, they can’t even get materials and supplies in a timely manner (or at all) to complete the jobs they have booked.
Challenges like these are enough to test the fortitude of almost any business owner.