FORT SMITH, Ark. — According to the Rheem Air Conditioning Division, the company has the distinction of becoming the first manufacturer with training programs that fully qualify as North American Technician Excellence (NATE)-recognized training.

According to Bill Lux, Rheem vice president of marketing, NATE-certified technicians who complete 60 hours of Rheem technical training within five years can be recertified without having to take a NATE written exam. Eligible training hours through the company include Rheem Top Technician Training and Regional Training Center Programs. Like initial certification, recertification is valid for five years.

Patrick Murphy, technical director for NATE, said that Rheem was the first manufacturer to submit its training curriculum to the organization for a stringent analysis of its content and comprehensiveness in aligning with the NATE knowledge base. After a thorough review, NATE established that Rheem training covered all the required material and effectively addressed all the issues necessary to fully satisfy the requirements and objectives of NATE.