According to Don Fremberg, chairman of HARDI, attendance was "up well over 100, and we expect to break records in Chicago next year." This year's convention marks the first official event since the merger of Northamerican Heating, Refrigeration & Airconditioning Wholesalers (NHRAW) and the Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Wholesalers International (ARWI).
Outgoing president Doug Young, of The Behler-Young Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., warned his fellow distributors that "traditional margin structures will continue to erode." He then challenged the group to provide value in the market and to "pull the industry up by its bootstraps by promoting comfort in the home through builders and contractors."