ARLINGTON, Va. - In September, Brandon Lincoln of D&G Heating and Cooling in Livonia, Mich., became the 20,000th HVAC technician to earn North American Technician Excellence (NATE) certification. In addition to passing the core exam, Lincoln successfully completed the gas-heating exam.

Lincoln's supervisor, Brett Green, feels NATE certification distinguishes Lincoln as among the industry's best technicians. "By passing the NATE exam, our customers know that Brandon has committed himself to achieving excellence in his industry," said Green.

"The 20,000th technician is a significant milestone in NATE's history," said Rex Boynton, president of NATE. "NATE's Consumer Contractor Connection online locator currently lists NATE-certified technicians serving over 23,000 U.S. ZIP codes. As more technicians make the commitment to demonstrating excellence, we look forward to NATE's coverage growing even broader."