If you believe John Conover IV, this is an interesting time to be an HVAC contractor. Conover, the president of Trane in the Americas region in Piscataway, N.J., spoke to attendees at the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA) meeting. He told them, “There has never been anymore time than the present where there has been more opportunities and challenges in the HVAC industry.”
Employees need to know what their role is in a company when they are hired - but that doesn’t always happen. Rex Bothwell of Organizational Concepts International offered some suggestions on how to find the right people for the right job at the recent Nexstar fall meeting in Pittsburgh.
The cost of home heating oil is stretching many customers to the outer limits of their monthly budgets. But Paul DeLaiarro is loyal to the industry he serves and does what he can to serve his customers in anyway he can.
Today, the HVAC industry is being asked by property owners and managers to design energy-efficient systems that can be controlled wirelessly and can respond to any ambient temperature change or space-use scenario. That is especially true of the oil heat trade. One company recently launched a new product designed to fit the model of budget-conscious building owners.
How will the expected rise in heating oil prices affect customers of oil heat contractors? And better yet, what are these contractors doing to calm down customers whose utility bills are already stretching their household budgets to the breaking point? The NEWS gathered a group of contractors to discuss this issue.
New statistics released by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) report an increase in shipment numbers. According to ARI, September’s combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps totaled 527,516, up 4.7 percent compared to September 2006.
Two of the industry’s most influential manufacturing associations are very near an historic merger that would create an even more powerful advocacy for the trade. The boards of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) and the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) have approved the merger and sent the proposal to the respective memberships for a vote.
Over the last decade or so, manufacturers have incorporated numerous innovations into their furnace offerings in order to improve energy efficiency and comfort. The latest innovation is the modulating gas furnace.
The good news for homeowners is that most of the country is forecasted to see above-average winter temperatures. The bad news is that homeowners are going to see an increase in fuel bills. On the bright side, milder winter temperatures and higher fuel costs provide very good conditions for dual-fuel systems.
HVAC contractors are well-known as people who like to start their days early. Therefore, it should not come as much of a surprise that the people who typically open up the counters where contractors gather for coffee and sunrise will-call orders, are also early risers. Those attending the Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) 2007 Annual Fall Conference, probably felt right at home as the first executive meeting began promptly at 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning.
RSS
