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I love our industry - as do investors, entrepreneurs, and consultants. Unlike some industrial sectors or hardware supply wholesalers 15 years ago, HVACR isn’t going away anytime soon and has plenty of room for growth. Read to find out why we are what Texas A&M’s Supply Chain Laboratory calls a “pillar industry.”

One of the things people on the home front remember about WWII was the rationing of materials and food, which were diverted to the war effort. In short, consumer goods took a back seat to military production. It had its effect on the fledgling refrigeration industry. Read the rest and find out how to win a prize.

As concerns about national security, economic growth, and environmental standards propagate, energy efficiency is no longer an option. The search for solutions to limited fossil fuel supplies, ever-increasing energy prices, and global warming has reached a new urgency.

MechanicalXchange^SM is a cooperative effort between HVAC mechanical contractors and industry vendors, including equipment manufacturers, software companies, controls companies, and other business services. The NEWS has been involved with the event since it began in 2005.

Through the years our company has attempted to stay on top of the new technologies which have been developed. Some of these new items actually caught on and have become standards of the industry, while others are merely memories like dial telephones and Edsels.

The EPA has issued final approval for a new refrigerant for use in vehicle air conditioning systems. HFO-1234yf may now be used in air conditioning for new cars and light trucks. There is much to be said about this announcement because it is possible that someday HFOs might impact those of us in stationary HVACR. But not right now.

You’ve all heard that it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. You’ve also heard that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Well, lately, Congress is proving to small businesses that both of these proverbs still ring true. In fact, you could say that in D.C. everyone asks for forgiveness but is clueless about cures.

What better place than the Mechanical Contractors Association of America’s (MCAA) Annual Convention in Maui to discover that those less fortunately skilled in the finer art of mechanical aptitude (such as myself) can still serve a useful purpose in life. More precisely, the revelation actually occurred on the return trip.

A few years ago, I suggested that in order to show building owners the value of regular maintenance, contractors should show building owners information on the performance and longevity of regularly maintained equipment. Unfortunately, such hard data didn’t seem to exist. It looks like that will soon be changing.

March Madness college basketball showdowns start this week. Fat Tuesday has passed. An hour was lost to Daylight Savings Time. St. Patrick’s Day is on the horizon. And, the Dealer Design Awards program has begun. It is open season on one of the HVAC industry’s more sought-after prizes, the DD.