Items Tagged with 'HARDI reports'

"Almost a 5% sales decline is a lousy start for the first meaningful month of cooling season, but it is not as weak as the headline," said Brian Loftus, senior market analyst at HARDI.

“Our warmest region had sales growth near 20% for April while sales dipped by almost 5.5% in the region with below-normal temps," said Brian Loftus, senior market analyst at HARDI.

HARDI’s data suggests the HVAC industry may be exiting the inventory correction phase — but it has not yet entered a demand-driven growth phase. 

"Double-digit sales growth could be a great sign for 2026 after more than a year with annual sales growth in the 2% to 4% range,” said Brian Loftus, senior market analyst at Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI).

The February growth “was a welcome sight after low-single digit sales declines during December and January,” said Brian Loftus, HARDI’s macroeconomic and residential market analyst.

New York’s refrigerant rules may cause supply shortages, raising costs for consumers and businesses, as industry groups push for regulatory alignment with federal standards to avoid disruptions. 

HARDI’s director of state government affairs outlined a few key political issues distributors face, including PFAS and refrigerant restrictions and limits on energy choice.

Sales for the 12-month period through January increased by an average of 2.3%.

Trust, communication, and shared planning are the keys to good distributor-contractor relationships. Those relationships have been tested lately. 

The 2026 "State of the Channel" report is based on HARDI’s proprietary data, industry surveys, and expert analysis.