It is a season of celebration as a new set of Dealer Design Award winners are named to the assembly of product honorees from the past. In its tenth year, the

2103 Dealer Design Awards Program is celebrating a decade of product excellence in design for the HVACR industry.

This year, there were 122 product entries spread across 14 categories that competed to be named the gold, silver, or bronze champions. Those receiving honors spanned the HVACR industry from residential equipment to contractor services and software. Each category contained both large and small manufacturers, setting a diverse set of products on a level playing field to compete. New to the competition this year was the division of the tools category. For the first time, hand tools and electronic tools competed separately in their own categories.

The Dealer Design Awards are judged by contractors from the industry. Those participating this year found that HVAC manufacturers continue to search for new ways to make contractors jobs easier. Whether a plug-and-play component or a completely redesigned tool, those honored in the competition were praised for their commitment to making products that improved the installation, service, and maintenance of HVACR equipment.

Winners not only receive the prestige and bragging rights that go along with placing in the 2013 Dealer Design Award, but each also receives the coveted DD (pictured left/right). Displayed proudly at manufacturer establishments across the nation, this trophy signifies product excellence to all who see it.

The NEWS would like to congratulate each winner as well as thank each contractor judge for their participation in this competition.

“The annual response we receive from vendors and contractors for the Dealer Design Awards program is amazing. This really is the only contest of its kind in the industry where contractors make the decision about the award winners. The contractor judges enjoy participating because they can review some relatively new products in the market, thereby occasionally giving their own companies an advantage with some information that their competitors might not yet have,” said Kyle Gargaro, editor-in-chief of The NEWS. “I want to thank the manufacturers that entered their products and services.”