INDIANAPOLIS - Carrier Corp.’s Residential and Light Commercial Systems business honored three longtime leaders in the HVAC industry with its Dealer Hall of Fame Award. The awards were presented during the Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer (FAD) Awards celebration at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Honorees included Mitchell Cropp of Cropp-Metcalfe, Bill Joplin of Bill Joplin’s Compressor Services Inc., and Earl Smith of E. Smith Heating & Air Conditioning. Carrier recognized these men for their legacies of service and integrity in action. Launched in 2007, the Carrier Dealer Hall of Fame Award honors FADs who exemplify the vision of Carrier’s founder, Willis Carrier, over a lifetime of service. “While all FADs are expected to demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to quality and service, these individuals have been consistent and unwavering in their leadership and in giving back to their employees, the industry, the community, and their customers throughout their careers,” said Karie Johnson, manager of dealer programs and promotions, Carrier North America Residential Systems.

Mitchell Cropp founded Cropp-Metcalfe in 1979 with a vision of becoming the Washington, D.C., area’s largest HVAC contractor. Cropp drove rapid growth by implementing long-term relationships through service contracts and a fine-tuned acquisition strategy.

Cropp has a long service record inside and outside of the HVAC community. A member of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Hall of Fame, Cropp has shared his best practices with industry colleagues and competitors. He has served as the national president of ACCA, president of the Metro Washington Heat Pump Association, and in various capacities within the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors-National Association (PHCC) and Plumbing and Mechanical Professionals of Virginia. Cropp-Metcalfe was an inaugural Carrier Distinguished Dealer andThe NEWSnamed Cropp-Metcalfe a “Best Contractor to Work For.”

Bill Joplin’s Compressor Services Inc. in McKinney, Texas, has been a Carrier dealer since 1981. Joplin’s company has more than 100 employees, and in a 1994 letter to management, he noted, “One of the reasons for our company’s success was our decision to identify with Carrier exclusively.”

Joplin is recognized as much for his spirit of giving back as he is for his business leadership. His company’s annual People Serving People program has provided several $25,000 grants that have funded school revitalization, transportation, clothing and therapeutic devices for youth, handicapped, and the homeless. An advocate for education, he has established a scholarship fund for McKinney graduates whose parents did not obtain a college degree.

Earl Smith began his career in the HVAC industry more than a half-century ago before founding E. Smith Heating & Air Conditioning with his wife Linda in 1962. Today, the Marietta, Ga., company has grown to 60 employees.

In 1965, Smith spearheaded the first local HVAC code. In 1980 he founded the Conditioned Air Association of Georgia, a coalition that continues to define and refine HVAC codes while advancing the professionalism and education of technicians. He served as the HVAC representative on the Georgia Electrification Council from 1990 to 2000, and currently represents the industry on the Georgia State Board of Adult Education.

Beyond industry leadership, Smith’s community support includes serving as president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cobb County and the Cobb Lions Club. He has also helped to improve the lives of Cobb County residents through his efforts in improving Marietta’s economic base and enriching the community’s cultural life through his leadership as chairman of the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority.

Publication date:03/10/2008