INDIANAPOLIS — Carrier announced the latest dealers to be inducted into its Dealer Hall of Fame at the 2016 Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer conference in Huntington Beach, California. Established to recognize dealers who adhere to the highest standards in customer service and loyalty to the Carrier brand, this award celebrates years of outstanding work in the HVAC industry, as well as in their communities.

“Dealers like our Hall of Fame honorees, and particularly this year’s winners, exemplify the dedication of a life and a lifetime of service and contributions to the industry, their employees, their customers, and the community,” said Chris Nelson, president, North America HVAC Systems & Service, Carrier. “We are proud to demonstrate our appreciation for their loyalty to Carrier by inducting them into our Hall of Fame.”

The Carrier Dealer Hall of Fame Award is presented annually to select industry-leading contractors. Nominees must be Carrier Factory Authorized Dealers and have a minimum of 20 years associated with Carrier as their primary brand. This year's inductees are Richard Dean of Environmental Systems Associates Inc. in Columbia, Maryland; Rich Dykstra of Dykstra Home Services LLC in Crestwood, Illinois; and Fred Hutchinson of Hutchinson Plumbing Heating Cooling in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Richard Dean, Environmental Systems Associates Inc.

Immediately after high school, Dean served in the military; he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on a nuclear submarine from 1967 to 1973 as a nuclear missile technician. After his time in the Navy, he started college at the University of Maryland, and immediately launched a career in HVAC, working part time at Environmental Systems Associates. When he graduated with an information systems management degree, he bought a 50 percent stake in Environmental Systems Associates and he has grown the company to be one of Maryland’s premier Carrier dealers.

Dean has been an active member of ACCA since the 1980s, and has taken on multiple leadership roles within the organization, including chairman of the national board of directors.

In addition, Dean passionately serves groups close to his heart, The Arc of Howard County and The Arc of Maryland. He and his wife Carol share a blended family of five children, and connected through their experience of each having a developmentally disabled daughter. For over 20 years, he has served on nearly every Arc committee and held every office, setting an example for other parents of children with developmental disabilities.

Rich Dykstra, Dykstra Home Services LLC

Dykstra’s grandfather founded the heating services company M. Dykstra & Sons in 1913. His father and mother took the company over in 1926, renamed it DM Dykstra & Company, and ran it until 1970 when they turned the company over to their two sons, David and Rich. In 1983, Rich took over full operation. Under Dykstra’s guidance and leadership, Dykstra Home Services has grown to be one of the largest and most successful HVAC companies in northern Illinois.

Dykstra Home Services has been affiliated with Carrier since 1986 and as an exemplary Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer, every Dykstra technician is North American Technician Excellence (NATE) certified and committed to sound and ethical business practices.

Dykstra has earned a reputation for his generosity, has helped fund renovations to a camp for disabled children, and his whole family, including his wife Cheryl, cooks and feeds the homeless in Chicago the third Saturday of every month as part of a project funded by proceeds from a portion of every HVAC installation Dykstra Home Services completes. Dykstra has also been extremely involved in the Chicago South Elks #1596 East District lodge for over 10 years. He’s served in many positions of leadership, including auditor and head of charity events, safety, and community affairs, and was presented with the Citizen of the Year Award in 2014-2015. He has also served as lieutenant governor of the Kiwanis, and has been active on numerous Kiwanis district and international committees.

Fred Hutchinson, Hutchinson Plumbing Heating Cooling

Hutchinson’s relationship with Carrier spans generations. He became involved with his family’s business as a teenager, and now he and his brothers — Bill Jr., Ed, Tom Sr., and Bob — mark the third generation to run the Hutchinson company since it was founded in 1948. His son, Paul, and his nephews, Michael, Tom Jr., and Jeffrey, mark the fourth generation working full-time in the business.

Hutchinson has received the Spirit of Federation Award from ACCA, being recognized for his leadership and contributions to the business community and for his efforts in establishing the New Jersey ACCA organization. Also, since the award’s inception in 2009, Hutchinson Plumbing Heating Cooling has earned the Century Club Award from the Department of Energy, which is presented to businesses that successfully improve the energy efficiency of over 100 homes in a given year.

He and his wife, Lynn, are extremely active in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) South Jersey Chapter. Hutchinson has served the organization in many capacities over the years, helping to rally the South Jersey business community to raise funds for Type 1 diabetes research. The Hutchinson Team received the JDRF South Jersey Chapter Long-Term Commitment Award for their countless years of dedication and support, helping to raise over $500,000 since 1990.

In addition to the Hall of Fame inductions, Carrier also presented 195 active dealers with its President’s Award, an honor presented annually to Carrier dealers who exemplify the company’s model for operational excellence, business effectiveness, and delivering the best in cutting-edge technology to consumers.

“The President’s Award recognizes each winner’s commitment to excellence and Carrier is proud that they are ambassadors of our brand,” said Nelson. “Our President’s Award recipients are first-class Factory Authorized Dealers and are ideal examples of outstanding companies that serve not just the industry and their customers, but their communities as well.”

For more information, visit www.carrier.com.

Publication date: 4/1/2016

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