RICHBORO, Pa. — In a signing ceremony completed July 30, Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) entered into an agreement with Homes for Our Troops (HFOT).
Through this partnership, HARDI is poised to become one of the biggest contributors to HFOT, a Massachusetts-based organization that provides mortgage-free, specially adapted homes nationwide to severely injured veterans post-9/11.
The three-year agreement states HARDI will support HFOT through 100 builds. For each home, HARDI members will provide all heating and cooling equipment and coordinate the installation free of charge.
“There’s an emotional component to this, of course; obviously it’s a badge of honor for us to partner with Homes for Our Troops,” said Talbot Gee, CEO, HARDI. “There’s also a very practical reason for this partnership. Our members are in a position to acquire high-efficiency equipment for these homes, which can lower veterans’ utility costs and provide better indoor air quality. This is the perfect partnership for us.”
Tim McHale, president and CEO, HFOT, proudly announced that HARDI will now serve as the organization’s official supplier of HVAC equipment. “Support from partners like HARDI is crucial to completing our mission of building homes and rebuilding lives,” McHale said.
HARDI first began supporting HFOT in 2011. In 2012, the association began hosting a veteran at HARDI’s Annual Conference, and, in 2015, HARDI donated more than $60,000 to the organization.
“As a veteran myself, I am particularly honored to support Homes for Our Troops and to witness the launch of this major partnership. This is an extremely meaningful day for me,” said Mike Braun, vice chair of HARDI’s Impact Committee and director of marketing for Gustave A. Larson Co. “I can speak for those of us at Gustave A. Larson Co. when I say it’s a privilege for us to make a tangible difference in the quality of life for these injured soldiers.”
Representatives from the office of U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania, also attended the ceremony and presented Army veteran Kevin McCloskey with a U.S. flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol as a token of appreciation for his service.
“With HARDI distributor members’ expertise in logistics, and with the manufacturers’ HVACR knowledge and resources, this partnership has the potential to completely transform both organizations,” said Dave Chatmon, owner of The Lettering Machine and chair of HARDI’s Impact Committee. “Also, as this partnership gains momentum, stay tuned as the impact committee puts together a few supplemental programs to run alongside it.”
HARDI and HFOT are in the process of determining the first build locations for the partnership and will announce details later this year.
Publication date: 10/10/2016
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