As 2023 comes to a close, The ACHR NEWS is looking back at the past year in the HVAC industry. To do that, we are highlighting five HVAC NEWSmakers who have made headlines in the last 12 months.

Each NEWSmaker brought a little something different to the industry.

From the HFC phasedown to electrification tax credits and mandates, it’s been a crazy couple of years for HVAC. And right in the middle of the fray, you’ll often find Chris Forth, vice president of regulatory, codes, and environmental affairs at Johnson Controls.

Meanwhile, Stanley E. Kolbe Jr., who serves as chief lobbyist for the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), didn’t rest on his laurels after the passage of the American Rescue Plan, Inflation Reduction Act, and more.

“Passing these bills is only half the battle,” he said. “We’ve got to see them through; we’ve got to educate more skilled workers.”

Over on the contractor side, Nate Adams has been a comfort savant for decades. With the Biden administration’s push for heat pumps, he’s set out to reinvent the home performance wheel through ‘HVAC 2.0.’

“It’s time to take back HVAC,” Adams told us. “We need a consistent and repeatable system where ordinary talent can deliver extraordinary results.”

HVAC contractor acquisitions have continued at the rate of more than three a week, and John Cerasuolo, CEO at Leap Partners, certainly played a role. He and his team picked up 15 different home-services firms in the past two years, spanning seven states.

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Finally, HVAC apprentice Jessica Bannister, or @hvacjess as she goes by on Instagram and TikTok, is one of a growing number of HVAC professionals taking the trade to social media. Her goal is to be that “person who looks like me” for young women considering a career in the HVAC industry.

For coverage on all these individuals, select an article below.