ANNANDALE, Minn. — Malco Tools has announced the winners of its 2024 HVAC Trade-Pro of the Year Award program. The HVAC Trade-Pro of the Year Award recognizes outstanding HVAC professionals for their dedication to the industry, commitment to safety, and community involvement.

The 2024 program recognized five HVAC professionals from across the U.S.:

• Scott Mapes, owner, First Choice Comfort/Hoppy Air, Lafayette, Indiana.

• Robert Deeds, journeyman sheet metal worker, Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation (SMART) Local 7, Kalkaska, Michigan.

• Brent Evans, owner, Evans Heating & A/C, Princeton, North Carolina.

• Tom Langfeldt, owner and sole proprietor, Peninsula Heating and Air, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

• Brandon McMullin, service/retro fit and finish manager, Air Design Heating and Cooling, Murray, Utah.

“It is always an honor to recognize the HVAC Trade-Pro of the Year winners for their commitment to their craft and the communities they support,” said Rich Benninghoff, president and CEO of Malco Tools, in a press release. “These individuals represent the finest in the HVAC industry, sharing their skills and making a meaningful impact through their work and service.”

Each winner will receive a Malco toolkit valued at $1,000. Nominations for Malco’s 2025 Trade-Pro of the Year program will open in February 2025.

As an advocate for careers in the skilled trades, Malco donates significant quantities of tools and apparel annually to a variety of educational programs, competitions, and events. These include high school and post-secondary technical programs, apprenticeship contests, and SkillsUSA conferences, the press release said. Malco also runs the Head of the Class student recognition program, which partners with education programs to celebrate top students and graduating classes in the HVAC/sheet metal and building construction fields.