More and more managers are doing something different to drum up business and are considering nontraditional methods to maximize their spot in the marketplace.

Just as no two houses are exactly the same, neither are the homeowners who live there. While one may have the resources to make all the energy-efficient improvements to the house at once, another may have to make selective upgrades over time.

We asked the contractors on our editorial advisory board to share which products they believe truly deserve to be called smart — and why.

Instead of just reading the literature or talking to their distributor about the product, some contractors are literally bringing their work home with them by installing these products inside their own residences.

Frequent readers of this column are aware that I am extremely concerned about the image of our industry. Having been involved for as many years as I have, I have seen that image change and improve very significantly over the years. 

Those involved in the ongoing regional standards case may get a chance to present their arguments in court — but likely not until next summer.

 What are contractors looking for from their distributors? The list of answers Distribution Center received to that question was lengthy and diverse. After sifting through the results, 10 items seemed to cover the overall themes respondents were communicating.  

Well-trained comfort consultants should not only point out all the benefits that come with a properly installed, highly efficient furnace, but they should take the opportunity to build trust with the homeowners so they feel comfortable investing in a more expensive system.

The results of the survey reflect a “significant improvement” over last year’s survey, which found 70 percent of participants expected the economy to be better in 2013 than 2012, while 3 percent predicted it would be worse. 

The “HARDI Unitary HVAC Market Share Report” provides market share data and analysis detailing unitary sales based on product efficiency for both ducted and ductless cooling equipment, as well as furnaces and boilers.