When the New England Patriots violated NFL rules by videotaping in-game hand signals of New York Jets coaches, the proverbial you-know-what hit the fan for league commissioner Roger Goodell. It led to a policy called “Integrity of the Game and Fair Competition.” I wonder if something like that could prove valuable in the HVAC industry.

On Feb. 11, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) announced that it will continue to list certified air conditioning systems using the HCFC refrigerant R-22 in its Directory of Certified Product Performance (www.ahridirectory.org). Therefore, in 2011, the actual total unit sales will be reported.

Nearly 55,000 people ambled through the Las Vegas Convention Center during three days of non-stop activity at the industry’s largest trade show. A typical Wednesday at the expo is usually considered a light day for foot traffic. But even on the last day of the show, attendees were drawn to the 1,800-plus exhibitors’ booths displaying the latest HVACR products.

The NEWS met with Talbot Gee, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Heating, Airconditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI). Gee recently assumed his new responsibilities while Don Frendberg has elected to transition to chairman of the association.

During my impressionable youth, I noticed that my mother had a bizarre sense of humor. She would often utter axioms (no doubt gained from living in the swamps of Louisiana) that made absolutely no sense, such as: “You couldn’t pour %^&* out of a bucket if it had a hole in it.”  The use of buckets, for one reason or another, seems to occupy an interesting place in our lexicon.

The theme of the 2010 Annual Fall Conference of the Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) association was Forging New Frontiers: Sales/Growth/Profit. There was much talk among attendees about the expected slow recovery from the Great Recession, and the general mood was upbeat.

I have quoted Earl several times over the years. He was one of the most challenging customers I ever met, while masquerading as a territory manager at Lennox Industries in the Dallas market. Earl said, “Murphy, always look for the job that no one else wants to do. Those are the ones you make money on.”

What do Allied Air Enterprises, American Standard, Armacell, Baltimore Air Coil, Carrier, Guntner, Johnson Controls, Lennox, Nordyne, Rheem, Trane, WaterFurnace, and a slew of other companies have in common? They are all celebrating the coming New Year with gifts to the industry - price increases!

Energy may be considered a fleeting resource by some, but Robert Wilkins, president of Danfoss North America, sees it as a mechanism of change. For his leadership and vision of what the future of the HVACR industry will hold, Robert Wilkins is a 2010 NEWSmaker.

Houses and buildings are certainly at the forefront of discussion in the construction industry. Architects, engineers, contractors, home builders, energy conservation gurus, and legislators seem to have a heightened awareness of the importance of energy conservation, and the role that efficiently designed buildings play. But, there is still a lot that needs to be done.