What is a man’s place? What is a woman’s place? Do they each have a place or can they exist in any place they choose?

What do a 23-year-old female, 13 men, and a Hampden trainer have in common? They were all in the same HVAC technician classroom participating in Lennox Industries’ BuildATech™ program. Hampden trainers and 13 men one would expect, but the presence of 23-year-old Allison Scalchas might take a little more explanation.

Health care reform has become the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s presidency, which has made it a hot topic across this country. It is also a big issue in HVAC circles as contractors are concerned about the skyrocketing prices of group health care, but also wary of how legislation will affect small businesses.

The changing landscape of the HVACR industry continues to introduce new business and marketing tools challenging contractors to move beyond the traditional. Social media, the Web 2.0 buzzword of the millennium, is one of those tools that not only offers contractors a way to advertise, but also a way to interact with customers.

Managing changes in the HVACR industry is comparable to running a marathon. Compensating for a construction bubble pop, a new president, recovery legislation, a renewed sustainability focus, a recession, and widespread speculation about climate change and health care laws to come, The NEWS’ Top Newsmakers of 2009 proved to be champions of endurance.

There are some things that should be kept secret, but the fact that your company invested its hard-earned money into a professional Website is something to tell everyone.

Is a larger company really the best place to work? I think there are pros and cons to both large and small businesses - but I am curious - what do you think?

They passed another bill in the House. Good grief. It was close, but 220 Representatives thought that their version of the health care bill was good to go.

Knowing that the approaching R-22 phaseout could be a challenge, The NEWS began compiling legal and technical information on a Countdown to 2010 microsite earlier this year. With the countdown clock still running, we have refocused the site to help contractors answer the question, “Are you ready?”

When the Fed reported a small rise in the gross domestic product (GDP) and signified the recession was over, most Americans understood this to mean, “We have officially reached the bottom and can now begin the climb up.”