AI for HVAC Distributors: A Practical Field Guide from Pilot to Profit
For HVAC-R distributors dealing with margin pressure, labor constraints, and increasingly complex quoting environments, AI is rapidly moving from curiosity to operational necessity. After nearly a year of research, interviews, and vendor evaluations, I am pleased to announce the release of The AI-Enabled Distributor: From Pilot to Profit: A Field Guide written specifically for distribution executives. This is not…
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Women in HVACR Leadership Team Takes Shape for 2026
The HVACR industry talks constantly about workforce shortages, but too many of those conversations skip past one of the clearest opportunities sitting right in front…
Smart HVAC/R Systems: Convenience or Creepy?
The HVAC/R industry crossed a line without much debate. Smart HVAC privacy wasn’t on the agenda when connected thermostats and cloud-based controllers became standard. The…
AI for Distributors: Supporting the Entire Sales Team
The conversation around this approach has moved past the question of whether to adopt it. The real question now is how to deploy AI for…
Visual Workplace Doubles Revenue with Multi-Channel Transformation
ALPHARETTA, Ga., Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Forward Solutions today released a new case study showcasing how embracing a multi-channel sales and marketing strategy…
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AI for Distributors: Supporting the Entire Sales Team
The conversation around this approach has moved past the question of whether to adopt it. The real question now is how to deploy AI for distributors in a way that actually supports the people doing the work. Too many solutions focus on one slice of the sales process while ignoring the rest. That approach creates silos, not scale. Jason Sullivan…
Visual Workplace Doubles Revenue with Multi-Channel Transformation
ALPHARETTA, Ga., Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Forward Solutions today released a new case study showcasing how embracing a multi-channel sales and marketing strategy can deliver breakthrough growth for industrial manufacturers. With business buyers now expecting a seamless experience across distributor, direct, and digital channels, many mid-market manufacturers are rethinking their single-channel approach. The featured case study highlights Visual…
Helios Bets on AI Diagnostics with Nationwide Bluon Rollout
Commercial service organizations are watching AI tools closely, trying to figure out which ones actually deliver results in the field. Helios HVACR, a nationwide commercial service provider operating in more than 40 states, just made a significant move by deploying Bluon’s HVACR AI diagnostics platform across its entire field operation. The goal is straightforward: faster diagnostics, better first-time fix rates,…
Cooperative Supplier Networks: The Future of HVACR Sourcing
Bob Allomong is describing something the industry talks about but rarely executes: cooperative supplier networks built on genuine alignment rather than forced partnerships. His perspective sits at the intersection of manufacturers, distributors, and contractors, where integration challenges play out in real time. In this piece, he makes the case for cooperative supplier networks and why the industry needs to move…
HVAC Market Slowdown Signals a Prolonged Industry Reset
The HVAC market slowdown is no longer a matter of debate or selective interpretation. Fourth-quarter performance came in worse than already lowered expectations, pricing pressure is beginning to surface in markets that historically hold firm, and inventory normalization remains unfinished. This isn’t a collapse scenario, but it is a clear signal that the industry reset is still underway. What makes…
New York HVAC Refrigerant Rules Are Triggering Supply Chain Alarm
For much of the HVAC industry, New York HVAC refrigerant rules have hovered in an uncomfortable middle ground for several years. Not hypothetical, but not yet fully operational. Something people flagged in conference hallways, side conversations, and breakout sessions, including more than a few discussions at last year’s HARDI conference, but rarely addressed head-on. That changed when recent court decisions…
Branch Leadership Blueprint for Distribution
If you work in wholesale distribution, you already know that strategy may be written at headquarters, but execution lives and dies at the branch. That reality sits at the heart of Foundations of a Giant: A Branch Boss’s Blueprint for Wholesale Distribution, a new book built around one core idea: strong branch leadership is still the most reliable competitive advantage…
BuildOps Bluon Integration Expands AI Support for Commercial HVAC
The BuildOps Bluon integration is now broadly available following a successful trial, expanding in-workflow access to AI-powered technical data for commercial HVAC contractors. The expanded integration brings Bluon’s equipment intelligence and guided technical support directly into BuildOps, allowing technicians to access model-specific information while working in the field. BuildOps expands Bluon integration following successful trial, broadening access to AI-powered…
