New Research: Rebates as a Strategic Growth Tool in a Shifting Market In the HVAC industry, rebates are often treated as “backside dollars,” a necessary but largely passive part of the business. New research reframes HVAC rebate strategy as something far more consequential. When managed deliberately, rebates are no longer just an accounting exercise. They are a primary … [Read more...] about HVAC Rebate Strategy: New Research
Distribution Strategy
HVACR Market in 2025: Why Sales Growth Masked Weaker Demand
Coming into 2025, most HVACR distributors and manufacturers expected a modest recovery. Interest rates were widely assumed to ease. Deferred residential replacements were expected to return gradually. Nonresidential activity was expected to remain steady enough to provide balance while residential markets found their footing. The HVACR market in 2025 ultimately followed a … [Read more...] about HVACR Market in 2025: Why Sales Growth Masked Weaker Demand
Voice of the Contractor Data Reveals How HVAC Contractors Really Buy in 2025
Executive Summary Six years of Voice of the Contractor data show a channel that is largely satisfied but increasingly pragmatic. Contractors value relationships and rate their primary suppliers positively, yet loyalty is conditional and share shifts quickly when availability, pricing, or execution fall short. Growth continues, multi-trade businesses are expanding, and … [Read more...] about Voice of the Contractor Data Reveals How HVAC Contractors Really Buy in 2025
APR Supply’s Baltimore Expansion Strengthens the Region’s HVACR Supply Chain
The APR Baltimore expansion marks an important shift in how contractors across the Greater Baltimore region may access inventory, product breadth, and day-to-day support. With APR Supply entering due diligence to acquire McArdle & Walsh, the market is watching what a fourth-generation distributor with strong operational discipline can bring to a region defined by … [Read more...] about APR Supply’s Baltimore Expansion Strengthens the Region’s HVACR Supply Chain
Real-Time Product Data Is a Competitive Divide in HVAC
Real-time product data is now a competitive divide in the HVAC channel, and manufacturers who provide real-time product data gain an immediate advantage. When specs, pricing, and availability are current for reps, distributors, and contractors, jobs move quickly and customers feel confident. When that information is old or inconsistent, quotes slow down, margins weaken, and … [Read more...] about Real-Time Product Data Is a Competitive Divide in HVAC
Heading to the HARDI Annual Conference
I'm a couple of weeks out from participating in my first HARDI Annual Conference, and I am genuinely looking forward to attending. The event always brings together a sharp mix of industry professionals, and it is one of the few places where the full HVACR channel sits under the same roof with a shared purpose. This year’s theme is Gold Standard. It focuses on raising … [Read more...] about Heading to the HARDI Annual Conference
2026 Housing Market: What HVAC Channels Must Do Now
The team at John Burns Research & Consulting is painting a different picture of the next housing cycle. It is not a reset back to 2021-style demand. It is a structural shift, and the 2026 housing market implications for HVAC channel leaders are significant. If you operate in HVAC manufacturing, wholesale distribution, or as a rep agency, what happens over the next eighteen … [Read more...] about 2026 Housing Market: What HVAC Channels Must Do Now
