HVAC’s Q1: M&A, Trump, and bankruptcy
A snapshot of first-quarter headlines from around the industry, by month
HVAC distributor sales dip, contractor payments quicken in February
HARDI members reported a slight revenue decline in February, however, contractors are paying their bills faster
The president is planning a fresh slate of tariffs on Wednesday, when a one-month delay affecting HVAC imports expires
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Economy
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HVAC’s Q1: M&A, Trump, and bankruptcy
A snapshot of first-quarter headlines from around the industry, by month
HVAC distributor sales dip, contractor payments quicken in February
HARDI members reported a slight revenue decline in February, however, contractors are paying their bills faster
Our most-read stories of March
The EPA's big announcement, a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, a look at Ace Hardware's HVAC play, and more
Skilled trades expo to hit Patriots stadium
Bring Back the Trades, a skilled trades-focused nonprofit, will host an upcoming 'Skills Expo' at Gillette Stadium
Legal
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Contractors spared as Treasury scraps ownership reporting rule
Certain contractors are no longer required to report their owners' personal information to the Treasury Department
Department of Energy postpones HVAC testing, water heater regulations
The Department on Monday announced that it's postponed the implementation of several Biden-era home appliance rules
Trump’s first 60 days: The impact on the HVAC industry
A look at several initiatives, including tariffs, energy efficiency regulations, and rebates from the President's first 60 days
EPA ‘reconsiders’ refrigerant rule — but nothing has changed yet
The EPA on Wednesday announced a wide-ranging deregulatory initiative, which puts an HVAC-industry rule under review
M&A
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Merger forms major Midwest HVAC distributor
Two distributors last week announced a merger, forming the Midwest's largest independent wholesaler of Johnson Controls equipment
HVAC distributor acquires Coastal Supply, RJ Murray
The deals mark the second Northeast-focused distributor acquisition announced within the past 30 days
Koch Air acquires Standard Air, expands into Northeast
The acquisition adds to Koch Air's business four locations serving contractors across Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia
HVAC investors eye M&A uptick in 2025
Following a period of high interest rates and economic uncertainty, the HVAC investor community is optimistic about this year
Management
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Google’s ‘AI Overviews’ halve click-through rates in 2024
For searches triggering AI Overviews in 2024, organic click-through rates were cut by more than half, according to a new analysis
Our most-read stories of January
A new administration, an OEM acquisition, and a couple technology developments
Contractors can still market on TikTok — for now
The popular social media app's fate in the U.S. remains in question, following a temporary shutdown on January 18
Non-Google channels led Q4 average tickets, analysis shows
Customers acquired through Bing and Facebook ads outspent those acquired through Google in late 2024, according to an analysis
Technology
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AI firms are coming for contractors’ ad dollars — but have a long way to go
While several AI-powered search engines appear to pose a threat to Google, data shows the gap remains miles wide
ChatGPT’s parent company eyes home services
OpenAI, ChatGPT's parent company, on Thursday rolled out a feature that can find, message, and hire contractors on consumers' behalf
Google launches ‘Energy Skilled’ badges: What to know
Google will display 'Energy Skilled' badges on contractors' Business Profiles if at least one technician has earned a certain credential
ServiceTitan is now a public company
After more than a decade as a private company, ServiceTitan brought the trades to Wall Street — and made its public debut