DOL recovers $122,000 in back wages for 140 HVAC workers
MS-based AirSouth Cooling and Heating did not include non-discretionary bonuses when calculating overtime wages for workers, and failed to issue final paychecks to two employees
Trump takes another shot at low-income HVAC program
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assists roughly 6.7 million households with utility bills, weatherization projects, and HVAC repairs and replacements
Air-source heat pumps outsold gas furnaces for the fourth consecutive year in 2025 — and started outselling air conditioners
📬 Get our stories in your inbox
Economy
Read More
Heat pump shipments have started outpacing air conditioners, report highlights
Air-source heat pumps outsold gas furnaces for the fourth consecutive year in 2025 — and started outselling air conditioners
Lowe’s boosts skilled trades investment to $250 million
The Lowe’s Foundation on Tuesday pledged $250 million to train 250,000 workers by 2035
National Careers in Trades Week kicks off
A January survey of 500 college and high school students found that 75 percent of teens aged 13 to 18 would consider a trade job over going to college
Trump’s push for 1 million new apprentices is off to a rocky start, critics say
In April 2025, President Trump directed three cabinet secretaries to deliver — within 120 days — a plan “to reach and surpass 1 million new active apprentices” Â
Legal
Read More
DOL recovers $122,000 in back wages for 140 HVAC workers
MS-based AirSouth Cooling and Heating did not include non-discretionary bonuses when calculating overtime wages for workers, and failed to issue final paychecks to two employees
Trump takes another shot at low-income HVAC program
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assists roughly 6.7 million households with utility bills, weatherization projects, and HVAC repairs and replacements
Labor Department moves to streamline new apprenticeship programs
The efforts stem from an April 2025 executive order signed by President Trump aimed at reaching and surpassing one million new active apprentices in the U.S., including in the skilled trades
Federal courts uphold gas bans in Maryland, D.C.
The decisions, issued one day apart, rejected the same legal argument made by trade associations that the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), a federal appliance law, preempts local gas bans
M&A
Read More
Roto-Rooter snaps up two franchises for $20.6 million
The Roto-Rooter corporate entity has been acquiring franchises to “boost productivity, market share, and profitability”
American Residential Services exploring sale, report says
The process, which is being run by investment bank Rothschild & Co, is at an “early stage,” according to Reuters
Mingledorff’s to be acquired by Home Depot’s SRS Distribution
Founded in 1939, Mingledorff’s counts 42 locations across five Southeastern states and is the region’s largest Carrier and Bryant distributor
Champions Group strikes $2.5 billion Blackstone deal
The deal marks the first major platform-level residential HVAC transaction since May 2025
Management
Read More
Meet Kurt Hudson, ACCA’s new chair
Hudson is president of Boston-based LC Anderson, Inc., a commercial HVAC business that he and his brother took over from their father in 2013
Union plumbing shop scores win with move to commission pay
Union shops are "having a hard time competing with the marketing spend of PE-backed firms and the margins of sole proprietors," says CEO Tom Teynor
Watsco, eyeing growth, leans on data
While Watsco is the U.S.’s largest HVAC distributor, generating more than $7 billion in annual revenue, it serves just 10 to 15 percent of the industry
Service Experts kicks off franchise push
The 30-year-old HVAC and plumbing platform, which generates roughly $1 billion in annual revenue, announced in late 2025 that it would begin offering franchises
Technology
Read More
Insurers should foot the bill for smart water devices, white paper suggests
Sales of smart water devices “represent a revenue opportunity of more than $160 million by 2030,” according to the paper
Data centers pose challenges for U.S. water systems: Study
To meet demand, the U.S. needs $10 billion in new water capacity — or up to $58 billion in a high-growth scenario
Angi launches app in ChatGPTÂ
Consumers can find and connect with contractors beginning from a conversation with the chatbot, the company said
AHR Expo kicks off, expects 50,000
On site, there will be roughly 300 new product presentations and educational sessions through Wednesday