E-News, July 15

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HVAC Industry Representative Meets with President Obama

On April 15^th, President Barack Obama invited a few lucky American citizens to the White House to discuss the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, more commonly known as the Federal Stimulus Plan. Alan Givens, chief operating officer of Parrish Services in Manassas, Va., and president of the Virginia Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) Association had the honor of being included among those invited to this momentous event.

Givens along with seven others met with President Obama for 45 minutes to speak about how they had personally benefitted from the Stimulus Plan. Givens was able to share with President Obama that Parrish Services has seen a 91 percent growth rate this year. Givens attributes much of his business’s success to the availability of tax credits to help make home improvements more affordable for homeowners.

The growth that Parris Services experienced is an example of how a business can benefit from being educated on the Federal laws and incentives available to businesses and homeowners. Parrish Services is able to offer their customers value beyond that of a quality product by serving as a knowledgeable consultant able to save homeowners’ money.

HVAC Distributors can help Contractors boost sales by becoming a trusted resource and advisor. Help your Contractor customers to better understand the legislation and which products are eligible for a tax rebate. This education process is vital to ensure that Contractors purchase high-efficiency products that are affordable to homeowners.

President Obama also spoke to Givens about the weatherization program, an important program which many Distributors and Contractors overlook. “Many HVAC Contractors think weatherization is only about insulation. The weatherization program [in Virginia] includes duct sealing, insulation and replacing heating and air, and hot water systems,” said Givens.

The United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Web site has links to information on all the Stimulus Plan incentives. An outline of how the $16.8 billion is being spent on energy efficiency is available online at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/recovery/.

Information for this article was gathered from the ACHR News and ParrishServices.com.