More than 300 WaterFurnace International, Inc. dealers, employees and vendors gathered in Orlando, Fla., April 16-17 for the company’s 29th annual national sales meeting. WaterFurnace, a leading manufacturer of geothermal and water source heat pumps, said it considered the event a huge success.
Under the theme “Laying the Groundwork,” the company shared its vision of the future with attending dealers. WaterFurnace communicated the key trends and innovations they believe will define the geothermal industry for the next decade. Those innovations included variable capacity geothermal heat pumps, advanced zoning systems, integration of “smart” units into home energy management, and the development of renewable hybrid comfort solutions – technologies that were all on display.
“These four areas work in unison to form the cornerstones of our residential strategy,” said WaterFurnace President and CEO Tom Huntington. “We envision a connected ecosystem that gives homeowners detailed insight into power usage and empowers them to control it.”
The first session in the two-day event included a welcome message and state of the industry report from Huntington and continued with presentations on new products and technology the company plans to introduce later this year.
Following a session for new marketing strategies and programs, attendees participated in a series of smaller breakout sessions ranging from the internet and social media, to discussions on sales techniques for residential and light commercial applications. The sessions were held in a classroom-like environment that fostered questions and discussion.
“Our annual sales meeting provides the company with an important opportunity to show the dealers what our goals are as a company,” said WaterFurnace Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing Michael Albertson. “This year we laid out our plan for the future and what products and marketing tools will drive business for our dealers. This meeting also presents important opportunities for networking and camaraderie among dealers and WaterFurnace staff.”
Monday evening finished with an awards banquet where top-performing dealers were honored on-stage and received plaques from company leaders. “WaterFurnace continues to experience incredible growth, even as many segments of the U.S. economy are struggling,” said Vice President of Dealer Sales Phil Albertson. “These awards recognize the contributions our dealers made to that success during the past year.”
Outstanding Sales honors went to Peters Heating & Air Conditioning with multiple locations throughout Illinois and Missouri, and the award for Top Sales for a single location was presented to Rehagen Heating & Cooling,Westphalia, MO. The awards ceremony also recognized members of the $1,000,000 Club, including Arronco Comfort Air, Inc., Burlington, Ky., and Peters Heating & Air Conditioning. For a complete list of award winners honored at this year’s annual sales meeting or to view a complete agenda, visit waterfurnace.com/asm.