HVACR manufacturers are looking up. That’s good news for an industry that’s been mired in the doldrums for five long years. It's especially good when the news comes at the start of a new year, because if it holds true, there's 12 good months ahead of us.
The source of the optimimsm is a recent survey of HVACR manufacturers by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the managment of the AHR Expo, which holds its annual show in New York City Jan. 21-23.
The two groups surveyed 1,000 manufacturers around the world. According to the results, 79% of resondents said their prospects for business were either “excellent” (19%) or “good” (60%). The remaining 21% of respondents described 2014’s business prospects as “fair.”
Thirty-five percent of respondents said they expect to see business increase most in the HVACR maintenance/replacement sector, followed by new construction (33%) and retrofit/renovation (32%).
Among those HVACR manufacturers surveyed, 90% believe sales will increase, with 32% expecting sales increases of more than 10%. Thirty-one percent forecast sales increases between 5% and 10%; and 27% expect increases of less than 5%.
Sector-wise, sales within the hospital and healthcare sector were desribed as most promising by 72% of respondents, followed by light commercial (63%), data/telecom centers (59%) and heavy commercial (58%).
Thirty-five percent of respondents said they expect to see business increase most in the HVACR maintenance/replacement sector, followed by new construction (33%) and retrofit/renovation (32%).
Manufacturer respondents said their customers are most in need of product reliability, followed by first costs. Energy efficiency ranked third, as a "very important" concern. Energy efficiency and sustainability were noted as the most important industry trends or issues.
The 66th AHR Expo will be held January 21-23, 2014,at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.
For more information, visit the AHR Expo website at ahrexpo.com