NATE Featured on 'Good Morning America,' Kicks Off 'NATE Bowl' Contest

More than 34 million fans of a popular morning TV show are now better informed about heating technology and North American Technician Excellence (NATE) technician certification. NATE was recently featured in a segment of the popular ABC-TV program "Good Morning America," which contained commentary on home heating by Dean Johnson, host of PBS' "Home Time." Carrier Corporation provided the equipment Johnson used to explain heating concepts to show hostess Kate Snow. Johnson described NATE certification as "a designation applied to contractors who are doing a very good job. You know you've got a good contractor if they're NATE-certified," Johnson said, and his comments were accompanied by footage showing North American Technician Excellence technicians at work. NATE is giving all HVACR contractors the opportunity to "get in the game" of technician certification in 2008 by competing in its inaugural "NATE Bowl" contest. The testing and certification organization describes the contest as a "fun, inclusive, and rewarding way to build interest in getting more technicians certified and recertified in 2008." "NATE Bowl is our way of creating some good-natured competition among contractors, and provide a wide-array of exciting rewards for what most of them are already doing -- improving the professionalism of the HVACR industry," says Rex Boynton, president of NATE. NATE Bowl kicks off on Feb. 1, and is designed to get more technicians NATE-certified, or recertified, to get the best HVACR "team" on the field in 2008. For contractors, a larger number of NATE-certified technicians can mean fewer callbacks, less time spent on a job, and improved efficiency and productivity. Prizes will be awarded monthly in respective "divisions," which are based on company size. Grand prize is an all-expense-paid trip for two to Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla., in 2009, to be awarded later this year. NATE is the only technician certification organization governed, owned, operated, developed and supported by the HVACR industry. Visit www.natex.org www.natex.org/> for additional information.