NCI Summit 2022 Names High-Performance Contractors of the Year

During the High-Performance HVAC Summit 2022, which took place in Scottsdale, AZ, March 27-30, National Comfort Institute (NCI) recognized several companies and individuals for excellence in training, technology, and sales. This recognition is the highlight of every Summit event and 2022 marks the 18^th year that NCI has recognized excellence in the High-Performance HVAC Industry.

National Comfort Institute presents its "Contractor of the Year" Awards to companies that demonstrate consistent work in implementing Performance-based testing on every service and installation call.

These companies also work to create a performance-based business culture in their firms, having strong service departments that incorporate high-performance methods into their service agreement programs, and who consistently sell system renovations. Winners accomplish all of the above by maintaining a strong training ethic within their overall company culture.

Each year, NCI presents three "Contractor of the Year" awards based on company size:

Small (less than $2 million in volume)
Medium ($2 to 6 million)
Large (more than $6 million).

Here is breakdown of this year’s winners.

NCI CEO Dominick Guarino announces the Contractor of the Year winners as NCI President Rob Falke looks on.

The 2022 winner of NCI’s Small Contractor of the Year Award is Athens, Ohio-based Dean Heating and Cooling. Said Rob Falke, president of NCI during the award presentation, “This company practices what they preach, and they do what they say they’ll do. This is quite a standard to live up to for a small company and we are delighted with their development, advances, and engagement with high-performance principals in their daily business.

Ken Dean accepted the award.

NCI Chairman and CEO Dominick Guarino presented the Medium Contractor of the Year Award to a company which is relatively new to the High-Performance HVAC family, but not the HVAC industry. The company is 76 years-old and is focused on “implementing NCI airflow and combustion testing on all their service calls and

Ken Dean, center, Dean Heating and Cooling, NCI Small Contractor of the Year.

installations,” Guarino says. “This includes quoting and selling air upgrades.” The winner is Hearn Plumbing and Heating of Madison, OH. The award was presented to General Manager Tom Hearn.

The 2022 Large Contractor of the Year Award was presented to a California-based company that, in the words of Rob Falke, “ooze industry leadership.” Falke described winner Aire Rite Air Conditioning and Refrigeration as an “adventurous multi-generational enterprise whose owner is focused on finding better ways to service customers and fellow contractors through training, looking for better ways to get things done, and more.

“Aire Rite is primarily a commercial full-service company that recently entered into the residential marketplace, participants in training with