Arkema Inc. - Experts & Thought Leaders

Women in HVACR (WHVACR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration trades, announced that strong sponsor support is helping position its 2025 Bet on Yourself conference as one of the most impactful events in the organization’s 22-year run. Gratitude to incredible contributions “This group of sponsors has made the Bet on Yourself convention possible, and we want to extend our gratitude to their incredible contributions,” said Women in WHVACR President - Kristin Gallup, who also serves as Director of Product Management for Carrier Enterprise. She adds, “Their support empowers women to invest in themselves, build meaningful connections and grow as pioneers. We could not create such a powerful platform of education, networking and mentorship without their participation.” Engaging opportunities Avoca, an AI customer service and booking agent, is sponsoring the full three-day event The conference, which will be held October 6-8 at the Red Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, includes keynote speakers Angela Gaffney and Erin Hatzikkostas, educational conference sessions and after-hours events for attendees. The presenting partner, Avoca, an artificial intelligence (AI) customer service and booking agent, is sponsoring the full three-day event. Gallup said Avoca’s backing has allowed Women in HVACR to elevate the attendee's experience and provide more engaging opportunities. Other sponsorships include: Daikin Comfort Technologies, a global HVACR manufacturer and distributor, is sponsoring a mimosa bar at the event. iWallet, a technology-driven luxury brand specializing in secure, connected lifestyle accessories, is providing a La Dolce Vita lunch. Quietflex, the preferred ductwork provider for contractors and wholesalers nationwide, is providing the Sip & Celebrate Beverage Break. Resideo, a technology and smart solutions company providing smart home products, is sponsoring the Hats Off to a Winning Start Breakfast and the Coffee & Connections Breakfast on Oct. 7-8. Rheem Manufacturing, a global leader in heating, cooling and water heating solutions, is providing 36-ounce steel water bottles. Service Nation, the largest residential contracting group in the U.S., is sponsoring the Connection Crawl networking event on Oct. 6. Synchrony, a premier consumer financial services company, is sponsoring the Red, Rock & Roll Welcome Party on Oct. 6.  Trinity Warranty Solutions, a renowned extended warranty and facility management provider for the HVACR industry, is providing a High Roller Hydration Station. SWAG items The SWAG items in conference bags have been provided by: Arkema, Avoca, Daikin Comfort Technologies, Pink Lady Callers, Rheem Manufacturing, Synchrony, Trinity Warranty Solutions, and Women in HVACR. “The Bet on Yourself conference is a celebration of what’s possible when women believe in their own potential,” said Kristin Gallup, adding “From networking events to thoughtful touches like hydration stations, breakfast bars and welcome gifts, each sponsor’s contribution will make this conference a memorable experience for all our attendees.”

Who: Arkema What: Ribbon cutting for Arkema’s Calvert City plant’s new state-of-the-art production unit for making FORANE® 1233ZD Where: 4444 Industrial Parkway, Calvert City, Ky. 42029 When: Tuesday, August 26th – 10 a.m. (please arrive no later than 9:45 a.m.) Interviews: Carl Stewart, Calvert City’s Plant Manager, Laurent Tellier, Senior Vice-President Performance Additives and member of Arkema’s Executive Committee, and René Molina, General Manager of Fluorospecialties for Arkema North America. Growth of AI and demand for data centers Arkema will host a ribbon-cutting for its new $60M Forane® 1233zd production unit at its Calvert City, Kentucky site. The state-of-the-art unit will produce in the U.S. a special liquid blowing agent critical in temperature control, among other things, which will vastly improve the energy efficiency of homes and buildings. This is particularly important in the growth of AI and the growing demand for data centers. New Calvert unit Calvert site will be one of only two in the U.S. where the product is made, helping ensure the long-term viability The Calvert site will be one of only two in the U.S. where the product is made, helping ensure the long-term viability of the site and the hundreds of people who work there and many more who rely on it for related jobs. 1233zd had largely been limited to being made overseas and needed to be imported. Because of the new Calvert unit going online, Arkema is domesticating production in the U.S., which will give customers more options and improve the supply chain, having implications far beyond Calvert City. Safety protocols If they plan on attending the ribbon cutting, please arrive no later than 9:45 a.m. They will need to follow safety protocols, including being escorted while on the property. The event will include remarks from various individuals prior to the ribbon being cut. They will have ample opportunities to shoot Broll of the site and conduct interviews. Refreshments will also be available.

Women in HVACR (WHVACR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration trades, announced it has elected its new board of directors for 2025. The complete board is made up of the executive board and a broader board of directors. These members work collaboratively to guide the organization’s direction, oversee financial management and ensure legal and ethical integrity. New talent and leadership “This board is made up of some of the most experienced and capable women in the skilled trades industry, and I can’t wait to work with them to improve the lives of other women who work in the trades,” said Amy O’Grady, executive director of Women in HVACR. “This team’s experiences and backgrounds will help our members improve their lives by providing them with the education, networking opportunities and mentoring programs they need to be successful. The executive board is structured to allow tenured board members to advise and lead so that we continually bring in new talent and leadership.” Prior roles of Gallup  Gallup served as the board’s VP in 2024, and has been named as the president of the executive board Kristin Gallup, who served as the board’s vice president in 2024, has been named as the president of the executive board. She is the director of product management parts and supplies for Carrier Enterprise, a joint venture between Watsco, Inc. and Carrier Corporation. She has worked in the HVAC industry for more than 17 years in various sales, marketing and product capacities and has been a member of WHVACR for more than 10 years. Prior roles of Sidebottom  Jane Sidebottom has been selected to serve as the executive board’s vice president for 2025. She served on the WHVACR board of directors last year and is the president and founder of AMK, LLC, a strategic growth and management consulting company that works with manufacturers, distributors, and service companies to grow their businesses. Sidebottom founded AMK in 2007 to fill a gap for market growth expertise in the skilled trades and their manufacturing and service partners. She has 7 years of private and non-profit board experience. Other executive board members Lori Tschohl, immediate past president: Tschohl is president of Eagle Pipe & Mechanical in Port Ludlow, Washington. Angela Miller, treasurer: Miller is the brand ambassador for Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing in Las Vegas. Crystal Williams, secretary: Williams is the founder and marketing strategist for Lemon Seed Marketing in Burke, Texas. The rest of the new board of directors includes: Laurelyn Arriaga, OME sales manager for McDaniel Metals, Inc. in Houston, Texas. Kelcey Brueggeman, executive vice president of business development and sales for Service Business Evolution, LLC in Phoenix. Melanie Cochran, vice president of Hawkins HVAC Distributors in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sarah Hammond, president of Atlas Services, Inc. in McAllen, Texas. Becky Hoelscher, senior account manager for Arkema in Sidney, Ohio. Lisa Knapp, president and founder of the Sea of Possibility Leaders Consulting, Inc. in Juno Beach, Florida. Christyn Mueller, associate director for Global Learning & Development in Muskego, Wisconsin. Linda Rodriguez, marketing and events manager for Quietflex in Houston.

AHR Expo 2024 was abuzz with activity, befitting a dynamic industry in the throes of change.  Industry developments such as electrification and the refrigerant transition render business opportunities on the AHR Expo show floor, where exhibitors display a determination to meet the challenges and thrive in the process. Walking from booth to booth during the three-day show in Chicago, I saw the best the HVAC industry has to offer, up close and personal. Innovation and adaptability are the watchwords as the industry journeys into 2024 and beyond. Refrigerant Transition Top of Mind  Patented R-454B refrigerant enables a simpler transition without redesigning equipment The technology transition is well underway for OEMs seeking to meet a pending AIM Act deadline at the end of the year. OEMs are choosing to embrace either R-32 or R454-B refrigerant to replace legacy R-410A, which is being phased out. Patented R-454B refrigerant enables a simpler transition without redesigning equipment, while R-32 offers advantages such as higher capacity, higher efficiency, and easier cradle-to-cradle management. Arkema Arkema is the only producer of R-32 refrigerant in the United States. The newer refrigerant is being embraced as HVAC OEMs seek to meet the deadline of Jan. 1, 2025, to use lower-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerants in their products. The technology transition is just part of the AIM Act implementation that will also limit allocation and require refrigerant management. Chemours Chemours is a manufacturer of R-454A, R-454B, and R-454C refrigerants. At AHR, they presented hourly education sessions on a variety of subjects. The refrigerant transition will impact everyone in the industry, including refrigerant producers, equipment manufacturers, contractors, and end users. R-454B refrigerant provides identical performance in HVAC systems compared to the previous refrigerant (R-410A). There is less need to redesign equipment; just adding sensors for leak mitigation can address the mild flammability of A2L refrigerants. Because of the 2025 deadline, 2024 will be the “year of new products” in the HVAC market. OEMs pioneering Innovation  Carrier and others are offering smaller footprints, seeking to meet environmental targets Innovation in the HVAC market is led by companies such as Carrier, which has introduced 100 new products each year for the past eight years. Carrier and others are offering smaller footprints, seeking to meet environmental targets, and providing flexibility for customers. New products include the AquaSnap 30RC air-cooled chiller and the AquaEdge 19MV chiller with low GWP refrigerant to meet pending regulatory requirements.  Copeland Copeland, recently divested from Emerson, also emphasizes innovation, including 12 research and development (R&D) facilities, 1,700 engineers, and more than 3,000 patents. At a press conference at AHR Expo, the 100-year-old company announced it is a “new” company owned by Blackstone Private Equity.  Products featured Among the featured products at AHR are Copeland’s oil-free centrifugal compressor with Aero-lift bearing technology; and Copeland’s CC200 case controller, specifically designed to handle the unique challenges of the current retail grocery refrigeration environments. Copeland also pledges to play a role in educating the market about new trends and the transition to new refrigerants.  Emphasizing a Smaller Footprint  Trailblazer AGZ-F is an R-32 air-cooled scroll chiller that delivers 10% greater capacity and efficiency Daikin Daikin highlights the Atmosphera, a single-zone ductless split system (using R-32) that can reduce carbon emissions by 80% (compared to R-410A). Also, Trailblazer AGZ-F is an R-32 air-cooled scroll chiller that delivers 10% greater capacity and efficiency. Products emphasize a smaller footprint and less weight than their predecessors. Rebel Applied is a packaged rooftop unit that continually adjusts operation to address the building load, consuming less energy. Trailblazer HP is an air-to-water heat pump chiller with a reversing function that allows the product to switch between cooling and heating based on temperature requirements.  Friedrich Air Conditioning Friedrich Air Conditioning features the Breeze universally flexible inverter heat pump, a ducted mini-split for upgrading traditional equipment. It works with any furnace or air handler, has side discharge, is 40% smaller, and is cold weather capable to minus 13. Friedrich's new Vert-I-Pak is a line of M1-compliant single package Vertical Heat Pumps (available in 9K, 12K, 18K, and 24K Btu), supporting decarbonization efforts with heat pump operation down to 10°F. High Efficiency for Commercial and Residential Johnson Controls Johnson Controls exhibits their highly efficient residential and commercial HVAC solutions designed for Department of Energy (DOE) 2023 compliance and helping customers achieve Net Zero goals through decarbonization. On display was the York High-Efficiency 18 SEER2 Side-Discharge Heat Pump with up to 30% smaller footprint than vertical-discharge equipment. Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning's Aircore 700 single split system is aimed at light commercial and residential. Midea Their 3-ton model achieved 118% of rated capacity heating output at minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit Midea, known for selling consumer products, has kept a low profile in the professional sector, selling products that are either OEMed for Carrier or private-labeled by a contractor company. Seeking to promote the Midea brand, the Chinese company is staking its claim on the trade market with an emphasis on performance: The company exceeded performance in the Department of Energy’s “ColdClimate Heat Pump Challenge:” Their 3-ton model achieved 118% of rated capacity heating output at minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat pump awareness Results of a survey conducted by Midea show that more than half of homeowners are not fully aware of heat pumps and their function. Awareness lags among contractors, too: 70% of contractors indicate they do not know that the current’s advanced heat pumps can generate 100% heat output to a minimum temperature of minus 4 F. Wide Selection of New Products Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US emphasizes all-electric heat pump solutions. The Deluxe Wall-mounted H2i sumo System connects with an outdoor unit, and the intelli-HEAT dual fuel system can determine the best source of heat – electric or gas – on cold days. Among commercial products, Heat2OHeat Pump Water Heaters are designed to produce high-volume domestic hot water for commercial facilities in any climate. LG Electronics LG Electronics’ booth includes a wide product range, including advanced heating, ventilating, air conditioning LG Electronics’ booth includes a wide product range, including advanced heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and building management solutions for residential and commercial applications. Home electrification products include the LG R32 Air-to-Water Heat Pump Monobloc system; the LG Inverter Heat Pump Water Heater the LG Electronics Home 8 Energy Storage System, and ThinQ, LG’s mobile app. LG Art Cool Gallery multi-zone wall-mount indoor unit The LG Art Cool Gallery multi-zone wall-mount indoor unit features a customizable picture frame that doubles as a cooling and heating vent. Also, LG’s Medium and High-Temperature Hydro Kit Systems use a refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger to produce chilled or heated water. LG’s Split Compact M3 DOAS with Multi V S is suited to light commercial use where single-phase power is available and as an HVAC solution for outdoor air treatment. Easier Access for Technicians  Rheem Manufacturing New equipment at the Rheem Manufacturing booth at AHR Expo includes true multi-zone operation, smaller footprints, lighter weights, and components that are positioned for easy access by technicians. An LED in the control cabinet displays a fault code that identifies the problem to service technicians. The Resolute and Renaissance lines are commercially packaged heat pump units. The company is emphasizing the transition from R-410A to R-454B refrigerant by the end of 2024. Aeroseal Whether a new install or a retrofit, the product saves energy, saves money, and keeps customers compliant Aeroseal seals ducts by spraying a vinyl acetate polymer substance to increase HVAC efficiency. Whether a new install or a retrofit, the product saves energy, saves money, and keeps customers compliant, and a 30% tax deduction is available through the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).  Airzone Airzone is a Spanish company that controls inverters and VRFs (variable refrigerant flow units). Their communication gateway controller incorporates protocols from various manufacturers, and the Easyzone is an easy-to-install zoning system.  Infinitum Infinitum manufactures a motor system that leverages a printed circuit board as a stator, making the motor system lighter weight and also smaller, quieter, and more efficient. The Aircore EC uses a standard printed circuit board manufacturing process to eliminate bearings. The component is used in blowers by OEMs Lau, Acme, Canarm, and Peerless, whose products are displayed at the booth.  Bell & Gossett Bell & Gossett debuts its line of smart, connected products designed to improve sustainability Bell & Gossett, a Xylem brand, debuts its line of smart, connected products designed to improve the sustainability of commercial buildings and reduce complexity in the design process. Combining pumps and smart motors are the e-1510 end-suction pump, e-80 vertical in-line pump, and TECHNOFORCE e-HV packaged booster system.  NIBCO Simplifying the job of an HVAC installer is the PressACR copper press connection system from NIBCO, which connects copper pipes without brazing, which involves soldering and high temperatures, thus a fire hazard. The patent-pending groove design and crimp pattern support the higher-pressure requirement of an HVACR system. Pipes are pressed together using PressACR jaws and adapter jaws in a variety of sizes. NIBCO also displayed its Webstone brand of residential and commercial valves.  Control Products Provide Data  Resideo Resideo displayed home system products, including the Honeywell Home T10+ thermostat with RedLINK 3.0; sensors enable temperature balancing for hot and cold spots. Pro-IQ Services provides software tools designed for the connected home, including insights on heating, cooling, water, and indoor air quality devices to help contractors track customers. Professional-grade water damage prevention, the First Alert L2 WiFi Water Sensor and Switch provide alarms if there is a water leak.  Schneider Electric The EcoStruxure Building Operation system is open system software for building and facility management Schneider Electric seeks to be “digital partners for our customers,” working with Fortune 500 companies seeking to achieve ESG (environment, social and corporate governance) goals. They help customers establish where they are currently vis-à-vis their goals and then deploy science-based key performance indicators (KPIs) to direct them to where they want to be. The EcoStruxure Building Operation system is open system software for building and facility management, including two products for the small and medium building (SMB) market. Energy measurement Schneider measures energy usage through power meters, indoor air quality, and energy spent to achieve efficiency, compiling data according to what the customer wants to achieve. They sell through a national sales team, direct branch business (20 branches), and 200 system integrators (EcoXperts). Their customers include QSR (quick-service restaurant chains) that control climate centrally with data compiled in the cloud.  Siemens Siemens displays solutions for smart, adaptable buildings for a sustainable tomorrow, including the Building X system and the Sustainability Manager application, providing an understanding of a building’s performance and tracking it against sustainability and compliance targets. The Building X Lifecycle Twin tracks operational building performance via a “digital twin,” providing an augmented reality (AR) headset through which one can view equipment with information superimposed on the screen. Uponor  Uponor seeks to leverage the capital cost of heating systems to deliver heating and hot water. They make pipes and connectors and other technologies, including the AuqaPort, which improves water quality and energy savings in domestic hot water (DHW) applications. They seek to future-proof buildings by combining energy efficiency and comfort. Water recirculates and provides hot water on demand using 40% less piping. A “radiant roll-out mat” is preconfigured piping that can be rolled out to simplify installation.