AHR attendees are optimistic about new year

According to a recent survey of more than 1,000 AHR Expo exhibitors worldwide, nearly three-fourths of the total respondents expect a better year in 2012.

Plant Engineering staff

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Manufacturers appear to be very optimistic about the economic outlook for the HVACR industry. According to a recent survey of more than 1,000 AHR Expo exhibitors worldwide, nearly three-fourths of the total respondents expect a better year in 2012.

The AHR survey found 82% of respondents expect sales to increase in 2012, with 29% anticipating increases of more than 10%. An additional 36% said sales would increase between 5% and 10%.

Ethan Hoberman, sales manager at Pridiom, said that following an anticipated 40% growth in 2011, the company is “expecting to double sales in 2012.”

This optimistic 2012 outlook may be due in part to the fact that 76% of the respondents believe there is pent-up industry demand for new products. “After several years of slow growth and sales, replacement/new equipment should start to grow as equipment becomes too old/obsolete/worn-out to be repaired,” Hoberman said. 

The 2012 AHR Expo will be Jan. 23-25 in Chicago, and 72% of the exhibitors plan on introducing new products at this year’s expo. “We anticipate 2012 will be a much better year, based on the industry-leading products we have launched in the last two years and what we will be launching in 2012,” said Don Winter, vice president of marketing, McQuay International.

Other major findings of the survey were:

• The industry segments expecting the strongest demand for their products in 2012 are light commercial (24%), heavy commercial (13%), industrial (26%), residential (26%), and institutional (11%).
  
  
• The industry categories expecting the strongest demand for products are new construction (37%), replacement (36%), and renovation/upgrade (26%).

“These survey results and the fact that this will be the largest AHR Expo in the showʼs 82-year history bodes well for the HVACR industry outlook,” said Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Co., which produces and manages the AHR Expo. “Manufacturers know that their customers will finally need to replace their worn-out equipment with more energy-efficient technology so they have reserved exhibit space in record numbers to meet this demand.”

Information provided by AHR Expo.

2012 AHR Expo facts

When: January 23-25, 2012

Where: McCormick Place, Chicago

Who: More than 1,900 exhibitors are expected at this year's event. More than 50,000 people attended the 2011 event, making it one of the largest industrial trade shows in the U.S.

Sponsors: The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). The Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Institute (HRAI) of Canada is an honorary sponsor.

Website: www.ahrexpo.com