United States. Hardi (Heating, Air-conditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International) announced that average distribution sales in the North American HVACR industry grew by 11.5% during the month of March.
"The annual growth rate improved for the third month in a row, rising above 3%. Retail sales have also begun to record higher figures in 2012, from 1.7% in January to 1.9% in March. This is a positive indicator that confirms the current trend in distributor growth," explained Hardi economist Andrew Duguay.
For the summer, sales are expected to continue to rise: "Optimism is high as we see distributors sourcing more strategically for demand that is anticipated to be strong this summer. Likewise, light commercial markets appear to be an unexpectedly strong source of growth, and the initial heat has provided a good start to the cooling season," said Talbot Gee, executive vice president and COO of Hardi.
The report also indicates that unit sales of distributors started strong in 2012 in most products, but with an acceleration movement in products 13 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Index) and R-22.
