Noland Co. (Newport News, Va.) purchased certain assets of Heat-Cool Specialties, a one-branch wholesale distributor of heating and cooling products in Charlotte, N.C.

Lochinvar Corp. is hosting a Hot Water Solutions Tour in the Southeast.

Burnham Hydronics named Rick Link its 2005 Salesperson of the Year and Mechanical Sales its 2005 Sales Representative of the Year during the company's national sales meeting in February.

Armstrong Pumps appointed Mega Western Sales its new wholesale/parts distribution representative for Southern California.

R.W. Beckett Corp. appointed Bob Bruno sales engineer.

Armstrong Pumps named Richard Li its technical sales representative - Far East.

Danfoss Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Division named Roger Willsey from Arctic Air in Lancaster, Pa., the grand prize winner of its Scratch 'n Match Promotion, which gave all contractors at participating Johnstone Supply stores lottery-style scratch-off tickets.

The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) reported combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps were down 1% to 405,251 compared to shipments from the same month last year.

The North American Heating & Energy Expo and the New England Fuel Institute 2005 Business Convention will be held in Boston May 10-11 at the John B. Hynes Exposition Center.

Jack Whaling, a longtime veteran of the HVAC industry and founder of his namesake sales representative company, died of congestive heart failure on Jan. 26 in Glendale, Calif.