That said, equipment manufacturers empower their manufacturer representatives to routinely reach out to consulting engineers to educate these designers on new products and improvements to existing products. Consultants recognize the benefits manufacturer representatives bring to the design phase of a building program. Manufacturer representatives bring the classroom to the design engineers. They routinely invite consultants back to their factories to learn more about specific products as well. Representatives frequently provide training programs each year at convenient locations within their sales regions too. These classes may be a single evening course, or they may extend over multiple nights. Equipment manufacturers also contribute educational seminars and forums at numerous organization meetings and conferences, e.g., ASHRAE’s summer and winter meetings.
It can be said, based on the aforementioned evidence, consulting engineers need to interact with manufacturer representatives as well as learn the design and installation details associated with the piece of equipment, e.g., hot water condensing boilers, from these representatives. Designers and the project’s facility manager may also ask about code requirements, equipment cost and delivery time, features, benefits, and options when in the design phase of a project. Construction managers, HVAC contractors, associated mechanical-electrical coordinators, and estimators will usually be interested in these same questions too.
The value of equipment manufacturer representatives is commonly taken for granted, yet these individuals, backed by the companies they represent, contribute both financially and educationally to keep the HVAC industry progressing in the right direction year after year.
So, next time you meet with a manufacturer representative, give him or her a hug — or, in the era of COVID, at least offer an elbow bump!