PALM DESERT, Calif. — At the 2006 Annual Fall Conference of the Heating, Airconditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI), North American Technician Excellence (NATE) awarded Mingledorff’s Inc. the 2006 Top HARDI Testing Organization of the Year and Gensco Inc. won the 2006 Top HARDI Testing Location of the Year.

Mingledorff’s, a wholesale distributor headquartered in Norcross, Ga., with locations across Georgia and in South Carolina, administered 272 NATE tests across its various locations, good enough to be NATE’s #6 overall highest testing organization in 2006, which includes academic institutions and manufacturer-sponsored testing.

Gensco, a wholesale distributor based in Tacoma, Wash., administered 198 NATE tests, all out of its headquarters, placing it 9th overall in NATE’s 2006 top 10 and easily the most tests administered within one location among the HARDI distributor membership.

HARDI has been a major supporter of NATE certification and HARDI distributors have played a significant role in the substantial growth in the number of NATE testings and certifications since its inception. HARDI is a distributor association with manufacturer associate members, both of whom have a vested interest in increasing the professional esteem of qualified HVACR contractors, reducing warranty claims due to improper installation, and increasing energy efficiency through knowledge of the most current technologies. NATE certification accomplishes all of those things and helps make the entire industry more successful.