The industry's best and brightest nominated for CCN's inaugral HVACR Leadership Awards which made judging an extremely challenging process.
Fortunately CCN had the assistance of the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturers Association of Australia (AREMA), and together we went through an impressive list of nominees to select the winners, finalists and highly commended in all five categories.
Some categories were much busier than others which proved entries were clearly a reflection of the current state of the industry.
For example, the two busiest categories were Emerging Leader in Energy Savings in HVACR, and Innovator of the Year. The number of nominations received for these two categories more than doubled entries in the other categories.
The focus for most entries was on energy efficiency, the ability to think outside of the box, and leadership. Best of all, there was no shortage of entrants keen to share their vision for the industry which was both uplifting and inspiring.
The high level of entries made it a very competitive playing field adding a degree of prestige to an awards program that is only in its first year. Being a part of an awards program that celebrates excellence is a great way to view the industry, it is undoubtedly the best seat in town.
However, it wouldn't have been possible without the support of the sponsors. CCN has been fortunate to have sponsors that don't simply pay lip service to improving Australia's HVACR industry, these are organisations that are leaders when it comes to innovation and excellence.
As industry leaders they actively promote innovation every day it is how they do business. Bitzer, ABB and the Australian Refrigeration Association (ARA) really are true believers when it comes to making a difference and taking the industry forward.
This is why I want to take this opportunity to thank all three sponsors for their support.