On Thursday, May 1, 2025, CE Factory Authorized Carrier Dealers from across Florida gathered at Carrier’s World Headquarters—the Center for Intelligent Buildings in Palm Beach Gardens, FL—for a day of networking, learning, and celebration. The event highlighted the dealers’ achievements over the past year and showcased key developments across the industry.
The full-day agenda featured:
- Presentations from leadership at Watsco, Inc., Carrier, CE, and HARDI
- A trade show with key tools, supplies, and services vendors
- Guided tours of the cutting-edge Carrier headquarters
- An awards ceremony recognizing outstanding dealer achievements
Attendees were well-fed and energized throughout the day with plenty of food and refreshments on hand.
Event Kickoff
Chad Wetzel, President of CE Florida, welcomed attendees to the 2025 CE Factory Authorized Dealer VIP Event:
“Our industry has experienced some turbulence over the past couple of years, but through it all, you’ve stayed strong in your loyalty to the Carrier and Bryant brands. That loyalty inspires us to keep improving our service and building partnerships—some of which span decades and generations. We are committed to creating a better distribution network every day.”
Focus on Customer Experience
CE Florida Senior Vice President Kevin Julian spoke about enhancing the customer experience and Watsco’s investments in that area.:
“When I think of partnership, I think of commitment, energy, and focus—because those drive the customer experience. Last year, Sean Blackburn, Chad, and I completed a voice-of-the-customer tour. We listened to your concerns, and today, you’ll see the impact of Watsco’s investment into CE. Watsco Ventures is laser-focused on technology and the customer experience.”
Market Outlook
Joe Muley, Past President and GM of CE Florida, provided an industry outlook for Florida.
Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano Beach: Facing headwinds due to condo market instability and a projected 38% price drop.
Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater: Ranked #1 in the U.S. for 2025 homebuilding prospects, though challenged by housing affordability and rising insurance costs.
Orlando/Kissimmee/Sanford: Experiencing a decline in new home sales.
Jacksonville: Named the #7 best place to retire in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report but among the top 10 U.S. cities with the highest year-over-year drop in resale list prices in December.
“There are some challenges in each of these areas,” Joe concluded. “But there’s just a tremendous amount of opportunity in the change-out replacement market and it continues to grow every year by two or three percent.”
Watsco’s Growth Story
AJ Nahmad, President of Watsco, Inc., recounted the company’s evolution.
“Watsco started in 1972 when my father bought Wagner Tool & Supply in Hialeah, a manufacturer of small air conditioning parts and pieces and other very random products. Watsco has grown to become the largest HVAC distributor in the country.”
A major milestone in building the company was when his father purchased Gemaire Distributors as the sole bidder for the company at an auction in 1989. The 1989 acquisition of Gemaire marked a pivot—from manufacturing to distribution.
“The focus shifted from selling products to supporting others to be successful. The driving philosophy became how can I help you grow your business? What do you need from me? Do you need access to Capital? I’ll go find hard ways to help you grow.”
AJ described the formation of Watsco Ventures, which invests in technology startups to enhance distributor and dealer capabilities. He emphasized data-driven decision-making as a core transformation driver:
“We no longer rely on anecdotal evidence. Data allows us to see what’s really happening and measure our impact.”
Embracing Digital and AI
Vincent Mugavero, CE SVP of Digital Commerce & Enterprise Services, echoed AJ’s emphasis on data and encouraged embracing AI.
“Now’s the time to lean into AI. There’s no manual—we’re all learning. Bring in younger employees and empower them to explore where AI can help your business. You’ll be surprised at what they discover.”
Industry and Economic Overview
HARDI CEO Talbot Gee shared distribution trends and economic insights, relating that price increases continued to boost overall revenues over the past 5 years, and that consumer caution led to greater price sensitivity but did not derail growth. Current statistics indicate that fewer opportunities will lead to no margin for error in structuring prices. Regarding the Southeast, HARDI’s ratings show the region’s residential building permits as flat but stable and lists Florida as an expansion state.
On the A2L refrigerant transition, 2025’s possible flexibility areas include the supermarket installation ban date, refrigerant management regulations and the installation versus manufacturing date regulations. 454B and R-32 supplies will remain tight through the summer while R-410A pricing will remain “opportunistic”.
Carrier’s Strategic Vision
Nick Arch, VP and GM of North America Residential Solutions for Carrier, shared insights on sales by equipment type, national housing starts, residential new construction versus add-on replacement annual sales history and a comparison of national heat pump and air conditioning system sales. He also covered recent shifts in alignment involving some of the major players in the industry.
Nick concluded his presentation detailing Carrier’s commitments to expanding manufacturing and bolstering the supply chain and expanding Carrier’s offerings in the digital ecosystem, electrification, hydronics and innovations to provide differentiation and value.
Awards and Recognition
The day concluded with an Awards Ceremony celebrating several dozen dealers for achievements ranging from sales milestones to training participation.
View and download photos from the VIP event here: https://acprosite.com/photos. Search for 2025 05 CE FL VIP Event.
