Joe Larson

ASHRAE stands for American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc.

What is your job?

I am employed by CFM Distributors Inc. as a territory manager for York International.

What is ASHRAE’s purpose or mission?

ASHRAE will advance the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration and related human factors to serve the evolving needs of the public and ASHRAE.

How does the local chapter accomplish this?

We have monthly meetings that offer students, practicing engineers, architects, plant operators and product representatives education about designs, products, problems and codes. We also support cutting-edge research through research promotional efforts. Meetings are held 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of each month at Old Country Buffet.

How many members are in the local ASHRAE chapter? Who can join?

At the national level, ASHRAE has 55,000 members. The Ozarks ASHRAE Chapter has about 60 members. Memberships are open to anyone associated with heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration.

What’s the biggest issue facing the industry?

All phases of our industry have shortages of qualified people. We are trying to attract young people to the industry. Service technicians, installers, sheet-metal workers and design engineers are just a few of the areas where we see the need for qualified personnel. Indoor air quality is also another big issue; to try and offer building owners affordable clean ventilation air. Lower operational costs are a big challenge. New ASHRAE standards in air-conditioning efficiency have been recently passed that greatly reduce operational costs for building owners.

How does ASHRAE benefit from Salute to Construction?

ASHRAE benefits by having the opportunity to introduce our organization to young men and women who have not yet decided what career path to go down when they get out of high school. Many of the students have never had any exposure to our industry.