RHEEM hosted its 2022 Pro Partner International Conference on March 8 in Las Vegas, in the United States for the company’s most valued contractors to gather for education and celebration. Pro Partners are part of a premium loyalty program built on   the cornerstones of enhanced consumer experience, motivating HVAC contractors with incentives, empowering partners with marketing and business support and industry-leading training programs.

Rheem’s President of Global Air, Mike Branson, opened the conference and set the tone, elaborating on the conference theme. Branson said the theme of the event, Pro Powered, illustrates how Pro Partners are the fuel for everything Rheem does. He emphasized that Rheem is committed to investing in the Pro Partner program to help grow their respective companies, employees and communities. Branson took the opportunity to thank the company’s elite Pro Partners for their trust in, and alignment with, Rheem’s culture of reliability, integrity and innovation.

GLOBAL GROWTH

Branson spoke about the conference and about how Rheem overcame supply chain challenges in the pandemic and about the company’s exemplary drive towards sustainability.

Mike Branson

Commenting on Rheem’s focus on the Pro Partner program, Branson noted that the 2022 event was the largest to date, with more than 5,000 participants. Rheem and RUUD Pro Partners attended from the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, and from every state in the United States and Canada. Branson said: “Over the last decade, the Rheem Global Air business has experienced tremendous growth, outpacing the market. This has been achieved by investing, innovating and delivering on commitments – following our success formula.” Investments in the Middle East continue  to be a key success driver.   Most notably, Rheem opened a fully owned and operated, state-of-the-art air manufacturing facility  in Dubai in November 2021 to further advance its growth and serve the region.

Branson emphasized that Rheem continues to focus on improvements in products and processes and on training contractors and plumbers to dramatically reduce the impact on the environment, while empowering its customers to live sustainably. “We are 100% charged for growth by investing in Pro Partners through innovative products, talented people, smart processes and business-building programs,” he said.

PRODUCT FOCUS

Rheem is focused on offering GCC region value-based tiered products, based on customer requirements. In 2020, Rheem launched an entirely new range of air conditioning products, which include high-efficiency decorative products and ducted    units in both top-discharge and side-discharge configurations. Rheem’s wide range of products include the award-winning SAVR-C Series (“Manufacturer of the year (VRF category)”) at the 2021 Climate Control Awards, and the Comfort Master Series (“Manufacturer of the year (Standalone DX category)”), again at the 2021 Climate Control Awards.

As for water-heating products, Rheem launched its point-of-use EP series and a Solar Thermosiphon series. Overall, since 2019, Rheem has won a total of seven awards for innovations relating to sustainable air-conditioning and water-heating products in the GCC region market.

In October 2021, Rheem launched a MEA version of its highly successful North American Pro Partner Program. Speaking on the occasion, Brian Hempenstall, Managing Director, Rheem MEA, said: “As an industry leader, Rheem believes in empowering Pro Partners by offering business and marketing support. With this unmatched support, the quality of communication with the consumer is at the next level. Our Pro Partner program is going to be the ecosystem of our go-to-market strategy for the next decade, and I can confidently say that this program is going to revolutionize the HVAC industry in the Middle East region. The program is committed to providing world-class training for our Pro Partners. Hence, we have collaborated with ‘North American Technician Excellence’ to provide NATE-certified trainings. Pro Partners and the technicians trained here will also receive Rheem- and NATE-branded e-Certificates.”

Speaking on the new manufacturing facility in Dubai, Hempenstall said it manufactures US designed commercial rooftop units for the Middle East market. “The factory follows Rheem’s global quality standards whilst keeping in mind the regional visions and sustainability goals,” Hempenstall said. “The products manufactured are highly energy efficient and offer above-the-call-of-duty performance.”

Rheem said it also prioritizes training for air conditioning service engineers and mechanics aspiring to enter the HVAC service sector through its Rheem Innovation Centre, in Dubai, which it launched in July 2020, in partnership with Leminar Air Conditioning Company, UAE.

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS

Here’s what some of the Pro Partners that attended the Las Vegas event had to say about the conference…

Salah Shousha, Owner, Focus Arabia for Industrial Services, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia:

Attending Rheem’s Pro Partner International Conference on the 8th of March in Las Vegas was an experience I value very highly. During my 35 years of working in the HVAC field, I haven’t attended a conference close in matching the caliber, quality and character of Rheem’s. It was an excellent space for networking and meeting Rheem’s international partners, which all made the conference immensely diverse, and rich in ideas and experiences. I am honored to have been invited to the conference, representing my company Focus Arabia for Industrial Services in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Thank you for your invitation to the Conference. We hope to continue doing successful business with Rheem.

Adeel Tufail, Owner, Adeel Tufail Est for AC, Saudi Arabia:

I have been traveling with many well known brands for years, but the Rheem visit experience was amazing. As a Pro Partner, we will make this our first-priority brand for our clients, as they deserve to get the best.

Geemon Baby, Star Cool LLC, Oman:

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me attending the Rheem Pro Partner Conference 2022 in Lag Vegas. Rheem’s passion for quality, innovation and sustainability increased my confidence in aligning my business with the best manufacturer in the industry. Great breakout sessions guided attendees on the business, profitability and upcoming products. Industry-leading training programs, social media programs and success stories of Pro Partners from all over the world inspired me to grow the business as part of Rheem Pro Partner Program.

Anwar Basha, MEP Department Head, Contracting Division, Al Jaber Group, UAE:

It has been a privilege to be associated with a distributor/company like Leminar and a brand like Rheem for more than 15 years. Over the years, I have developed a strong relationship with Leminar; I feel like we are of the same organization. It is up to that extent that we share a bond of reliability and trust with each other. Right from their sales team to their top management and their aftermarket support, Rheem and Leminar have stood by Al Jaber like a pillar throughout the years that I have worked with them. I recently attended their Pro Partner Conference in Las Vegas, and I felt honored to have been invited to such a mega event. This was my first visit to the USA, and I have never witnessed such a larger-than-life kind of event organized by an air conditioning brand.

The event was a delightful one, with magic shows, Hollywood stand-up comedians, famous motivational speakers/authors and workshops on making maximum profitability with Rheem’s product range. The event also proved to me how big a name “Rheem” is as a global air conditioning manufacturer. I look forward to working harmoniously with Leminar and Rheem in the years to come and will keep promoting the sales of Rheem ACs. Proud to be a Rheem Pro-Partner!

Yahya Alzeir, Managing Director, Yahya Alzeir Electromechanical Works LLC, UAE:

As a Rheem Pro Partner, I wish to express my happiness to be associated with such a great brand, top-of-the-line product range and an excellent distributor like Leminar. Leminar has been providing me with great sales support on Rheem products, along with world-class training facilities for my sales and technical team for the past several years that I have been associated with them. Rheem’s MEA team has also been very supportive whenever I have reached out to them. Recently, I attended the Rheem Pro Partner conference, in Las Vegas, and I must say the experience was amazing. I witnessed a massive crowd of young and experienced Pro Partners similar to my business model in the UAE, which gave me a proud feeling that Yahya Al Zeir Electromechanical Works is one among the elite. The sessions that Rheem’s USA team conducted gave me an insight into the benefits of being a Rheem Pro Partner. I will continue to give my best towards the sales of Rheem air conditioners in the UAE and look forwards to attending the Pro Partner event in 2025.