After a busy three-day run, exhibitors and visitors alike to the Canadian Mechanical and Plumbing Exposition (CMPX) were smiling.
“The show was very good for us. We were able to meet with many of our customers (both contractors and wholesalers). There was good activity through most of the three days, with customers stopping in right until the end. Also, a pleasant surprise was the number of engineers who attended and visited our booth,” remarked John Goshulak, P. Eng., vice president, sales and marketing for Weil-McLain Canada, Burlington, Ont.
“CMPX was once again a unique opportunity for us to feature our company’s offering to a choice clientele composed of key industry player and decision makers, (including) a wide variety of industry representation from trade apprentices to major mechanical contractors, utilities, maintenance and facilities, etc.,” added Rick Proulx, business development director – Canada, for Reliance Worldwide Corp. (Canada) Inc. (Cash Acme), Vaughan, Ont.
Attendance was solid and steady throughout the three days with just over 8,072 visitors plus about 3118 exhibitor staff for a total of 11,190. Roughly half the visitors were contractors with the rest made up of wholesalers, engineers, architects, builders, government, etc.
Happy winner
There was one visitor that probably went home happier than anyone else. Mike Cliffe, an HVAC mechanic at Sensible Heating & Air Conditioning in Brampton, Ont., won the big door prize – a brand new GMC Savana van with custom upfitting by Farmbro.
Wholesaler support was way up at this year’s event, report organizers. One of the reasons that this show was so busy was the Take the Bus With Us program, in which buses brought visitors from 43 different wholesale locations in Ontario, some coming from as far away as Sudbury or North Bay. Several wholesalers ran social activities as well.
Participating wholesalers were:
- Bardon Supplies Ltd.
- Desco Plumbing & Heating Supply Inc.
- EMCO Corporation
- McKeough Supply
- Noble Corporation
- Wolseley Canada
Seminars at the Learning Forum were well attended with some, like one on door knocker legislation in Ontario, drawing standing room only crowds.
Skills competition intense
In the Skills area, the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) Skills Committee hosted the two-day Heating System Gauntlet for secondary and post-secondary students in HVAC programs from across Ontario.
Seven secondary school students competed in the four-hour competition. They were assigned to install a humidifier and a thermostat.
Bryce Sellers from Elmira District Secondary School took first place, with Lucas D’Annibale of College Avenue Secondary School, Woodstock, Ont., in second and Josh Bigelow from Westlane Secondary School, Niagara Falls, Ont., in third. Students from Central Technical Secondary School, Toronto, also participated.
Competitions were held at eight stations built by HRAI volunteers with equipment supplied by industry manufacturers and wholesalers. The 16 post-secondary competitors had to install an HRV or ERV and then commission a furnace, ensuring that the system operated correctly.
Calvin Burgess from George Brown College in Toronto won the competition. Robert Bratton from Georgian College, Barrie, Ont., placed second. Zach Hiltz from Centennial College, Toronto, took third spot. Students from North American Trade Schools, London, Ont. and HiMark Occupational Institution, with five locations across Ontario, also participated. HRAI member contractors provided the judges.
CMPX is jointly produced by HRAI and the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating with support from many other industry associations.
The next CMPX show will take place March 25-27, 2020. For more information, please visit www.cmpxshow.com.