Why This Matters to Distributors: HVAC distributors in California and across the West now have a manufacturer-backed training resource in their market that can help contractors close the skills gap on heat pump installation — and distributors who align with LG’s training network are better positioned to move product into a contractor base equipped to sell and install it.
LG Electronics USA opened a new air conditioning technologies training academy in Orange, Calif., expanding its national network of technical training facilities as demand for qualified heat pump installers accelerates across the state.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony coincided with the close of California Heat Pump Week, a statewide awareness and contractor activation campaign that ran April 11-19 and was co-sponsored by LG. The new facility joins existing LG training academies in Alpharetta, Ga.; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; and Englewood Cliffs, N.J. It is the first LG training center located west of Texas.
The Orange academy will offer courses covering unitary, ductless, variable refrigerant flow and controls systems, spanning installation through service across LG’s full range of air conditioning and water heating products.
“Contractor training is critical to advancing the adoption of heat pump technology,” said Steve Scarbrough, senior vice president and general manager of LG Air Conditioning Technologies. “LG’s Orange Training Academy is the latest example of our commitment to equipping contractors and installers with in-depth knowledge and hands-on skills intended to support implementation of HVAC technologies across California.”
Alongside the academy opening, LG deployed its mobilesShowroom at distributor and community events throughout California Heat Pump Week. Stops included Home Depot Antelope and ECCO Supply in Sacramento, Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica and the Livart Group in Commerce — a circuit that put LG products in front of contractors, distributors, and consumers across multiple California markets.
LG is a member of the California Heat Pump Partnership, the ENERGY STAR Heat Pump Manufacturers Action Council and the national Heat Pump Water Heating Initiative. The company has won the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award 11 consecutive times.
The new facility arrives as California’s building electrification push intensifies. The state has among the most aggressive decarbonization targets in the country, and regulations in several jurisdictions have already restricted or eliminated natural gas in new construction. That regulatory pressure is driving contractor demand for heat pump training and certification at a pace that LG and other manufacturers are working to meet.
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