HVI Press Release

HVI Enjoys Unprecedented Growth

The Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) recently has been experiencing a growth spurt. Since January 2007, the number of companies that have joined HVI has increased by twenty-five percent. HVI was founded more than fifty years ago by five ventilating companies that were unsatisfied with the quality of available testing and certification programs. Today, HVI's membership currently includes fifty manufacturers from around the globe that are responsible for the production of the majority of residential ventilation products sold in North America.

The trade association's success can be attributed largely to its reliable certification program. HVI's Certified Ratings, created to provide a fair and creditable method for comparing ventilation performance of similar products, are accepted worldwide as the definitive method of performance assurance by many agencies including' the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Energy — Bonneville Power Administration, National Building Code of Canada, R2000 Housing Program - Canada, Washington State Building Code, Minnesota State Building Code, Building Officials and Code Administrators International (BOCA), International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Additionally, HVI certification is a prerequisite for earning the widely recognized Energy Star rating through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's residential ventilating fan program.

Dacor, founded in 1965, and a market leader in high-end kitchen appliance design recently joined HVI. Bob Lewis, vice president of product development for Dacor, said of the decision to join, "Because the ventilation applications have so many variables, we wanted third party testing to ensure our clients that they can trust the published figures to be consistent with their expectations. Too often in our industry, published information does not necessarily meet the actual performance results."

Soleus Air International recently added a line of exhaust fans to its product catalog. Nicholaus Reuszer, marketing manager for the company, explained, "Our commercial and retail accounts told us that we must be HVI-certified before they would buy our products. We also view HVI as a stepping stone to help get Soleus Air exposure in the exhaust fan market so we can better compete commercially and at retail [outlets]. All of our competitors are already listed, and we definitely did not want to be left out."

Ola Wettergren, president of Fantech and current chairman of the Board of Directors for HVI has supported HVI's efforts for many years. "Fantech has remained a member of the organization because we, as a company, value the credibility that the HVI Certification gives our products. We also value HVI's continued efforts to educate builders, consumers and installers on the essential part ventilation plays in providing better indoor air quality in the buildings where we all work and live."

The Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) is a nonprofit association of the manufacturers of home ventilating products founded in 1955. HVI represents manufacturers from the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe, producing the majority of the residential ventilation products sold in North America. For more information, contact HVI at 1000 N. Rand Road, Suite 214, Wauconda, IL 60084. Telephone: 855.484.8368; fax: 847/526-3993. Visit the website at www.hvi.org.

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