William G. Sutton, president ofARI, said in a speech on May 16, 2003, at the Eurovent-Cecomaf General Assembly, that the transatlantic partnership between U.S. and European manufacturers of HVACR equipment is "more important and vibrant than ever before." He said that "as a global industry, we share the common goals of improving consumer comfort, safety, health and productivity worldwide. And in the pursuit of these goals, we face a tremendous range of opportunity, as well as growing and formidable challenges."

In his speech, Sutton noted the various roles of organizations such as Eurovent-Cecomaf, the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE), the Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue (TABD), the International Council of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Manufacturers Associations (ICARMA) and the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) which is holding its International Conference on Refrigeration in Washington, D.C. on August 17-22, 2003.