A recent survey conducted by eCaribou.com, Inc. (Memphis, TN) suggests that the use of the Internet by hvacr service companies for purchasing parts and equipment has initially been led by the industry’s larger businesses. Of the top 15% service companies, almost 60% are regularly transacting e-commerce online. The barriers to purchasing on the Internet appear to be falling. Although the survey revealed that Internet access is the main reason hvacr service companies do not purchase online, the number of owners who have made their companies Internet-accessible has increased over 300% since 1997.

“The Internet is just beginning to make an impact on the hvacr industry in terms of being a reliable and complete source for e-commerce and technical information,” said James D. Townsend, executive vice president, business development for eCaribou.com. “We have discovered that the industry’s market leaders are quickly adopting online purchasing as their standard method of doing business, as they discover the tremendous time and cost-saving advantages associated with e-commerce.

We are excited by the growth of e-commerce, but we also look forward to the future, where the greatest need for the hvacr industry lies in providing technical information and additional purchasing capabilities to small and medium-sized companies,” Townsend said.