The 2005 AHR Expo® will host the finals of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration technical competition for SkillsUSA, a national organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations. The event is sponsored by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) and will take place on Monday, Feb. 7 from 10:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. on the show floor in Orlando, FL.

The SkillsUSA competition in the HVAC&R skill area will determine who will go on to represent the United States in the WorldSkills Competition in Helsinki, Finland, in May 2005. Contestants competing at the AHR Expo have been chosen from the winners and runners up from the two most recent years of the annual SkillsUSA Championships held in Kansas City, MO. The contestants will compete against each other and the clock to see who will be the lone U.S. representative to face HVAC&R students from around the world.

    Ryan Hanna-West Virginia;

    Michael Kelly-Nevada;

    Shawn Wasielewski-Pennsylvania; and

    Bradley Webb-Kentucky.

The heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration contestants are tested on their ability to perform such jobs as troubleshooting and recommending service and repair, brazing, refrigerant component servicing, air measurement and troubleshooting, electrical troubleshooting, and refrigerant recovery. They are judged on the basis of their use of tools and test equipment, speed, accuracy and safety.