The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has announced the opening of its first office outside North America in Hefei, China.

The office will allow the AHRI to engage directly with all its members and certification program participants in Asia and the Middle East.

“Our globally recognized certification program is growing steadily worldwide, as is demand for AHRI standards. This requires AHRI to have a stronger presence in Asia to promote our standards and manage manufacturer participants and oversee lab testing,” said AHRI President and CEO Stephen Yurek. “At the same time, we are a trade membership organization that attracts members from across the globe, and this office will allow us to better serve those members.”

The opening of the new office is set to give the company a base to provide timely service in the rapidly growing Asian market for AHRI standards and certification programs. More than 60 industry representatives, including member companies and certification program participants, attended the grand opening of the office on Friday April 13.

Government officials from the Professional Supervisory Unit of Anhui Province (PSU-AHQI) and the NGO Office attended the opening, as did senior representatives from the China Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry Association (CRAA), the General Machinery Product Inspection Institute (GMPI).  Representatives from several AHRI member companies were present, as were AHRI staff, including Yurek, Henry Hwong, and Bridge Xue, who will head the new office.

AHRI maintains a Headquarters Office in Arlington, VA, USA, and an office in Ontario, Canada.