SUWANEE, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 22, 2026--
Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US LLC (METUS), a leading supplier of all-electric, all-climate Ductless and Ducted Mini-split and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heat pump and air-conditioning systems, is recognizing the nationwide network of Diamond Contractors in honor of National HVAC Tech Day, celebrated June 22.
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National HVAC Tech Day acknowledges the hardworking Heating, Ventilation, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) technicians who help keep homes and businesses safe, comfortable, and running smoothly. On this annual occasion, METUS celebrates the skilled professionals whose specialized knowledge, training, and commitment play a critical role in delivering reliable heating and cooling solutions across the U.S.
The Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor ® Program, which has existed since 1994, offers multi-state and specialized training designed to keep HVAC professionals up to date on on-going product, service, and installation best practices for residential HVAC equipment. Today, the Program includes 6,365 participating independent contractors operating across three levels of training – Elite, Preferred, and Standard – with Elite representing the highest level of sales performance among participants in the Program.
Throughout the past 12 months, more than 200 new independent contractors have joined the Program. Additionally, 64% of participating independent contractors have been part of the Program for at least five years, including 33% who have participated for 10 years or more, reflecting long-standing commitment and engagement within the Program.
“The HVAC industry has become far more technology-focused. It’s not just mechanical anymore. The shift excites new technicians while sharpening and elevating industry veterans,” said Paul Chaves, Senior Manager, Training, METUS. “Technicians now work with Wi-Fi compatible systems and diagnostic software, and while online learning has expanded, hands-on experience like the training offering by METUS is critical. Members of the Diamond Contractor Program learn best by doing, and on National HVAC Tech Day, we recognize the professionals building these evolving skills.”
In addition to the Diamond Contractor network, which focuses on residential HVAC equipment, Mitsubishi Electric also supports the Diamond Commercial Contractor ® Program, a dedicated group of 255 professional, knowledgeable, and forward-thinking independent contractors serving the commercial HVAC market. The Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Commercial Contractor ® Program offers the participating independent contractors the opportunity to receive specialized training to install and support advanced commercial heating and cooling systems, including METUS’ newest X Generation VRF systems.
By offering technical training to the Diamond Contractors and Diamond Commercial Contractors, METUS continues to support HVAC professionals at every stage of their careers while advancing innovation and best practices across the industry.
About Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US LLC
Formed in May 2018, Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US LLC (METUS) is a leading supplier of all-electric, all-climate Ductless and Ducted Mini-split and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heat pump and air-conditioning systems in the United States and Latin America.
A joint venture between Trane Technologies plc and Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc., the company provides innovative products, systems, and solutions capable of heating and cooling a broad range of applications, from a home to a large commercial building with superior efficiency, comfort, and control.
The family of brands supported by METUS includes: Mitsubishi Electric, Trane ® /Mitsubishi Electric, and American Standard ® /Mitsubishi Electric. More information is available at https://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/.
Mitsubishi Electric technicians routinely conduct maintenance to keep equipment running smoothly.
NEW YORK (AP) — Clive Davis, the record company lawyer who became one of the music industry's most powerful figures, launching or resurrecting the careers of such superstars as Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana and Alicia Keys, has died, his family confirmed to the New York Times. He was 94.
Earlier this year, Davis was hospitalized following an upper respiratory issue and was released a few days later. He died in his Manhattan apartment, the Times reported. Messages sent to representatives for Davis were not immediately returned Monday.
Unlike other record moguls whose influence waned as they got older, Davis' might only seemed to grow over his career, which spanned more than five decades, various genres and multiple labels. Into his 80s, he was directing the careers of everyone from Barry Manilow to “American Idol” winners Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.
His success stories were staggering, with Houston a crowning achievement and devastating tragedy: Davis signed her to his Arista record label when she was just a teen and turned her into America's reigning pop princess: She racked up multiple No. 1 hits and became one of the top-selling artists in pop history before drug abuse hobbled her career. She died in a Los Angeles hotel room in 2012 just hours before she was to appear at the annual pre-Grammy Awards gala hosted by Davis, who had been convinced she was turning her life around.
“Maybe I should have been more skeptical,” Davis wrote in his 2013 memoir, “The Soundtrack of My Life,” “but I’ve always been optimistic, and I felt hopeful. It felt like old times.”
He also launched the career of multiplatinum, multiple Grammy winner Keys — and was quick to note other talents he signed, including Joplin and Billy Joel, Blood Sweat & Tears and other “all-timers,” as he so often put it.
“I signed Patti Smith, the great Renaissance woman ... I signed Lou Reed ... I signed the Grateful Dead,” he proudly touted in an interview with The Associated Press in 1999.
But Davis didn't simply have an eye for new talent — he also knew how to keep veterans relevant decades after their first hit. Aretha Franklin, whose legend was made at Atlantic Records, flourished in her later years at Arista Records, as did Luther Vandross, who made his last albums for another Davis label, J Records.
Davis was also responsible for conceiving of the 1999 album “Supernatural,” which paired guitar god Santana with some of the day's hottest talents. The record went on to win a record tying eight Grammys and gave Santana more success than he had ever enjoyed in his decades-long career.
He had middle aged star Rod Stewart trade in his rock hits for standards from “The Great American Songbook.” The album, released in 2003, sold millions and was so successful it spawned four titles in all.
Davis didn’t always make the right choices; he turned down a chance to sign up Meatloaf. And he and his collaborators didn’t always agree. He and producer David Foster fought bitterly over the arrangement for Houston’s all-time hit, a cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” Manilow strongly objected to recording “I Write the Songs,” noting that he didn’t even write the song, a Bruce Johnston ballad that became a signature hit for Manilow, who would have similar latter-day success mining the music of the 1950s, 60s and '70s.
“He's just brilliant at picking ideas he thinks the public will connect,” raved Manilow, who had worked with Davis since he was a budding singer at Columbia Records.
Davis also had his struggles. Though he became president of Columbia Records in 1967 after joining the label in 1960 as a lawyer, by 1973 he was gone in a bitter fallout. The label accused him of mismanagement of funds and he was fired. Although Davis says he was later cleared, it wasn't the end of his problems; he later was indicted on tax evasion charges, pleaded guilty to one count and had to pay a $10,000 fine.
However, Davis would declare victory: he says Columbia gave him the money to start Arista Records to resolve the dispute, and the label would become a huge success with artists like country superstars Brooks & Dunn, sassy R&B group TLC, Babyface, Houston, Franklin and others.
The label had huge success with a debut act — Milli Vanilli. But the male pop duo would become the embarrassment of the industry when, after winning a Grammy, it was revealed that they weren't actually singing their songs (Davis blamed the debacle on the label's European division, which he said signed them; the group was later stripped of its best new artist Grammy).
In 1999, as Arista was celebrating its 25th anniversary, Davis faced another crisis: the label's then-parent company, BMG Entertainment, a division of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann, wanted him to retire; most of its executives were eased out by 60, and Davis was in his mid-60s.
In 2000, despite support from his superstar roster, the company ousted him in favor of producer and songwriter Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who would later become chairman of Island/Def Jam.
However, instead of severing its ties with Davis, BMG helped him launch J Records in what BMG has described as the largest record company startup ever created. Vandross was one of his initial artists, along with forgettable acts like the boy-band O-Town.
J Records was a success from the start, though, and only grew in stature with the arrival of a young singer named Keys, a piano-playing singer-songwriter with powerful pipes and dramatic R&B songs. Keys' albums would go on to sell millions and win several Grammys.
His influence grew even more when Davis was tapped for BMG's U.S. division.
He became a key backer of the careers of the winners of “American Idol,” guiding many albums to platinum status. The show's link to Sony BMG came through a deal between Davis and 19 Recordings Unlimited, the label managed by “Idol” creator Simon Fuller.
In 2007, however, Davis disagreed with the direction of Clarkson's “My December,” and she publicly criticized him. The album was a flop, and she later apologized.
In 2008, Sony BMG replaced Davis as chairman and chief executive officer of the BMG label group, giving him the title of chief creative officer.
Davis, who was born on April 4, 1932, had four children. In his memoir, he confirmed longtime rumors that he was bisexual and had been living with a man in recent years.
“Do I feel I could have been similarly attracted to a woman?” Davis wrote. “The answer is yes.”
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Former AP writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody was the main writer of this obituary
FILE - Music producer Clive Davis, left, appears with singer Whitney Houston at the pre-Grammy gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, file)
FILE - Sony Music Entertainment's Chief Creative Officer and famous hitmaker Clive Davis posing for a portrait in his office in New York on Feb. 18, 2013. (Photo by Dan Hallman/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Record mogul Clive Davis is pictured in his New York office, Sept. 10, 1980. (AP Photo/Marty Reichenthal, File)
FILE - Clive Davis, chief creative officer of Sony Music, appears during press day in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 23, 2014, prior to Davis' annual pre-Grammy gala. (Photo by Casey Curry/Invision/AP, File
