From l to r: Hwan-Yong Nho, president/CEO, Air Conditioning & Energy Solution Company; Kevin McNamara, senior vice president, LG Air Conditioning Systems; William Cho, president, LG Electronics, USA; and Ellen Kim, senior vice president and AE leader for LG Electronics, USA.
Last month, distinguished guests and media, along with LG employees and management executives gathered for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new 40,000-sq.-ft. LG Air Conditioning Systems Headquarters in Alpharetta, Ga., just outside of Atlanta.
Kevin McNamara, sales and operations for LG Electronics USA’s air conditioning systems business, addressed attendees to kick off the event, “As our business continues to grow, this facility will become a crucial force in the ongoing development of innovative air conditioning solutions, and in providing our key partners and engineers with the educational and operational tools necessary for success in the field,” he said.
The state-of-the art facility—which features LG’s Learning Academy, Engineering Control Lab and a Business Innovation Center— is aimed at bringing together engineers, contractors and technicians under one roof, and is poised to support LG’s fast-growing air conditioning systems business and educate those engineers, contractors and technicians about LG’s industry-leading heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technologies.
The city of Alpharetta has been home to the LG air conditioning business since 2006 making it a natural choice for this year’s headquarters expansion. As the LG customer base continues to grow, a well-equipped location for training, operations and engineering became necessary in order to streamline all parts of the business and further develop and showcase LG’s innovative HVAC technology.
Ed Ferrier gives members of the media a tour of the Engineering Lab.
“The new LG headquarters in Alpharetta is a symbol of our commitment to forward-thinking B2B technology, continuous innovation and elevated education in our air conditioning business and beyond,” said William Cho, president and CEO, LG Electronics USA. “Today’s opening is another important milestone, and we look forward to remaining part of the ever-expanding Alpharetta business community.”
Members of the media were treated to a tour of the new facility and the first stop was the LG’s Learning Academy, a “real-life” training lab. “We put fully operational units in the training lab — everything a contractor could see in a real-world situation was put in the training lab,” said Tom Pivovar, Senior National Training and Aftermarket Manager at LG Electronics USA, Commercial Air Conditioning Division.
Kevin McNamara talks about the importance of training and education while Tom Pivovar looks on.
LG’s Learning Academy builds on the ongoing success of the LG Excellence Contractor Program, providing an additional hub for the program’s series of formal, hands-on training sessions for contractors. LG additionally provides project partnership with contractors every step of the way to ensure successful and efficient installation each and every time. With this program and new Learning Academy, LG empowers contractors to become experts in application, design and LG’s technology in the field.
With 134 courses offered, all facets of HVAC are covered, from engineering training to service to installation and maintenance. “We are committed to education,” said McNamara. With four learning academies across the U.S., approximately 3,800 contractor students attend on an annual basis.
The Learning Academy features fully functional equipment to help train contractors on ‘real-life’ HVAC situations.
The Engineering Control Lab serves as an advanced, hands-on facility for LG engineers to develop new technologies, gain understanding on the ins-and-outs of each product and conduct final testing on products before they enter the market. LG Engineers can also learn how to best create integrated systems that serve a building as efficiently as possible. “The R&D lab allows us to collaborate and work with R&D in Korea,” said Ed Ferrier, LG Applications Engineer.
The Business Innovation Center, a global showcase for LG commercial solutions, offers a central location for customers to interact with LG’s B2B products, including its flagship VH7B series, considered to be the pinnacle of video wall digital signage solutions.
Business Innovation Center features:
• Digital menu boards
• Coolers with transparent displays
• Virtual fitting solution
• Virtual art gallery
• Smart hotel solutions
In addition, LG’s VRF technology and home comfort solutions are making major inroads in the U.S. where the demand for high-performance, flexible HVAC technology continues to grow. Energy savings and zone control are some of the major benefits of VRF. “The VRF category is growing at a robust rate,” said Lorie Quillin-Bell, LG Electronics USA Go-To-Market Director.
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