Grassroots Advocacy in Action: Building Relationships That Matter

Sometimes, effective grassroots advocacy starts with something as simple as clicking send.

Earlier this year, HARDI asked members in Colorado to contact their state legislators through our grassroots campaign to protect heat in mobile homes. The campaign raised concerns about Colorado’s ultra-low NOx emissions requirements for certain furnaces and water heaters, and the challenges those standards created for manufactured housing.

At Geary Pacific Supply, a branch manager participated in the campaign and sent a message to Colorado State Representative Lori Goldstein. Goldstein responded and thanked him for reaching out.

That could have ended the interaction. Instead, company leadership saw an opportunity and invited Rep. Goldstein to Geary Pacific’s Denver facility to continue the conversation. She accepted.

Geary Pacific Supply branch manager Derek Kretzel with Colorado State Representative Lori Goldstein.

Bringing the Industry into the Conversation

During the visit, the Geary Pacific team gave Rep. Goldstein a firsthand look at an HVAC distribution center and discussed the practical challenges surrounding Colorado’s ultra-low NOx requirements.

“We thoroughly enjoyed the visit from Rep. Goldstein,” said Dennis Weber, Regional Manager of the Mountain Region at Geary Pacific Supply. “She was very inquisitive and asked a lot of questions about the HVAC industry and truly wanted to have answers, as she toured the Denver branch. She was interested in how the ULN [ultra-low NOx] furnaces and water heaters were affecting her constituents, and if there was anything that can be done to help. I felt it was a great step to more communication with the legislatures in our state to help our industry be more heard and to have a better partnership in the future.”

The conversation gave Geary Pacific an opportunity to explain how HVACR distributors fit into the supply chain, how equipment regulations affect contractors and customers, and why policymakers benefit from hearing directly from the businesses that put new requirements into practice.

Rep. Goldstein serves on the Colorado House Energy & Environment Committee, making that kind of industry perspective even more relevant. Goldstein expressed interest in continuing to hear from HVAC and plumbing professionals as Colorado considers how its emissions policies should apply more broadly to residential equipment. She also said she'd like to return to Geary Pacific with other state officials for additional discussions.

Grassroots Advocacy Is More Than Sending a Letter

HARDI’s grassroots campaigns are designed to make it easier for members to tell policymakers how legislation and regulations affect their businesses. The initial message matters, but the most valuable outcome can be what happens afterward.

A legislator may learn about an issue they had not previously encountered. A distributor may become a resource when another bill is introduced. A facility visit can help a policymaker understand the difference between what looks workable on paper and what works in practice.

In this case, a member response to a HARDI action alert led directly to an in-person conversation with a state legislator and an invitation for continued industry engagement.

HARDI can provide policy analysis, technical information, and a coordinated industry position. Our members bring something equally important: firsthand experience operating businesses, serving contractors and seeing how policies work once they leave the state capitol. When those two pieces work together, policymakers receive a much clearer picture of the decisions in front of them.

Members Are the Best Advocates for the Industry

Not every grassroots message will result in a branch visit, but it doesn’t have to.

Every time a HARDI member contacts a legislator, responds to an action alert, attends an advocacy event, or invites an elected official into their business, it helps establish the HVACR distribution industry as a resource policymakers can turn to.

This same principle is behind HARDI’s annual Congressional Fly-In in Washington, D.C., where members meet directly with lawmakers and congressional staff to explain how federal policy decisions affect HVACR distribution. Those meetings, along with state-level advocacy efforts like Geary Pacific’s visit with Rep. Goldstein, help put businesses and industry experience behind HARDI’s policy priorities.

Ready to Get Involved?

When you see a HARDI grassroots action alert, or another opportunity to engage your elected officials, take a few minutes to participate. Your message could start the next important conversation.