Honoring the Legacy of Former HARDI Exec David Kellough

A native of Ohio, David Kellough first became affiliated with the HVACR industry in 1975 when he joined one of HARDI’s predecessor organizations, the Northamerican Heating and Airconditioning Wholesalers Association (NHAW), as Director of Communications. Based in the organization’s Columbus headquarters, he worked alongside Executive Director James (“Jim”) Wilder and Director of Education James (“Bud”) Healy. He served in this role for seven years before becoming Executive Director of the Airconditioning and Refrigeration Wholesalers (ARW) in 1982, then headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Kellough led ARW until 2002 and played a pivotal role in the merger of NHAW and ARW to form HARDI.

Kellough was instrumental in shaping the identity of the newly combined organization. He proposed the inclusion of “Heating, Airconditioning, and Refrigeration” in the name and advocated for replacing “Wholesalers” with “Distributors,” resulting in the name we know today: HARDI. This was just one of many meaningful contributions he made to the association and the industry over nearly three decades of service.

Kellough will be remembered for his leadership and lasting impact on HARDI and the HVACR community. He was 82.

Memorial services will be held Friday, June 12, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. at Eberle-Fisher Funeral Home and Crematory, 103 North Main Street, London, Ohio..