Something in the air?
Building owners looking for HVAC upgrades in pandemic’s wake
As coronavirus cases and deaths soared in early April, Farmington- based United Technologies completed a merger two years in the making with aerospace rival Raytheon, while spinning off its Carrier division as an independent company along with Otis Elevator.
As commercial building owners across the globe turn their attention to the air that fills their office spaces, it is Carrier that may possess the best long- term profile of any of the former UTC businesses.
Companies that install and maintain heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems say they are seeing a surge in queries for upgrades, which can range from putting better filters in existing units to installing the latest products — like those that ionize air with molecules that act as magnets for any free- floating viruses.
As of Friday, shares in Carrier Global Corp. were up nearly 40 percent, a gain bested by just four other publicly traded corporations with headquarters or major operations in Connecticut. ( Carrier established its main office in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., after its UTC departure.)
Manufacturers like Carrier, Lennox, Rheem and Trane have been stepping up their development of new models, in anticipation of new air ventilation requirements, in schools, offices, hotels — any place looking to pluck harmful microbes out of the air.
“In the past two weeks I’ve
according to Edward Neiger, a Manhattan- based attorney who represents the group.
Private citizens’ claims would be handled alongside the approximately 3,000 lawsuits filed
against Purdue by local and state governments that allege the company fueled the opioid crisis with deceptive OxyContin marketing. Purdue denies those accusations.
The individual payouts would not change the total settlement value, which Purdue has pegged at more than $ 10 billion. The total amount paid out to individ
uals would be determined through the bankruptcy process.
About two- dozen states have accepted the company’s proposed settlement, which was announced when the company filed for bankruptcy last September.
Any comprehensive settlement would also require the support of the non- consenting states.
Tong has expressed doubts about the feasibility of Purdue’s plan and said it does not go far enough to tackle the opioid crisis. He has not said publicly how much he thinks the company should pay.