Gregory Merchant Named President of Air Distribution Institute

SPRINGFIELD — Duc-Pac Corp. announced that its president, Gregory Merchant, has been voted to serve as president of Air Distribution Institute (ADI), the national alliance of steel HVAC pipe and fittings manufacturers focused on research and working with industry leading decision makers to create better policy.

Duc-Pac is a family-owned and operated business that was founded in 1949. The company moved its manufacturing facility to Springfield in 2022.

“I am proud to contribute my experience by helping lead the ADI,” Merchant said. “Duc-Pac has been a member of the organization for over 15 years. There is a lot of attention today on the use of green energy in HVAC and achieving ever-greater efficiencies with heating and cooling our homes. On one hand, we are very specialized production manufacturers. On the other hand, we have a big role to play in providing products and information essential to more efficient HVAC systems. We cannot lose sight that to not participate in HVAC improvements this way is to invite overseas competition to do so.

“I believe that my serving as president of ADI can also bring positive attention to our efforts here in Springfield, and in Western Massachusetts. This is specialized manufacturing that we see too little of still remaining in the United States,” Merchant added. “While most of the attention is on equipment such as electric heat pumps, the ADI works in a less visible but equally important space. Our efforts make sure that the overall installed system maximizes those new efficiencies for the benefit of both the homeowner and the environment. We do this by studying air-distribution systems, specifically the duct systems. Highly engineered, state-of-the-art equipment can lose a lot of efficiency if it is tied into a poor duct system. For decades, we have worked with universities around the country to study duct design and material. We communicate our findings to a variety of groups that are influential in residential construction, including building-code organizations and building designers.”