February 17, 2026
2026 AHR Expo Recap: Smart Solutions for the Skilled Labor Gap
By Alex Gross
The 2026 AHR Expo provided a definitive roadmap for the HVACR industry’s most critical challenges, signaling a shift toward smart, streamlined, and integrated solutions as labor shortages intensify. The event also marked a milestone for GF, bringing both company divisions – GF Building Flow Solutions (Uponor) and GF Industry and Infrastructure Flow Solutions – under one booth for the first time since GF acquired Uponor in November 2023.
Recognizing that engineers, contractors, and building owners need more than reliable products to stay competitive, the latest innovations and expanded services from Uponor help reimagine workflows, streamline specifications, and simplify installation to meet the demands of today’s fast-paced market.
Coordinated service offerings that reduce labor costs lie at the core of these new innovations. By maximizing labor productivity and accuracy with Uponor Prefabricated PEX Water Risers and expanded Uponor Kitting Services, GF directly addresses the industry’s chronic labor inefficiencies. These solutions leverage comprehensive design assistance, expertly fabricated assemblies, and customized, coordinated packaging to minimize field connections and material handling, allowing crews to focus on installation while keeping projects on schedule and within budget.
GF extends this commitment to efficiency through advanced materials, especially as hybrid polymer solutions are spreading across the commercial landscape. To support this growth, GF has expanded the Uponor ChlorFIT® Schedule 80 Corzan® CPVC piping system with the launch of stainless-steel adapters as well as socket unions. These adapters and unions, which promote an efficient, reliable, and sustainable solution for various building types, underscore the company's commitment to deliver a hybrid polymer solution that maximizes long-term value for engineers, contractors, and building owners.
Project efficiency is also at the forefront with the help of Uponor Specification Services, providing readily available specifications for PEX-a and Schedule 80 CPVC piping systems. These services not only promote effective construction of polymer piping systems but also empower engineers to meet the latest sustainability and regulatory requirements. Ultimately, these advancements do more than improve the specification and design process, they help promote reliable solutions for high-performance building.
Following the 2023 acquisition and now under the GF umbrella, Uponor products and services are focused on providing customers with more choices, smarter systems, and a simpler path from design to installation. This approach cultivates long-term partnerships that help customers build more efficiently and overcome the industry’s greatest challenges.
To learn more about the Uponor solutions showcased at the 2026 AHR Expo, visit uponor.com/newsroom.
Corzan® is a registered trademark of Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc.
Recognizing that engineers, contractors, and building owners need more than reliable products to stay competitive, the latest innovations and expanded services from Uponor help reimagine workflows, streamline specifications, and simplify installation to meet the demands of today’s fast-paced market.
Coordinated service offerings that reduce labor costs lie at the core of these new innovations. By maximizing labor productivity and accuracy with Uponor Prefabricated PEX Water Risers and expanded Uponor Kitting Services, GF directly addresses the industry’s chronic labor inefficiencies. These solutions leverage comprehensive design assistance, expertly fabricated assemblies, and customized, coordinated packaging to minimize field connections and material handling, allowing crews to focus on installation while keeping projects on schedule and within budget.
GF extends this commitment to efficiency through advanced materials, especially as hybrid polymer solutions are spreading across the commercial landscape. To support this growth, GF has expanded the Uponor ChlorFIT® Schedule 80 Corzan® CPVC piping system with the launch of stainless-steel adapters as well as socket unions. These adapters and unions, which promote an efficient, reliable, and sustainable solution for various building types, underscore the company's commitment to deliver a hybrid polymer solution that maximizes long-term value for engineers, contractors, and building owners.
Project efficiency is also at the forefront with the help of Uponor Specification Services, providing readily available specifications for PEX-a and Schedule 80 CPVC piping systems. These services not only promote effective construction of polymer piping systems but also empower engineers to meet the latest sustainability and regulatory requirements. Ultimately, these advancements do more than improve the specification and design process, they help promote reliable solutions for high-performance building.
Following the 2023 acquisition and now under the GF umbrella, Uponor products and services are focused on providing customers with more choices, smarter systems, and a simpler path from design to installation. This approach cultivates long-term partnerships that help customers build more efficiently and overcome the industry’s greatest challenges.
To learn more about the Uponor solutions showcased at the 2026 AHR Expo, visit uponor.com/newsroom.
Corzan® is a registered trademark of Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc.
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