Bruce Hierlmeier Wins AHRI Award
Bruce Hierlmeier PE, the Director of Regulatory Compliance & Refrigeration Technology for Zero Zone, was announced as a recipient of the Richard C. Schulze Award at the 2020 Air-Conditioning, Heating, & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Virtual Leadership Forum. The Richard C. Schulze Award is presented at the opening session to 3 individuals whose contributions influenced both AHRI and the industry as a whole. Zero Zone is incredibly proud of Bruce Hierlmeier’s contributions to the refrigeration industry.
In the presentation, Hierlmeier was recognized for his dedication to commercial refrigeration, both through AHRI and the Commercial Refrigerator Manufacturers Association (CRMA), which later merged with AHRI. Hierlmeier was credited for being instrumental to the growth of the refrigeration sector of AHRI during his service as the inaugural chair of the Refrigeration Regulatory Committee. He contributed to major revisions as chair of the Safety Standards Committee, accomplishing those revisions in less than a year to allow the safe use of flammable, low-GWP refrigerants in refrigeration systems. Hierlmeier was also regarded as an expert in regulatory compliance whose valuable input helps others understand EPA SNAP regulations and state regulations.
Additionally, Hierlmeier served as the engineering chair and later the section chair for the AHRI Commercial Refrigeration Division after the merger with CRMA. He also served as the section chair for the compressor and condensing unit section.
Bruce Hierlmeier’s contributions to the refrigeration industry extend far beyond AHRI. Hierlmeier has been a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) since 1993 and the International Institute of Ammonia Research (IIAR) since 2016. Hierlmeier has authored and contributed to sections of the ASHRAE Handbook on Refrigeration in 2014 and 2018, a handbook that is published every 4 years and drives industry requirements. For IIAR, he served as chair of the chapters 5 & 6 subcommittees for the CO2 Handbook. He has also authored or professionally commented on sections within UL Standard 471, NSF Standard 7, DOE regulations for commercial refrigeration, and CARB regulations.
Hierlmeier’s background includes an MBA from UW-Milwaukee in 1993 and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UW-Platteville in 1983. He has earned and maintained his professional engineer (PE) license since 1988, and he has belonged to the Order of the Engineer since 1983. He also holds a patent for an innovative air duct design that assures uniform product temperature inside Zero Zone Crystal Merchandiser™ coolers.
After being selected for the 2020 AHRI Richard C. Schulze Award, Bruce Hierlmeier was approached by his peers, who complimented his efforts and congratulated him for winning the award. Everyone at Zero Zone extends the same enthusiasm and appreciation.