I am interested in the size, players and dynamics of the air
conditioning setup and maintenance business in the United States. I am
interested mainly in non-industrial applications (house & offices
air-conditioning for comfort applications).

I understand this is a complex request and that I have a limited
budget for the information. I am not expecting a $200 answer for this
question. Overall figures and reports would be appropriate and I will
follow-up with more specific questions based on the material i receive
from this question


I want to know:

* how big is the market?
* How much of the business comes from new projects, maintenance,
upgrades of existing buildings?

* who are the main players? 
* how fragmented is the market? What is the consolidation history of
the industry?
* how is the players organized? Are the players organized by
geographic region? Per industry? Per scope (e.g: new projects,
maintenance, upgrades, etc)

* how to market is segmented? How big is each (customer) segment?
* who are the main customers in each segment?

* how profitable is the business? How profitable is each segment? What
are the differences in profitability per region? Per size of player?

* what are the typical contracts that customers sign with players of
this market? (e.g: setup of new project + maintenance, maintenance
only, warranties, etc

* industry trends, recent news, publications, industry (business)
consultants
* industry magazines, websites, associations, etc

I work for a company who is a major supplier to the A/C industry.  You
are not going to get answers to your questions in this forum and for
that price.  We spend a lot of resources tracking this industry and we
don't even have all of the answers you are looking for.

Thanks for the encouraging answer. Is there one association,
publication, expert, person, etc that can provide me with some
insightful leads into understanding the dynamics of this industry?

How much $ should I bid for this question to get appropriate answers?

Thanks in advance.

There are reports available from consulting firms like Freedonia and
Frost & Sullivan, but they usually run about $3480 more than you would
like to pay.

Any chance that you would be willing to share some of your sources of
information or insights here?

I found most of the answers I was looking for in a report (which is
not from any of your suggested sources). I am willing to share the
info with your company, for a substantial amount.

Let me know if you are intersted.

Wow, congratulations.  That's quite a feat to find answers that go
down to the level of detail in your question in a "report" for $20. 
The information must be quite reliable and thorough. I could have
written a "report" for you too and my "reports" are only $19.  Check
with me first next time.