PLYMOUTH, MA, March 24, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Drake H. Erbe has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Although Mr. Erbe came to establish himself as a notable figure in the world of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), this was not his original vocation. In the beginning of his career, he saw himself pursuing music as a career, perhaps as a professional opera singer. To that end, he earned a Bachelor of Music Education in vocal and instrumental music at Milton College in 1967.
Mr. Erbe began teaching in Cambridge, WI, but was drafted into military service shortly thereafter. Favoring the path of an officer, he decided to enroll in officer candidate school, or OCS. After his training, he served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, but he held a number of roles throughout his service, including infantry platoon leader and company executive officer. During his tour of duty, Mr. Erbe was called to serve in Vietnam, and for that service, he was decorated with a Combat Infantry Badge and a Bronze Star with a "V" device and an Oak Leaf Cluster from the U.S. Army. Mr. Erbe was also interviewed for the 50th Anniversary of Vietnam 2025 for inclusion in the Library of Congress.
Following his return from Vietnam, Mr. Erbe left active duty and became a choir director at Bullen Junior High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but he left that position to continue pursuit of his operatic career. Events ensued that then forced a new career direction, and he entered into the study of engineering. At the same time, he continued to serve in the U.S. Army Reserves as a company commander and eventually battalion executive officer with the rank of major. He earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 1979. In 1980 he took his first steps into the industry at Trane Co. LaCrosse, WI, which was privately held at that time, where he became a marketing engineer. During his time there, he was also a product manager and finally moved to the Air Side Business Unit in Lexington, KY and became the marketing project manager for the central station air handler re-design which was announced to the industry in 1990.
Mr. Erbe worked at Trane for a total of 12 years, leaving in 1992 to become the vice president and general manager of airside products at Environmental Technologies, Inc. in Largo, FL. In his brief time there, his efforts led to an increased revenue of more than 100% and an increased company profitability of more than five points. He also spearheaded the introduction of Total Quality Management, or TQM, principles to company operations, which helped to streamline existing processes. After two years, in 1994, he joined York International Corporation, where he held such positions as director of product marketing, global product manager for air handling, and director of global marketing. At York, he revisited the marketing work he started at Trane, and he eventually managed a total business volume of approximately $300 million. He directed the activities of seven direct and 25 indirect reports on a matrix basis in five locations domestically, coordinating with 12 offshore locations.
After York, Mr. Erbe briefly worked at United CoolAir as a consultant, but that same year, in 1999, he joined Airxchange, Inc. as its vice president of market development. In this position, he has been responsible for influencing and developing the market for air-to-air energy recovery, as well as the helping the development of standards for the entire industry. He has also focused on the continual development of the organization's strategic focus with regard to original equipment manufacturer relationships. He was integral in increasing requirements for the technology produced by Airxchange based on cost effectiveness and energy savings analysis. As part of his active involvement in the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Mr. Erbe has spent 17 years in ASHRAE Standard 90.1, including as chair of the 2016 and 2019 versions.
Supporting his professional endeavors, Mr. Erbe is active with the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) as a current member of the certification standing committee and the chairman of the systems steering standing committee. He has chaired the government affairs standing committee and the energy recovery product section. At ASHRAE, he was recently appointed as the co-chairman of the International Standards Interaction task force. Active globally, Mr. Erbe is also the current chair of two ISO Technical Committees (86 and 205) and a member of the Joint WG for the Energy Performance of Buildings. In 2002, he became a Charter Member of the Opera by the Bay-South Shore Conservatory, and he still holds the passion for music that started it all.
Highlighting his achievements in the field, Mr. Erbe received the Richard C. Schultz Award for Distinguished Service from the AHRI in 2007 and a Distinguished Service Award from the ASHRAE in 2016. He also received a Paul Harris fellowship from Rotary International. Though he is justifiably proud of the work he has done in the past, his best years are surely ahead of him, and he hopes to remain in the field for many years before retiring.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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