When Jim Quincy started his business in 1983, residential heating technology in the U.S. lagged behind other parts of the world. He made a commitment that his company, Quincy Hydronic Technology (QHT, Inc.) would change that by introducing cleaner and higher efficiency systems and equipment to the North American market. Now, 20 years later, QHT, Inc., of Portsmouth, NH is still keeping that commitment.

“Our idea from the beginning, was to combine the best in high performance European boiler, burner and radiant heat products with Yankee ingenuity so we could offer the customers clean, efficient and reliable heating systems.” says Jim Quincy, President of QHT, Inc.. “We wanted to offer alternatives to the inefficient, pin-type boilers and fin-tube baseboard systems that were, and still are, the predominant heating technology in North America.”

QHT started working with the Interklim, an Italian foundry group, to Americanize one of their small, cold-start boilers called the MIDY. While gradually developing a loyal customer base in northern New England, QHT hired two talented engineers, Scott Righini and Keith Knatow, who worked with various American burner companies with oil and gas burner applications to establish the approval listings for MIDY as well as the new VEGA boiler line. Scott and Keith took the VEGA boiler-block, with it’s highly-efficient, multi-pass heat exchanger, and enclosed it in an American made cabinet and then outfitted it with US made, electronic controls to operate in conjunction with US made, indirect-fired, water heaters. The VEGA boiler system gained wide acceptance among QHT’s customer base, however the distribution was limited to residential applications. In 1999, Quincy became involved with Biasi based in Verona, Italy who had taken over the manufacturing of the VEGA boiler from NECA.

“We knew we needed a more complete boiler line, and Biasi (www.biasi.co.uk) fit the bill. They have been manufacturing heating equipment since 1939, and are one of the premier foundries and steel boiler manufacturer’s in the world.” says Quincy. “With Biasi’s wide selection of boiler and radiation lines, it made the decision to introduce Biasi’s other products to the American marketplace an easy one. Furthermore, Biasi’s steel panel and tubular, radiator products would complement our existing radiant PEX-pipe and panel radiator lines which we were specifying for installations around New England.”

Quincy liked the idea that Biasi’s equipment was not a high end, European boiler system aimed at the expensive end of the market but was a “middle-class” product line which everyone could afford. “Biasi offers the same construction, materials, and features of the much more pricey units, so how could we go wrong? We could also offer a wider range of multi-pass boilers with American made oil or gas burners with indirect fired, 40 gallon water heaters for about the same price as pin-type, tankless coil boilers and save the customer 30% on their heating bills” says Quincy.

In early 2002, Quincy added Lew Boyce to the QHT staff as Sales Manager. Boyce’s focus has been to expand distribution into southern New England, New York and New Jersey. For Boyce, coming to QHT was somewhat of a “natural” for him since he was formerly employed, selling the high performance, Riello burners. “Jim has been my friend and customer for many years and I really liked his product line. After many years of testing burners on all types of equipment, I realized that the Europeans had the right idea,” says Boyce. “It’s not that they are smarter than us, but Europe is saddled with extraordinary energy costs which exceed ours by 2.5 to 3 times. As a matter of economics, they have to design efficient heating systems.”

Boyce feels that colleagues in the heating industry need to ask themselves some hard questions as to what equipment they are offering. “The typical US boiler is of a pin type design, which is 30-40 years old and carries about four times the water and iron of the multi-pass, Biasi boiler-block.” says Boyce “and not much has changed outside of jacket colors and swing doors. In the final analysis, the equipment you offer your customers really says a lot about your company’s approach to its customers. What would you think of a company that only offered to you old technology, or even worse, only the cheapest equipment available?”

For QHT, Inc., this past year has been exciting. In addition to expanding their market presence and distribution, we have introduced the first low -Nox boiler configuration available in North America. “So now, not only are we offering boilers that significantly reduce energy requirements, but new Biasi SG, multi-pass boilers can be coupled with new “low-Nox”, oil and gas burners, such as the Beckett NX or the Heat Wise PK which will significantly lower harmful emissions of NOX gases to clean up the environment.” says Quincy. “You know, it is one thing to offer expensive, high performance equipment, however the real trick is making these systems available to everybody at reasonable prices.” Quincy believes that the relationship between Biasi and QHT has allowed his company to accomplish this feat, by putting QHT at the forefront of the high efficiency market.

“At the end of a busy day,” says Jim Quincy, “ its good to know we are still on track with QHT’s original commitment.”

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