Lochinvar Corp. has kicked off its annual VIP Contractor Program with new incentives, including more technical training opportunities and new rewards.

With each purchase of a Knight, Efficiency Plus or Solution Heating Boiler, the contractor receives a registration card that can be mailed to Lochinvar for a free gift. The tiered reward system allows the contractor to earn a variety of rewards based on the number of registration cards they submit. Following is an overview of the tiered rewards:

One boiler registration earns a Knight hat and leatherwork gloves, while three boiler registrations earn a Knight pullover fleece. For five boiler registrations, a contractor will receive a Knight jacket.

Free equipment can be earned with boiler registration, as well. For 10 boiler registrations, a contractor will receive a Fluke Corp. meter. Fifteen boiler registrations will earn a combustion analyzer with printer.

This year, the program features an increased focus on technical support and training. Throughout the course of the heating season, six educational Webinars will be available to VIP contractors at no cost. The interactive Webinars will offer training tips and information from Lochinvar’s support team, as well as visual tools, to help participants perfect their installations on Lochinvar equipment.

The next set of Webinars will happen Feb. 10, Feb. 24 and March 10.

In addition, contractors are invited to apply for Lochinvar Technical Service’s Preferred Contractors program. After reviewing each participant’s credentials, Lochinvar’s tech team selects the top contractors to be featured on the company’s corporate Web site.

Through April, contractors also have the opportunity to compete on a monthly basis to showcase their recent installations on the Knight Web site by submitting them on the VIP Connection at www.lochinvar.com/vip.

After a panel of Lochinvar judges reviews the projects, one contractor each month is awarded a $250 gift card to Cabala’s or Bass Pro Shop, or a gas card of the same value. The contractor with the most impressive project of the heating season will win the grand prize, a floor-standing Knight KBN080 or wall mount Knight WBN080 boiler

Also this year, 24 top-selling contractors will receive a free trip to Nashville, Tenn., for a VIP Extreme Event. An enhanced version of the Nashville Experience awarded in the past, this prize package includes a two-day trip to Nashville for both education and entertainment. On the first day, winners will take part in an advanced training session at Lochinvar’s facility, tour the manufacturing plant and attend a roundtable meeting with the engineering, technical service, sales and marketing teams.

The second day will include a trip to the Nashville Super Speedway, starting with the opportunity to ride shotgun along with a professionally trained driver from the Andretti Gordon Racing School.

As in past years, all VIP contractors are invited to submit an enhanced profile with company information and job features for a free listing on www.knightheatingboiler.com

Lochinvar officials say this allows prospective customers to easily locate a VIP contractor in their area and helps contractors grow their business.

To keep VIP contractors in the loop throughout the year, members are the first to know about new products, new program incentives, featured jobs, service updates, training opportunities and more through the new monthly Knightly Newsletter and other correspondence from Lochinvar.