Purvis has responsibility for Emerson Climate Technologies, a business of Emerson, which posted sales of $3.8 billion in fiscal 2008.  He joined Emerson in 1983 as a product planner with Copeland.  He assumed a number of senior management positions in air conditioning marketing, sales and product planning, and in 1993 was appointed vice president of marketing.  In 1995, Purvis was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing, and in 1996 became the president of refrigeration, a position he held until 2003 when he was named group vice president of refrigeration. 

Purvis is active in industry organizations including the Commercial Refrigerator Manufacturers Division (CRMD) and serves as a board member at Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).  An avid supporter of many civic and charitable organizations, he is a member of Dayton Presidents Club, University of Dayton’s Executive Development Program, and is actively involved in Troy Christian School.

Purvis holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan, and a master of business administration from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.