3 obstacles HVACR contractors face when preparing for what’s next — and strategies to get past them
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Last year’s ACCA conference in Greater Austin brought a strong mix of technical education and business strategy, especially for owners thinking about the next phase of their company. Many of the sessions focused on issues contractors are experiencing right now — handing their business off, growing a team that can run it when they’re not in the room, and staying protected as technology plays a bigger role in how they operate.
ACCA and Farmington Consulting Group’s 2025 Contractor of the Future report underscored why these conversations resonate. Half of HVACR contractors are 55 or older, and many expect to transition their business to family or long-time employees, making planning and stronger internal systems increasingly important.
ACCA 2026, March 15–18 at Caesars Palace, builds on the concerns contractors discussed throughout last year’s conference. Three sessions in Austin highlighted those issues clearly.
If you’re an ACCA member, you can revisit any ACCA 2025 session at no cost. The recordings are available in your on-demand member portal anytime. Click here to browse all session recordings.
Register for ACCA 2026 by February 2026 to secure a discounted all-access pass.
- Getting your business ready for a real transition
Patrick Lange has sold more than 130 heating and air companies, and he didn’t shy away from the mistakes he made when selling his own business to his son and daughter-in-law. He financed the deal himself, kept his desk in the same building, and found that the informal approach created more tension than clarity.
His message resonated because many contractors are in a similar position. According to the Contractor of the Future report, 60% of owners are first-generation, and another 27% are second- or third-generation. Most expect to hand their business down, but not everyone has a clear picture of what their company is worth or how to structure a transition that doesn’t strain family relationships.
Lange emphasized a few points:
- Get a professional valuation, even if you’re not selling soon.
- Treat family sales like any other business transaction.
- Rely on SBA financing rather than funding the deal yourself.
- Stop hiding profit to reduce taxes — it hurts your valuation far more than it helps your tax bill.
ACCA 2026 expands on these same concerns. Sessions like “Principles of an Unstoppable Family Business” and “To Sell or Not to Sell: Family Business Succession and the Positive Impact of Private Equity” dig into communication, trust, and ownership structure so owners aren’t guessing their way through one of the most important decisions of their career.
Watch “Passing Down Your Business” now.
- Building systems your team can follow
Michelle Myers, owner of Pink Callers, shared how difficult it was to implement EOS on her own. After two years of trying, she brought in an implementer and quickly discovered that her team wasn’t aligned on goals, responsibilities, or the direction of the company.
EOS helped them reset with a clearer structure: weekly Level 10 meetings, quarterly goals, scorecards, and an accountability chart that made responsibilities visible. The process also surfaced issues she hadn’t seen. Three members of her leadership team chose to step away during the first year because expectations were finally laid out in the open.
The Contractor of the Future report shows why this struck a chord with attendees. Nearly half of contractors cite employee onboarding and retention as a top challenge, and many list job costing and employee management as key training needs. Systems like EOS bring consistency to the operation and give teams a rhythm to follow, which prevents small issues from becoming bigger ones.
Owners looking to strengthen their internal structure will find several related programs at ACCA 2026, including “The X-Factor Plus: Results Leadership Operating System” and “Blueprint for Success: Building a Leadership Development Program”. These sessions focus on setting expectations, holding stronger conversations, and building a leadership bench that can support growth.
Watch “EOS for the Trades” now.
- Keeping your operation protected from growing cyber threats
ACCA Platinum Strategic Partner Federated Insurance led a session that reminded owners just how vulnerable contractors can be. Shops hold customer data, payment information, and vendor credentials — and that makes them attractive targets. Many attacks start quietly, with hackers sitting inside a system for months before making a move.
Once a breach hits, contractors can lose up to 23 business days of productivity while systems are restored. For many, that’s nearly a month of jobs going to competitors.
The session highlighted several steps contractors can take immediately:
- Require multi-factor authentication
- Send sensitive information through secure email
- Back up data regularly
- Train employees to recognize phishing attempts
- Confirm payment-change requests with a direct call
Cybersecurity remains part of the broader business discussion at ACCA 2026. Because so much of today’s operation is digital — from dispatch to billing to vendor access — owners need consistent habits across the team, not just in the back office.
Watch “Managing Your Cyber Risk” now.
Looking ahead to ACCA 2026 in Las Vegas
The momentum from Austin carries into ACCA 2026. Many of the business topics that stood out last year — succession planning, family-business communication, leadership development, and financial discipline — are expanded in this year’s program at Caesars Palace.
Contractors who want a real-world perspective from those facing the same challenges will also find it at the conference. ACCA’s MIX® Groups are designed for owners who want honest, unfiltered feedback from peers, and the Las Vegas schedule includes dedicated contractor-only sessions for those conversations. The MIX It Up! Panel Discussion and MIXer give owners a chance to compare notes on staffing, operations, pricing, and the decisions that move a business forward — the same issues that surfaced throughout the 2025 business track.
ACCA 2026 runs March 15–18 at Caesars Palace.
Discounted pricing ends February 2. Use promo code GOALS50 to save an additional $50.
Contractors left Austin with strategies they put to work right away. Las Vegas builds on that foundation and gives owners new tools, clearer direction, and stronger peer connections to help them shape the next stage of their business.
Posted In: Events, Exit Strategy, Leadership & Planning, Strategic Planning
