Contractors speak up at ACCA Town Hall to shape industry priorities
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The Contractor Town Hall at ACCA 2025 on March 27 put members in the driver’s seat to shape our advocacy efforts over the next two years. This was an opportunity for contractors to make their voices heard and share their challenges, ideas, and advocacy hopes directly with ACCA’s leadership.
Our panel of industry leaders guided the discussion:
- Barton James, ACCA president and CEO
- Martin Hoover, immediate past board Chair of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) and owner of Empire Heating & Air Conditioning in Decatur, Georgia
- Roland Arrisola, immediate past Chair of the Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA) board and Stan’s Heating, Air, Plumbing & Electrical general manager in Austin, Texas
- Andrew Oser, vice Chair and Legislative Committee Chair of the Association of Air Conditioning Professionals and GAC Services director of operations in Gaithersburg, Maryland
New Board Chair Eddie McFarlane of Sila Services kicked off audience feedback by highlighting the confusion many contractors face with regulatory changes like the A2L refrigerant transition.
Review our proposed priorities for 2025 here, and vote on key issues here, by April 17.
Here’s everything you missed at the Contractor Town Hall:
Members can watch the full Contractor Town Hall here.
Hoover opened by highlighting ACCA’s expanded investments in advocacy and the relaunch of the Government Relations Committee as a standalone entity. James, Hoover, Arrisola, and Oser led members through interactive polling on industry priorities, with conversations touching on struggles faced by businesses of all sizes.
Workforce development tops contractor concerns
Finding and training workers remains the industry’s biggest headache. Oser advocated for treating trade schools equally with colleges for funding and requiring schools to share trade information earlier. Dave Squires shared his company’s success with a full apprenticeship model that pairs technicians with apprentices on every job─boosting sales while creating a training pipeline.
Steve Pool, a Vermont contractor, described how guidance counselors still push college instead of trades, while John Sedine shared success having his son’s wife, a teacher, identify promising students. ACCA board member Kane D’Amico explained how Connecticut’s restrictive 3:1 journeyman-to-apprentice ratio severely limits workforce growth, and Massachusetts contractors described the “chaos” of having no residential HVACR license requirements.
Refrigerant transition creates confusion for contractors
Despite manufacturers making it clear A2L refrigerants are here to stay, confusion persists about implementation. McFarlane highlighted how contractors still struggle with transportation questions, storage requirements, and equipment compatibility issues. Leo Sharkey noted that in the Northeast, “the ship has sailed” on 410A as inventory has already disappeared.
Tom Bruin warned about dangerously low refrigerant recovery rates─possibly just 4%─which threatens future availability of 410A for servicing existing equipment.
Regulatory battles continue on multiple fronts
ACCA has scored significant wins by overturning EPA’s ban on non-refillable cylinders and securing a one-year sell-through period for 410A equipment. James highlighted ACCA’s congressional champions, including Congressman Randy Weber, a former HVACR contractor who’s fighting unrealistic efficiency mandates and supporting consumer choice.
Arrisola detailed Texas victories on GFCI nuisance tripping that affected variable speed compressors and licensing improvements that help businesses continue after a license holder’s death. Attendees also discussed state efforts to ban natural gas access, citing recent court decisions in Washington State and New York City.
Tax issues loom large with TCJA provisions expiring
ACCA’s director of government relations advocacy, Chris Czarnecki, explained why making the Section 199A pass-through deduction permanent through the Main Street Tax Certainty Act matters to contractors organized as S-corporations. Vice president of membership, advocacy, and events Sean Robertson outlined energy efficiency tax credits that face an uncertain future, with the critical question of whether ACCA should fight for technical improvements or let some provisions expire.
Another attendee advocated for incorporating ACCA quality installation standards into incentive programs rather than focusing solely on equipment efficiency that often yields disappointing results when installed in leaky ducts.
ACCA needs your voice by April 17
ACCA needs your input before finalizing the advocacy agenda. Review our legislative priorities for 2025 here, and vote on key issues here, by April 17.
The Town Hall highlighted the power of advocacy at all levels─local, state, and federal. Hoover and James emphasized that relationships with lawmakers start in your community, not Washington. These local connections will be valuable when you visit Capitol Hill during ACCA’s Advocacy Day (September 9-10, 2025).
Posted In: Government, Refrigerants, Regulation Reform, Taxes, Workforce
