Magic Touch Credits ACCA for Success
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Becoming a Successful HVAC Contractor According to a Proud ACCA Member
I founded Magic Touch Mechanical in Mesa, AZ over two decades ago. Like most first-generation HVAC Contractors, we had very humble beginnings. My office was a bedroom in the house I rented, my shop was the garage, and my “fleet” consisted of one truck.
With a little luck, and a lot of hard work, I was one of the fortunate business owners who survived the early years. Back then, I wore all the hats, worked around-the-clock, and tried to learn from my mistakes. Today, we own our office building & warehouse with a very large yard, have a beautiful fleet of trucks, and my garage at home is for my toys – not HVAC parts!
More importantly, I have a fantastic team of people, each wearing one of the “hats” I used to wear. While we still learn from our mistakes as we grow, we’re a much more well-oiled machine than we were in the early years.
ACCA Membership Deserves Credit for Magic Touch Mechanical’s Success
Today, my main role at Magic Touch Mechanical is all things marketing & advertising. It’s my job to keep the phones ringing and online service request forms coming in. I create a lot of digital content aimed at consumers to generate leads for my business. Some of that content I post on our company’s blog. One recent post in particular got the attention of the team at ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America).
A few weeks after I posted the article, the ACCA team contacted me asking if they could repost it in their new contractor guest blog series. What interested them was the fact that the article was written by a contractor, but as a consumer. You see, I needed to replace the garage door on my home, and wrote about my experience getting quotes from three different contractors.
I’ve been a proud ACCA member for many years and credit our ACCA membership as one of the reasons for Magic Touch Mechanical’s success. So, I offered to do them one better, and write an article about just that – how being an ACCA member helped in my company’s success!
If you’d like to read the article about my experience with hiring a contractor (and the lessons it taught me about my HVAC business) you can find it here.
The Value of Trade Associations Like ACCA for HVAC Contractors
Magic Touch Mechanical is an active member in quite a few local and national trade associations, contractor organizations, and professional networks. I currently serve, or have served on the board of directors and committees for a few as my way of giving back to the industry.
I can honestly say my company wouldn’t be the success it is today if it weren’t for these memberships. Each have played a unique role in our accomplishments, but our membership in the Air Conditioning Contractors of America perhaps the most unique. Undoubtedly the most impactful to our success.
Frankly, the reason I’m willing to take the time I am to write this article endorsing ACCA and encouraging contractors to become a member is because of the unique value proposition membership offers. Well, that and the fact that over the years I’ve become friends with the staff at ACCA!
ACCA Sets the Standard for the HVAC & Indoor Comfort Industry
It’s my understanding that my area, (Phoenix, AZ), is one of the most competitive HVAC markets in the country. There are approximately 2,000 licensed HVAC Contractors in Arizona, and about 75% of them operate in my county.
With so much competition, I knew early on that we had to stand out from the crowd in order to not only survive, but thrive. I noticed one common thread all of the best contractors seemed to share… they were all ACCA members. Their installations were gorgeous, they had great reputations, and they were all growing. Surely this was more than a coincidence, right?
I investigated who ACCA was, what they did, and what the benefits of becoming a member were. What I realized was… becoming a member was a no-brainer!
I wanted Magic Touch Mechanical to provide the best installations, enjoy a great reputation, and create happy, lifetime customer relationships. How better to do that than learning the methods written and taught by the very organization that, in essence, “creates” the standards?
ACCA is the only contractor organization that can do the “technical” work for the industry. They serve as the thought leader on the standards and codes federal and state agencies and regulators adhere to.
We use ACCA’s standards and manuals to provide quality installations to our customers. As a result, our customers understand that we’re going to deliver the performance and comfort the low-bidder won’t and frankly…can’t. Equally as important, I know our installations are going to perform as promised!
The business we win as a result of this alone pays for our membership dues many times over. Our ACCA membership costs less than $50.00 per month… I literally spend more than that on coffee every month! The difference being, my ACCA membership keeps paying dividends long after my morning coffee-buzz has worn off.
ACCA Does More Than Just Write the Technical Standards & Best Practices
It’s not a stretch to say the business we win as a result of our membership pays for us to enjoy other ACCA benefits.
Benefits like; attending ACCA classes and functions where we get to meet with other successful ACCA members & share best practices. I’ve never returned from an ACCA event without bringing back a list of takeaways to improve my business. Where else can you speak openly with contractors who are not only willing to, but happy to share what’s working for them – and what’s not?
You can even join an ACCA Mix Group (a member only benefit) which is like having a team of personal and business advisors! I’ve made lifelong friends as a result of this member benefit, and the improvements to our business, revenue, and bottom line are immeasurable.
After 30-Years in the HVAC Industry, It’s an ACCA Accolade I’m Most Proud Of
In a career spanning more than three decades, I’ve experienced my share of victories and defeats in the HVAC business. I can say without reservation, I credit many of my victories to my ACCA membership.
To this day, the proudest I’ve ever been, is the day Magic Touch Mechanical was awarded the prestigious ACCA National Residential Contractor of the Year Award. The reason is simple; ACCA members are truly the best of the best contractors in the country. That’s not a “sound bite” either. I’ve visited dozens of members businesses over the years, seen how they operate, spoken with their employees, etc. – they are the best this industry has to offer.
In my acceptance speech, I stood in front of hundreds of ACCA members and said the following:
“I equate winning this award to winning an Olympic gold medal. I make that comparison because it would be pretty easy for an athlete to win in his or her event competing against ordinary people. However, it’s an entirely different challenge when competing against the best athletes in the world. ACCA members are the best contractors in the country, so even calling myself one [of you] is an honor in itself. Winning this award is the proudest moment of my entire career.”
It’s been years since I made that speech and we’ve won a number of notable awards since. However, the truth in that statement hasn’t changed, I will go through the rest of my career cherishing that moment most.
The Entire Industry Benefits Because ACCA Exists
The impact ACCA has on our industry and businesses benefit members and non-members alike. ACCA serves as our voice on Capitol Hill as well as before state legislators, manufacturers, code officials, and utility companies. That alone is worth being a part of this association, as we are stronger together.
Sure, you can sit back and benefit from that advocacy without ever becoming a member. However, you won’t enjoy all of the benefits membership has to offer… benefits I only scratched the surface of. If that’s not reason enough to join (or stay active), perhaps the thought of losing business to ACCA members in your market should be!
In closing, it’s important to clarify that I’m not receiving anything for writing what I know is a ringing endorsement of ACCA. I mean every word I wrote in this article and simply want to give back to an industry and an association that has given so much to me.
I’m always open and willing to share my thoughts with current and perspective ACCA members. Again, we are stronger together, so I invite you to contact me. For every reason or excuse you can give me about why you shouldn’t be an ACCA member for less than $50/month, I can give you two why you should be!
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