A Message from ACCA’s President & CEO

Posted on:

April 28, 2017

Thank you to everyone who attended ACCA’s IE3 Show in Nashville, TN. A special thanks to our sponsors and exhibitors who filled more than 80,000 feet of Expo floor with their new offerings and innovative ideas for contractors.

One of the changes made to the IE3 Show this year was an increased recognition of contractors operating in the commercial marketplace. ACCA’s Commercial Advisory Committee has been busy. We are excited about the new ideas and services that they have identified to bring to the table and expand ACCA’s programming for its commercial contractor members.

Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved with making the IE3 Show a success!

Although ACCA was busy gearing up for our annual conference, we did not let our guard down on Capitol Hill, or at the state level, to promote quality contracting practices. We have been driving our message across the country and are proud to announce that the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Board of Directors passed a resolution highlighting the importance of quality installation (QI) practices.

ACCA’s work with NASEO is important, because NASEO is the organization that represents all of the State Energy Officials from around the country. Each of these officials is in charge of their state’s energy policy and, thanks to the ACCA team, they now recognize the importance of QI practices as it relates to energy efficiency. In fact, the resolution states that “cutting-edge heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning technologies, if improperly installed, may fail to realize important benefits for homeowners.” It is great to have this recognition from NASEO that underscores how important quality contracting and installation practices is to energy efficiency.

NASEO is a great partner and our work with them and their members, on behalf of America’s HVACR contractors, will continue.

ACCA has also been spending a lot of time on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. While some people may not think highly of Congress, I commend every congressional office we have met with for their sincere interest in HVAC contractors. In fact, every Member of Congress that we speak to — from both political parties — wants to learn more about QI practices and our industry. It is worth noting, that every Senator and Representative uses heating and cooling systems in their homes or offices, so they are always eager to find out if their mechanical system was installed properly.

We can’t answer that question in their office, but we can impart some knowledge on them about proper sizing, load calculations, duct design, and refrigerant charging – all of the QI elements needed to ensure a system was installed safely and is operating efficiently.

ACCA would not have such a great message to deliver on Capitol Hill if not for its membership. They told us that they wanted to raise the bar and support quality contracting practices because unlicensed and unqualified installers give the industry a bad name, and makes competing in the marketplace frustrating and difficult.

Professional contractors know that customers deserve the comfort, efficiency, and safety that they think they paid for. And, although the ACCA staff is diligent about representing contractors on Capitol Hill, we ask contractors to deliver the Quality Installation message as well!

As I stated earlier, every Member of Congress uses heating and cooling systems in their homes or offices, and they want to know more about quality contracting practices. That is why they need to hear from you – the contractor, technician, installer, or the family member reading this. Be sure to call your congressman, attend a town hall meeting, or visit their website to contact them via e-mail. It is good to remind them that you’re a business owner and employer in their district who cares about the HVAC industry. Lastly, there are three things that I specifically ask:

BE SURE you are currently a member of ACCA at the NATIONAL level. As we continue to be the contractor’s voice on Capitol Hill advocating for issues important to the contracting community, it is imperative to remember that “there is strength in numbers.” This is an important time to be an ACCA member. Remember – ACCA is here for you.

RESPOND to ACCA’s action alerts that make it easy to contact your elected officials. These action alerts are successful, because they help elected officials determine the amount of support for — or opposition — to an issue from back home. Be sure to follow through and spend 30 seconds reading the alert and filling out your name.

CALL your Members of Congress and invite them and their office staff to your facility. This is a fantastic opportunity for a congressional office to learn what it takes to run an HVAC business. Many congressmen tour local businesses to learn about a particular industry and to meet their constituents. ACCA is available to help you reach out to your Members of Congress.

FEEL FREE to reach out to ACCA’s government relations professionals to learn more about our efforts on Capitol Hill, or our other staff members to learn more about what comes with ACCA membership. Most importantly, I need to hear from you. To best serve the ACCA membership and the HVACR contracting community, I welcome your thoughts, comments, ideas and concerns. I can be reached at: paul.stalknecht@acca.org.