Alexandria, VA (April 17, 2023) - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) is proud to share the success of the ACCA 2023 Conference & Expo. From navigating workforce shortages to shaping key political initiatives, this year’s ACCA Conference & Expo featured more than 30 hours of dynamic programming focused on the most pressing issues facing HVACR contractors today.
“Once again, members of the ACCA family gathered together at ACCA 2024 to discuss the challenges and opportunities affecting America’s leading HVACR contractors,” said Barton James, ACCA president and CEO. “We have faced many new and challenging obstacles in the past 12 months, but like every time we have been there before, we persevered. The biggest reason for ACCA's success is our members, who invest in their futures through us. Seeing this strong group of industry-leading contractors investing in ACCA through the conference just drives home that point. We also have great leadership on our Board of Directors that has been led by Keith Paton of Ivey Mechanical this year. We look forward to doing this again next year in Orlando with even more ACCA members in attendance.”
New for ACCA 2023 was an exclusive Welcome & Awards Reception on Sunday, April 2, where ACCA honored the 2023 award winners for the Residential and Commercial Contractors of the Year, the Service Manager of the Year Award, Federated Insurance-ACCA Super S.T.A.R. Award, the ACCA Distinguished Service Award, the ACCA Community Leadership Award, and the ACCA Marketing Masters Awards.
After an inspiring opening general session with keynote speaker Dee Ann Turner, a 33-year Chick-fil-A, Inc. veteran, presenting "The Secret Sauce of Remarkable Organizational Culture," attendees began the three-day event, which included over 30 educational sessions. ACCA 2023 also allowed attendees to explore New Orleans through tours and excursions. In addition to the educational sessions, ACCA featured four general sessions, including the Manufacturer Leadership Forum; Contractor Forum Live: Find and Keep Great People; Breakfast Panel: How to Play the Game in a Down Economy; and Issues Smackdown! The Contractor Town Hall – Contractors Lead the Way.
At the Manufacturer Leadership Forum, top manufacturing industry leaders took the stage, allowing for an open conversation about issues affecting the HVACR industry. Kyle Gargaro, editor-in-chief of ACHR News, moderated the discussion between representatives from Carrier Corporation, Daikin Comfort Technologies, Emerson Commercial & Residential Solutions, Johnson Controls, Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating, and Rheem Manufacturing Company joined together to support attendees and answer their questions.
The Contractor Forum Live: Find and Keep Great People brought ACCA’s popular online Contractor Forum to the stage, where Dr. Stephen Pape, Pape Service Company and Dallas College, and Steve Nellis, American Council for Construction Education, shared their unique perspectives on battling the ongoing HVACR workforce shortages.
Attendees enjoyed a hot breakfast during the How to Play the Game in a Down Economy panel, where Chris Yano, RYNO Strategic Solutions, was joined by Ken Goodrich, Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing, Frank DiMarco, Service Champions Group, Brian Sloan, TR Miller Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing, and Chad Peterman, Peterman Brothers to discuss how to win in these uncertain times.
The Issues Smackdown! The Contractor Town Hall – Contractors Lead the Way general session allowed members to hear from issue experts on the accelerating changes facing the HVACR industry and to share their thoughts and insights on ACCA’s advocacy activities, helping to shape key initiatives and future priorities.
Social events for attendees included The ACCA MIX Group® Speed Networking and Reception, sponsored by Heartland Home Services, which allowed current and prospective MIX Group members to network with each other quickly and efficiently; A Taste of New Orleans Reception, sponsored by Ally, where contractors relaxed while enjoying the food and music of New Orleans; and Emerson's The Future of HVAC Celebration, which encouraged attendees to glimpse into the future while enjoying the ambiance of New Orleans.
ACCA’s 2023-2024 Board of Directors were announced during the event: Dr. Stephen Pape, Pape Service Co., Desoto, TX, and Dallas College, Dallas, TX, board chair; Keith Paton, Ivey Mechanical LLC, Kosciusko, MS, immediate past chair; Martin Hoover, Empire Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc., Decatur, GA, senior vice chair; Brian Stack, Stack Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, & Electric, Avon, OH, secretary/treasurer; Tim Cropp, CroppMetcalfe Services, Fairfax, VA, vice chair; and Eddie McFarlane, vice chair. Directors include Craig Elliott, Nice Home Services, LLC, Lorton, VA, Vince Gillette, Gillette Air Conditioning Company, Inc., San Antonio, TX; Kurt Hudson, LC Anderson, LLC, Boston, MA; Ryan Kletz, Classic Air’s One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, Virginia Beach, VA; Matt Marsiglio, Heartland Home Services, Warren, MI; Cody Novini, SoCal Airflow Pros, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA; and Jennifer Pierce, Clay’s Climate Control, Linwood, NJ.
For pictures from ACCA 2023, visit ACCA's Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/acca/albums. ACCA members have access to recordings of the Learning Sessions and MainStage Sessions from ACCA 2023, as an exclusive benefit of ACCA membership.
For more information about ACCA 2023 or ACCA, please contact Melissa Broadus, ACCA director of member communications & committee liaison, at melissa.broadus@acca.org or (703) 824-8842.