ACCA to Focus on Briefcases Instead of Toolboxes

Paul Stalknecht, president of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) told a gathering of the media, during the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) spring meeting, that ACCA was on a quest to attract “the best, not the most” contractors. “Contractors face many challenges ranging from regulatory issues to a shrinking labor pool. Our job is to give them marketplace tools that enable their success. We’ll be focusing much more on the briefcase than the toolbox in the coming years,” Stalknecht said. He also promised continued support for North American Technician Excellence (NATE) as he referenced the organization’s goal of certifying 2002 technicians through NATE during 2002. Stalknecht added that ACCA expects to continue to build upon its reputation as a standard bearer for the technical needs of the HVAC industry. To that end, Glenn Hourahan has been hired as the vice president of research and technical development, a new post at ACCA.