Public Hearings Scheduled

The Sheet Metal Board of Examiners has announced the dates of three upcoming Public Hearings on the proposed new regulations which govern Sheet Metal Licensing in Massachusetts.

All are encouraged to attend — these new regulations affect YOU.  It is important that all sectors of the industry are represented.  The meeting dates are:

Tuesday, January 5, 2010  –  10:30 am
  Malden: 75 Pleasant Street  (Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Educ.)
  Directions

Thursday, January 7, 2010   – 10:30 am
  Quincy: 1305 Hancock Street   (City Hall – 2nd Fl. Council Chambers)
  Directions

Monday, January 11, 2010  –  10:30 am
  Springfield: 436 Dwight Street  (State Office Building – Room B-42)
  Directions

A copy of the regulations can be viewed here.

Submit comments on proposed regulations to the Sheet Metal Board of  Examiners, via email to:  peter.b.kelly@state.ma.us

Sign up for Department of Public Licensure notices online:  www.mass.gov/dpl

ACCA and its partner in the Coalition for Fair Licensing, the Associated Builders and Contractors of Massachusetts (ABC-MA), continue to be very vocal in calling for fair licensing, which the current regulations do not reflect. Below is a recap of the major issues the Coalition wants to address:

Training requirements of 750 hours for commercial work, where most other trades that are more technical require less: ranging from 250 hours for a refrigeration technician (a trade that requires extensive knowledge of thermodynamics) to of 600 hours for

Next Sheet Metal Board of Examiners Meeting

The whole industry is to be affected by regulations set forth by the Sheet Metal Board of Examiners, and therefore ALL are encouraged to attend the board meetings.  It is an important show of support for ACCA as we work to protect the interests of the industry not currently represented on this board.

Next Meeting:

Friday,  January 22, 2010     – 9:30 am
   (subcommittee meeting starts at 8:30 am)

239 Causeway Street, Room 206, Boston, MA

> Map / Directions

Plan now to attend this meeting!
Proposed regulations would limit competition and increase costs by dictating the way you staff jobs and train your employees.

An important part of success in challenges like this is just showing up.   Help the cause, which favors Fair Licensing, and is dedicated to protecting the interests of our membership.   Our presence at these meetings is a show of strength and commitment, and that’s the first step in having an impact on this board’s policies and decisions.  It’s already sending the message that we as an industry will fight for our rights.

MA State Bldg. Code Review for HVAC Contractors

Effective January, 2009,  Massachusetts adopted the International Energy Conservation Code. These changes  affect you. Come and learn how in this class specifically focused on material for HVAC Contractors.

One-night Class, offered through FW Webb at their Woburn location: 

Tuesday, January 12
at FW Webb in Woburn, 50 Everberg Rd.

Are you aware Massachusetts has adopted the ICC (International Code Council) International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2009 edition) to replace andy and all prior energy conservation code material. 

National ACCA Conference – this March in Tampa

ACCA Conference & Indoor Air Expo
The top conference for top contractors!
March 7-9, 2010
Tampa Convention Center
Tampa, Florida

Find out why the ACCA Conference & Indoor Air Expo is the fastest-growing HVACR conference and tradeshow in the country! In 2010 we head to Tampa with an all-new schedule of high-powered workshops from leading contractors and experts … provocative keynotes from the nation’s leading business thinkers …. and more!  Read more.

EPA Final R-22 Rules

The EPA has “pre-released” two long-awaited final rules on the R-22 phaseout. This phaseout impacts contractors and the entire HVACR supply chain. The rules, which total more than 200 pages and take effect on January 1, can be found at EPA’s website here.

The rules themselves are complex with various exceptions and exemptions. ACCA will release a “plain English” analysis for our members as soon as possible.

One rule covers the production and consumption of HCFCs, including R-22, for 2010-2014. The other relates to the sale, insallation and distribution of appliances pre-charged with R-22 on or after January 1, 2010.

Safety Tips–Winter Driving: Steer Clear of Winter Driving Risks

Across most of our country, winter brings with it snow, sleet, fog, and ice. These weather conditions often result in hazardous roadways, poor visibility, and stressed-out drivers—not a safe combination.

To help navigate safely through winter’s challenges, make sure both you and your vehicle are prepared.

Ensure your vehicle is in optimal winter condition, including:

• Battery fully charged
• Fluids topped off
• Tires have adequate tread for winter driving
• Wiper blades and defrosters working properly

Stock your vehicle with proper supplies for winter-related situations:

• Abrasive material (kitty litter, sand, salt, or traction mats)
• Cell phone and battery-operated radio
• First-aid supplies
• Jumper cables, flashlight, and warning devices (reflective triangle or flares)
• Snow shovel, broom, and ice scraper
• Tire and tow chains
• Warm clothing, boots, blankets, or sleeping bags
• Water and high-energy food

Best Advice: Avoid driving during adverse conditions. However, if driving is necessary, follow these tips for a safer journey:

• Adjust your speed
• Avoid using cruise control
• Clear windshields and mirrors of ice and snow
• Increase your following distance
• Pass with extreme caution
• Start and stop smoothly
• Wear your seat belts
• Give ample space to snow removal equipment

 

This article courtesy of:

For over a century, Federated Insurance® has been committed to providing peace of mind to business owners through valued insurance protection. That commitment remains constant today. The Company specializes in business insurance for selected industries, including air conditioning, heating, and plumbing contractors. Through their partnership with ACCA, they demonstrate a profound commitment to our industry. Please contact Federated at 800-533-0472, x7834 for an analysis of your needs, or email txthompson@fedins.com.

This publication is intended to provide general recommendations regarding risk prevention. It is not intended to include all steps or processes necessary to adequately protect you, your business, or your customers. You should always consult your personal attorney and insurance professional for advice unique to you and your business. © Copyright Federated Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved.

Customer Contact: The Upside and Downside of Talkative Contractors

Sales & Marketing Insights
By Adams Hudson,    www.hudsonink.com 

We usually recommend that during an in-home visit, you start out with a moment of small talk to help get inside your customer’s comfort zone. But be careful that you don’t overdo. One homeowner told us about the time she had to change her pest control service – because the man who visited her home talked way too much. 

“I would arrange for an early morning appointment so that he could come in the house, provide the service, let me pay the invoice, and then I could get to work almost on time,” she said. “But what I found was that he wanted to talk.

“That would not have been a problem, except that when he talked, he stopped what he was doing. So he would stand in my living room talking about a beach trip he took with his family, what the weather was like, what he ate, what the traffic was like getting there or getting home. He stood there, holding his equipment, and told me about things I didn’t need to hear and each moment he talked, he made me later for work than I wanted to be. This was how it usually went during his visits, so I finally gave him up and switched to someone who was less interested in small talk.”

 She was not looking for silence, she said. She was looking for relevance.

 ”My plumber also talks almost the whole time he’s in the house on a service call,” she continued. “The difference is, he’s talking about what he’s doing, what he’s about to do, why he’s doing it, why he’s saving me money, what the problem is. In other words, he may start out with a ’small talk’ comment about the weather or the traffic, but when he’s doing his job, he’s talking about his job. I appreciate that because he’s keeping me informed, and he’s reassuring me that he’s going to do the job he came to do.”

Appealing to the Customer Mindset (Instead of Your Own)

Sales & Marketing Insights
By Adams Hudson,   www.hudsonink.com 

Running a successful contracting business requires many things – technical skills, financial skills, marketing skills, time management skills, to name a few. It also takes, shall we say, guts. Yes, you’ve got to have guts to start a business and keep it running. You’ve got to be pretty sure of yourself.

This self-assurance keeps you going and keeps you looking for ways to improve. But there can also be a downside.

Being the boss, for instance, doesn’t mean you should ignore advice, opinions, suggestions of your fellow workers. Indeed, you do so at your peril. Imposing your “will” at any cost creates an ineffective environment that can be seen in low morale, high turnover, and poor sales.

This is simple human nature – people want to be respected and treated fairly. And human nature also applies to your customer base.

Your control, as boss, means that you are in charge of persuading customers to buy your products and services, but it doesn’t mean that your opinion is the one that matters most. In fact, that’s why we talk so often about using four times more “you’s” than “we’s” in your advertising. The truth never changes: your customers don’t care what’s in it for you; they want to know what’s in it for them. Focusing on their wants and needs increases their decisions to use your products and services.

Find Out What Your Customers Are Thinking

Sales & Marketing Insights
By Adams Hudson,    www.hudsonink.com

We may not always know as much about our customers as we think we do. Oh, sure, they’re clear when they want something fixed or replaced. But there could be lots more information that would be helpful in how you serve, how you market and how you make contact.

For that matter, nobody’s perfect, and your customers could be just the ones to let you know about something going wrong that even you don’t know about. So, how do you get customer feedback? Look to any of the following sources:

Staff – Your dispatcher, your techs, your sales team, or anyone else who comes in contact with customers is in a position to gain their feedback. Encourage them to listen to customers and make a note of whatever they’re asking about, complaining about, or being complimentary about.

Customer Comments – You can generate these by leaving room on invoices for customer comments, creating an online customer comment form for your website, or providing postage-paid comment cards at the end of a service call. Essentially, you’ll be saying something like, “Is there anything we can do to improve? Let us hear from you…”

Customer Database – What are your customer records telling you? There’s a goldmine of information in your files about what customers need and when they need it.

Annual Surveys – Send these out to customers knowing that those who respond could give you valuable feedback. And even those who don’t have just experienced a valuable “customer contact” letting them know you value their input and want to serve them better. To increase response, consider offering a discount on service.

Competition – Watch to see what others in your industry are doing. If you notice a great offer, chances are, your customers are noticing it too.

Worcester Telegram & Gazette Publishes Op Ed

Regs would hammer economy

By Donald Chaisson and Greg Beeman

The nation’s economy finally grew again in the third quarter of this year. But the hopeful national economic report makes it even harder to stomach news that the Massachusetts economy shrank yet again.

So did state revenues. As a result, Gov. Deval Patrick announced yet another round of emergency budget cuts and eliminated nearly 1,000 state jobs to plug a $600 million gap.

No sector has been harder hit by the recession than the construction industry. There, the news is again worse in Massachusetts than for the nation as a whole. State construction employment plummeted by 18 percent in the past year, compared with a 13 percent national drop.

Worcester fared a little better, losing 10 percent of its construction jobs. But the Fitchburg area was the hardest-hit in the commonwealth, with construction employment down by 27 percent in a single year.

The bleak construction employment picture makes the actions of a new state board even more inexcusable. The Board of Examiners of Sheet Metal Workers recently voted to adopt regulations that would cause more layoffs and dramatically hike consumer costs.

Sheet metal is involved almost every time someone works on air conditioning equipment or a furnace, and it’s a big part of the public construction projects funded with your tax dollars. A new law requires sheet metal workers to be licensed, but the board’s actions don’t further the worthy goals of higher professionalism and safety standards.

In sheet metal and other trades, companies routinely have one experienced employee, called a journeyperson, work with each less-experienced apprentice. But the proposed regulations would require three journeyperson sheet metal workers for each apprentice on commercial and large residential jobs.

Under prevailing wage laws that apply to public construction in Massachusetts, a journeyperson sheet metal worker earns about $61 per hour; an apprentice starts at around $24. In this economy, companies will lay off apprentices, not hire more high-wage journeypersons, to comply with the regulations.

Outlandish training requirements would raise costs even further. The board would require up to five years of training to achieve journeyperson status, including 750 hours of classroom time — more than is required for far more complex trades such as plumbing and electrical. To give you an idea of how absurd the proposed regulations are, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires just three years of training for licensure to operate a nuclear power plant.

New ratio- and training-related costs would be passed on to already tapped-out consumers in the form of up to 30 percent increases in the price of heating, ventilation and air conditioning jobs, resulting in less work and still more layoffs.

The reason the Board of Examiners of Sheet Metal Workers would vote to adopt such absurd regulations is explained by the five gubernatorial appointees to the seven-member board. Ignoring requirements set out in the law that created the board, Gov. Patrick selected three union officials and two executives from union contractors. Open shop and residential contractors who make up a vast majority of the industry are not represented.

The proposed regulations promote two goals. First, they would improve the competitive position of politically wired unions by imposing a bloated union cost structure on the 80 percent of the industry that isn’t unionized. Currently, freedom from onerous work rules routinely allows the open shop to underbid union contractors.

Second, the regulations would protect senior union members by making it difficult for new journeypersons to be licensed. Even though times are tough now, long-term projections forecast construction labor shortages. Absurd training requirements will exacerbate the problem by chasing young people away from the industry.

The regulations are not yet finalized. In the coming months, they will be out for public comment and then public hearings will be held. There is still hope that sanity can be restored as they work their way through the process.

The nation is finally showing signs of economic recovery. But if new sheet metal regulations are finalized that would benefit a small minority of the trade at the expense of higher consumer costs and more layoffs, they would stand as a clear example of why the Massachusetts economy continues to lag.

Donald Chaisson is president of the New England chapter of Air Conditioning Contractors of America; Greg Beeman is president of Associated Builders and Contractors of Massachusetts.

Here’s the link to this article online:  http://www.telegram.com/article/20091117/NEWS/911170355/1054/OPINION

Herald Article: State board compounds economic misery

Op-Ed Appearing in

By Donald Chaisson and Greg Beeman   |   Friday, November 6, 2009  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Op-Ed

The nation’s economy finally began to grow in the third quarter of this year. But the hopeful national economic report makes it even harder to stomach news that the Massachusetts economy shrank yet again.

So did state revenues. As a result, Gov. Deval Patrick announced yet another round of emergency budget cuts and eliminated nearly 1,000 state jobs to plug a $600 million gap.

No sector has been harder hit by the recession than the construction industry. State construction employment plummeted by 18 percent in the past year, compared to a 13 percent national drop.

Metropolitan Boston accounted for the biggest chunk of those losses. There are nearly 12,000 fewer construction jobs in the area than there were a year ago.

A bleak construction employment picture makes the actions of a new state board even more inexcusable. The Board of Examiners of Sheet Metal Workers recently voted to adopt regulations that would cause more layoffs and dramatically hike consumer costs.

Sheet metal is involved almost every time someone works on air conditioning equipment or a furnace, and it’s a big part of the public construction projects funded with your tax dollars.

In sheet metal and other trades, companies routinely have one experienced employee, called a journeyperson, work with each less-experienced apprentice. But the proposed regulations would require three journeyperson sheet metal workers for each apprentice on commercial and large residential jobs.

Under prevailing wage laws that apply to public construction in Massachusetts, a journeyperson sheet metal worker earns about $61 per hour; an apprentice starts at around $24. In this economy, companies will lay off apprentices, not hire more high-wage journeypersons, to comply with the regulations.

Outlandish training requirements would raise costs even further. The board would require up to six years of training to achieve journeyperson status, including 750 hours of classroom time – more than is required for far more complex trades like plumbing and electrical. To give you an idea of how absurd the proposed regulations are, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires just three years of training for licensure to operate a nuclear power plant.

The reason the Board of Examiners of Sheet Metal Workers would vote to adopt such absurd regulations is explained by the five gubernatorial appointees to the seven-member board. Ignoring requirements set out in the law that created the board, Patrick selected three union officials and two executives from union contractors.

The proposed regulations promote two goals. First, they would improve the competitive position of politically wired unions by imposing a bloated union cost structure on the 80 percent of the industry that isn’t unionized. Second, they would protect senior union members by making it difficult for new journeypersons to be licensed.

The proposed regulations must still go through months of public comment and hearings. If sanity isn’t restored before they are finalized, they will stand as a clear example of why Massachusetts continues to lag even as the national economy begins to recover.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?articleid=1209990

CPS Heating & Cooling Honored as 2009 Community Partner for Youth by Boys & Girls Clubs of Metrowest

ACCA Member, Marlborough-based CPS Receives Recognition For Its Support and Contributions to the Organization and the Community

CPS Heating & Cooling has received recognition from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metrowest as the organization’s 2009 Community Partner for Youth.  CPS received this recognition for its financial support as well as contributions of its professional expertise to ensure the comfort of the Boys & Girls Club clubhouses. CPS personnel also volunteer their time to serve on Boys & Girls Club committees and assist with events. 

12 New England HVAC firms honored with COOL SMART awards for excellence at annual ACCA golf tournament

Regional firms received 18 COOL SMART awards for their outstanding performance at the annual ACCA – New England Golf Tournament in September. The program is sponsored by National Grid, NSTAR Electric and Western Massachusetts Electric Co.

Ellis Guiles, media personality, national “green” expert, vice president of TAG Mechanical Systems in N.Y., and advocate of quality installation programs, was the keynote speaker at the luncheon. He said, “By participating in the COOL SMART program, you all have a tremendous opportunity to distinguish yourselves from the competition and preserve the environment through energy efficiency. Quality installation means less pollution. By installing more energy efficient systems, you are helping customers by cutting their energy bills. The COOL SMART program ensures they get the highest performing system that will save them a lot of money in the long run.”

The COOL SMART awards are based on leadership, quality installations and active program participation.

First place award recipients from Massachusetts are as follows:

• Berry Mechanical Services (Haverhill)
• Boucher Energy Systems – three awards (Mendon)
• Central Cooling & Heating – two awards (Woburn)
• Chaves Heating and Air Conditioning – two awards (Hudson)
• Distributor Corporation of New England (Malden)
• Eaton Mechanical (Brockton)
• Heating and Air Conditioning Services, Inc. (West Bridgewater)
• Mark E. Meacham, Inc. (Charlton)
• Needham Oil and Air – two awards (Needham)
• Wilson Services (Northampton)

Top Rhode Island award recipients are as follows:

• Carjon Air Conditioning and Heating – two awards (Smithfield)
• Restivo’s Heating and Air Conditioning (Johnston)

Launched in 2003, COOL SMART is a central air conditioner rebate program for National Grid, NSTAR Electric and Western Massachusetts Electric Co. residential customers in Mass. and R.I. The initiative promotes the purchase and installation of ENERGY STAR®-qualified residential HVAC systems. The COOL SMART program has been the exclusive presenting sponsor of the ACCA Golf Tournament for four consecutive years. The ACCA’s awards provide the utility sponsors with an opportunity to recognize and applaud identified HVAC contractors for displaying a strong commitment to their customers and the environment.

To find out about becoming a COOL SMART contractor, or for general program information, visit www.mycoolsmart.com  or call 1-800-473-1105.

A Message from ACCA New England President, Don Chaisson:

2009 has been a challenging year for Air Conditioning contractors, as it has been for all businesses.

We have seen decreases in business and residential spending, resulting in limited opportunities to bid work, increases in costs which strain our cash flow, as well as the implementation of a new Sheet Metal Licensing Law in Massachusetts which will require our businesses to comply with additional rules and regulations.

On the national scene we have the pending “Card Check” legislation, which would strip your employees of their right to a secret ballot should work place elections be held and allow unions to increase their activities; the National Healthcare debate, which will ultimately add costs; Stimulus Spending, an opportunity; Cap and Trade Legislation; Energy Tax Credits; and DOE Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program; the list is long.

And talk about climate change — the business climate for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration contractors has never been so fraught with peril and so ripe of opportunities.

ACCA New England’s Board is working hard to make us the best organization to serve the needs of the professional HVAC & R contractor. We ask that you participate fully, and help us realize that goal.

Whether a member or a guest, we urge you to attend our October 21st Dinner meeting in Westborough. If there is a time for Air Conditioning professionals to join together, it is now.

If you are involved in this industry, you need to be involved in this organization. As we plan for 2010 and beyond, it is essential we work together and speak as one voice, for the betterment and improvement of our industry. We seek fairness in regulation and in opportunities.

Donald H. Chaisson
2009/2010 President, ACCA New England Chapter

Golf Tournament Photos

View the slideshow of photos from the recent tournament,
courtesy of Baystate Financial Services.

Division of Professional Licensure – Email List

Subscribe to receive notices from the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure here:

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=ocautilities&L=1&sid=Eoca&U=subscribe_to_dpl_notices

Signing up to this email list will ensure that you receive copies of the agendas and minutes from the meetings of the Board of Sheet Metal Workers, as well as copies of the latest draft of proposed regulations, and any other board announcements.

ACCA’s October Meeting: Why What Happens in Washington Matters to the HVACR Industry

October Dinner Meeting:
Wednesday, October 21   –   5:30 pm
Doubletree Hotel, Westborough, MA

October Meeting Sponsored by:

The October meeting will begin with an overall update on the status of Sheet Metal Licensing in Mass.  ACCA’s own Don Chaisson and Ivan Quinchia of Air Purchases, Inc. have helped keep ACCA at the forefront of this issue.  They will provide an update on our activities and the current status of the regulations being put forth by the Massachusetts Board of Examiners of Sheet Metal Workers.       Register to Attend Using this Form (click)

Following this update, the meeting will feature our special guest speaker from Washington:

The new Congress and Obama Administration have set a very different policy agenda from the Bush years, and it certainly will impact the HVACR industry and its small business contractors.

Cap and Trade proposals, Health Care Reform, and Card Check Legislation may be just the beginning. With such an ambitious agenda, big changes from Capitol Hill could dramatically impact the way you do business unless our unique industry makes its voice heard in Washington.   And let’s not forget the regulatory process.  The Department of Energy is gearing up changes to the minimum SEER ratings for central air conditioners and heat pumps, along with potential regional standards for all HVAC equipment.

ACCA NE is pleased to welcome ACCA’s Washington-based VP of Government Affairs, Charlie McCrudden as our guest speaker for the October meeting.  Attend to learn how to get what you want from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government by being an effective citizen lobbyist. Your input can make a difference in deciding what kind of policies come out of Washington. 

Harold Albert Rohloff, Rest in Peace

September 16th, 2009

Longtime ACCA Member and Friend, Harold Albert Rohloff, of Woodstock, Connecticut died on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at the age of 67. Harold was the beloved husband of Margaret (Hogan) Rohloff.  In addition to his wife Margaret, Harold left two sons, Harold Andrew Rohloff of Woodstock; John Michael Rohloff and his wife Nicki of Westborough, MA; two beloved granddaughters Meghan Katherine Rohloff and Rylie Elizabeth Rohloff; and two sisters Claire Miller of Bloomsbury, NJ; and Alice Kendrick of Midlothian, VA.

Harold was born in Dover, NJ, on September 21, 1941, son of Harold Alfred and Margaret (Grether) Rohloff.

ACCA Conference: Need a Reason? Here are 20!

There are plenty of reasons to attend the 42nd Annual ACCA Conference and Indoor Air Expo, but here’s the thing—you’re not going to know which one is the most important for your business until you come. Will you meet a supplier on the Expo floor that gives you a new business solution you hadn’t known about? Will you attend a session from a top-notch presenter that drives your revenue growth into an area you’ve never considered? You’ll just have to attend to find out.

Here are 20 reasons you should make your plans to join the nation’s top contractors March 7-9 in Tampa, Fla.:

1. ACCA is the only contractor training conference whose program is designed by contractors! Our program is set by a survey of ACCA members who tell us what topics they want to know more about. We find the right contractors and experts who can share real-world knowledge about the subjects you want to know about.

2. More than 25 exciting breakout sessions taught by leading HVACR industry contractors and experts will help you take home information you can actually use.