ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has released the March results of its Contractor Comfort Index (CCI), a leading economic indicator for HVACR businesses. Looking to the near-term future, contractors report having somewhat favorable prospects, resulting in a CCI of 60. The number is moderately more favorable than last month’s indicator of 55.

“Though there are still some significant economic hurdles in the marketplace, contractors are continuing to see short-term prospects that are favorable,” said John Sedine, ACCA’s chairman of the board. “More contractors are seeing new business and existing business opportunities move from the realm of ‘poor’ to ‘fair’ and that’s pushing sentiment farther into growth territory.”

The ACCA index is specific to HVACR contractors’ businesses. It gauges how contractors are feeling about new business prospects, existing business activity, and expected staffing decisions. Averaged into one number, a CCI rating higher than 50 reflects anticipated growth and one lower than 50 indicates expected contraction in the marketplace.

“In only its second month, the CCI is already showing us the general direction of contractors’ perceptions of the marketplace,” said Paul T. Stalknecht, president and CEO of ACCA. “Over time, this tool will become increasingly essential in tracking and predicting the HVACR business cycle.”

The CCI is released monthly in the week preceding the start of a new month. The next CCI number will be released the week of April 26, 2010.

Publication date: 03/22/2010