Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; former major league baseball player Jim Abbott; author Stephen M.R. Covey; United Association General President William Hite; college basketball analyst Dick Vitale; and others will be a part of the 2008 Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) Convention.

Over the last few years, contractor acquisitions and consolidations have been taking place “under the radar,” so to speak. More and more contractors - as well as groups, networks, and consolidators - have been “quietly” growing their respective businesses by purchasing or merging with other firms. Here are the pros and cons of growth through acquisition.

Never met Dr. Patricia Stanley, but I will be crossing paths with the deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Vocational and Adult Education twice next month. Dr. Stanley is the scheduled keynote speaker for both the HVACR & Plumbing Instructor Workshop and the HVACR Educators & Trainers Conference.

Sensors and transmitters continue to be upgraded and improved upon. In alphabetical order, here are what manufacturers introduced as new at the 2008 Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo).

I should have given these to you earlier. However, here are just a few of the headlines you will not see in The NEWS this year.

Since the final day of the AHR Expo is usually slow and laborious, why not make the best of it? After all, how often do we have this many manufacturers together under one roof? Rather than have each waste time and money, why not fill the place with the general public, media, students, and everyone else in between. Let’s do whatever it takes to spread the good word about this industry.

When it comes to test instruments and monitors, there are two words to remember: infrared and digital. It’s the way diagnostic tools are headed, based upon what manufacturers introduced at the 2008 Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo).

Duct cleaning equipment and products are becoming more and more sophisticated. Proof was at the 2008 Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo).

While at the 2008 Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition, I was invited to visit the booth of the National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEEB). It had some information to pass along.

Sure, Tommy Castellano could be considered slightly biased on the subject. After all, the owner of Castellano Air Conditioning is the 2008 chair of the ACCA Program Advisory Committee. It’s only natural that he believe the multitude of workshops to be offered at this year’s ACCA Conference are going to be exceptional.