NewsNewsline

ACCA Launches RHC Council

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has announced the launch of a new Radiant & Hydronics Council (RHC) within ACCA to provide specific services to this segment of the HVACR industry. According to ACCA, the changing indoor environment sector requires contractors of all kinds to master a wide variety of technologies including air, hydronic, solar, geothermal, and other alternative energy services. The addition of the RHC to the ACCA umbrella is a key part of the association’s strategic plan to help its members compete in the modern business climate.

“Radiant contractors have been seeking a dynamic, contractor-focused organization for some time, and many have asked ACCA to expand an emphasis into that sector,” said Joe Nichter, ACCA 2011-2012 chairman. “The RHC will provide first-class representation and services for radiant and hydronics professionals that wish to be the best in their field.”

The RHC’s initial scope of work includes:

• The addition of a new Radiant & Hydronics educational track at the 2012 ACCA Conference, held March 5-8 in Las Vegas;

• The launch of a new monthly e-newsletter, Radiant Trends, specifically for RHC members;

• Development of a new two-day educational meeting specifically for radiant and hydronics professionals — the Hydronics Roundtable — to be held fall 2012 as part of ACCA’s annual Contracting Week;

• Development of a new radiant-specific section of the ACCA website, featuring webinars, articles, and resources exclusively for RHC members;

• Addition of a hydronics-specific contractor directory on the ACCA website; and

• Inclusion of RHC input into ACCA’s broader activities in government relations, industry advocacy, education, communications, and standards development.

Looking for quick answers on air conditioning, heating and refrigeration topics? Try Ask ACHR NEWS, our new smart AI search tool. Ask ACHR NEWS

The RHC will be guided by an advisory committee. The first chairman of the RHC Advisory Council will be Dan Foley. Foley is president of Foley Mechanical in Lorton, Va., a past chairman of the Radiant Panel Association (RPA).

In addition to Foley, others serving on the RHC Advisory Committee are:

• Greg Jannone, William Jannone & Son, Bound Brook, N.J. (past chair, RPA);

• John Abularrage, Advanced Radiant Design, Stone Ridge, N.Y.;

• Brian Stack, Stack Heating & Cooling, Avon, Ohio;

• John Siegenthaler, Appropriate Designs, Holland Patent, N.Y.;

• Mark Hottel, Harvey W. Hottel, Inc, Gaithersburg, Md.;

• Dave Yates, F.W. Behler, Inc., York, Pa.;

• Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr, Caleffi, Milwaukee (past chair, RPA); and

• Bill Shady, PE, Sustainable Design and Product Management, Santa Cruz, Calif.

“As a longtime active member of associations in both the air and radiant field, I am excited to see ACCA create this new organization,” said Foley. “It is definitely time for the many different elements of the indoor environment industry to come together under one umbrella for the betterment of all contractors. ACCA offers us an incredible opportunity to do just that. Since it is an organization of, by, and for the contractor, it gives us one strong voice in advocacy, while providing services specific to radiant professionals through the council.”

“The RHC is a continuing step as ACCA evolves with the changing industry,” Paul T. Stalknecht, ACCA president and CEO said. “We can’t wait to see radiant- and hydronic-focused contractors reap the benefits of the council. It’s going to be an exciting year.”

Membership in RHC will be open to all ACCA member companies; in addition to ACCA membership dues, an additional yearly fee will be charged for participation in the council.

For more information, contact Kimya Bailey Cajchun at radiant@acca.org or 703-824-8845, or go to www.acca.org.

Publication date: 11/14/2011