BUFORD, Georgia — Ron Smith has touched thousands of people in the HVAC industry, ignited successful business strategies for struggling contractors, launched and sold innovative enterprises, and according to one contractor testimonial, “he transformed my life.” The simplest of concepts such as a retail salesperson, which contractors now take for granted, was introduced by Smith. On March 29, 2022, approximately 40 industry leaders, friends, and family joined to honor his accomplishments and contributions. Six signatories proclaimed that Ron Smith shall hereafter be known as The Father of Modern Contracting Business Practices, and Matt Michel, President of Service Nation Alliance presented the proclamation to Smith. Other signatories included: The ACHR NEWS, Southern PHC, HVACR Business magazine, HARDI, AHRI, ACCA, and Contracting Business magazine.
From writing articles and books dedicated to the industry to creating the first residential service agreement, Smith is recognized as being one of the first contractors (Modern Air Conditioning, Ft. Myers, Florida) to focus on residential service and replacement as a profit center. He dedicated his career to first mastering everything before he taught it to fellow contractors. Rick Busby of Busby Heating and Air Conditioning, Augusta, Georgia first met Smith in 1990.