April 25, 2023
Boxboro Regency Hotel and Conference Center
Boxboro, MA - 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
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Special Thanks to ACA/NE Conference Exhibitors!
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Schedule
7:00 am - 9:00 am
Registration - Promenade Foyer
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Exhibitor Visits - Federal Room
9:00 am – 9:30 am
Opening General Session - Colonial Room
State of the Industry – Legislative and Advocacy Update
Presented by: Barton James, President and CEO, ACCA
9:30 am – 10:00 am
Refreshment Break and Exhibitor Visits - Federal Room
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Technical Training Seminar - Cotillion Room
Heat Pumps, the Northeast, and You: A Service Technician’s Guide to Servicing Heat Pumps
Presented by: Craig Johnson, Mitsubishi Regional Technical Support Manager, Homans Associates
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Management Seminar - Seminar Room
Industry Town Hall Featuring Contractors and Building Officials
Moderator
Chris Morin, Area Manager - Residential, E. MA & RI, Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating
Panelists
Joel Boucher, Comfort Consultant, Boucher Energy
Patrick Franey, Building Commissioner, Town of East Bridgewater
Sam Joslin, Building Commissioner, Town of West Newbury and Town of Groveland
John Sinclaire, Owner, Sinclaire Home Services
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Lunch, Raffles, and Networking - Courtyard
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Technical Training Seminar - Cotillion Room
Heat Pump – Cold Climate & Design Training
Presented by: Tim Burton, Training and Technical Support Manager, SG Torrice
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Management Seminar - Seminar Room
Investing in Your Business | Screening, Hiring, and Retaining Employees
Presented by: Marshal Conklin, Marketing Representative, Federated Insurance
2:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Refreshment Break and Exhibitor Visits
2:15 pm - 3:30 pm
Management Seminar - Seminar Room
Verifying Residential Load Calculations for Building Permits
Presented by: Chris Morin, HVAC Pro Blog
Registration - Promenade Foyer
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Exhibitor Visits - Federal Room
9:00 am – 9:30 am
Opening General Session - Colonial Room
State of the Industry – Legislative and Advocacy Update
Presented by: Barton James, President and CEO, ACCA
9:30 am – 10:00 am
Refreshment Break and Exhibitor Visits - Federal Room
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Technical Training Seminar - Cotillion Room
Heat Pumps, the Northeast, and You: A Service Technician’s Guide to Servicing Heat Pumps
Presented by: Craig Johnson, Mitsubishi Regional Technical Support Manager, Homans Associates
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Management Seminar - Seminar Room
Industry Town Hall Featuring Contractors and Building Officials
Moderator
Chris Morin, Area Manager - Residential, E. MA & RI, Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating
Panelists
Joel Boucher, Comfort Consultant, Boucher Energy
Patrick Franey, Building Commissioner, Town of East Bridgewater
Sam Joslin, Building Commissioner, Town of West Newbury and Town of Groveland
John Sinclaire, Owner, Sinclaire Home Services
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Lunch, Raffles, and Networking - Courtyard
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Technical Training Seminar - Cotillion Room
Heat Pump – Cold Climate & Design Training
Presented by: Tim Burton, Training and Technical Support Manager, SG Torrice
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Management Seminar - Seminar Room
Investing in Your Business | Screening, Hiring, and Retaining Employees
Presented by: Marshal Conklin, Marketing Representative, Federated Insurance
2:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Refreshment Break and Exhibitor Visits
2:15 pm - 3:30 pm
Management Seminar - Seminar Room
Verifying Residential Load Calculations for Building Permits
Presented by: Chris Morin, HVAC Pro Blog
FEES
Contractor Fees
First Contractor Member: $150
Additional Contractor Members: $125
Non-Member Contractors: $200
Exhibitor Fees
Members: $500 per company, for two people
Non-Members: $750 per company, for two people
Additional sponsor attendees can register for $80 per person.
Interested in joining ACA/NE? If you join ACA/NE before the Conference, your company will receive two (2) complimentary registrations to attend! Email Katie Burke for more information and/or questions!
First Contractor Member: $150
Additional Contractor Members: $125
Non-Member Contractors: $200
Exhibitor Fees
Members: $500 per company, for two people
Non-Members: $750 per company, for two people
Additional sponsor attendees can register for $80 per person.
Interested in joining ACA/NE? If you join ACA/NE before the Conference, your company will receive two (2) complimentary registrations to attend! Email Katie Burke for more information and/or questions!
Session abstracts
Opening General Joint Session | State of the Industry – Legislative and Advocacy Update
Presented by: Barton James, President and CEO, ACCA
In 2022, ACCA and ACA/NE teamed up to help you and your business survive and thrive in this era of bigger government, increased regulatory burdens, and supply chain challenges. ACCA President and CEO Barton James will discuss how Washington set the stage for disruptive years ahead with a rapid phasedown of R-410A, a transition to flammable refrigerants, a ban on disposable cylinders, and tightening efficiency standards. But with Congress divided, the battleground is shifting to the states – and blue states in particular – where advocates are pushing to go beyond federal standards with bans on gas appliances and mandates for refrigerants that don’t even exist yet. These changes in how energy is produced and consumed are certainly a challenge, but our renewed alliance will help savvy contractors find exciting new opportunities in this environment.
Heat Pump – Cold Climate & Design Training (Session # 2)
Presented by Tim Burton, Training and Technical Support Manager, SG Torrice
This session is the 90-minute version of a five-hour class conducted by Tim Burton.
The session will cover the general differences between traditional heat pumps and cold climate heat pumps and some of the refrigeration cycle basics. Armed with the basics of Cold Climate Heat pumps, we will discuss their many applications and how to address their questions and concerns. Once we establish where to use them and why we will take about proper design practices to ensure we apply them successfully. Our goal for the end of this class is to prepare you to utilize cold climate heat pumps effectively and profitably in your business.
Industry Town Hall Featuring Contractors and Building Officials
Moderator
Chris Morin, Area Manager - Residential, E. MA & RI, Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating
Current Panelists
Joel Boucher, Comfort Consultant, Boucher Energy
Patrick Franey, Building Commissioner, Town of East Bridgewater
Sam Joslin, Building Commissioner, Town of West Newbury and Town of Groveland
John Sinclaire, Owner, Sinclaire Home Services
This session is intended to give building officials and HVAC contractors a chance to network, share interests, and improve communication to reduce some of the uncertainty surrounding residential construction that is now an issue.
Some of the discussion topics will include:
- Building and Energy Codes;
- Manual S and J Reports;
- HERS Rater issues; and
- HVAC/R Construction Supervisors License (CSL)
Investing in Your Business | Screening, Hiring, and Retaining Employees
Presented by: Marshal Conklin, Marketing Representative, Federated Insurance
Investing in Your Business
Every business has long-term goals. Two things need to happen to achieve those goals: retain your key employees and have an exit strategy. Entrepreneurs have built their businesses through hard work and sacrifice. These owners deserve a great exit package, which means knowing what your business is worth. This presentation will focus on rewarding key employees and price and common business valuation mistakes.
Screening, Hiring, and Retaining Employees
A company’s hiring and employee retention practices communicate much about itsculture. Many employers agree that bringing qualified applicants into their business is one of their primary challenges, and today’s competitive employment market can make it even harder to land top talent. This discussion focuses on ways to find quality applicants in your industry, establish strong and consistent hiring practices, and reinforces the value of continuous recruiting and employee retention to distinguish you as an “employer of choice.”
Verifying Residential Load Calculations for Building Permits
Presented by Chris Morin, HVAC Pro Blog
ACCA Manual J v8 Load Calculations are a Building Code Requirement across the country. When you pull a building permit, what information do you need to provide? What should the Building Inspector be looking for? What allowances are made to consider the load calc is accurate?
- Learn the Code Reference for Residential System Design Requirements
- Discover the Examiner’s Review Form and supporting documents needed when applying for a building permit for HVAC replacement or installation.
- Learn which factors impact the load calculation the most.
- Discuss allowable variances in load calculations for verification.
Meet the speakers
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Barton James serves as the president and chief executive officer of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, a (501©(6) non-profit organization and President of the Educational Institute, the ACCA’s workforce development and education (501©(3) organization. ACCA is the largest North America trade association dedicated to representing HVACR residential and commercial businesses. Bart is a leading advocate for over 3000 businesses that employ over 100,000 men and women who are responsible for designing, installing, and maintaining HVACR systems that heat and cool our homes and offices, protect our food supply, ensure the possibility of modern medicine, and enable data centers to operate. In the United States alone, this equals over $160 billion in annual sales.
Since Bart took the helm, the ACCA has dramatically expanded its issue advocacy and enhanced the organization’s influence and ability to mobilize at the state and local level to fight for contractor’s interests. Simultaneously, ACCA’s Political Action Committee (ACCA PAC) has grown to the largest in the HVACR Industry. With HVACR contractors facing an urgent need for talented and skilled workers, Bart is also a champion for connecting more Americans with rewarding careers in the modern HVACR industry and closing the opportunity gap. Under Bart’s leadership, the ACCA has become a trusted resource for services and networking to support the business development interest of HVACR contractors, all while maintaining and expanding ACCA’s long history of setting and maintaining the standards and recognition for the importance of quality installation and service and maintenance. Bart is recognized as forceful and effective leader in the HVACR Industry. In 2021 he guided the advocacy work during the COVID-19 pandemic that secured the “essential” designation for the HVACR industry. He also changed the depreciation schedule for commercial HVAC equipment from 39.5 year deprecation schedule to immediate in 2018 as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Read More… |
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Tim Burton is currently the Training and Technical Support Manager at S.G. Torrice. Before taking on this role, Tim was the Territory Manager at S. G. Torrice, in Portland, Maine.
Tim has been with S.G. Torrice since 2019. He is an experienced Sales Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the wholesale industry. His skills include negotiation, HVAC, business planning, and operations management. He has also worked at Johnstone Supply, Penske Truck Leasing, and NAPA Auto Parts. He graduated from the University of Maine in 2020. Joel Boucher is the Sales Manager at Boucher Energy in Mendon, MA. He has worked in all aspects of the business, including service work and installations. He is frequently called upon to present the benefits of heat pumps and properly designed and installed HVAC systems to the environmental groups in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Joel is also a member of the ACA/NE Board of Directors. Marshall Conklin is a Marketing Representative for Federated Insurance. He has been with Federated since 2018. Before this, Marshall was a Cloud Solutions Executive with Vonage. He excelled in this outside sales role by being aggressive in the field, developing strong marketing skills, and building rapport with strategic business partners. Marshall is a graduate of Monmouth University. Patrick Franey is the Building Commissioner for the Town of East Bridgewater. Patrick entered the residential construction field immediately after high school and remained in the home building industry for over 25 years before becoming a building inspector. During that time, he also worked for family members in the HVAC industry. Patrick also serves on the ACA/NE Contractor/Building Inspectors Working Group. Craig Johnson has been the Homans Associates Mitsubishi Regional Technical Support Manager for 15 years. He has experience as a Service Technician/Installer and in Sheet Metal Fabrication/installation. Craig is a Licensed HVAC Service Technician and HVAC Lead Installer specializing in industrial, commercial, and residential construction. He studied Sheet Metal Fabrication at Northeast Metro Tech and HVAC at The Peterson School. Sam Joslin has spent the last 20 years as an ICC Certified Building Official and Massachusetts Building Commissioner and works in the Towns of West Newbury and Groveland, Massachusetts. He is a past vice-president, and current director, for the Massachusetts Building Commissioners and Inspectors Association (MBCIA) and served as treasurer for the New England Building Officials Education Association (NEBOEA). Sam is also a Massachusetts registered course coordinator and instructor providing contractors with state-required continuing education credits toward license renewal. Sam’s background is in construction, where he spent 15 years as a 3rd generation contractor/owner of the family business. Chris Morin is the Eastern MA and RI Regional Sales Manager for America's leading ductless manufacturer: Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating. Chris started carrying tools at age 16, graduated from Minuteman Regional Vocational, and promptly entered the U.S. Marines as a Refrigeration Mechanic, where he served two tours in Iraq. Returning home, he was a Service Technician, then Service Manager, before working for an MA-based utility rebate program implementer as an HVAC Specialist/Trainer. An ACCA Residential System Design Instructor, Chris' experience includes consulting contractors and technicians on proper system design, quality installation, and system diagnosis – both in the classroom and the field. In his spare time, Chris author’s the successful HVAC Prog Blog. Chris holds a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Phoenix, MA Master Sheet Metal License, BPI Building Analyst & IDL, and NATE Certifications in Installation and Service for Heat Pumps, Air-Conditioning, and Gas Furnaces. John Sinclaire owns Sinclaire Home Services, based in Walpole, MA. Since 1980 John has been involved in the service and installation of HVAC systems. He started designing systems in 1982 and picked up geothermal in 2005. From the beginning, he has installed and serviced various systems. He keeps track of all energy and manufacturer rebates and tax incentives to find the best option for each installation. John is a member of NEFI- New England Fuel Institute, MOC- Massachusetts Oilheat Council, IGSHPA-International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, SEIA- Solar Energy Industries Association, and the United States Chamber of Commerce. John has a BS in accounting/business from Southern New Hampshire University. John is a long-time ACA/NE Board of Directors member and former president. |
Attendees List
Click here to view the Conference Attendee List!
CONTRACTOR BENEFITS
Conference will include workshops for technicians, owners, office and sales staff. HVAC/R contractors should attend the conference to:
- Have an opportunity to network and build relationships with industry colleagues;
- Receive refresher training and prepare for the spring and summer busy season;
- Sharpen your skills, expand your knowledge and find solutions to common HVAC/R installation problems; and
- Engage with trader partners in person and see and learn about new products and services.
EXHIBITOR BENEFITS
Conference gives HVAC/R vendors the chance to promote their products and services with industry leader and increase their company visibility! Sponsorship includes:
- Access to key contractors, business owners, principals, and HVAC technicians, at one time and in one place;
- A six-foot draped table-top exhibit;
- Your linked logo on the ACA/NE website;
- Special recognition during the conference, in the marketing materials and on the event website page, and
- Registration, breakfast and lunch for two people.