03/17/2010
ACCA Ceases Endorsement of USA Refrigerants
HARDI is pleased to announce that after extensive discussions between the two organizations, the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has ceased its endorsement of USA Refrigerant’s refrigerant reclamation program. Since the announcement of the endorsement of USA Refrigerants last year intended to provide ACCA members with a nationally uniform refrigerant reclamation program, HARDI and our distributor members who operate over 2,000 locations across the United States where HVACR contractors can turn in recovered refrigerants (a full directory of which can be seen here) have expressed major opposition and urged for a cessation of the relationship.
On March 11, 2010, ACCA’s leadership sent a letter to USA Refrigerants announcing that they needed to end their exclusive relationship for refrigerant reclamation services because “the maintenance of harmony between ACCA and HARDI is critical to both organizations and to the entire HVACR industry. Discord in relations between our organizations is not healthy and any particular item of contention must be addressed for the better good of all parties.”
HARDI’s Executive Vice President & COO, Donald Frendberg praises ACCA’s decision saying, “I cannot overstate the importance of ACCA’s difficult decision on this issue. Doing so eliminates a barrier to what has become a highly effective, trusting, and powerful partnership between our two organizations. This announcement ensures that this strong alliance on many vital issues -particularly at this crucial time- will remain united and coordinated to pursue the best interests of the industry’s contractors and wholesale distributors”.
In the letter to HARDI announcing its decision regarding the USA Refrigerants program, ACCA’s President & Chief Executive Officer, Paul Stalknecht urged that this positive momentum behind a renewed ACCA-HARDI partnership now be focused on addressing ACCA concerns regarding the proliferation of unlicensed contractors. HARDI has agreed to take up the issue and is currently discussing next steps which could include a summit for HARDI members to begin initial considerations of ways to support ACCA’s contractor licensure objectives.
HARDI now asks that our members renew and grow their support for ACCA activities and initiatives including those of their regional chapters because we see a challenging time ahead that will only reach positive outcomes through very close and coordinated efforts between the two organizations. |
