Hey there, HVAC and plumbing pros! Welcome back to the JB Warranties Monthly Round-Up Series, where we scan the web each month to uncover the latest industry trends, news, and current events to help keep you up to date. The JB Warranties team hopes you’ve had a smooth (and profitable) entrance to 2024 and are looking forward to what the industry holds for the remainder of the year!
In our January 2024 Round-Up, we kicked off the New Year by covering a variety of interesting hot topics, including the start of the 2024 EPA HFC reduction phase, LG’s introduction of new cutting-edge solutions at AHR Expo 2024, and Interplay Learning’s new workforce academy. Without further ado, let’s catch you up to speed by taking a look at the latest February developments.
1. ACCA Partners with Family Business-Centered Bipartisan Groups
This past month, Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) announced a new partnership with two family-centric organizations to help raise awareness around the importance of small, family-owned HVAC operations and their vital role in the U.S. workforce. The partnerships come at a time when roughly 59% (over 83 million jobs) of the U.S. workforce belongs to private companies.
ACCA’s first collaboration was with Family Enterprise USA, a national organization dedicated to advancing small, family-owned operations. With ACCA’s backing, Enterprise USA President Pat Soldano hopes to draw more attention to the importance of small business support amongst federal legislatures in Washington D.C. The next ACCA partnership was with the Family Business Coalition.
The Family Business Coalition is a joint effort of over 150 various associations working to better align legislative decision-makers with family business owners. As with Family Enterprise USA, ACCA’s backing of the Family Business Coalitions will help better advocate for industry changes, such as the reduction of certain regulatory burdens that impede small HVAC business growth.
2. AHRI Announces New A2L Refrigerant Building Code Map and Video Series
The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) announced the release of a new interactive map solution this month that will allow professionals to more effectively navigate the growing adoption of A2L refrigerants. AHRI aims to make this the go-to resource for professionals ranging from build inspectors to HVAC workers, as different states implement new legislation building codes regarding the transition to A2L.
When navigating the map, users can toggle to their location to gain instant access to a list of state and local-level refrigerant and AC codes or legislation that may coincide with their work. AHRI also released a new A2L video series this month that outlines various aspects of the refrigerant transition. Video topics include but are not limited to an A2L refrigerant overview, the A2L refrigerant transition 2024/2025 timeline, and A2L refrigerant handling.
3. Jobber Releases its Home Service Economic Report: 2023 Review and 2024 Outlook
Jobber, a leading provider of home and commercial service software, released its Home Service Economic Report this past month. The report provides an in-depth look into 2023 home service business performance, as well as predictions for 2024 expectations based on Jobber data from the more than 200,000 HVAC, plumbers, and electricians that utilize the platform’s services.
According to report findings, Jobber’s contracting segment, which includes HVAC and plumbing professionals, was able to maintain flat revenue growth in recent years as well as achieve positive growth on a 2-year annualized basis. While historically high inflation is impacting many different industries, the Jobber report found that service providers were able to maintain pricing power and grow revenue in 2023 by increasing service costs and providing add-on services.
In regards to 2024, ongoing inflation concerns, slowing consumer demand, and weaker housing markets have many home service providers on alert still. Fortunately, the Jobber report discusses that inflation is slowing down, which will help reduce supply chain pressures. This should allow providers to more easily source materials in 2024 while being able to lower costs due to greater availability.
4. AHR EXPO 2024 Recap
In late January, the International Air, Heating, and Refrigeration Association (AHR) Expo was held at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. While we might have teased this event in our previous Monthly Round-Up, the 2024 AHR Expo saw some pretty impressive visitor numbers this year, with a whopping 48,034 individuals in attendance alongside 1,875 exhibitors.
One of the leading topics of this year’s AHR Expo was decarbonization. Attendees had the chance to learn about and observe new sustainable innovations as well as participate in educational seminars that discussed hot topics such as changing refrigerant regulations. In total, the AHR 2024 educational program included 120 free sessions and 153 new product presentations.
As part of the Expo’s 2024 State of the Industry Panel discussion, visitors also got to sit in on other round tables covering focuses like building automation, AI, and its role in the future of energy conservation and planning. The next AHR Expo will be held from February 10 to 12, 2025 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, with registration expected to go live this summer.
5. Registration Opens for the 2024 RIDGID Experience
Emerson’s leading professional tool company, RIDGID, announced this month that they’ve opened submissions for their 2024 RIDGID Experience. This annual contest awards six tradespeople from across North America with an all-expenses paid trip to the RIDGID global headquarters in Elyria, Ohio from July 31 to August 2, 2024.
To celebrate hard work across various communities, winners will be given a tour of the RIDGID headquarters, custom pipe wrench suite seats to an MLB Cleveland Guardians game, and much more. Winners will also be given the unique opportunity to share their expert insights with RIDGID leadership in support of the company’s marketing, research, and product development efforts.
March 15th is the last day to enroll in the 2024 RIDGID Experience Contest, so act fast!
Tune Back in for the JB Warranties March Round-Up
Well, there you have it, folks! Another month in the books, and another example of how much can occur across the trades in just a couple weeks. The team here at JB Warranties encourages you to check back in next month, where we’ll detail the latest and greatest from the HVAC and plumbing industries. In the meanwhile, stay up to date with our weekly-updated JB Warranties blog!
Matt Cosby
Director of Marketing
