The Florida Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (FRACCA) held its 2021 Annual Conference virtually on March 24, 2021. The 2-hour Zoom event featured guest speakers discussing topics which impact how contractors conduct their businesses.

Attorney Tray Batcher of Cotney Construction Law Group provided an update on the latest American Rescue Plan and encouraged FARCCA members to take advantage of their free 15-minute consultation to discuss their specific coverages.

Florida state legislation activity was discussed by attorney Clayton Osteen of Courtney Construction Lobbying. The legislature was in week 4 of the current session and both branches had submitted their budgets with sea level rise a consensus major concern. A topic of particular interest to contractors this session is incentivizing municipalities to provide reasons for denying permit applications.
Dale Carnegie Partner and Trainer Christine Ramirez emphasized the importance of staying resilient in tumultuous times and adapting to changes like the prevalence of Zoom meetings. “If we’re gong to be resilient, we have to take care of ourselves and commit to human relations principles as outlined in the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie,” she stated.

“While many people preach common sense, it’s not commonly practiced.”

Author and speaker Carter Stanfield discussed the changes in refrigerants that are going to take place…or not. “There aren’t many changes for this year,” Carter explained. “While R410a is being replaced, it won’t be until 2023 -2025, earliest and even then, will still be available.” He emphasized how long it takes for new codes to take effect and the meaning of the new replacement refrigerant flammability issues.

Austin Bass, Account Executive and Association Liaison for Federated Insurance, presented some areas of commercial insurance for contractors to be aware of. “Mold and fungi have been big issues lately and coverage is not typically standard in business liability insurance,” he stated. “Industry umbrella policies are changing and there is some uncertainty in worker’s comp policies as they relate to COVID-19 cases.” Federated is making a concerted effort to step up risk management training to assist their clients in avoiding unforeseen pitfalls.
The conference concluded with FRACCA President Rick Sims expressing the hope that the 2022 Conference will be a live, in-person event and introducing William Barnes as the 2022 FRACCA President.