The South West Florida Air Conditioning Contractors Association (SWACCA) hosted their annual Officers and Directors Installation and Awards Meeting on February 5, 2019 at the Embassy Suites in Estero, FL.

2019 President Tim Dupre, Vice President Mike Antonucci and Directors Rick Sims, Doug Harsanyi, Michael Porter, Ken Danziger and Don Condee were sworn in, joining Secretary/Treasurer Peter Pietruszko, Past President Marc Labuzienski and Directors William Barnes, Jim Britton, and Jim Roberts on the 2019 Board of Directors.

Incoming President Tim Dupre stated in his acceptance address “It’s very important for us to drive contacts with our members and inform other contractors about our Association. Something we take a lot of pride in is protecting the industry that many of us have dedicated our lives to and in order to be able to do that we need to know what challenges our members face in their businesses. If you consider the value SWACCA provides to its members, as well as the FRACCA conference, where else could you go to leverage the knowledge of others in the industry in bettering your business?”

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the SWACCA 2019 HVAC Industry Pioneer Award. This year, two contractors, Dave Harmer of First Class Air Conditioning and Paul Jackson of Jackson Total Service Inc. were recognized for 40+ years as leaders and role models in paving the way for future professionals in the South West Florida HVAC industry.

Federated Insurance representative John Ballard concluded the meeting with a discussion on vehicle liability. “From a contractor’s liability standpoint, vehicle liability is their greatest risk from a claims perspective. It’s the toughest thing to manage as a business owner. They expose themselves, their employees, their customers, their reputation and it impacts profitability. Distracted driving continues to be an epidemic, but it is not the only factor in vehicle crashes. There are three other major causes: speed, fatigue, and emotion, which are equally as important to address.”

For more information about SWACCA and how to become a member visit www.sw-acca.org or call 727-209-0890.