"The HVACR industry has moved far beyond the installation of boxes and a narrow focus on technical specs," said Stan Johnson, current Air Conditioning Contractors of America chairman and president of Stan's Air Conditioning & Heating.

The ACCA says attendees of its convention next month should be ready for some changes as the group looks beyond “the big picture.”

"The HVACR industry has moved far beyond the installation of boxes and a narrow focus on technical specs," said Stan Johnson, current Air Conditioning Contractors of America chairman and president of Stan's Air Conditioning & Heating. "Homes and buildings are whole systems of interrelated parts. HVACR is a very important component of that system, but it is just one component. If contractors are going to thrive and lead, we must lift our focus beyond the box. In fact, you could say we must move 'beyond HVACR' altogether."

The ACCA will hold its annual convention March 7-9 in Tampa, Fla. Hundreds of association members are expected to attend. More than 30 seminars, speakers and a trade show are planned.

"The time for contractors to act is now,” Johnson said. ACCA's 2010 conference is not just about looking at 'the big picture’ (the convention’s slogan) -- it's about taking control of it."

Details about the event are available at this Web site.