ACCA has elected two new members to its Board of Directors: Eric Grennell, president of Lakes Region HVAC in Loudon, New Hampshire, and Paul Adams, founder and executive chairman of Columbia Home Services in Irving, Texas.
Grennell is a 40-year industry veteran who built his New Hampshire contracting firm on technical expertise and high-end residential design work. Adams is a growth-focused executive who has scaled home services operations across multiple states. They represent different sides of the HVACR industry, but both have invested years into ACCA’s committees, advocacy efforts, and membership work — and both will now have a seat at the table where decisions about the association’s direction get made.
Eric Grennell: built on craft and reputation
Grennell started his first HVAC business in 1986. A serious injury in the late ‘80s knocked him out of commission for an extended stretch, but he came back, founded Lakes Region HVAC in 1992, and has been running it ever since. The company specializes in high-end residential work — geothermal, radiant heating, gas boiler, DDC controls — much of which Grennell designs himself. They hold Carrier CFAD dealer status with five Presidents Award recognitions, Mitsubishi Diamond Elite dealer status, and Viessmann CPRO certification. He’s also NATE and BPI certified.
A telling measure of the company’s reputation: manufacturers and wholesalers regularly call on Lakes Region HVAC to install systems in their own facilities and to resolve problems on jobs other contractors couldn’t handle.
Grennell has been an ACCA member for about 15 years. He currently co-chairs the Membership Growth Committee and sits on the ACO Task Force, the Allied Contracting Organization (ACO) Task Force, and the Enterprise Membership Task Force. He previously served on the Radiant and Hydronics Council before it was disbanded, is enrolled in ACCA’s QA accreditation program, and has shown up for many of ACCA’s Annual Conferences, Service Manager Forum’s, Advocacy Day, and ACCA-PAC events.
On joining the Board, Grennell said:
“I’ve always tried to be the voice of the little guy — the small, local contractor trying to compete and succeed in an industry that is increasingly shaped by buyouts, mergers, and consolidation. That perspective is something I’m proud to bring to the ACCA Board. I believe the small contractor is the backbone of this industry, and I want to continue working to make sure their voices are heard, and their interests are represented.”
Paul Adams: building at scale
Adams founded Columbia Home Services (CHS), a Dallas-based platform covering HVAC, plumbing, and electrical across secondary markets throughout the U.S. Before that, he spent time as an equity partner and executive at Service Experts LLC, which at the time had more than 100 service centers, 2,800 employees, and $435 million in annual revenue. He’s been involved in multiple private equity-backed roll-up strategies and has closed acquisitions across numerous states. He holds an MBA and picked up the 2026 and 2025 Dallas Dealmaker of the Year Award and two 2025 Stevie Bronze Awards for Achievement in Growth.
Adams has been an ACCA Gold Member for several years and currently co-chairs the Membership Growth Committee, where he has served for more than three years, alongside Grennell. He has also participated in the Membership Task Force, is an active donor to ACCA-PAC, and represented Texas at the most recent Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, attending seven congressional meetings.
Adams said of his Board election:
“ACCA plays a critical role in strengthening the contractor community, developing our workforce, advocating for our industry, and ensuring that the people who actually build and operate these businesses have a meaningful voice in shaping its future. I look forward to working alongside the Board, ACCA leadership, and contractors across the country to help our industry continue to grow, evolve, and create opportunities for the next generation.”
Different backgrounds, shared commitment
The HVACR industry looks a lot different than it did even ten years ago. Consolidation is reshaping the landscape, and the gap between a small owner-operated firm and a multi-state platform keeps widening. ACCA strives to serve both — and having Grennell and Adams at the table means those two realities will actually be part of the conversation when decisions get made.
ACCA congratulates both on their elections to the Board.
The post ACCA welcomes Eric Grennell and Paul Adams to the Board of Directors appeared first on ACCA HVAC Blog.