Rick Gutenmann
2026 NJ ACCA Statewide Summit Keynote Speaker
The Five Shifts: What It Really Takes to Grow Your HVAC Business


Growth doesn't break HVAC companies. Complexity does.

Whether you're leading a family-owned business with 15 employees or managing a multi-location organization with hundreds of team members, every stage of growth requires leaders to think differently. The habits that helped build today's success often become the very things that limit tomorrow's growth.

As companies expand, communication becomes more difficult, accountability weakens, decision-making slows, and leaders find themselves solving more problems while creating fewer opportunities.

In this engaging keynote, attendees will discover the five critical leadership shifts that allow HVAC companies to grow without growing chaos. Through practical examples and real-world strategies, leaders will learn how to build stronger managers, create predictable execution, develop future leaders, and build an organization that performs consistently at every level.

The principles apply whether your next goal is adding another truck, opening a second location, or leading a national organization.

Audience Will Learn

  • Why every stage of growth requires different leadership
  • The five leadership shifts that separate companies that scale from those that stall
  • How to reduce owner and executive dependence without sacrificing quality
  • Why accountability systems outperform heroic leadership
  • How operating rhythms improve communication, execution, and profitability
  • What great HVAC companies do differently to sustain growth through people, systems, and culture

Rick Gutenmann is a Senior Consultant at MAP with more than 35 years of experience spanning higher education, entrepreneurship, real estate, and operations leadership. He began his career at Stony Brook University, where he taught, recruited, and developed entry-level professionals, earning tenure for his contributions.

Rick later founded and grew a successful custom home construction business in Pensacola, Florida, earning “Home of the Year” recognition in the 2008 West Florida HBA Parade of Homes. He went on to become an Accredited Business Intermediary, advising buyers and sellers across diverse industries and business models.

Rick’s deep understanding of small business success led him into the HVAC industry, where he served as a sales driver and general manager in Las Vegas and became a recognized leader in residential energy efficiency as a Certified Building Analyst. He later joined Goettl Air Conditioning and Plumbing as part of the leadership team, where he created the Goettl Academy to develop technicians and leaders across 12 locations—contributing to Goettl earning MAP’s President’s Award seven consecutive years.

Rick is now a Senior Consultant at MAP, helping organizations apply the principles of accountability and alignment that drove his own success in the corporate world.