The Path

I started out working as a Sheetmetal worker installing ducting. Building my skill level up over the years and got good at exposed ducting since I had an eye for detail. I usually hung duct alone. One day I was on a project in a water source heat pump building and the Foreman was complaining about there not being any Pipefitters on the job to help him with fitting up the copper lines for the condensed water loop. I told him I had a torch in my truck tool box. The Foreman told me to go get it. So then I started doing pipefitting.

The next day I saw the lead pipefitter and he asked if I wanted to become a pipefitter. I said YES! Later that day my Superintendent came to the job and I asked if I could be a Pipefitter and also be a Sheetmetal worker so that I could stay busy, because layoffs are normal when the jobs aren’t there. Superintendent told me I had to pick one or the other. I told him I wanted to learn pipefitting. So that was a shift in good direction. I got to learn a new trade and it was much more stable employment. I was happy with my decision. It was worth the risk!

Dream Job

About 6 years later I got the opportunity of a lifetime when the Service Manager called me and asked me to come in for an interview to be a service technician. About a month later I was in a van! It was official! Through the first 6 months as a service tech I read all the service manuals I could get my hands on and spent time reading HVAC books. I jumped into the deep end. It was so much fun learning all the theory or electricity and refrigeration.

Driving the oldest van in the fleet but it didn’t matter. I washed and waxed the van every week. I always wanted to become a service tech! The road to get there was the long way with a lot of hard work. I was truly living the dream! My experience working with top service techs in this area and gained a lot of experience.

I will always remember showing up early to the job and pulling out all the tools needed to do the job. I was able to gain confidence and experience using my tools. This strategy greatly increased my learning curve as rookie service tech.

I was off on my own before my first year doing service calls, compressor replacements, maintenances, and servicing mechanical pads. Now with over 20 years in the HVAC trades I have my own company called Valley Center Air Conditioning. Making Dreams Reality! Yes, living the dream!

I like Hats…

Since I started my own company and every company that I worked for prior had the same uniform to wear to work everyday. I wanted to be able to change what I wear to work day after day. So, I chose to make different styles of hats to break up the feeling of being Homer Simpson… D’oh! That guy always wears the same clothes… This is my dream and I’m going to live it!