A Spotlight On Bel-Aire Mechanical Service Manager Ken Groll
1. Can you tell us about your journey to become a Service Manager at Bel-Aire Mechanical? What sparked your interest in the mechanical contracting industry?
I realized quickly through high school that college was not for me. I moved from Alamogordo, NM to Phoenix, AZ one month after graduation to enrolled at Universal Technical Institute for HVAC Trade School, knowing that the temperatures that Phoenix was known for would allow for a steady career. My high school sweetheart Carolyn followed me 30 days later and we are still together 37 years later. I worked in residential HVAC for 6 years prior to learning about Local 469 Pipefitter Union. My union career started as an apprentice and moved quickly to all facets of Commercial and Industrial cooling. There is a great sense of satisfaction troubleshooting and repairing equipment that many rely on for comfort or process cooling. After 22 years in the field, I moved up to Foreman and eventually to Service Manager for Johnson Controls prior to my move to Bel Aire Mechanical as Service Manager.
2. Safety is the name of the game in your line of work. Can you discuss your approach to maintaining high safety standards while balancing client deadlines?
We do our best to ensure that the client’s deadline does not impact how safely our Team works and we generally find that our client is just as concerned for a safe work place as our mechanics are. Our staff comes to the office regularly to pick up materials and are always reminded that we need them to get home as safely as they arrived. Their families and loved ones expect it. We make every provision to provide a safe work environment and risk is not an option, even if the profit margin suffers because of something we overlooked during the bid process.
3. Walk us through a typical day as service manager at Bel-Aire Mechanical. What key priorities do you consider as you start your day?
Wow, what a great question! My role is shared with our Ops Manager Brandon Sonju and typically starts at 4:30am. I show up and Brandon is already on the phone with the latest overnight emergency. Anything we expected the day to be is exactly opposite. The Team is comprised of 50 members in the Field and 14 amazing Staff Support members in the office. We take care of over 120,000 tons of Chilled Water Plants under contract and support the largest Healthcare Organization in the state of Arizona, amongst the rest of our cliental. Our mission has always been to provide same or next day service and that is what has grown Bel Aire Mechanical to the 600# gorilla we have become. Our priorities are simple…customer service, at any cost. It is generally a 10-12 hour sprint each day.
4. As the HVAC industry is increasingly prioritizing sustainability, how do you ensure that your team stays updated on industry changes and trends?
Bel Aire is highly regarded in Arizona as well as Local 469 and we have a few of our Journeyman that are also UA instructors at the apprenticeship hall in the evenings and that often helps with early exposure of the coming products and trends. We have our Journeyman UA instructors to thank for helping us see the latest offerings in the industry. They attend annual training Michigan and meet with people from all over the country to share ideas. We also send our mechanics to the latest VRV and VRF courses frequently throughout the year and often reach out to our Vendors to inquire about upcoming changes with Government standards and the latest refrigerants that are ready to be introduced.
5. What are some of your favorite hobbies when you are away from a project site? Do you have a favorite (and effective) way to stay cool in the Arizona Heat?
We have 2 amazing adult children, Jarett and Mackenzy, that we love spending time with. I follow “Sam the Cooking Guy” on YouTube and often try to mimic his creations on the grill, which are typically quite unhealthy but delicious. Obviously this is during the wonderful 8 months of the year that Arizona weather has to offer between October thru May. The summer months usually involve binge watching the latest craze on Netflix and early morning weekend paddleboarding on a nearby lake.
