Welcome to another Abt Employee Spotlight!
This month we're highlighting our incredible HVAC department. We spoke with HVAC manager Dan Raysby about his time at Abt and the department:
Abt's HVAC department started in 2010 with two technicians and two installers—Dan was one of the technicians. The department has since grown to a team of 42 installers, 16 service techs, 6 estimators, 5 floor employees and 5 office staff, including Dan. Dan has been the HVAC manager for two years and works closely with Randy Goldfein, who started the department, as well as Dan Paavola and Chris Zajac. The department handles everything from estimates to whole system installation; the installation team installs everything from furnaces to hydronic heating systems to ductless split systems, where the technicians work every day doing maintenance and repair work on customers' units.
The HVAC department prides itself on how it's run, with Dan saying it "gives everyone a voice. We really focus on our employees [and] do our best to make this a place that people want to come to work. We incentivize and heavily encourage learning. I sit down with every person in the department every six months and go over their progress and also come up with the goals that they can work towards. I make sure that when we sit down again six months later that person achieved that goal. I encourage people to treat one another with respect and always help out." This mindset contributed to the department winning Mitsubishi's Contractor of the Year award in 2020, which considers teams in the entire Midwest.
Our HVAC department focuses on teamwork and enjoying time with colleagues. Dan describes the team's outings like their end of summer party at Busse woods with bounce houses for employees' children, a taco truck and a DJ. If you're looking to join this awesome team, Dan says it's important to have a positive attitude. If you're interested in installation, the department will train you right out of school! On the service and sales side, prior experience is a priority. Thank you to Dan and our entire HVAC team for their incredible work!