HVAC R&D Podcast

🎙️ HVAC R&D Podcast — Episode 196 You Can’t Scale What You Don’t Understand with Zachary Cooper-Vastola Before you can build the systems, you need to understand the work. In Episode 196 of the HVAC R&D Podcast, Rhydon Atzenhoffer sits down with Zach Cooper-Vastola, COO/CIO and founding partner of Hickory, for a conversation about what happens when you learn a business from the inside out—and then start building it for something much bigger. Zach has done nearly every job inside the company. That hands-on experience became part of the foundation for how he approaches operations, technology, leadership, and growth today. The journey traces back to 2018, when Zach and his partners acquired Stanley Ruth, then roughly a $4 million business with around 20 employees. From there came the challenge of learning, improving, systemizing, scaling, and ultimately building an organization capable of continued growth. Together, Rhydon and Zach dig into what it takes to evolve from doing the work yourself to creating the people, processes, and technology that allow a business to grow beyond you. 🔧 In this episode, we cover: • The story behind acquiring Stanley Ruth in 2018 • Why Zach chose to learn nearly every role in the business • Going from doing the work to building the organization • Creating systems without losing what made the company successful • Using technology to make people and processes better • What scaling exposes inside a growing business • Growth through acquisition • Developing leaders as the organization expands • Balancing operational discipline with entrepreneurship • Building a company designed for what comes next Whether you’re running a small shop, building your leadership team, or trying to take an established company to another level, Zach’s journey is a reminder that sustainable growth starts with understanding the business you’re trying to scale. 🎧 Listen now and subscribe so you never miss a drop - https://rhydonatzenhoffer.substack.com/p/you-cant-scale-what-you-dont-understand The HVAC R&D Podcast is the Voice of Distribution, Contractors, and the TradeCrew. #HVAC #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #TradeCrew 🙏 Thanks to our partners DiversiTech Corporation • DRAIN IV • FieldMind • LiveSwitch • ProIAQ • RLS Rapid Locking System • True Nature Meats Co.

Leaving the Industry Better Than We Found It with Don Gillis 🎙️ HVAC R&D Podcast — Episode 194 The greatest legacy in the skilled trades isn't the equipment you install. It's the people you help along the way. In Episode 194, Rhydon Atzenhoffer sits down with Don Gillis, Technical Trainer, consultant, and founder of Gillis Coach, for a conversation about building careers, developing technicians, and preparing the next generation for the future of HVACR. With more than 35 years in the industry—including 25 years in the field as a licensed HVAC Journeyman, leadership roles in service and sales, and years as a Senior Technical Trainer with Copeland and Chemours—Don has dedicated his career to helping others succeed. Today, he trains 5,000–7,000 HVAC professionals each year and was recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Influential HVAC Educators in 2024. Together, Rhydon and Don discuss career development, technician shortages, emerging technologies, and why sharing knowledge is one of the greatest responsibilities we have in the trades. For the TradeCrew, this episode is a reminder that every experienced technician has the opportunity to shape the future—one lesson, one apprentice, and one conversation at a time. 🔧 In this episode, we cover: • Don's 35-year journey through the HVACR industry • Closing the technician shortage through education • Adapting to new technology without losing the fundamentals • Building a career through continuous learning • Why mentorship is essential to the future of the trades • Leaving the industry stronger than you found it Whether you're just entering the trades or have decades of experience, this episode will challenge you to think differently about learning, leadership, and the legacy you're creating every day. 🎧 Listen now and subscribe to the HVAC R&D Podcast and Ramblin' Rhyno Column on Substack so you never miss and Article or Podcast drop - https://rhydonatzenhoffer.substack.com/p/leaving-the-industry-better-than The HVAC R&D Podcast is the Voice of Distribution, Contractors, and the TradeCrew — bringing together the people, stories, and ideas shaping the future of the skilled trades. #HVAC #Training #Leadership #Mentorship #TradeCrew 🙏 Thanks to our partners: DiversiTech Corporation • DRAIN IV • FieldMind • LiveSwitch • ProIAQ • RLS Rapid Locking System • True Nature Meats

🎙️ HVAC R&D Podcast — Episode 192 Every Call Makes the Next Tech Better with FieldMind CEO Ryan Prosser Technology doesn’t replace experience. It preserves it, shares it, and helps the next technician solve the next problem even faster. On Episode 192 of the HVAC R&D Podcast, Rhydon Atzenhoffer sits down with Ryan Prosser, Co-Founder & CEO of FieldMind and host of The Dispatch Podcast, for a conversation about the future of technical knowledge, artificial intelligence, and why the greatest asset in the skilled trades has always been the people doing the work. Rather than replacing technicians, Ryan believes technology should amplify their expertise—capturing the hard-earned lessons from every service call and making them available to the next person facing the same challenge. Together, Rhydon and Ryan discuss how AI, technician-driven knowledge, and connected learning can help close the skills gap, improve troubleshooting, and preserve decades of experience before it’s lost to retirement. For the TradeCrew, this episode is a look at how innovation and human expertise can work together to strengthen the future of our industry. 🔧 In this episode, we cover: • Ryan’s journey building FieldMind • Why AI should empower—not replace—technicians • Capturing tribal knowledge before it disappears • How every service call improves the next one • The future of troubleshooting and technical support • Closing the skilled trades knowledge gap • Innovation through collaboration and shared experience • Why the human element will always matter most Whether you’re a technician, contractor, service manager, or industry leader, this episode will challenge you to think differently about how technology can support the people who keep our industry moving. 🎧 Listen now and subscribe to the HVAC R&D and Ramblin’ Rhyno Substack so you never miss an Article or Podcast drop - https://rhydonatzenhoffer.substack.com/p/every-call-makes-the-next-tech-better The HVAC R&D Podcast is the Voice of Distribution, Contractors, and the TradeCrew—bringing together the people, stories, and ideas shaping the future of the skilled trades. #HVAC #AI #FieldService #Innovation #TradeCrew 🙏 Thanks to our partners: DiversiTech Corporation • LiveSwitch • FieldMind • Asurity • hilmor • RLS Rapid Locking System • True Nature Meats Co.