Arzel Zoning Technology is a leading manufacturer of HVAC zoning systems founded in 1983. We profiled this company in January 2021, and in the intervening years, a lot has changed. However, the company has demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability while navigating the challenges initially posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ken Barton, vice president of technical sales at Arzel, shares insights into how they overcame supply chain disruptions, workforce challenges, and market fluctuations.
The key is that Arzel Zoning also managed this while continuing to support their HVAC contractor customers and innovate their product offerings.
Navigating the Pandemic
“Like everyone else, we faced our struggles,” says Ken Barton, reflecting on the early days of the pandemic. “Initially, we managed to navigate for nearly 12 months almost unscathed because we had a plan and stocked up on necessary parts and materials.”
However, he says the prolonged nature of COVID-19 brought unexpected challenges.
“We didn’t anticipate the pandemic would last as long as it did. Eventually, we started seeing shortages of raw materials and had difficulties finding employees,” Barton explains.
To maintain operations, Arzel could not simply lock down and have their employees work from home. Most of them still had to come in.
“We adopted a hybrid model where a core group had to be on-site to fulfill orders and build products. We spaced out the in-person team to protect them and set up others remotely.”
Employee levels are now back to normal.
Overcoming Supply Chain Challenges
The pandemic caused more than a year of significant back orders on Arzel’s flagship products.
“This situation forced us to look for new suppliers and partners,” Barton recalls. “Through this process, we found new sources, enabling us to manufacture and distribute our products at lower prices than before the pandemic.”
Barton highlights the unique position Arzel found itself in compared to competitors.
“Every other manufacturer that was having the same supply chain issues was raising their prices, but Arzel only had one price increase, which was NOT across all our products. We were able to pass those savings onto our customers and were selling products at lower prices in many cases.”
Technological Enhancements and Training
Arzel Zoning’s commitment to contractor education, mainly through its Comfort College program, faced significant hurdles during the pandemic.
“COVID-19 halted our face-to-face training,” Barton says. “We quickly pivoted to online webinars, partnering with states and local municipalities to ensure our contractors could earn CEUs.
“Once restrictions eased, we resumed in-person Comfort College sessions, though it took time for attendance to pick up. Now, we’re running at capacity and sometimes need to refer people to future sessions.”
Recognizing the changing landscape, Barton says Arzel Zoning invested heavily in creating a robust video training library. These short videos cover everything from powering the Arzel Zoning system to troubleshooting and installation tips.
He says they distribute these training videos through social media, YouTube, and their website.
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