hvactoday.comNOVEMBER 2022 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM If You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing! ™ Meet DOUG YOUNG of Behler-Young ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: • Commercial Balancing: Hydronics is NOT Optional • Commercial Service: Changes Caused by the Pandemic • Partner Spotlight: Behler-Young, Grand Rapids, MI TOP Value Training DistributorsNOVEMBER 2022 VOLUME 6 NUMBER 11 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM DEPARTMENTS NOVEMBER 2022 3HVACTODAY.COM Today’s Word .........................................................................................4 High-Performance Products .............................................................5 Partner Spotlight: Behler-Young Company, LLC ......................6 NCI Update .........................................................................................23 HVAC Smart Mart ...............................................................................24 Ad Index ................................................................................................25 One More Thing ................................................................................26 MANAGEMENT: Changes Caused by the Pandemic in Commercial HVAC Service Contractor Tom Winstel discusses how the pandemic both impacted and didn’t impact commercial HVAC service. 15 10 TECHNICAL: Commercial Balancing: Hydronics is NOT Optional In the world of Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing, technicians need to understand hydronics. Here’s why. MANAGEMENT: Top Distributors See Value in Training We talk to three distributors about the value training provides for them, you, and the marketplace. 20act opposite was the preferred approach. Today the “just-in-time” inventory may not make as much sense. If contractors have the space, many are stock- ing to battle shortages as best they can. Another critical strategy is open communi- cations. Good distributors are more open than ever with contractors regarding the status of or- ders, what to do in the meantime, and more. Bet- ter communication between contractors and dis- tributors will help both face shortage issues, can help build relationships, and enable them to work better together in trying times. Then there is customer service. In his arti- cle this month, contractor Tom Winstel says, “Be- cause of supply chain disruptions, people have come to accept lousy service as the new normal. As supply chains return to normal, we need to overcome mediocre quality service issues.” In other words, the supply chain issues sho- uldn’t impact the service that distributors pro- vide contractors, or the service contractors offer their customers. It’s about managing expecta- tions and finding solutions to supply chain woes. And finally, in these times, you may need to look for strong partners for what you need. Dominick Guarino’s One More Thing column at the back of this issue talks about the impor- tance of partnering with distributors who can help you grow. You can also use this time to encourage cus- tomers to invest in service and maintenance agreements to help keep older systems up and running. By scheduling off-season inspections, your customers can remain comfortable in their homes and buildings. The fact is HVAC supply chain issues might last throughout 2023. But they won’t stop the HVAC Industry. E veryone is complaining about how dif- ficult it is to “get stuff.” From raw mate- rials to parts and components, shortag- es abound across all industries here and abroad. Many lay the blame at the feet of COVID- 19. Some blame government mismanagement (especially during the run-up to the mid-term elections here in the U.S.). The fact is that pandemic shutdowns DID have something to do with supply chain hold-ups, es- pecially with how everyone tried turning every- thing back on at once. It apparently isn’t as easy to reconnect supply chain links as it is to cut them. Then, of course, minor inconveniences like la- bor shortages, inflation, and raging demand hav- en’t yet been reigned in by the Federal Reserve’s prime interest increase campaigns. However, the HVAC industry is a very creative group. Manufacturers and distributors are tire- lessly working to find alternative sources of ma- terials, components, and products to help reduce order backlogs and keep our residential and com- mercial consumers as happy as possible. Several distributors I spoke to recently say that things are complex, but creativity in how they ap- proach solutions helps a lot. They say that supply chain woes won’t stop the HVAC train. Case-in-point: This month’s Partner Spot- lightfocuses on Michigan-based Behler-Young. CEO Doug Young says that as the shutdowns be- gan, his team started increasing their inventories in anticipation of shortages to keep their contrac- tors supplied. They also pivoted to move their training to the cyber sphere during the pandemic to protect their employees and contractors. Managing inventory, at least according to Doug Young, is a powerful tool to counter short- ages. This fact is true for contractors as well. His- torically, from contractors’ perspectives, the ex- 4 NOVEMBER 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY Supply Chain Woes Can’t Stop the HVAC Train TODAY’S WORD By Mike Weil Mike Weil is editor- in-chief and director of communications and publications at National Comfort Institute, Inc. Contact him at ncilink. com/ContactMe.NOVEMBER 2022 5HVACTODAY.COM a variable speed controller, which would be the best op- tion. The C-Cap is especial- ly helpful on wood and coal-burning fireplaces at initial start-up before an adequate draft is estab- lished. A variable-speed controller allows the fan to be adjust- ed perfectly to prevent smoke or fumes from entering the building. Also, the C-Cap is an excellent solution in certain buildings with excessive negative pres- sure. Too short flues would also be an- other good use for the C-Cap inducer. Because fireplaces use a considerable amount of air, it is possible, after a few hours of use, for the building to start becoming negative. This allows smoke fumes to enter the build- ing. The variable speed controller can be adjusted as needed. The Field Controls C-Cap also serves as a rain and wind cap. When the fire is smoldering at the end, the C-Cap is es- pecially helpful in keeping smoke and fumes from entering the building as the draft will be reduced. Fireplaces can produce a high level of carbon monoxide. Just because there is no odor in the building does not indi- cate there is no CO. For more information, go to ncilink. com/C-Cap. - Jim Davis, Senior Instructor, National Comfort Institute FIELD CONTROLS TYPE C CHIMNEY CAP INDUCER The Field Controls Type C Chimney Cap (C-Cap) inducer may not be familiar to most, but it could become more popu- lar as people invest in more wood-burn- ing equipment in the future. It is a fan-powered cap used on wood, coal, and gas fireplaces. There might be some situations where it can also be used on wood burning, coal burning stoves, or oil-fired equipment. It is rated for up to 1300°F and has a continuous tempera- ture of 900°F, making it suitable for even warm areas of the country. Sheet metal adopters would be neces- sary for square or rectangular tile chim- neys. The Type C Chimney Cap comes in 6, 8, 10, and 13-in. round pipes. It can be operated with just an on/off switch or HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCT REVIEWtheir product line, a variety of metal – galvanized sheet metal, stainless steel, copper, and so on. The partnership established a strong foothold in their Grand Rapids, Michigan market and survived the Depression by carefully managing their costs. EARLY OPERATIONS In those early years, Behler-Young in Grand Rapids operated by sending out a salesman to take orders, and then they would follow with trucks to deliver what they sold. “My grandfather never wanted to do much work in Detroit,” Doug Young explains, “but we covered the rest of Michigan.” The time after World War II marked a time of great growth and expansion in Michigan. He adds that John Be- hler’s son, Jack, eventually joined the company and ran the sheet metal op- eration. Then in 1958, Doug’s dad, Dick, got out of the Army and joined the business. Young says that in the 1950’s, small competitors were popping up around the state. “In 1960, to combat these competitors, my dad focused on find- ing interested competitive companies across the state and buying them.” He says that the first branch was in Traverse City, the next one in Kalam- azoo, followed by a branch in Lansing, and so forth. “This was the birth of the Behler- Young branch operations that we have today,” says Young. “That changed how we did business. We started buy- ing things centrally and shipping them out to those branch locations, and our business continued to grow.” He also says that before developing branch operations, the company took on its very first HVAC equipment line – the Luxaire brand. He says many contractors began buying the Luxaire equipment as their second HVAC prod- uct line. Prior to Young joining the company in the early 1980s, he not only gradu- ated from the University of Michigan with an industrial engineering degree but also earned a master’s in business administration from Carnegie Mel- lon in Pittsburgh. Then, as a best prac- tice before coming to work for Be- hler-Young, he worked for five years at a small family-owned business that supplied fasteners to the auto industry. “When I joined the company,” he says, “my father told me not to expect to be running the place. He said I had to earn that. Forty years later, here I am.” CHANGES IN THE WIND In 1991 Behler-Young acquired the Bryant factory distribution operation in Detroit. That purchase made the company a significant player in Detroit. It was at this time that Doug Young be- came president of Behler-Young. He says that his team built anoth- er distribution center in Brighton, T hree years before the onslaught of the Great Depression of 1926, two good friends decided to partner and start their own business. Wayne (Brig) Young and his hunting and fishing buddy, John Behler, left a company they worked for because they didn’t like how the owner treat- ed them. They set up a competitive shop four blocks away, and Behler- Young was born. In 1926, many things were happen- ing – many European nations were em- broiled in small conflicts, Hirohito was crowned emperor of Japan, and in the U.S., coal was king in residential and commercial heating. The newly formed partnership focused on the ventilation side of the heating business, including sheet metal ductwork, asbestos insula- tion, grilles and registers, and more. Third-generation owner Doug Young says they even had gutters as part of 6 NOVEMBER 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT By Mike Weil History and Values Build Long-term Relationships Behler-Young CEO Doug YoungNOVEMBER 2022 7HVACTODAY.COM construction business. Young says they just became more selective about it. New construction still accounts for between 10-15% of their business. In his opinion, this move made the com- pany strong enough to weather oth- er economic challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. STAYING SAFE, STAYING HEALTHY At the outset of the Michigan COVID pandemic, most companies, including Behler-Young, had to send team mem- bers home. After six weeks, the federal government deemed the HVAC Indus- try essential, and Young says they got back to business, but had to modify op- erations significantly. “Many team members worked from home. Customers were not allowed into our branches. We asked them to call ahead and served them curbside for several months. They could also or- der online for deliveries. “As the supply chain started to ex- perience challenges, we began increas- ing our inventory to the point where we could continue to supply our contrac- tor customers. The result of doing this was that our business grew,” he says. “There’s no doubt that the supply chain issues are still challenging. Our team did a phenomenal job of flexing where they needed to, negotiating with our current suppliers, and picking up some new suppliers where we could. “Our employees’ health and safety are extremely important to us. “We’re a family business, and we treat everybody like they’re part of the family. We were careful about taking care of people during the pandemic. Our culture is very strong and is the main reason for our ongoing strength and success” BEHLER-YOUNG TODAY As time marches on, Behler-Young prepares for the future. Step one was to design a succession plan. Doug Young promoted the company’s CFO, Dave DeJonge, to chief operating offi- cer (COO), who was then promoted to president in 2021. “Dave handles the day-to-day man- agement of the company,” Young con- tinues. “I’m still involved with strate- gy and oversight. I am also the cultural cheerleader. As such, I get to go out and see our customers and our team mem- bers and work with them to ensure our culture remains strong.” Furthermore, Doug Young’s sons are also beginning to move into the busi- ness. His eldest son, Jonathan, worked outside of Detroit. They continued to open branches throughout Michigan and Northwest Ohio, most recently opening their 19th branch in Troy. In 1998, Doug Young became CEO. As the economy weakened between 2006 and 2009, Michigan was hit hard, and so was Behler-Young. He says at that time, “half of our business was in the residential new construc- tion market, and during that down- turn, new construction pretty much shut down throughout Michigan. That forced the company to make ma- jor changes, including reducing staff, closing a branch on the north side of Grand Rapids, and changing how they went to market. “We pivoted and began focusing more on the replacement and service parts business,” Young says. “Frank- ly, that is what saved us. Today, we are much stronger in the replacement products, equipment, parts, and sup- plies serving the Michigan residential and light commercial markets.” He adds that after shifting the busi- ness mix, Behler-Young began work- ing in earnest on strengthening their culture and core values, and he feels that made them a solid company. These changes didn’t mean the company got entirely out of the new with our vendors. Organizations like BDR get into sales and business train- ing, NCI focuses on technical training, etc. There are a lot of service providers out there that provide training. We used to have just three train- ing centers in Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Lansing, which required contrac- tor technicians to drive quite a ways to attend. Today, to make things easi- er, most of our branches have a train- ing room set up to fit 40 to 60 people. Plus, technology plays a central role in the company’s efforts to advance the education of contractors as well as in- ternal staff.” TECHNOLOGY HAS A KEY ROLE “I believe technology plays a signifi- cant role across all aspects of our busi- ness. In fact, that is an understate- ment,” says Young. “Our president, Dave DeJonge, is a technology activist. In any place where he feels we can better serve our peo- ple, customers, or vendors, he looks to take advantage of technology – from software to APIs and more. “We have a robust LMS (learn- ing management system) so peo- ple can get online, take classes, and track where they are in that training. Because some classes are required, and some are optional, we track what training they’re doing to better assess promotional opportunities.” Behler-Young is proud to promote from within. As positions open inter- nally due to a promotion, retirement, or whatever, it creates a domino effect of sorts. Says Young, “We promote someone into an open position, and then must fill the role that the promoted person just left and so on. It’s amazing how many positions that can affect.” “As we bring in people or move peo- ple up through the ranks, we’ll teach them what they need to know. They need to have the right attitude and meet our core values.” CORE VALUES So, what are the Behler-Young Core Values? Young says there are four of them, and they are: We care about others – Doug says this is about their team, cus- tomers, and community We do the right thing – Doug’s grandfather always said a company that practices honesty and integri- ty will prosper. Doug says hones- ty and integrity are central to the company’s values We pursue great rather than good – This focuses on continu- ous improvement, always striving to do better We do whatever it takes – Be- hler-Young works hard and, ac- cording to Doug, is recognized for providing superior service. “In everything we do, we relate it to one of those core values,” he says. “And we talk about those values to constant- ly remind people about what it means to be really good at our business. That’s the foundation of our culture.” THE NCI CONNECTION Doug Young says that his company’s for the company for 11 years and then moved on to pursue other interests. His middle son, Cameron, joined Be- hler-Young three years ago and helped the firm grow its digital eCommerce business. He is now working on Busi- ness Development. And Doug Young’s youngest son, Mackenzie, will join the company’s purchasing department in November 2022. “So the fourth generation of Youngs are coming on board,” Doug says. “When I joined the company, people told my dad how excited they were be- cause it meant that the family would keep operating the business. They like working for us. “Today, I’m getting the same com- ments about my sons coming in and the fact that people like to work here. There’s a sense that there will be continuity of our strong culture.” CUSTOMER TECH FLUENCY IS A MUST Behler-Young is very focused on spreading its family approach to busi- ness outwards to the HVAC contract- ing community they serve. Doug Young says the company’s territory manag- ers and salespeople need to be capable of communicating clearly to contrac- tor customers, but he also wants those contractors to be fluent in speaking clearly to their customers. “When you’re a 97-year-old com- pany, training becomes a core part of how you operate,” he explains. “My dad got us into training back in the 70s and 80s. We trained contractors in the state of Michigan. Whether it’s technical training, product training, sales meth- od, or business training, we try to offer contractors help. “We conduct classes in conjunction 8 NOVEMBER 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT Pictured left to right: Brent Bunce, B-Y; Jeff Knapp, B-Y; Contractor Nick VanHuis, Contractor Todd Cammenga, Doug Young. In front, Cameron YoungNOVEMBER 2022 9HVACTODAY.COM PARTNER SPOTLIGHT THE VALUE OF RELATIONSHIPS Earlier, Doug Young talked about how, as a 97-year-old company, they always focused on taking care of their customers and their team. In some cases his customers are second or third-generation owners whose grand- fathers did business with his grand- father. Doug says you don’t reach the 97-year threshold without creating long-lasting relationships. He adds their success is also due to incredible people on their team. “When you get down to it, we’re not in the business of getting quick fixes. We’re in it to win it long term,” Young concludes. “Relationships are the key, which is why it must work from the very beginning of the supply chain to the ultimate end user.” Sure, quality equipment counts, but there are so many other factors that go into having a system that ultimately performs well,” says Young. He adds, “We preach to our contrac- tors to ask their customers what com- fort is worth to them. Customers typi- cally talk about how many quotes they received and how expensive they are. They have no idea about who makes their equipment or who installed it. “They have no idea because every- thing is hidden in the basement or at- tic. But once you get them thinking about the value of their comfort, the quality of their air, then the discussion changes. “To me, that is the secret sauce that differentiates the high-performance approach from all others.” core values mesh nicely with National Comfort Institute and other organiza- tions across the industry. “We sell technical equipment that, if not installed right, can injure people,” Young explains. “We take that very se- riously. We are very selective about who we sell potentially dangerous equipment to. If contractors are unwill- ing to train, they cannot buy gas-fired equipment or refrigerants from us. “We completely agree with the con- cepts of training contractors to look at both the equipment and the ductwork as a single system. Technicians work- ing in the field need to understand what that means. When out on ser- vice or maintenance jobs, techs should be able to recognize whether a system was designed and installed properly. Next >