In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Business Edition Podcast, co-hosts Gary McCreadie and Furman Haynes from WorkHero sit down with Andrew Blair, Director of Product and Market Development at Helix Earth and Advisor / Angel Investor at various startups, to explore the journey from growing up in a family-owned HVAC business to becoming a key operator in a commercial refrigeration company. The conversation dives into the realities of the skilled trades, the growing talent shortage, and the operational challenges of running a service-based business, especially in mission-critical environments like refrigeration.

The episode also highlights the evolving nature of trade education, licensing complexities, and what it truly takes to build and scale a successful HVAC business. Andrew Blair is an experienced HVAC and commercial refrigeration professional who grew up in the industry through his family's business, Kensington Mechanical.

• Why HVAC is one of the most underrated but complex skilled trades

• How trade schools and partnerships can solve the labor shortage

• The importance of field experience when running a service business

• Differences between residential HVAC and commercial refrigeration work

• How to handle high-pressure, mission-critical service environments

[00:00:00] – Introduction

[00:01:57] – Growing Up in a Family HVAC Business

[00:03:45] – Why HVAC Stands Out Among the Trades

[00:04:27] – Skilled Labor Shortage & Trade School Partnerships

[00:06:33] – Licensing Challenges & Industry Evolution

[00:09:19] – From Apprentice to COO: Scaling a Family Business

[00:14:26] – Understanding Commercial Refrigeration & Critical Environments

[00:18:38] – Advice for Entering Commercial Refrigeration

This Episode is Kindly Sponsored by:
PartsTown: https://www.partstown.com/hvac-parts

Follow our Guest Andrew Blair:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-blair-/

• Company Website: https://www.helixearth.com/

• Company LinkedIn - Helix Earth: https://www.linkedin.com/company/helixearth/

Follow Gary McCreadie:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mccreadie-38217a77/

• Website: https://www.hvacknowitall.com

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/HVAC-Know-It-All-2/61569643061429/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvacknowitall1/

Follow Furman Haynes:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/furmanhaynes/

• WorkHero: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workherohvac/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workhero__/