It was National Manufacturing Day today for 200 students from several Genesee County Schools as they participated in multiple tours of 11 manufacturing companies including U.S. Gypsum, Amanda Tool America Inc, Oxbo Corporation, Orcon Industries, Liberty Pumps, Chassix , Graham Manufacturing, Turnbull Heating and Air Conditioning and several others.
We caught up with the 9-12th grade students of Alexander High School at Turnbull Heating and Air Conditioning on Franklin street in Batavia.
Owner Bill Hayes and Operations Manager Nathan Blowers headed up the tour and explained what the 52-year-old company does and what it takes to work there and get a job with Turnbull.
Hayes bought the business in 1991 when it had about five employees. Today, the HVAC business employs 25-27 people and some part timers.
“We basically touch all the trades with what we do,” says Blowers.
“You have to be a little bit of an electrician, a plumber and a carpenter. The fun part is, it’s never always the same thing day after day.”
Hayes says he is a hands on business owner. He says he makes sure customers are getting taken care of.
“We run 18 vans covering Buffalo, Rochester, and the Syracuse area and everything in between. We don’t know how to say no.”
Because the industry today is very shorthanded in HVAC tradespersons it is hard to find skilled employees.
Hayes says he trains people in-house. New employees work alongside seasoned veterans who do installation.
“Everybody here, if they start new they learn everything. There are four teams on a rotation and 3 people on call all the time. We are a 24/7 operation.
After training for a year, as a service technician you can make up to $50 or $60,000 a year.
“There is not a necessity to get a four-year degree, if you know how to work on a motorcycle or a car, or anything mechanical or electrical, you can learn this trade and make a good living.”
Turnbull Heating and Air Conditioning does residential and commercial service, They are open Monday through Friday, 8-5p.m., and 8-12p.m. on Saturday.
“We work for restaurants, stores and schools, handling heating and refrigeration. The service side is where people need us, we have the ability to help people and there is a lot of joy in that,” says Blowers.
Today’s tours were a collaborative effort by the Genesee County Business Education Alliance and local businesses.
Manufacturing Day was designed to expand the knowledge about and improve the general public’s perception of manufacturing careers and manufacturing’s value to the U.S. Economy.