How HVAC Owners Can Fix Broken Ops and Build Smarter Teams with AI - Andrew Blair

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, the conversation dives into the journey of scaling an HVAC and commercial refrigeration business from early scrappy operations to a multi-million dollar company. 

 

Andrew Blair is an experienced HVAC and commercial refrigeration professional who transitioned from hands-on fieldwork into business leadership. He played a key role in growing Kensington into a ~$6M operation, optimizing systems, and building team culture. Andrew is now the Director of Product and Market Development at Helix Earth Technologies, where he focuses on innovative HVAC solutions, bringing both field and business expertise into product development.

Expect to Learn

• How to transition from technician to business leader (and the mistakes to expect)

• The real challenges of implementing service software like Jobber and ServiceTitan

• Why company culture and individualized management matter at scale

• Practical ways AI is already improving HVAC operations and technician performance

• What the future of AI and innovation looks like in the trades industry

 

Episode Breakdown with Timestamps

[00:00:00] - Introduction 

[00:01:36] - Early Business Challenges

[00:03:11] - Scaling Operations & Growing Pains

[00:05:18] - Leadership & Managing People

[00:09:35] - Getting the Most Out of Software Tools

[00:14:52] - The Future of AI in the Trades

[00:16:00] - New Chapter: Helix Earth Technologies

[00:18:04] - Closing Thoughts & Takeaways

 

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__/