(WACO) – The staff at Capstone Mechanical on Imperial Drive in Waco does not have to look far to find heating, ventilation and air conditioning workers.
Most of Capstone’s 27-member service department are Texas State Technical College graduates. Capstone specializes in plumbing, piping, commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning work. The company’s service area extends about 100 miles from Waco.
“Having a technical college close to us provides us the ability to work closely with the various programs to help develop graduates that will have the skills to be productive in our industry,” said Jimmy Webster, Capstone’s human resources manager. “This not only helps Capstone, but our industry as a whole.”
The HVAC service technicians’ roles are to install new equipment, conduct preventive maintenance and handle on-demand calls. They work in most weather conditions, but lightning and strong wind typically prevent workers from being on roofs. Teamwork and communication are emphasized. The technicians keep up with their work assignments, invoices, equipment orders and other tasks on iPads.
“A lot of people don’t realize how sophisticated our field is,” said David Lynch, 41, of Valley Mills and a Capstone service technician who graduated with an associate degree in HVAC in 2015.
The technicians are seeing heating and air conditioning systems being connected more to Wi-Fi.
“We are still constantly learning,” said senior service technician Edgar Marquez, 38. “You are never going to know everything.”
Marquez graduated with an associate degree in HVAC in 2011. He began work at Capstone Mechanical as a part-time employee while in college and was hired full-time at graduation.
“I am more seasoned,” Marquez said. “I have seen a little bit more. We push them all to be the same as they gain work experience.”
Hiley Briggs, 34, of Waco and a 2000 graduate of Riesel High School, started work at Capstone two years ago as an apprentice and graduated with an associate degree in HVAC from TSTC in spring 2016.
He said he feels work satisfaction fixing air handlers, condensers and other equipment to make people comfortable in overheated surroundings. A lot of the work involves high-voltage live circuits, so safety is priority.
The TSTC alumni entered the HVAC field in various ways.
Lynch had friends who did HVAC work.
“I’ve always done some kind of repair work,” the 1993 Robinson High School graduate said. “I can’t sit in an office. I had to do something to be outside.”
Marquez watched his stepfather work in refrigeration.
“You will always need air conditioning in Texas,” he said.
Stevan Panici, 20, a May HVAC associate degree graduate from Waco and a 2014 graduate of Connally High School, had finances on his mind when he chose to study the field.
“It is a good choice, and you are always busy in Texas,” he said. “I figured it would be good money.”
Panici said students interested in working in HVAC need to experience what work days are like.
“Get to know someone in the field,” he said. “They can tell you honestly how it is.”
The alumni were familiar with TSTC, having all grown up in the area.
“TSTC caters more to hands-on education,” Marquez said. “You do something different every day. You aren’t in the same place over and over.”
TSTC has about 70 students studying in the fall semester for the certificate and associate degree in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology.
Capstone began business in 2005 and has more than 160 employees.
For more information on Capstone Mechanical, go to capstonemechanical.com.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
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