Name: Ryan Koff

Title: Field manager, Baumann & DeGroot Heating & Cooling, Holland, Michigan

Why He’s Tech of the Month: When he was young, Ryan Koff watched his uncle install a furnace into his parents’ house, and the process fascinated him. He instantly knew he wanted to pursue a career in the trades. Twenty-two years later, he is one of the longest tenured technicians at Baumann & DeGroot Heating & Cooling in Holland, Michigan.

In his job as field manager, Koff is tasked with managing multiple new construction projects for high-end houses, including designing, building, and implementing hybrid comfort systems. It’s his responsibility to manage these projects and their installation crews to make sure everything is completed under tight deadlines.

Koff said he enjoys diagnosing and solving the challenges he encounters on a daily basis. “I love finding solutions to accommodate both design and function.”

It’s his ability to problem solve even the loftiest of projects that makes him stand out as a true industry veteran.

“Ryan is one of the most brilliant heating and cooling minds I’ve ever met,” said Chad Baumann, sales and marketing manager, Baumann & DeGroot. “The large construction projects he is tasked with resemble large commercial projects, and he is able to take the large scale and equipment and put it all together in a code-compliant fashion.”

Koff is known to his coworkers as a true visionary. He sees the entire picture in his head and then offers a solution, which is a talent not many have.

“He is able to see all of the components that go into the whole of the system and implement them,” said Baumann. “It’s rare to have someone who’s able to design equipment, lay it out, and then build it. He’s a perfectionist.”

Not only is he a talented worker, he’s a passionate and positive individual whose energy is infectious.

“Ryan has a great attitude,” he said. “He loves what he does and his demeanor shows that. I will never forget years ago when we were eating lunch on a job site. He said, ‘This is the life,’ and I thought he meant taking a break in the sunshine; however, he corrected me and said, ‘No, heating and cooling. I love doing this. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.’”

As a field manager, Koff is no longer required to be on call because of his stressful workload. Regardless, every year, he still volunteers to be on call over Thanksgiving.

“A large, ongoing, new construction project manager once called our service department on a Saturday because the air conditioning needed to be activated for the drywall crews,” said Baumann. “Our service tech didn’t know much about the project and called Ryan for a rundown before heading out. Ryan just went out on the weekend rather than having the service tech go out. He is the ultimate team player.”

Koff hopes to continue to grow and learn while serving the concerns of area customers.

“My favorite part of working for Baumann and DeGroot is its desire for continued growth in their employees.”

To nominate an HVACR technician for Tech of the Month, visit http://techofthemonth.achrnews.com or email
samanthasine@achrnews.com.

Publication date: 8/28/2017

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