While earning a business management degree from the University of Miami, Anthony Pascucci began working with Sansone Air Conditioning. After serving as the human resources manager for a year and a half, he was promoted to role of Sansone's general manager. A year after his promotion, Pascucci completed his course work and earned an MBA in finance from Miami.  

After nearly 10 years as Sansone’s general manager, Pascucci was recruited by Johnson Controls/York Factory Direct in late 2014. In March 2015, he officially joined the Johnson Controls team as a UPG area sales manager.

“Coming from the contracting side has allowed me to think a little differently than others working in the traditional HVAC distribution model,” said Pascucci, 36.

Pascucci quickly climbed the ladder at Johnson Controls, being promoted to UPG regional general manager in April 2015 and UPG regional director in April 2017. His territory has grown from nine individuals when he was hired to more than 90 people today. Last year, his excellence was recognized in the form of the Johnson Controls Best of Brands Award – 2017 Factory Direct Region of the Year Award.

“The culture we’ve been able to build is very dealer-focused, which has allowed us to differentiate from the competition,” he said. “Understanding what our customers go through on a daily basis and how to help grow their businesses allows us to truly connect as a partner distributor. I have learned so much from my team and this side of the business. The most important thing I have learned is how to be a leader and trust my team to execute on the strategies we have built.”

Pascucci didn’t identify any lifelong goals, but did state he hopes to continue to grow within the industry.

“I really enjoy the sales and marketing side of the business,” he said. “I want to be able to utilize my ideas to help contractors across the country while helping the company I work for be the distributorship of choice for customers.”

While he’s been involved in the HVAC industry for 13-plus years, it still feels like yesterday that he was a new kid on the block.

“When you’re young, you think you know it all and have it all figured out,” Pascucci said. “I always encourage the ‘new kids’ that I’m mentoring to be open minded and always keep learning. I still learn something new every day.”

Pascucci is quick to remind his peers that everything they do serves as a reflection of who they are. 

“I recently attended a leadership training event and the message that stuck with me was, ‘Everyone is Watching, Be a Leader.’ I use this with my team to encourage them to step back and think. How we are, how we act, our attitudes, etc. are all reflected by our teams. I try to always be positive, have fun, and encourage my team to think outside the box.”

Pascucci's love for HVAC has nearly spanned his entire life and he isn't prepared to jump off the train anytime soon. 

“This industry offers tremendous opportunities,” he said. “You have to be ready to work hard and learn because no one is going to do it for you. This industry has given me a fortunate life and career. I’m blessed to say that I get to have fun every day and look forward to Monday mornings.”

Publication date: 10/31/18

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