Carmen Carpenter was recently named president of Tyler, Texas-based Trent Technologies. She is the daughter and granddaughter of the company’s founders. Trent Technologies Inc., founded 25 years ago, is an engineering research and development company that provides a solution for HVAC condensate trap problems.

Carpenter spent a decade in the banking industry, working for both global and local financial institutions.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas Christian University (TCU).

Carpenter’s grandfather, Warren C. Trent, was the director of engineering technology for the McDonnell Douglas Corporation in the height of his career. During this time, Trent led a team of engineers in the design and development of the propulsion system for the F-15 military fighter jet. Trent’s experience in working with these large pressure levels on a jet gave him the expertise to work with extremely low pressures inside an HVAC cabinet. 

After retiring from his aerospace career, Trent witnessed severe damage caused by intermittent leaking of condensate from an HVAC system within his son’s commercial printing company.  He was able to quickly identify that the problem was directly associated with a failing condensate trap. Condensate leaked onto equipment, machinery, and inventory, costing the company thousands of dollars.

To prevent damage from condensate trap failures, Trent invented the CostGard™ Condensate Drain Seal device. Trent solved the issue for the print shop, and since then the product has created global customers.