Infusing Efficiency
McIntyre Industries embraces multigenerational collaboration
Founded in 1928 by inventor John W. McIntyre who commercialized heating and cooling technologies in the early part of the 20th century, McIntyre Industries (McIntyre) has a long history of superb craftsmanship, customized solutions and product durability. A focus on the war effort during World War II was the company’s first foray into military-grade manufacturing processes, a relationship that deepened and developed over time in the modern era with long-standing contracts with the U.S. Navy.
To this day, the team at McIntyre works with military clients and is responsible for introducing a new standard for HVAC equipment durability to the commercial sector, a move that was initiated by the company’s new owner, Dennis T. Wong, in 1992. That was the year McIntyre Industries began commercial HVAC equipment manufacturing in the San Francisco Bay Area, offering heavy-duty, military-grade equipment applications to clients looking for extra durability.
A Multigenerational Collaboration
A general engineering contractor by trade, and a one-time client of McIntyre Industries, John-Paul Farsight bought the company in 2016, at the age of 32.
“I had been a customer of the business and saw that McIntyre had an excellent track record, with a 90-year history of no returns and no fault on performance,” John-Paul says. “I was interested in transforming an old economy business into the new sustainable economy, infusing new energy and ideas and a new business model.”
John-Paul’s leadership at McIntyre aligns with the rise of a new generation of millennials who are influencing the trajectory, efficiency and innovation of manufacturing businesses that have shaped the economy.
“Today, millennials are taking over old economy businesses and with proof of concept are taking them into the new information economy,” John-Paul says. “It’s all part of a multigenerational collaboration.”
“Today, millennials are taking over old economy businesses and with proof of concept are taking them into the new information economy. It’s all part of a multigenerational collaboration.” John-Paul Farsight, Owner, McIntyre Industries
What does that mean for McIntyre specifically? It means the marriage of new efficiencies and product design to established precision. McIntyre is incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IOT) technology into the company’s products and introducing efficiencies that complement the skill sets of employees whose work has been the lifeblood of the HVAC industry.
“We’re infusing the most advanced engineering and technology available,” John-Paul continues. “We’re investing in how each product is designed, how all products work together and are implementing the most advanced manufacturing methods to increase efficiency on the manufacturing floor, with upgraded machinery to speed up processes. All the while we’re keeping people employed who’ve been here for years.”
Workers who have decades of experience with McIntyre set the tone and culture for a business that retains a 50/50 military and commercial clientele. “In the shop, that military precision sets a tone, and patriotic pride sets the standard for all the products, while the culture of the company gets passed down to the younger generation,” John-Paul says. “At first it takes a little bit for millennials to find their feet. But once they get in, it’s a band of brothers, and they form close father-son type relationships as they learn the ins and outs.”
For a company that’s doubled in sales year after year, rapid growth is a factor, and newcomers are seen as welcome reinforcements.
“There’s definitely a cultural difference between the experienced workers and the new ones,” John-Paul says. “The leadership and everyone else in the company give those tenured workers deference and respect. They’re the heart and soul of the company.”
A Holistic Focus and Customized Approach
At the same time, the company has a holistic focus and designs with the end user’s point of view in mind. “We’re creating from client- and customer-centered perspectives,” John-Paul says. “We see everything from the end user’s point of view. Rather than focus on lower product costs, instead we’re looking at total project cost and lifecycle cost for the end user. It’s a more holistic business model.”
The McIntyre team creates durable commercial units locally that are 40 percent lighter than typical air-conditioning units, which is significant in the Bay Area where weight makes a difference in seismic constraint. “New rules have come into existence with seismic upgrades. So, going with something lighter makes a difference, and we’ve done it with increasing durability, using military methods, techniques and technologies. And our units are modular. So, we can build in small sections and assemble them like LEGO® Bricks.”
A lighter weight can save on the overall projects costs, and a modular unit keeps the client from having to block off streets, take down power lines and rent cranes. “Our units can be taken through the elevator. It’s a niche and unique and custom product.”
With an assembled, customized site-specific product, customers have to rely on the portfolio and reputation of the manufacturer. And McIntyre’s portfolio is impressive, including recent projects at the Fisher building at 601 California Street and the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. The company manufactures products and uses technology to work around the failure points of heat exchangers, creating equipment that often has twice the lifespan of the product that customers had before.
“We’re in a blue ocean,” John-Paul says, alluding to the fact that McIntyre is uncontested in its category. “We’re innovative using the best available technology. A little more investment in the product will save you in the project lifecycle investment. It’s a time-consuming and material-consuming approach, but it’s military standard applied to the commercial market.” This approach to lifecycle and durability is especially important for businesses where any downtime will equal significant loss of funds.
The Heart and Soul of McIntyre
John-Paul and his wife, Alecia, have a 5-month old son, Mark, and 3-year-old daughter, Jeralyn. And while their two children are not yet school age, John-Paul understands the role that sound plays on learning and retention in the classroom. “A small increase in decibel level will decrease retention,” John-Paul says. “Students lose what’s being said when there’s high background noise. We design for sound, and it’s much lower than mass-produced decibel levels.”
This type of end-user perspective and awareness of environments has kept this company at the forefront of the commercial HVAC manufacturing world for 90 years. Whether installed in surgical operating rooms, ballrooms or classrooms, McIntyre’s products fit right in, and are technologically advanced, lighter weight, longer lasting, corrosion resistant and conform to sound and heat barriers. It’s an attention to quality that leads the industry, built by a multigenerational team that understands service and loyalty, and who continue to be the heart and soul of McIntyre Industries.