Champions of Specialty Refrigeration

I first visited Hughes Environmental Engineering, Montvale, NJ, in mid-2008, when the U.S. economy was sliding toward a recession, and the worst was yet to come. However, President Frank Hughes, Vice President Brian Hughes, and the entire team of sales, engineering, and service professionals were charging forward, confident that whatever pressures the economy would exert, they could bend without breaking.

Fast forward to my second visit, in March 2010. I observed the company much more closely over the course of two days. I spoke with more than a dozen key employees, and managed to pay a visit to a job site. And what do you know: it was as if I'd never left.

In two years, nothing had changed operationally, and the company was going strong. A weekly review of dozens of projects in various stages of completion began at 8 a.m., followed at once by efforts to make the day a good and profitable one.

Standing in the halls at midday, you'd think everyone had left early, when in fact, the building was filled with about 20 people focused on that day's pursuit of excellence. Conversations were in progress and decisions were made in civil tones, with absolutely no stress anywhere. That’s how they roll at Hughes Environmental Engineering, Inc.

It's not a great revelation that every successful company plans ahead, and does all they can to remain profitable in trying times. But my observations of Hughes Environmental Engineering found it to be a great example of a company that operates with the utmost consistency, discipline, teamwork, and a highly refined sense of "what works."

Brian Hughes has heard similar observations from industry colleagues. "We had an Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) MIX® Group meeting last November, and someone from one of those companies remarked that it’s not always obvious "who does what" at our company. They were doing what had to be done, without worrying about whether or not it's in their job description," he recalls. "We follow an unwritten rulebook, which I think is the key to operating a successful smaller business. We don't need to put many rules on paper. We've lasted 75 years without that."

One of those "unwritten rules" might very well be to have fun, and it would have come from Frank Hughes, one of the friendliest people in the refrigeration service business. He enjoys discussing the company's history, accomplishments, and challenges, and has a beaming smile. Most of all, you can see that he holds his employees in high regard. He started here as a technician's helper in the company founded in 1935 by his father, Richard, and grandfather, Frank W. Hughes — Electric Products. From there, he moved into accounts receivable, and, with time and training, became chief refrigeration systems designer. He's one of the industry's best refrigeration systems designers, and is a very proficient accountant, if not by training then certainly by his vast experience in crunching the numbers. The 20-column spreadsheet now managed by controller Bryan Smith and his Great Plains software used to be Frank's responsibility.

It Starts By Hiring the Best
Brian Hughes displays a solid understanding of the company's history and of its ongoing mission. He joined Hughes Environmental Engineering in 1994, after working as a logistics manager for Ryder Trucking Company. His main focus is on sales, marketing, and recruiting. In 2000, he expanded the sales team and set out to improve the company's recruiting methods and service department methods. He compiled a proprietary database of industry professionals who have at one time or another expressed interest in working for the company. When it's time to hire, he reviews many of those resumés for possible contact. He's quick to mention, however, that they refuse to poach other companies' employees. "We don't hand out business cards at supply houses, or follow them to coffee shops," he says. "However, if we spot a posted resumé, and have a job that's open, we contact them.."

Once an employee is on board for a time, the company is eager for feedback. Hughes recently conducted a voluntary survey of employees was conducted to learn what they liked and disliked about company procedures. Comments included:

• "Offers wide, diversified experience for those who want it.
• "Hughes takes pride in its reputation, and wants the employees to know that they're a part of that reputation."
• "Genuinely concerned with the balance of your personal life and your work commitment."

From Electric Products to Refrigeration
Electric Products — founded in 1935 in Jersey City by Frank W. Hughes and Richard Hughes — was the forerunner to Hughes Environmental Engineering. During the 1930s and early 1940s, the business gradually moved into air conditioning and refrigeration sales and service. It specialized in air conditioning service as a York contractor into the 1950s. In the 1960s, it became a Worthington dealer. Subsequent moves took the headquarters to Moonachie, NJ then Montvale, its present location since 1993.

Over time, the team realized the value of being one of the few companies in the region to specialize in low temperature refrigeration. Today, the company manages a vast number of commercial low temperature refrigeration service contracts. It also performs HVACR construction work and replacements, but more often than not, a specialty refrigeration need exists. Its refrigeration customer base includes owner-occupied facilities, including offices, warehouses, manufacturers, pharmaceutical storage, cold storage warehouses, food processors, and other buildings with unique HVACR requirements.