As part of Contracting Business's 80th Anniversary celebration, we are profiling some of the leading service providers in the HVAC industry and those that are aspiring to greatness. Marco Radocaj founded Balance HVAC in Vero Beach, Fla. in November 2023. Despite its short duration, Radocaj and his team are aspiring to greatness, as proven by its attention to many details and standards and pursuit of education. - ed.
Balance HVAC offers regular maintenance, installation and service for HVAC equipment. The firm delivers total solutions for healthy indoor air quality and comfort. It offers its services in Vero Beach and throughout Indian River County, Fla.
As stated on the Balance HVAC website: “We’re on a mission to elevate the standards of the HVAC industry and revitalize the importance of the skilled trades.” Owner Marco Radocaj tells Contracting Business: “Our mission statement does a great job explaining what we do. Customers of HVAC companies should expect more than just ‘cold air’ and symptom management. As an HVAC company, it is our job to educate employees to understand these concepts and provide tools and technology to test, measure and understand these other aspects and how they impact our goal of providing healthy, dry and comfortable IAQ.”
Marco Radocaj met his wife, Laura, in 2005 while attending Villanova University. He outlines their journey: “Shortly after we got married in 2010, we moved to Vero Beach, and I started my first day in the HVAC trade working at her dad’s air conditioning company. I had zero experience in any trade. I made my way into the trade through strictly servicing air conditioning. I became very good at repairing broken air conditioners and at the time considered myself a very good service technician.”
Radocaj says that his firm purchased a smaller company in town in 2018, and he was given the opportunity to oversee the acquisition as the General Manager. “My only hesitation was my lack of any experience installing systems or ductwork. However, the old owner’s son was sticking around and would act as the Installation Manager.”
He explains that things were going well until the COVID pandemic hit. He notes that the same day staffers at his firm were deemed “essential workers,” the installation manager gave Radocaj his two-week notice. “So, while my wife and kids isolated at a lake house in Georgia, I isolated in front a computer. After several failed Google searches, I stumbled across th Air Conditioning Contractors of America. I learned and gained accreditation for ACCA Manuals J, D and S. I was blown away that there was actually a correct way to do installations.” His thoughts regarding the leading association for contractors: “ACCA has an elite team and sets a very realistic and user-friendly expectation for our industry. We try to copy people smarter than us on a daily basis.”
Radocaj continued to expand his HVAC industry knowledge-base. “I pressed on and discovered the Building Performance Institute and other outlets for better understanding the enclosure and building envelope. As I continued to learn and apply these concepts, it became clearer to me that what was lacking in the trade was emphasis on the technicians in the field, including their training and their tools.”
The Balance HVAC founder says that to him, it seemed as if the HVAC trade in general had become oversimplified during a time when houses were designed to breathe. He adds: “This issue was coming to a head as building code administrators continued to press for efficiency.”
In 2022, Radocaj left the HVAC industry and served as Vice President of Home Performance at a construction company. After a brief time, he realized how much he missed the HVAC industry, and that’s when he and his wife started their own company, Balance HVAC.
Balance HVAC represents a special mix of delivering professional HVAC services and a strong commitment to community involvement. Marco and Laura Radocaj are deeply involved in community activities, including coaching youth sports and participating in nonprofit initiatives.
Radocaj says his firm focuses on air balancing and air flow testing in their work with residential customers. “As the company in charge of conditioning a customer’s air, we have found that air flow measurement is critical. We utilize several different methods and tools to determine system air flow.” The Balance HVAC executive explains: “If we don’t have at least some idea of how much air we are moving and to where, it’s not likely we will be able to deliver the results we are looking for.”
Continuing Education for HVAC Technicians Is Key
Balance HVAC is committed to ongoing education for its workforce. Radocaj explains: “We offer reimbursement for any continuing education endeavors aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of our HVAC technicians. This investment in their development not only benefits our employees personally but also translates into improved service quality for our customers.”
He adds: “We have implemented a performance-based pay structure that incentivizes employees to further expand their expertise. For instance, those interested in earning additional commission through equipment sales must first obtain certification in ACCA Standard 5. This ensures that our team members are equipped with the necessary expertise to deliver superior results, ultimately benefiting both our business and our customers.”
Radocaj encourages Balance HVAC techs to get a variety of continuing training in technology. “As our approach considers the entire home as one system, any general knowledge regarding heat gain, infiltration, and factors that influence these two elements is very important. All of our installation technicians have taken ACCA Manual D courses for the obvious reason of having a better understanding of how the duct system works.”
Balance HVAC technicians hold a variety of certifications. Radocaj explains: “We also have service technicians that are certified blower door operators and other employees with duct-tightness-testing certification. Obviously, we are not using these tools on each and every job, but having an understanding of how they impact our work makes us more capable technicians.”
The Balance HVAC owner knows the importance of his firm’s technicians and other staffers. “We recognize the pivotal role our employees play in our success and have tailored our benefits package to foster continuous growth within the trade while remaining aligned with our pay structure.”
His firm, says Radocaj, aims for uniformity and lack of deviation in the work it does. “By adhering to standardized procedures, such as ACCA-approved installation protocols, we ensure consistency and quality across all our projects. This approach not only enhances efficiency but also guarantees unparalleled service excellence for homeowners.”
Radocaj offers this summary: “In essence, our strategic focus on employee development, coupled with standardized operating procedures, has enabled us to maintain our position as leaders in the HVACR industry, delivering exceptional value to our customers while driving continuous growth and innovation within our company.”
Adopters of Technology That Give Customers Transparency
Balance HVAC is customer-driven. “We understand the inconvenience and discomfort homeowners face when their AC systems malfunction, often disrupting their sleep and daily routines. Recognizing these challenges, we've taken deliberate steps to revolutionize the customer experience and set ourselves apart as leaders in the field,” Radocaj tells Contracting Business.
The Balance HVAC owner notes that traditionally, the HVAC service process has been opaque, leaving customers in the dark about the work being done in their homes. He says his firm does things differently. “We've flipped this narrative by leveraging technology to offer transparency and peace of mind to our customers. Through platforms like Company Cam, we provide real-time visual updates, showcasing the craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into every project. From initial assessments to final installations, we document the journey with before-and-after photos, highlighting areas where we've gone the extra mile.”
He adds that his company prioritizes accountability and quality assurance through the use of tools like Measure Quick. “This third-party app allows us to translate real-life readings into easy-to-understand metrics, providing customers with a clear assessment of their system's performance. With a simple pass-fail scale and an intuitive A-F grading system, customers can easily gauge the effectiveness of their HVAC investment.”
Radocaj says that by adopting new technologies such as the above, his company not only demonstrates its commitment to precision and excellence, but also cultivates trust and satisfaction among its clientele. “At Balance HVAC, we're not just in the business of fixing AC systems; we're dedicated to delivering an unparalleled customer experience that reflects our passion for craftsmanship and our genuine concern for our customers' comfort and well-being.”
Radocaj says controlled growth is the goal for his firm. “We have a great team who believes in our mission. As our team grows, it’s important to closely navigate with our mission statement as our North Star. There will always be companies that are bigger, faster or less expensive; but our goal from day one has been to deliver the absolute best.”
He adds that his managers’ ability to educate new technicians dictates the speed of his company’s future growth. Through this training, his firm’s technicians can continue to push the firm’s customers’ expectations beyond just "cold air."
Radocaj wants to continue to challenge and excite the firm’s existing team to keep pushing their own expectations of themselves and become leaders in the HVAC trade. “Personally, I hope to be able to share my knowledge and excitement of the HVAC industry with others. Whether that is expanding on my consultation side of the business or teaching classes to eager men and women looking to get in the HVAC industry, I want to help others know how to learn and achieve the right way to do HVAC.”
Radocaj sums it up: “"I trust the process; Balance HVAC is performing to our expectations."
Michael Keating writes for a variety of publications, including NATE Magazine and American City & County. He is a freelance writer specializing in industrial and technology-related topics and trends. Contact: [email protected].