April 28, 2025 • 33 mins
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In this episode we chat with up-and-coming refrigeration technician, Connor Strickland. Connor talks about the early stages of his journey, his family background in the trade, and the diverse experiences he's had along the way - starting off in HVAC to transitioning into refrigeration. Connor shares the challenges and learning curves he's encountered, including the realities of being on call, the “unpleasant” jobs, and importance of showing respect among peers and willingness to learn.
In this episode, we discuss:
-Connor's journey into refrigeration
-Deciding between college and trades
-First steps in HVAC and refrigeration
-Adapting to on-call work
-Embracing technology in refrigeration
-Electrical systems and troubleshooting
-Importance of personal development in the trades
-Doing the unpleasant jobs well
Helpful Links & Resources:
Episode 185: Refrigeration is a Journey: Ashley Fuller's Refrigeration Roadmap
Episode 299. Basic Refrigeration 101
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Trevor (00:00):
Welcome to the Refrigeration Minter podcast. Amir Trevor Matthews. Super excited that you're here again. , I love chatting, learning, sharing, growing.
(00:01):
But once again, it was really cool to find out a little bit of how his journey started and he is just getting started and I know he is gonna go places just from the conversations we had. Connor, how you doing brother? You are doing great chair or yourself? I'm doing so good. Thanks for for joining me.
It just was kind of there and didn't really think much of it. But once I started to get older and, , I graduated high school and then I , was just kind of thinking about, I had no idea what I wanted to do and, I , I, I always kind of had a , an itch if you will for , how things work and all that stuff.
Get some, , more of the basic principles of , thermodynamics and air conditioning is, is a good way to start with that before you kind of get into some of the more advanced concepts with refrigeration, with controls and all that stuff. So that was a good experience. And then once I've been kind of in the supermarket world for not a horrible amount of time now, but yeah, it's I've, I've definitely been, liking it so far and could yeah. It's, it's, it's been a, it's been a, been a journey, but yeah.
Maybe I should just sit back and, and work a little bit before I I make a decision. Like getting into refrigeration or go to university or college.
So when I kind of analyzed that, I was just like, well I'm not totally sure yet. And, , for, for me, I just, I, I wanted to be sure what I wanted to do, and I just wasn't sure at the time. So, like you said, I I took some time and , tried to really figure things out and it, it, it worked out well for me because , now I'm not, , strapped with all the things that can come with college, right? Yeah. As far as with the, with the debt and stuff. And yeah. So that was kind of one of the main things is just , trying to make sure I'm making the wisest decision because it's inevitable you're gonna make mistakes, but it's just just try trying to make the best decisions for the future that you can.
Maybe you wanna start your own business someday. Whatever it is. What I mean? Maybe you wanna learn marketing or accounting or whatever it is for something that you do down the road. Or you wanna become a manager and you want to take a leadership course. , there's so many different things involved that could do.
He used to own, yeah. He owned a a company that did yeah, commercial residential, HVAC and a lot of, , new construction and service stuff. So I got a really good experience there in general, just with both sides of that. But yeah, I, I kind of knew long term I didn't wanna do that, like, I don't know.
Know someone in the trade, but this wasn't something that you were thinking about as a young age. You told me when we were down at the training event that, , you went to the, the shop once in a while. You kind of knew about it, but it wasn't something really in your wheelhouse at the time. Right.
Just 'cause it's, it's just a part of it when you're first starting out, you're , you're, you're on call is, is is what it is, right? But it's no, it's been, it's been good. I I've, I can't complain. It's just been a lot of , personal development time and, and learning things and trying to invest in much as much in myself as, as I can really.
Where then after I started getting more experience and understand, well this is not, I just don't stop my life for a week. 'cause I do still talk to people. It's like, I just stopped my life for a week. I do my on call and then I go back to my regular life. How let's talk a little bit about, about on Call and how you navigate it.
Not summertime yet, so I didn't really get that treatment yet. But at the same time, it's , like you said, the, the company I'm with, we have a lot of. Really good guys that are a lot of really good experienced guys. So they've, they've kind of helped me a lot. I do actually have so basically my transition to be on call is another guy's transition to being off call an older gentleman who's moving roles.
But yeah, structured in 24 hour increments which I think is best just 'cause , especially with the amount of stores we have and the, the call volume we get, it would be. It would be rough to have week long week long on call because I know that's how most companies work really. Like , you have just week long on call on things and, , for, , either commercial HVAC, residential HVAC or maybe small refrigeration that works.
I was like, oh, if I have a rack down, what do I do? And I've been many rack downs situations, right. But just figured it out. It just took me a lot longer. So now, so now you've been in the refrigeration industry doing service. What are some of the things that you like about service?
Yeah. And, and I think that's, that's the thing too, too, like I've done both, like I started install and then moved into service and I've seen both sides of the world and I, I really think more technicians need to do, see both sides because it is different.
So not th thinking of the service side. So after I went into service and I did seeing all the service stuff, I'm like. Get back into install and do some more installs as a foreman or something. Then all of a sudden I was like, man, I could do it a lot better. I'm like thinking of the service guy, like how do I fix this next time if something does happen?
How does that relate to you? When you see a system that has more controls or more electronics? Is it something that you try to embrace? Is it something that's still hesitant? Because I know for sure you talk with older guys and they're like, oh, it's, there's some older guys. Oh. It's complicated drives.
I mean, to be honest with you, like, I just, I, I didn't, I didn't know, like, , it was just a, a whole new world, if you will. , like when I come into the industry, I'm like, everybody's talking about like communication networks. I'm like, what's Modbus? What's back now? What does that mean? Like, , and just all this stuff.
So you you just kind of have to take, take what you will and, , take it day by day and just learn, learn slowly, but at the same time try to progress as much as you can at the same time. So it's just yeah, that, that's just kind of been my main thing is just , I think most guys especially, , at my stage in the industry, but even in general, like.
Like, so if you're just trying to learn your job during your eight hours or seven hours or 10 hours, you're not gonna advance as fast as if you go and say, okay, let's pick up the, watch some videos on the E two or watch some videos on the Microthermal, or watch some videos on this or that for controls.
Right. It's not that they don't teach it, right. There's just don't spend enough time on it where they're trying to put out fires all the time. Right. And it's harder to be with a lead technician today than it ever was before for, for many different reasons. Not having enough lead technicians out there, not, not have enough people for all the work.
On, on the electrical wiring. Well, I have 460 volts here. I got 2 0 8 volts here across this switch. I got zero volts. What does that mean? Oh, that must mean it's closed. What I mean? And then walk through. So then you can visually look at it. I put my meter up, I get my voltage or no voltage, or if it's open or closed, and then you write that down and you go through this whole circuit.
(00:22):
Okay, let's just replace it. We're spending that extra time outside of work, I think will benefit every, every technician in the industry, which is cool. So what are what else are you excited about? 'cause you're, you're, you're continuing to grow. Summer's coming, you've done a few summers before. What are you looking forward to co coming up in the next few months in your career?
And they, , for every time that they do that, they're like, okay, I understand, like, , we'll make sure we get you on some other stuff. But it's , it, it's just a part of it. Right. But yeah, I think it's just , about just putting in the time and getting to understand, understand things properly and, and how they work and as well as just , continuing to perfect my craft, if you will.
How can I do it faster the next time you, and, and as I got better at doing it and quicker people started to notice that stuff, even though it wasn't very fun, like picking up all the crap of all the cases that I tore apart or, or putting the piping installation on the pipe. What I mean? It's not, that's not super fun, , putting installation a upon for a whole day or a couple days straight.
Connor (00:25):
Definitely. Until you grow. Yeah. And that's something I. Even like just to apprentices that are around me or even been in the industry less time than me, that's something I really try to emphasize on is just show either the journeymen or the older guys around you or whatever that you care, right?
They don't wanna learn. And , they don't really show like. , the, their journeymen or the people training them that they care, right? So they don't that, that in and to your point, like that shows them that oh, he doesn't, he doesn't want to get better. And like, I'm not gonna spend the time investing him if he's not going to, versus, , if you show them you care, you show them you're gonna do a good job doing the small things, you'll ultimately get the benefit of doing things that you may like doing more faster than just going through.
'cause it's not easy all the time. What we do? We, we come home, we're all mess, we're soaked, we're dirty, clean and whatever it is. So I really try to talk, talk both to the younger people and the, the leader. Like it may be just a job for them. It was just a job for me, honestly, when I started.
What I mean? And then that's when I started to really enjoy it. And honestly, I think it was over the last 10 years that I really tend. 12 years that I really just fell in love with refrigeration. 'cause I was getting better at it. I was solving problems, I was making more friends, I was making a difference.
It's a different way that we work with, with people coming into the industry today than you did 10, 20 years ago.
Wanna explain that to me, right? Because if I, they tell me something and I'm just like, oh yeah, I already know that, this, that and the other, and be like, oh, I'm not gonna tell you anything after this. Right. And it just kind of, it just kind of helps because you want to, especially people you wanna learn from, you wanna display trust to them and you want to display that you care.
Right. And you do not have to tell that to their face, obviously. But you just have to, , do your due diligence as far as. Doing your research about that thing, right. To make sure that they're correct. Right. And , that that's the main thing, what it's about, just being respectful I would say is one of the, one of the bigger things.
Even if you're only in a couple years in the industry, that older person can learn a lot. From the younger person because today you can find knowledge out a lot faster than they could 20 years ago. So you can look stuff up to find the actual, the right answer a lot quicker than ever before. And I, I think I like that point is that you want to double check the information you're getting from whoever you're working with.
Let me, let's find that out together. Or Let me find that out, or get back to you. Which is gonna really build that relationship of that team. And I think it's all about teamwork in our industry. Connor, I wanna thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me here. I I'm gonna definitely follow your journey kind of.
Welcome to the Refrigeration Minter podcast. Amir Trevor Matthews. Super excited that you're here again. , I love chatting, learning, sharing, growing.
(00:01):
But once again, it was really cool to find out a little bit of how his journey started and he is just getting started and I know he is gonna go places just from the conversations we had. Connor, how you doing brother? You are doing great chair or yourself? I'm doing so good. Thanks for for joining me.
It just was kind of there and didn't really think much of it. But once I started to get older and, , I graduated high school and then I , was just kind of thinking about, I had no idea what I wanted to do and, I , I, I always kind of had a , an itch if you will for , how things work and all that stuff.
Get some, , more of the basic principles of , thermodynamics and air conditioning is, is a good way to start with that before you kind of get into some of the more advanced concepts with refrigeration, with controls and all that stuff. So that was a good experience. And then once I've been kind of in the supermarket world for not a horrible amount of time now, but yeah, it's I've, I've definitely been, liking it so far and could yeah. It's, it's, it's been a, it's been a, been a journey, but yeah.
Maybe I should just sit back and, and work a little bit before I I make a decision. Like getting into refrigeration or go to university or college.
So when I kind of analyzed that, I was just like, well I'm not totally sure yet. And, , for, for me, I just, I, I wanted to be sure what I wanted to do, and I just wasn't sure at the time. So, like you said, I I took some time and , tried to really figure things out and it, it, it worked out well for me because , now I'm not, , strapped with all the things that can come with college, right? Yeah. As far as with the, with the debt and stuff. And yeah. So that was kind of one of the main things is just , trying to make sure I'm making the wisest decision because it's inevitable you're gonna make mistakes, but it's just just try trying to make the best decisions for the future that you can.
Maybe you wanna start your own business someday. Whatever it is. What I mean? Maybe you wanna learn marketing or accounting or whatever it is for something that you do down the road. Or you wanna become a manager and you want to take a leadership course. , there's so many different things involved that could do.
He used to own, yeah. He owned a a company that did yeah, commercial residential, HVAC and a lot of, , new construction and service stuff. So I got a really good experience there in general, just with both sides of that. But yeah, I, I kind of knew long term I didn't wanna do that, like, I don't know.
Know someone in the trade, but this wasn't something that you were thinking about as a young age. You told me when we were down at the training event that, , you went to the, the shop once in a while. You kind of knew about it, but it wasn't something really in your wheelhouse at the time. Right.
Just 'cause it's, it's just a part of it when you're first starting out, you're , you're, you're on call is, is is what it is, right? But it's no, it's been, it's been good. I I've, I can't complain. It's just been a lot of , personal development time and, and learning things and trying to invest in much as much in myself as, as I can really.
Where then after I started getting more experience and understand, well this is not, I just don't stop my life for a week. 'cause I do still talk to people. It's like, I just stopped my life for a week. I do my on call and then I go back to my regular life. How let's talk a little bit about, about on Call and how you navigate it.
Not summertime yet, so I didn't really get that treatment yet. But at the same time, it's , like you said, the, the company I'm with, we have a lot of. Really good guys that are a lot of really good experienced guys. So they've, they've kind of helped me a lot. I do actually have so basically my transition to be on call is another guy's transition to being off call an older gentleman who's moving roles.
But yeah, structured in 24 hour increments which I think is best just 'cause , especially with the amount of stores we have and the, the call volume we get, it would be. It would be rough to have week long week long on call because I know that's how most companies work really. Like , you have just week long on call on things and, , for, , either commercial HVAC, residential HVAC or maybe small refrigeration that works.
I was like, oh, if I have a rack down, what do I do? And I've been many rack downs situations, right. But just figured it out. It just took me a lot longer. So now, so now you've been in the refrigeration industry doing service. What are some of the things that you like about service?
Yeah. And, and I think that's, that's the thing too, too, like I've done both, like I started install and then moved into service and I've seen both sides of the world and I, I really think more technicians need to do, see both sides because it is different.
So not th thinking of the service side. So after I went into service and I did seeing all the service stuff, I'm like. Get back into install and do some more installs as a foreman or something. Then all of a sudden I was like, man, I could do it a lot better. I'm like thinking of the service guy, like how do I fix this next time if something does happen?
How does that relate to you? When you see a system that has more controls or more electronics? Is it something that you try to embrace? Is it something that's still hesitant? Because I know for sure you talk with older guys and they're like, oh, it's, there's some older guys. Oh. It's complicated drives.
I mean, to be honest with you, like, I just, I, I didn't, I didn't know, like, , it was just a, a whole new world, if you will. , like when I come into the industry, I'm like, everybody's talking about like communication networks. I'm like, what's Modbus? What's back now? What does that mean? Like, , and just all this stuff.
So you you just kind of have to take, take what you will and, , take it day by day and just learn, learn slowly, but at the same time try to progress as much as you can at the same time. So it's just yeah, that, that's just kind of been my main thing is just , I think most guys especially, , at my stage in the industry, but even in general, like.
Like, so if you're just trying to learn your job during your eight hours or seven hours or 10 hours, you're not gonna advance as fast as if you go and say, okay, let's pick up the, watch some videos on the E two or watch some videos on the Microthermal, or watch some videos on this or that for controls.
Right. It's not that they don't teach it, right. There's just don't spend enough time on it where they're trying to put out fires all the time. Right. And it's harder to be with a lead technician today than it ever was before for, for many different reasons. Not having enough lead technicians out there, not, not have enough people for all the work.
On, on the electrical wiring. Well, I have 460 volts here. I got 2 0 8 volts here across this switch. I got zero volts. What does that mean? Oh, that must mean it's closed. What I mean? And then walk through. So then you can visually look at it. I put my meter up, I get my voltage or no voltage, or if it's open or closed, and then you write that down and you go through this whole circuit.
(00:22):
Okay, let's just replace it. We're spending that extra time outside of work, I think will benefit every, every technician in the industry, which is cool. So what are what else are you excited about? 'cause you're, you're, you're continuing to grow. Summer's coming, you've done a few summers before. What are you looking forward to co coming up in the next few months in your career?
And they, , for every time that they do that, they're like, okay, I understand, like, , we'll make sure we get you on some other stuff. But it's , it, it's just a part of it. Right. But yeah, I think it's just , about just putting in the time and getting to understand, understand things properly and, and how they work and as well as just , continuing to perfect my craft, if you will.
How can I do it faster the next time you, and, and as I got better at doing it and quicker people started to notice that stuff, even though it wasn't very fun, like picking up all the crap of all the cases that I tore apart or, or putting the piping installation on the pipe. What I mean? It's not, that's not super fun, , putting installation a upon for a whole day or a couple days straight.
Connor (00:25):
Definitely. Until you grow. Yeah. And that's something I. Even like just to apprentices that are around me or even been in the industry less time than me, that's something I really try to emphasize on is just show either the journeymen or the older guys around you or whatever that you care, right?
They don't wanna learn. And , they don't really show like. , the, their journeymen or the people training them that they care, right? So they don't that, that in and to your point, like that shows them that oh, he doesn't, he doesn't want to get better. And like, I'm not gonna spend the time investing him if he's not going to, versus, , if you show them you care, you show them you're gonna do a good job doing the small things, you'll ultimately get the benefit of doing things that you may like doing more faster than just going through.
'cause it's not easy all the time. What we do? We, we come home, we're all mess, we're soaked, we're dirty, clean and whatever it is. So I really try to talk, talk both to the younger people and the, the leader. Like it may be just a job for them. It was just a job for me, honestly, when I started.
What I mean? And then that's when I started to really enjoy it. And honestly, I think it was over the last 10 years that I really tend. 12 years that I really just fell in love with refrigeration. 'cause I was getting better at it. I was solving problems, I was making more friends, I was making a difference.
It's a different way that we work with, with people coming into the industry today than you did 10, 20 years ago.
Wanna explain that to me, right? Because if I, they tell me something and I'm just like, oh yeah, I already know that, this, that and the other, and be like, oh, I'm not gonna tell you anything after this. Right. And it just kind of, it just kind of helps because you want to, especially people you wanna learn from, you wanna display trust to them and you want to display that you care.
Right. And you do not have to tell that to their face, obviously. But you just have to, , do your due diligence as far as. Doing your research about that thing, right. To make sure that they're correct. Right. And , that that's the main thing, what it's about, just being respectful I would say is one of the, one of the bigger things.
Even if you're only in a couple years in the industry, that older person can learn a lot. From the younger person because today you can find knowledge out a lot faster than they could 20 years ago. So you can look stuff up to find the actual, the right answer a lot quicker than ever before. And I, I think I like that point is that you want to double check the information you're getting from whoever you're working with.
Let me, let's find that out together. Or Let me find that out, or get back to you. Which is gonna really build that relationship of that team. And I think it's all about teamwork in our industry. Connor, I wanna thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me here. I I'm gonna definitely follow your journey kind of.
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