Cotti-Johnson - Transitioning to trades - by Gamble Wiseman

When I was first brought on as residential service manager here at Cotti-Johnson, I was coming out of a decade-long career in sales, and twice that in maritime. I knew next to nothing about HVAC, and was terrified that I’d do a terrible job, but determined to learn quickly and apply what I knew from my other jobs to best serve the company. 

Three years later, I’m in charge of maintenance contracts on the commercial side of the business, and working to grow our sales. I’ve increased our service contracts by 61% in 2021 and another 25% in 2022. This year, I’m furthering my skills by learning how to design and estimate different HVAC systems.

What’s the point of me saying all this? We need people in the trades, and your skills might translate in ways you wouldn’t think possible. Whether it’s physically working as a technician, back-end office work, or forward-facing in sales, there is space for you here, and often rewards greater than you’ll find elsewhere. Finding a good company who will train you along the way is the key, and there are many of us out there.

Are you interested in talking more about it? Give me a shout. I’d be happy to talk you through all the options – even if it’s not with us. But we are a good option.

Gamble Wiseman handles commercial maintenance at Cotti-Johnson HVAC, Inc., Taunton, Mass.