Dick Starr, President and CEO of the The Enterprise Corporation, was featured in a recent trade magazine article offering valuable and unique insight into the retro-commissioning of HVAC equipment. What follows are excerpts from that November 2009 article of Contracting Magazine entitled "Retrocommissioning in a Down Economy: a Tough but Logical Sale" written by Ron Rajecki.

"In an economy in which many companies are "circling the wagons" and trying to save as much money as possible, it may seem that building retrocommissioning would be a tough sell. However, by focusing on the long-term benefits of the process--cost savings being high on that list --contractors can help building owners and managers realize that now may be the most logical time to have their building's systems recommissioned. . . . . . .

At Shambaugh and Son, an EMCOR Company with locations in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio, president and CEO Mark Shambaugh says there are two keys to his company's ability to sell retrocommissioning. The first is its ability to provide "single source" in-house capability by combining mechanical, electrical, and temperature controls capabilities. "Being a single source provider allows you to eliminate double markups and become more competititive in improving your owner's return on investment,"Shambaugh says. "You also gain a much stronger degree of control on scheduling, mitigating change orders from subcontractors, and reducing overall owner risks for successful delivery on the project." . . . . .

Bill Dillard, founder and CEO of EMCOR Mechanical Services of Central Florida, Inc., Orlando,. . . thinks the long-term outlook for retrocommissioning and other energy conservation measures is bright. He expects the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, And Air-Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE's) building labeling program, which focuses strictly on building energy use, to become a national driver in the retrocommissioning and energy update market.

Dillard also believes the market will get a boost from a new generation of building owners. "The energy game in the future is not going to be played by people who own property now, it's going to be people who have bought and are holding onto distressed properties," he says. "They're just waiting for when the time is right to get those buildings back on the market and producing cash flow. Those are the people who, sooner or later, will drive recommissioning and energy retrofits."    

(SIDEBAR) A Father's Perspective: Women in the Workforce Drive Retrocommissioning

As the father of four daughters, Dick Starr, president of The Enterprise Corporation, Twinsburg, OH, has a unique insight into a primary driver for the retrocommissioning marketplace: women entering the workforce.

My oldest daughter graduated from high school in 1989, and wanted to enroll at Notre Dame University in South Bend, IN. Although Tricia graduated as the #1 female in her high school class, Notre Dame rejected her because girls needed an SAT score 100 points higher than the score that would have gotten a boy admitted. If Tricia had been a boy, she would have been accepted; as a girl, she was rejected. So she chose to go across the street to St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, where in 1993 she graduated Magna Cum Laude. 

Tricia's story manifests an imbalance and lack of sensitivity that existed in the workforce at that time. On the other hand, when young ladies and "stay at home" moms began to change the workforce, their female values also started changing our business culture.

How does this tie into retrocommissioning?  Females bring a nurturing outlook to the business place. It's a holistic mentality that chooses to nourish and protect, with safety and health paramount. Women are more sensitive to odors, pollutants, and poor ventilation. These things interfere with good health, which is counter to their feminine nature.

So you can thank females for their influence on today's indoor air quality culture. If a building fails to create an environment conducive to productivity, safety, and good health, energy savings don't mean a thing. The female influence has placed more demands on balancing energy savings with a healthy workplace: enter retrocommissioning.

- Dick Starr