This past winter we sat down with CAS vice president of operations and general manager Kenny Gee.

How long have you been at Conditioned Air Systems? What roles have you served in?

I’ve been here 38 years since Day 1. I started as a residential installer, moved to commercial installer, then project manager and my current role.

How much change have you seen during your career in the HVAC industry?

Things have changed quite a bit. The majority of the change is the evolution of the HVAC industry. Technology has advanced and while you would hope things would be simpler, many things have become more technical. But, people are still people and we’ve got a great crew across our company and great customers.

In your role, how do you make sure Conditioned Air Systems delivers the comfort and quality your customers expect?

I oversee how our projects are installed – following up to make sure things are done right. Not every project goes smoothly and issues sometimes have to be addressed. My role is to ensure those are resolved and our customers are happy with the final product.

What’s it like working at Conditioned Air Systems?

Since I got out of the Marine Corps, I’ve only had two jobs in my career. My specialty (MOS) in the Marines was HVAC. I worked at two other local HVAC companies and Doug Magnus was my supervisor in the second of those two companies. When he started Conditioned Air Systems, I was right here along with him. So, having been here 38 years now, something must be going right. A big part of that is the people. Our people care about making sure our customers get the quality of service they expect. If we don’t take care of our customers, we don’t have a job.

What was your experience like in the Marine Corps?

I joined the Marine Corps – or rather reported to boot camp – on April 1, 1975. The last marine left Saigon 45 days later so I was a peacetime warrior. For four and a half years I traveled, spending time in Cherry Point and Camp LaJeune, North Carolina. I met a lot of great people and had a lot of great times. The Marine Corps did a lot for me.

Are there any projects that you’ve worked on that stand out to you?

We do a lot of renovations and replacements in the school systems during the summer. We used to have 11-12 weeks to complete these sorts of projects. Now, we have 8 weeks to do it. My most memorable projects are these summer renovations where there is a huge challenge – where if we don’t have our plan, our equipment arriving on time, the right team, etc. all of those elements can make those projects very challenging. They happen so fast, that we have to be done before the kids come back to school. I enjoy projects like that where there is a challenge and the rewards that we get – getting the jobs complete and on-time before the kids come back.

Is there anything else you’d like to include?

For 38 years, I’ve had the opportunity, privilege, joy, rewards of being with this company. There have been highs and lows – the good Lord says we’ll be presented with mountains and valley but He’s with us all the time. I’m appreciative to Doug and the whole team to have been part of CAS.