If there’s one thing we’ve learned through the pandemic, it’s that there’s a renewed focus on the value of local resources…and we like to see that. Prior to Covid-19, we saw many customers opting for big brands because of name recognition or due to heavy marketing strategies. However, sometimes these decisions don’t end up being the best, often resulting in poor performance or poor craftsmanship. By choosing local businesses over big brands, you’re not only supporting the community, but you’re also ensuring that your service team is local, available and invested in your long-term success.
At Thayer, we strive to go above and beyond for our customers. For example, we were contacted by the Newmarket Community Center to change out a recent panel installation by a well-known, national brand. Although the initial investment was very high, their concern had to do with their poor workmanship reinforcing the idea that sometimes paying for big names does not always mean getting better results.
Left: Thayer Corporation panel installation; Right: Big brand panel installation
By supporting local companies, you are also giving back to your community. Small business owners pay taxes to the City and Towns in which they are located, which goes towards public schools, parks, roads, and public service workers. We appreciate our opportunity to serve the community, and to do great and meaningful work.
Thayer, is a friend and partner of the town of Newmarket, New Hampshire, providing mechanical systems support and service to the community for several years. Last year, several municipal buildings within the town were outfitted with a new Siemens system, a large investment for the town but with high hopes that these systems would deliver quality environments for the staff in all six buildings.
Unfortunately, as is the case with complex mechanical systems, there were seemingly unfixable challenges that plagued many of the units, leaving facilities managers and staff frustrated and worried about the ability to maintain comfortable environments over the next several months. The Thayer Team, along with members of their new partnership group Computrols, assessed the situation and determined adjustments needed to be made to the controls in order to get back on track.
Proposed Solution
Thayer came in and offered a BACnet interface via Computrols Building Automation System. We presented our solution and demonstrated Computrols Building Automation Software (CBAS). The town’s facilities staff was instantly intrigued by this opportunity. Thayer would leverage all of the town’s existing Siemens field hardware by adding an 8-LX controller at each site and replacing Siemens Desigo software with a CBAS front-end.
Outcome
This approach successfully enabled the customer to leverage their existing investment while getting a quality product and service. Thayer will continue with their three-year maintenance agreement with the town, including system support and upkeep, and is now in a position to assist with the facilities within the school system.
At Thayer, it’s not always as simple as heating and cooling; sometimes it’s about going the extra mile for our clients, for their teams (or chickens) and our community. As anyone who lives in our beautiful state can attest, winter in Maine is both beautiful and sometimes relentless, which is why our expertise often comes in handy at the most important times.
Last month, one of our favorite community members, Hillandale Egg Farm, was in need of assistance. A hydronic pump for their egg washing heating system was failing, and it would be weeks before a replacement would arrive. To wait that long would significantly jeopardize their operations, not-to-mention their livestock.
Fortunately, this didn’t stop our team at Thayer from solving the problem quickly. At Thayer, we pride ourselves on a culture of experimentation and innovation, and thanks to Project Manager, Mike Klick, and technician Tyler Michaud, this was made possible.
Klick, a 38-year employee of Thayer, brought the pump to Thayer’s repair and manufacturing center and made the necessary modifications with his team. Once complete, Tyler was responsible for onsite modifications and installation…and it fit perfectly into Hillandale’s system, saving both time and substantial loss. Klick remarks, “regardless of the client or situation, we’re a solutions-based team. Our first thought isn’t always what’s the easiest way, but instead to think outside of the box. In this case, it was about keeping our client’s most precious assets protected.”
Through innovation and forward-thinking, Thayer continues to strive toward continual improvement. In an era where the focus is on clean air, we can’t forget our company and our industry’s role in providing safety to our community.
Happy New Year to all of our friends and family and may we all stay together through these challenging and interesting times.
Thayer is excited to announce the addition of Albert Tanguay to their team of HVAC professionals as the new Controls Manager and head of their emerging Controls Department. Following a recent announcement about Thayer’s exclusive partnership with Computrols, Tanguay is positioned to elevate the company’s commitment to providing clients throughout Maine and New Hampshire with the highest level of performance in building controls at the lowest lifecycle cost in the industry.
“We are incredibly excited to have added Al to the Thayer Team as our new Controls Manager,” said Greg Marles, General Manager and COO for Thayer. “Al brings an expertise that is rarely available in this market. With over 35 years of experience, and a wealth of knowledge across many different system platforms, we are confident that he will take the company to the next level in building a high-performing control department.”
Tanguay joins seasoned field expert, Mike Dwelle, to increase Thayer’s building controls capabilities and the options that the company brings to clients.
“We are seeing a heightened interest from clients to better understand how our Computrols platform can free them from expensive, high-maintenance systems that are sold by large, national dealers,” Marles said. “With Al at the head of our Controls Department, we fully expect to grow this arm of our business and provide the best-in-class building automation control systems for school districts, hospitals and industrial, commercial and municipal buildings in the area.”
As an authorized dealer for Computrols, Thayer is positioned to elevate the level of control building managers have over their HVAC systems. Their Computrols platform integrates with any legacy system, offers a lifetime warrantee and removes the burden of upgrades and licensing fees that are currently handcuffing building operations departments.
Due to the rise of the HVAC professional, the Thayer has advanced its level of service to customers in Maine and New Hampshire by partnering with Computrols. As an authorized dealer in the region, Thayer elevates the level of control building and facility managers with their HVAC system to ensure occupant comfort and safety while operating as efficiently as possible from an energy consumption standpoint.
With the Computrols platform, Thayer is positioned to bring the highest quality, performance-based services to commercial, industrial and institutional building managers who are looking to enhance the control of their indoor environments.
“The addition of the Computrols platform provides our clients with a comprehensive solution to their building automation needs,” said Greg Marles, General Manager and COO for Thayer. “We wanted to be able to build our own systems from the ground up by providing our own line of controllers. Computrols allows us to do that while continuing to focus on offering innovative solutions for our clients at a price point they can be comfortable with.”
Through the Computrols platform, Thayer offers clients, and building facilitators who are in need of advanced systems without the excessive overhead, a solution that doesn’t require a total replacement of the building’s existing controllers and one that doesn’t tether them to large national dealers that require expensive system upgrades every five-to-ten years and annual licensing fees. In contrast, Thayer’s Computrols platform integrates into the building’s legacy system and comes with an unmatched lifetime warrantee.
“During a time where managing indoor environments is paramount, we believe that by converting our clients to Computrols we will give them the ability to have more control over their indoor space,” continued Marles. “In the end, our clients will operate a building with a top-of-the-line system that offers the lowest lifecycle cost in the industry.”
In just six months, Thayer has fielded several proposals from school districts, hospitals and industrial, commercial and municipal buildings interested in converting their legacy systems to the Computrols platform Thayer Corporation provides.
“The Thayer, LLC is bringing an entirely new level of sophistication to facility managers through this partnership,” said Mike Clayton, Manager of Strategic Partnerships for Computrols. “We couldn’t be happier to have them at the helm of our Maine and New Hampshire distributions.”
As indoor environment practitioners and mechanical systems experts, we’ve always held the position of educator, engineer, installer and the people you call in the middle of a blizzard or the night to fix systems. Typically, we are in the role of the problem solvers. Most of the “outside world” has viewed and perceived the HVAC industry as a very matter of fact and A to Z profession. When there’s an issue, call the HVAC company and they will fix the problem with a combination of two things – labor and parts.
The Transition
Recently the earth tilted on its axis, throwing us all for a loop with a pandemic the likes not seen since the early 1900’s. Suddenly there was a public cry worldwide for unique solutions to a relatively unique risk – the COVID-19 virus – one that illuminates the need for expertise in establishing, managing and maintaining indoor environments. The public no longer felt safe indoors where they live, work and commune. This challenge required a need to apply expertise to solutions that ultimately improved safety and health for the people that work, inhabit or visit indoor environments. This new light also allowed the general public to view these professionals as engineers, designers, technicians, innovators and problem solvers – which they’ve always been.
Why We Are “Burning the Midnight Oil”
As stewards for safe, healthy and productive indoor environments, the call for action was heard. We have always looked beyond simply delivering products and labor to ensure our clients received custom solutions that adequately reflects their specific environments. We have been tirelessly in pursuit of the latest, scientifically verifiable, know-how to this huge challenge. No two office buildings, schools, residences, warehouses or clients are alike, which is why applying our specific expertise to creating solutions from scratch is needed now more than ever.
Being Vigilant
We are entering a new age whereby an extreme focus on the air we breathe is looming large for all of us. The “new normal” will be here for some time, requiring a commitment to apply and maintain best practices to allow us to be both safe and productive indoors. We urge everyone to explore scientifically verifiable solutions. There is no silver bullet to shoot this enemy, but we are well stocked with silver buckshot if you need help. There may be no better time than to “Call in the Experts“.
