EP266 Legacy, Ego, and the Baton Pass: Real Talk on Family Business Succession With Bryan Orr, Robert Orr, Bill Spohn and Billy Spohn (February 2026)
Release Date: 04/17/2026
EP271 Live from NHPC 2026: Where HVAC, Buildings, and People Intersect With Brynn Cooksey from HVAC-U PART 1 (April 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “High-performance homes are not about the equipment. They are about the outcomes for the people inside.” “The gap is not in technology. It is in execution and understanding.” “The contractors who win are the ones who connect building science to real human experience.” Recorded live at the 2026 National Home Performance Conference in Columbus, this episode of the Building HVAC Science Podcast brings together Bill Spohn, Eric Kaiser, and guest Brynn Cooksey for a conversation at the intersection of buildings, HVAC systems, and the...
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EP270 Scaling with Simplicity: EOS, Growth, and the Malco Evolution With Rich Benninghoff (May 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “We’re not just selling tools anymore — we’re building solutions that make the trade pro’s life easier.” “EOS gave us the discipline to focus on what really matters when everything is pulling at you.” “(In golf,) you can’t hit everything with a driver — great businesses know which tool to use and when.” In this episode, Bill talks with Rich Benninghoff about Malco's evolution into the broader Malco Group and what it means to shift from a product company to a solutions platform. Rich shares how his 30-year journey...
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EP269 Collaboration Over Competition: A New Playbook for Contractors With Rhydon Atzenhoffer (April 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “Great equipment doesn’t build a reputation. Great technicians do.” “Use AI like a tool, not a crutch. The work still belongs to the person in the attic.” “We’re missing mentorship across generations, and that gap is costing the trades more than we realize.” In this episode, Bill sits down with Rhydon Atzenhoffer, host of the HVAC R&D Podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation that goes well beyond tools and equipment. Rhydon shares how his show evolved from casual, relationship-driven conversations during COVID into a...
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EP268 Fresh Air Without the Penalty: Reinventing Ventilation for Real Homes With Austin Riesenberger from Swerv (April 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “If you’re building something new, it has to be better in almost every way or it won’t catch on.” “The stuff that’s bad inside your home doesn’t filter out, you have to move it out.” “We stopped over-modeling and just started testing in the real world as fast as possible.” This episode of the Building HVAC Science Podcast features Austin Riesenberger, founder of Swerv Air, a young entrepreneur tackling a surprisingly overlooked problem: how to bring fresh air into homes without sacrificing comfort, energy efficiency, or...
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EP267 Why Refrigerant Compliance Is Becoming a Profit Center With Adma Dykstra (March 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “It’s a solution to a problem people don’t even know they have.” “Compliance is no longer just paperwork. It’s becoming part of how smart contractors protect margin and keep access to refrigerant.” “What GPS did for traffic, shared HVAC documentation could do for equipment history, refrigerant tracking, and accountability.” In this episode of the Building HVAC Science podcast, Bill Spohn talks with Adam Dykstra of FM Hero about a part of the HVAC industry that often gets overlooked until it becomes a serious problem: refrigerant...
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EP266 Legacy, Ego, and the Baton Pass: Real Talk on Family Business Succession With Bryan Orr, Robert Orr, Bill Spohn and Billy Spohn (February 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Quotes from the episode: “The emotional side of letting go and the identity shift is something nobody really warns you about.” “Clarity is kindness, especially when the chips are down.” “Intelligence gets beaten by emotional regulation and patience every day.” (Tommy Mello) This episode is a true “collab” between Building HVAC Science and HVAC School Podcasts, with Bill Spohn Sr. and Bill “Billy” Spohn Jr. (TruTech Tools) joining Bryan Orr and his dad Robert Orr (Kalos Services) to talk candidly about family business succession. They dig into the part nobody...
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EP265 Why Heat Pumps Fail: It’s Not the Equipment, It’s the House With Larry Waters and Alex Sloan (February 2026)
Building HVAC Science
EPISODE QUOTES “Anyone can install a heat pump, but if you don’t understand how houses work, you’re gambling with comfort.” “Our intake process is a pre-screen. We want customers who already want the heat pump.” “Electrify everything is cute. Electrify efficiently is the job.” In this episode of the Building HVAC Science Podcast, Bill Spohn and Eric Kaiser talk with Larry Waters and Alex Sloan of Electrify My Home, a Bay Area contractor focused on efficient home electrification. Larry walks through his 43-year path in the trade, from early technical training and...
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EP264 The Unsung Heroes of HVAC Education, Mentors Who Built the Trade With Howard Weiss and Renee Tomlinson (February 2026)
Building HVAC Science
“There are people who teach for income, and people who teach for outcome.” “You want to grow an industry, you can’t ignore half America.” “Become an unsung hero, mentor someone, and give back to the industry you love.” In this episode of Building HVAC Science, Bill and Eric are joined by Renee Tomlinson and Howard Weiss from ESCO Institute (and HVAC Excellence) to talk about a theme that does not get nearly enough airtime: the “quiet” people in HVAC who shape careers and raise standards without chasing attention. Howard explains ESCO’s role in the industry, from accrediting...
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EP263 Surviving and Thriving in HVACR: Lessons from the Field With Rick Dirmeyer (February 2026)
Building HVAC Science
“The more you know, the more you’re worth and the harder you are to replace.” “Just because you’re a great technician doesn’t mean you’re ready to run a business.” “You can’t buy the satisfaction of helping someone you may never meet.” Bill sits down with Rick Diermeyer, better known to many in the trade as the face behind the HVACR Survival YouTube channel. Rick shares the origin story of his channel, which now boasts tens of thousands of subscribers and hundreds of field-based videos. What began as a simple way to document and share service technician experiences...
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EP262 “RTFM” and Real-World HVAC Confidence: Why Callbacks Drop When Training Improves With JT Stewart (February 2026)
Building HVAC Science
Episode Quotes: “Airflow isn’t good. It’s measured.” “Most pushback isn’t ‘I won’t.’ It’s ‘I’m afraid I’ll mess it up.’” “This is a people industry, by people, for people.” JT Stewart joins Bill Spohn and Eric Kaiser to talk about how he went from long-term care nursing to HVAC, thanks to a red Chevy Ventura van, a ladder on top, and a “let’s go fix some stuff” invitation. Today JT is an HVAC consultant at Slipstream, working with utilities and state programs to build real-world training that goes beyond “heat pumps are hot” and into the...
info_outlineQuotes from the episode:
“The emotional side of letting go and the identity shift is something nobody really warns you about.”
“Clarity is kindness, especially when the chips are down.”
“Intelligence gets beaten by emotional regulation and patience every day.” (Tommy Mello)
This episode is a true “collab” between Building HVAC Science and HVAC School Podcasts, with Bill Spohn Sr. and Bill “Billy” Spohn Jr. (TruTech Tools) joining Bryan Orr and his dad Robert Orr (Kalos Services) to talk candidly about family business succession. They dig into the part nobody really warns you about: the emotional identity shift of letting go, moving from decision maker to advisor, and the weird tension of still being “the face” of the brand while your successor has to establish themselves.
From there, the conversation gets practical. The group compares how succession looks in a 24-person company versus a 400-person contractor, and why the fundamentals still rhyme: role clarity, accountability, and the right people in the right seats. Bill and Billy share how EOS helped “bake in” structure that made the handoff less chaotic, including accountability charts and more frequent performance conversations. Bryan and the Orrs add their lens on stewardship, culture, and doing right by people when the chips are down.
They wrap with advice for other family businesses: start earlier than you think, make a public commitment so you cannot quietly back out, seek outside counsel to keep your head from lying to you, and do not carry unresolved issues into family life. The final note lands on something bigger than succession itself: prepare for “what’s next” so retirement does not become fading away, and keep relationships, forgiveness, and emotional regulation at the center if you want the business and the family to survive the transition
Bryan’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanorrkalos/
Robert’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rborr/
Billy’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-spohn-jr-a06201a3/
Bill’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/billspohn/
Books we referenced:
Traction By Gino Wickman
RocketFuel by Gino Wickman & Mark Winters
Succeeding. By Albert Ciuksza
Good To Great, Jim Collins
Family Business Succession: The Final Test of Greatness- Aronoff, McClure, & Ward
Process! - Mike Paton and Lisa Gonzalez
The Business Transition Handbook - Laurie R. Barkman
Who Comes Next? Leadership Succession Planning Made Easy - Mary C. Kelly, Meredith E. Powell
This episode was recorded in February 2026.