David was raised in his multi-generational family business, ENCON, an award-winning, second-generation family business providing outstanding commercial HVAC and power wiring services throughout New Jersey. While interning at ENCON each summer in high school, he experienced every job, learning from the ground up.
David feels fortunate to be part of a generational business. He joined the company full-time in 1993 and worked his way up to president in 2000. He’s most thankful for having an excellent working relationship with his father Marty – who founded the company in 1968 – for 25+ years.
David’s vision is for ENCON to continue to lead the industry over the next 50 years, both in the use of technology, growing the team, and working with customers who appreciate the value of partnering with ENCON.
While Marty taught David to be a problem-solver early on, his mother Micki taught him compassion. This “figure it out” mentality mixed with his compassion for people and charity is a common thread throughout the company and a value instilled in their team.
What is ENCON all about?
ENCON was started more than 50 years ago with a single humidifier installation. Today we feature multiple divisions: Design/Engineering, Build, Connect, and Maintain. The core mission to create systems that help buildings run more efficiently and more comfortably remain ENCON’s guiding principle. ENCON services industrial and commercial buildings, including Class A office buildings, schools, factories, surgical and medical facilities, and highly sophisticated clean rooms requiring special atmospheric conditions. Our solutions and holistic approach improve employee comfort and morale while lowering operating costs, saving owners money in the long run.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I was born into the business. My father started the company in 1968, and today ENCON is an award-winning, second-generation family business. At 83 years old, my father still comes to the office every day. The running joke is, my mother will kill me if I fire him! I have worked in all aspects of the company throughout my life, from a truck driver delivering parts to working in our sheet metal fabrication shop and as a junior estimator. In 1999, I became president.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
- TRANSPARENCY When the company was younger and smaller, there was little transparency about how and why business decisions were made. Today, I involve our staff by getting real-time buy-ins, so they understand how and why the company is doing what it’s doing. For example, a few years ago, we started Town Hall meetings and started sharing more significant business decisions, company news, etc. We do it annually in November, and we discuss the good, the bad, and the differences from the past year and set our goals for the year ahead. When everyone is involved, I’ve found there’s less confusion among our team members, and it makes them feel like they’re invested in the overall business plan.
- ALWAYS BE LEARNING We do a lot of technical training at ENCON; I also enjoy finding out that our team is learning in their personal lives, too. Whether it be learning how to surf, stitch or sew – I love that commitment to making yourself better. If you learn professionally, it helps you grow personally as well.
- ALWAYS BE HIRING This ethos has made a tremendous difference for us. A friend told me they hired an outstanding waiter at a restaurant to be their Sales Manager. My friend loved the waiter’s personality and knew he could help transition those skills to be an asset to his team. Always have your radar on looking for exceptional talent. You often don’t find them on the hiring sites or through a headhunter. Instead, you’ll find them in random places, so pay attention!
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
My vision is for ENCON to continue to lead the industry over the next 50 years by using technology, growing our team and services, and working with customers who appreciate the value of partnering with us.
How have the pandemic and lockdown affected you or your business?
The pandemic and lockdown made us understand the importance of collaboration. To be at our best performance, we need a degree of togetherness, and without it, we lose touch with our team. Maintaining our culture has been very difficult through the pandemic. Our method of doing things has changed, and we needed to learn how to bring people back together for the value of our business.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
With over 50 years of experience, I can genuinely say that ENCON can – and will – deliver the impossible. We’ve grown tremendously in our capabilities throughout the last 20+ years since I became president. We’ve tackled a wide array of complex projects.
One example is our work at Gateway. We had a very tight window to turn around one of the most significant projects at ENCON; I call them “weekend wonders,” meaning you start the job on Friday night, and it needs to be completed by Monday morning. We had about 60 employees on-site, and we successfully installed a 195-ton custom air handler on the rooftop penthouse, replacing the old unit from 1985. Twenty years ago, we couldn’t have even dreamed of completing a project of that magnitude. Today, we’ve gotten very good at how to plan and how to deliver successfully.
There’s an underlying mantra in our company: failure is not an option. We are committed to staying on the job until it gets done.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
A few years ago, we revitalized our social media channels, and we use them to build our brand, share our company values, team members, and services. We’re using these platforms to build brand loyalty, increase engagement, and discuss the positive experiences we’re delivering while amplifying our company culture and highlighting notable projects.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
We’re learning that it’s more important now than ever to remain connected to your internal and external partners. Making them feel valued, appreciated, and heard in a world that’s changing daily—figuring out how to pivot and overcome those challenges from supply issues to labor and health issues. If you don’t remain nimble during this time, you will not survive.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
I remain driven and motivated because I get satisfaction from solving the next problem, whatever that may be. Our team thrives on solving problems, and that’s what keeps us moving forward. Once we do our job successfully, the rewards and recognition follow.
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
After more than 20 years leading our company, I’ve found a key for entrepreneurs is investing your time and resources to properly train your team to arm them with the right skills to succeed at their job. I believe in empowering our team to set them up for the best results.
In addition to technical training, it’s also essential to have a business coach to help guide you and your team. For example, our two division managers are thriving professionally because we invested in a business coach to work with them a few hours per month. Likewise, training your executives to help them grow benefits the entire company because they will share those new skills with their teams.
I also recommend being humble with your relationships and the partners that you choose to work with. Be who you are. Be true to yourself.
What is your definition of success?
The most significant success is when our partners say ENCON delivered a wow experience, and then they refer us to new partners. We have great pride in the quality of the work we perform for our customers. Success is measured by the goodwill of the people that you choose to work with.
How can readers get in touch with you?
Readers can get in touch via my personal LinkedIn. They can also visit ENCON’s website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook for more information.
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