Tom Montgomery is serving a three-year term as SMACNA- WW’s vice-president, and served as secretary/treasurer for two years prior. He is currently the management chair and secretary/treasurer for the Western Washington sheet metal worker’s JATC. He is also general manager of service operations at ACCO Engineering Systems, which specializes in commercial HVAC engineering, fabrication, installs, service, and controls.
After 38 years in the industry, Montgomery recalls his entry into sheet metal work. “I stumbled into at as a summer job out of high school as a delivery driver,” he says. “I liked what I saw and enrolled in college while working to learn more about the business. I became very interested in the design aspect as well as the service side.”
He sees the industry facing some big challenges over the years—customer access to information and access to purchasing their own equipment, for one. “Selling equipment and parts is a vital part of our business and we are challenged more and more everyday when customers want pricing for labor only,” he says.
Technology has made a huge impact on the work, rendering the equipment smarter and more energy efficient. BIM has also allowed trades to coordinate in advance during design phase and eliminate waste in the field from rework.
This is where the future’s biggest opportunity lies, says Montgomery. “Technical advances in our industry will continue to attract top level talent and will drive innovation into buildings and our systems in ways we can’t even imagine today,” he says. “’The way we have always done it’ is being challenged today and will continue to be challenged for many years to come.”
He says these changes will fuel the necessity for innovation inside companies and companies’ processes and approach to jobs. Customer needs change as fast as technology changes, and real time information on buildings, projects, services, and people will be available through smart devices with easy access even more than is evident today. Keeping up these demands will be the key to success for any company providing these services.
Moving forward, SMACNA has an important role to play in the industry’s development and success. “[It must] assist in the overall success of the industry through training, technical support, lobbying, and contractor representation in labor negotiations and disputes,” says Montgomery. As vice- president, he hopes to break the ‘business as usual’ mind set and lay the ground work for the next level of leaders who will help lead the industry through the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
“Lastly, I like to model and teach that you give back to the industry that has helped provide us with great careers and means to take care of ourselves and our families,” he says. “Pay it forward to the ones coming up behind you.”
His ambition ties in well with his professional philosophy:
“Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden eggs,” he says. “It can all be gone tomorrow if we don’t work together and take care of business.”
