Jim Reynolds is serving on SMACNA-Western Washington’s board for a three-year term, currently sitting on the executive committee, and holding the position of Chapter Councilor. He joined the board in 2006 and has been through the chairs as Secretary Treasurer, Vice- president, and President. He serves on the Legislative and Political Action Committee, Audit Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, and the Labor-Management Committee.
Outside the SMACNA-Western Washington board, Reynolds is extremely active in other areas of the industry, serving as a Trustee and co-chair on the Northwest Sheet Metal Organizational Trust (a Taft-Hartley market recovery fund) and as a trustee on the Northwest Sheet Metal Health Care Trust, which provides health care coverage for employees in Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. He is also a long-time ASHRAE member, WSSHE member, and NAIOP member.
In May 2019, Reynolds will celebrate 42 years in the industry. He has been with Auburn Mechanical for three years, following 19-year tenures with Holaday-Parks and PSF Mechanical, respectively. Auburn’s scope of work includes all wet and dry mechanical design and construction services (HVAC plumbing and piping), 24/7 maintenance and service, plus Pure Water Systems (RODI and WFI water systems and maintenance).
Reynolds left engineering school at Washington State University because he wanted to get into construction—a move he says may not have been the best path. “However, it led me to a specialty program in HVAC and plumbing design, and six months into that program I had the opportunity to start working at Holaday-Parks, the oldest mechanical contractor in Seattle (est. 1889),” he says. “There were many long days at work followed by night classes five nights a week. It worked for me.”
He relies on tried and true words of wisdom to live by: “I try to always treat people how I would like to be treated,” says Reynolds. “I also learned along the way you cannot make people into something they are not.”
Two important books he read, First Break all the Rules and Now Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Beckingham and Curt Coffman, reinforced those hard learned lessons. “I’ve also found the servant leader model works better for me,” he adds.
Over the years, the HVAC / sheet metal industry has experienced many changes and challenges, the most profound being margin erosion, says Reynolds. “The biggest change has been expectations for speed of delivery (for everything) and the always-on world we live in,” he adds. “Disconnecting is much harder now.”
As in all times and places, SMACNA has an important role to play in helping members adapt and progress in changing times. Establishing standards that are applicable worldwide, providing a platform for education and training across the industry, and being a player in both the national and local political arena to make sure member businesses enjoy a fair and reasonable business environment are its key roles moving forward.
“I believe in leaving things in better shape than you found them,” says Reynolds. “I don’t expect to revolutionize the industry overnight. Patience and persistence have served me well over the last 40 years, though I’ll admit I’m not as patient as I was when I was younger!” ß
