Name: Eric Levai

Title: Project Supervisor

Why He’s Tech of the Month: Eric Levai started working as an installer at Clay’s Climate Control in Linwood, New Jersey, back when there were only five people in the entire company. Over the years, he has advanced and so has the company, where he’s celebrating his 10-year anniversary this year.

“Our company has grown to 30 employees and has moved out of our home garage into an office facility with warehouse space,” said Jennifer Pierce, owner/general manager. “Eric has grown with us every step of the way and is now a project supervisor who provides the layout and quality assurance checks on all of our installation work. His work quality is superb, and he has trained all new technicians to perform with the same integrity and quality.”

Levai got his start in HVAC through a buddy whose dad owned a business.

“I started working in high school, in the summertime, on weekends,” he said. “I was the helper: getting what the guys needed.”

Everything that Levai learned, when he was first getting started, was on-the-job training. Now he’s been in the industry for 25 years. Recently, he’s been doing a lot of training for all the new technology coming out: Wi-Fi units, communicating units, mini splits.

“I like working with my hands,” he said. “And I like that you get a little of everything: You get some electrical, you get some sheet metal, you get some plumbing. You get a lot of knowledge.”

At Clay’s Climate Control, Levai designs HVAC layouts for retrofit and new construction. He does the quality assurance checks of all installations done at the company, and he supervises five install crews so the jobs continue to move forward on time.

“I wear a couple hats: I do quality control for all the jobs going on, and I lay jobs out,” he said. “Right now, I’m working with a builder, starting to do layouts for where equipment’s going in the new house. Other than that, I’m ordering materials, getting guys set up for what they need to do.”

Pierce said Levai goes above and beyond on every installation he does.

“It can be very difficult to coordinate new construction work for multimillion-dollar beach homes and replacement work for our customers within everyone’s time frame,” she said. “Eric handles this without getting frazzled and [does it all while] exceeding expectations.”

And his outstanding work quality is why he does all the quality assurance checks.

“His attention to detail allows him to catch any mistakes or potential problems before the installation is complete,” Pierce added.

Levai likes that Clay’s Climate Control takes care of employees: benefits, profit sharing, and things like letting the foremen take their trucks home after work.

“I plan to just continue on training, continue on with the trade, see what’s coming down the road,” he said.

To nominate an HVACR technician for Tech of the Month, click here or email tedcraig@achrnews.com.

Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!