Name: Kyle Buker

Title: Lead HVAC Technician, Installation

Why He’s Tech of the Month: Kyle Buker faced a decision after high school. He was attending community college and couldn’t settle on a career. His grandfather had installed fire alarms, so he decided to see what the trades had to offer. Given a choice between being an electrician and being an HVAC technician, he opted for HVAC. Almost seven years later, it seems like the right choice.

After a year at another company, Buker has spent the last five and a half years at Accurate Baker Elman Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning in Franklin, Massachusetts. A friend who worked there at the time helped him get the interview. Buker currently serves as the lead HVAC technician for installation, working mostly on residential projects along with some light commercial.

Erin Joyce-Brady, Accurate Baker Elman’s director of marketing, said Buker always goes above and beyond for their customers.

“He has been working especially hard these lasts few months with the large uptick in demand for HVAC work, and he never complains,” Joyce-Brady said. “He does every job with a smile on his face.”

One job stands out in particular. During a recent hot spell, the firm received many no-cooling calls. One came from the nephew of Brian Bernier, another Accurate Baker Elman technician. This nephew is a police officer in Blackstone, Massachusetts, and he said an elderly woman had called the police in a state of panic because no one could come out to fix it. Bernier had his nephew call Accurate’s dispatch.

Buker wasn’t the on-call technician, but he lived close by and wound up going out to the woman’s house. He went out that night and fixed the unit. He also noted a few other needed repairs that could be done at no cost.

Buker wants to eventually learn more about the service side of the business. Right now, his role is the person who helps the new guys when they join the company.

“I know how hard it is coming into the trade with little experience, without any guidance or direction,” Buker said. “I try to make it comfortable for them.”

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