Carrier Building Systems And Services closings.

[MechanicallyInclined]

Carrier has closed at least 3 branch locations in my area. What's going on? Any input?

[TheChillerMan]

I worked for Carrier in Miami and left there in 2001. The writing was on the wall back then. They were losing market share to Trane back then. The BSS office was at 35 techs when I hired on in 1996, and when I left we were down to 12 techs.

Oh, and PM me on Trane Chicago.

[OpenDrive]

Carrier is restructuring it's service. They are going to a hub and spoke concept. I dont know about Florida, but in most of the country they are modernizing their operations and just having central "hubs" that all dispatching and office stuff is done out of. You may be talking about small "spoke" offices that used to have a full office staff, or several small offices consolidating. In areas that do not support but 1 or 2 techs they have been known to just have them operate out of a storage bldg. and report to an office a couple of hours away.

[TheChillerMan]

Carrier is restructuring it's service. They are going to a hub and spoke concept. I dont know about Florida, but in most of the country they are modernizing their operations and just having central "hubs" that all dispatching and office stuff is done out of. You may be talking about small "spoke" offices that used to have a full office staff, or several small offices consolidating. In areas that do not support but 1 or 2 techs they have been known to just have them operate out of a storage bldg. and report to an office a couple of hours away.

That's happening in Florida too. A friend of mine works for Carrier in Miami and they are running everything out of Orlando. They're firing office people that worked for them for 25 years. Really sad.

[MechanicallyInclined]

Why Orlando though? Because it's in the middle of the state? I would imagine the majority of Carrier's work to be in the Miami metro area.

[OpenDrive]

They went paperless and GPS. Technology did a lot of it.

[TheChillerMan]

Why Orlando though? Because it's in the middle of the state? I would imagine the majority of Carrier's work to be in the Miami metro area.

I'm not sure, Miami was the busier office in the past. But Trane really gained control of market share in Miami. Heck Trane had over 70 technicians in Miami while Carrier had 12.

I think the Orlando Carrier office was busier with the Disney stuff, but I'm just speculating.

[MechanicallyInclined]

I thought Disney was with McQuay. Or do all the manufacturers have a presence there? I was turned in the direction of Carrier Orlando when I inquired with Carrier Miami. I was told there was like 4 guys in Orlando. I looked into the UA scale there, it was mid $20s. Why so low?

[KnewYork]

I was told there was like 4 guys in Orlando. I looked into the UA scale there, it was mid $20s. Why so low?

Because you can buy a condo for about $25K?

BTW, Carrier has done the same in San Diego. Main office is in L.A. San Diego is a "spoke" of the hub.

[MechanicallyInclined]

Well, here in Southern AZ. Service Jm Total Package is $50/Hr., but TBS' (which is non-Union here) street rate is over $130/Hr.! How do the big companies figure these rates?! Orlando's SJm Total Package is about $40/Hr., but are the street rates over 50% GP?

[OpenDrive]

They are trying a one size fits all in all markets. In southern AZ, if some's street rates are already at 130, then Carrier will do well. In the Texas market, price is still king. Most cannot get 130. Petrochemical plants negotiate their rates down to as little as 70-90 on Process Equipment. 55 for HVAC. They still have many contractors lined up to get their work. Carrier is trying to break this pattern of lowballing each other to death. More training, and higher margins with less volume. If their plan succeeds, then we will all benefit if others follow suit. If they fail, some general mechanicals are going to have some very good techs to choose from.

[rscamaro]

I've been told (just a rumor) that the "Hub and Spoke" system was tried many years ago and it was found that the individual branches when released from the "Hub and Spoke" made 2 to 3 times the profit than with the central type system. I don't really know about other parts of the country myself, I just see that my branch had a secratary, a dispatcher, 3 service advisors, 1 controls supervisor, a branch manager, a sales person, 2 apprentices, and 22 or so techs. Now there are much less than 20 techs, a sales rep, 2 supervisors, and a branch manager.

With the current issues with the aftermath of hurricane Sandy there has been no internet service for the hub dispatchers to dispatch with and it seems to be more and more difficult for the supervisors to find work for us with all of the "other" work that they have to do. Interesting times.

...Ron

I believe the name CCS has been changed to "Controls Climate and Security" or something to that effect.

[MechanicallyInclined]

I've been told (just a rumor) that the "Hub and Spoke" system was tried many years ago and it was found that the individual branches when released from the "Hub and Spoke" made 2 to 3 times the profit than with the central type system. I don't really know about other parts of the country myself, I just see that my branch had a secratary, a dispatcher, 3 service advisors, 1 controls supervisor, a branch manager, a sales person, 2 apprentices, and 22 or so techs. Now there are much less than 20 techs, a sales rep, 2 supervisors, and a branch manager.

With the current issues with the aftermath of hurricane Sandy there has been no internet service for the hub dispatchers to dispatch with and it seems to be more and more difficult for the supervisors to find work for us with all of the "other" work that they have to do. Interesting times.

...Ron

I believe the name CCS has been changed to "Controls Climate and Security" or something to that effect.

Security? You're a Carrier employee, but you don't know that United Tech exited the Fire & Security Systems business?!

[the mojo]

http://www.streetinsider.com/Downgra...d/7756429.html

With Carrier only representing 17% of UTX its called consolidation of assets.
Otis taking a hit in China,Pratt and Whitney layoffs.

And then there is Europe, and DOD downgrades.

[rscamaro]

http://www.utcclimatecontrolssecurity.com/

Whatever.

...Ron

[MechanicallyInclined]

This the former Fire & Security Systems division of United Tech. Why the UTC website is not updated I don't know.

http://redhawkus.com/

Here's info about the sale.

http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/a...tment-partners

[rscamaro]

This the former Fire & Security Systems division of United Tech. Why the UTC website is not updated I don't know.

http://redhawkus.com/

Here's info about the sale.

http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/a...tment-partners

Interesting, but I haven't been told the CCS is anything other than Climate, Controls, and Security. I see Chubb trucks all the time with the UTC logo on them. I don't think anybody knows what is happening corporate wise, especially some lowly service technician like myself.

...Ron

[duppie]

things are not looking good in northern California. applied service is busy, unitary suffers. carrier commercial services a great place to work if the work is there. been living off maintenance pull through, and maintenance is almost over for the year. pray for freezing temps for service calls.

[bigsmooth]

wow that's crazy and to think I was looking into going to work for carrier......nature of the beast I suppose [big company's]

[OpenDrive]

Of course there has been a few rumors that they are for sale. Dont know how true this is.... but with their new philosophy of only taking high-margin work; they have lost a lot of techs, supervisors, and such who are following their customers out the door, it kind of makes sense. Service can be a low margin business. Not very attractive to stockholders. BTW, CCS stands for Carrier Commercial Service.