WALLS UP!
Happy Holidays, KCC TEAM
A Message From the President, Joel Streiter
We had another great year in all our divisions. As the year 2024 came to a close, your Executive Leadership Team got together and began the planning for the next 10 years. Big, audacious goals await us. When I began here, we had to knock on a lot of doors to get opportunities. These days, your performance seems to generate a new opportunity every week. The toughest part is figuring out how to say “no” to the ones that are least desirable. Adding products to our manufacturing portfolio, while continuing to grow our construction and service businesses, will lead us to a whole new level. Stay tuned for more! If you have traveled near the Simpsonville property, you probably have seen that the main pad for the Headquarters Building is poured, the walls have started going up and a roof by late January, weather permitting. We are already putting together a plan to move production, with first units built in Simpsonville in February 2026. It’s an exciting time to be part of KCC-a winning team!
​ESOP CORNER
We are eager to see the opportunities that 2025 will bring to KCC! Your ESOP Committee is committed to enhancing our workplace experience, and we have a lineup of fantastic company events planned. Be sure to check the TVs for the latest calendars and schedules.
We value your input, so please don't hesitate to share any suggestions on how we can improve at KCC. Your Voicebox submissions are always encourage and appreciated!
The Future of HVAC Unit Testing
By Kevin Muldoon, Director, R&D
The KCC psychrometric chamber is the first of its kind in the world; helping us push the boundaries of technology, performance, quality, and capability.
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Psychrometric chambers are large rooms designed to test HVAC units at their limits by controlling the environment inside. The HVAC unit is connected to a data acquisition system that measures every critical data point. These chambers are utilized to confirm the unit performs the way it was designed.
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​Most psychrometric chambers are owned by testing laboratories and used for safety and performance testing to industry standards. These chambers are in high demand and usually can’t be scheduled sooner than 6 months out. The lack of chamber availability requires significant planning during the development process of a new product. Challenges with the design or construction must be overcome and harmonized with availability for chamber testing.
​The best way to remain a leader in the HVAC industry is to build our very own psychrometric chamber. The 80-ton psychrometric chamber that is currently under construction at the R&D facility in Simpsonville and scheduled to complete in the summer of 2025, allows KCC to develop products faster by validating performance and making changes to the unit under test in our own building. KCC’s new chamber will be capable of testing dedicated outdoor air units (DOAU) beyond what is required by the standards, with ambient conditions ranging from -20°F - 140°F, units up to 80 tons, 500 lbs./hr. of moisture removal, and 20,000 CFM while maintaining extremely stable operating conditions for extended periods of time. As we mentioned, the KCC psychrometric chamber is the first of its kind in the world; helping us push the boundaries of technology, performance, quality, and capability!
Employee Engagement Committee
By Jerry Lowry, Learning and Development Manager
In late 2022, the Employee Engagement Committee was formed to find ways to engage with KCC team members as a way to reduce personnel turnover and establish KCC as an “employer of choice” in the area. In 2023, a plan of gathering information through department-specific surveys led to different engagement ideas. In 2024, the Engagement Committee began gathering information from KCC team members during “Birthday Roundtable” discussions on what the company could start doing, continue doing, or stop doing to create the best employee experience possible. The ideas that came from those meetings were relayed to Joel Strieter who addressed them in a company-wide video in July. Future video responses are expected for the information gathered from these roundtable discussions conducted in the latter half of the year.
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In partnership with the ESOP committee, listening sessions and recognition was also instituted in 2024 for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month. Personnel turnover has dropped from 34.46% in 2022, to 21.9% in 2023, to 12.7% year to date in 2024. According to industry experts, the cost of replacing just one employee is roughly $20,000. Applying this math to KCC, every 1% of turnover that is reduced saves KCC ~$160,000, and with a 21.9% reduction in turnover in the last 2 years- this amounts to ~$3.5 million in savings that has gone back into the share value and EBIDTA. This progress is a testament to collaboration between all team members and KCC’s commitment to listening to the workforce to remain THE Employer of Choice in the local area.
New Refrigerant? No Problem!
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By Tony Perlick, Project Manager 11, PMO
Some of you may have heard the word “A2L” linger around KCC for the past 2 years. In simple terms, this was the work contributed to convert our HVAC units from 410A refrigerant to 454B refrigerant. The “A” means low toxicity, “2” mean mildly flammable, and “L” means low burning velocity. From this, we had to re-engineer our units so they are compatible with the new refrigerant. And due to the flammability of the refrigerant, it required several facility changes at Technology in case there was ever a leak. We also had to install the ventilation fans and duct work near “Test”, deploy leak detection systems, and purchase a bulk storage tank to store 454B refrigerant.
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I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible work and dedication that each of you has shown in bringing the A2L project to fruition! Many may have doubted KCC’s ability to undertake such a monumental task, but through everyone’s collective efforts, we not only completed it but also were one of the first companies in the nation to build the first A2L unit!
I cannot overstate my appreciation for the countless hours and tireless work that you have invested in this project. From the initial engineering stages to the final facility modifications, your commitment has been unwavering. This project was undoubtedly challenging, but your perseverance and expertise were instrumental in its success.
As we reflect on this journey, we recognize the valuable lessons learned and the significant contributions made. The utilization of the BPMN template and the preservation of historical data will undoubtedly serve as valuable assets for future projects. I am confident that these insights will continue to propel us towards future successes!
Thank you once again for your exceptional work and dedication!
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