ACtion Magazine - January/February 2016 - (Page 26)

Honoring the mobile A/C industry pioneers technology came at an early age. "When I was 14 years old, I got a job as an assistant to a man who repaired restaurant equipment. We fixed everything that you would think of in a restaurant from dough mixers to dishwashers and of course a great deal of refrigeration equipment. It's surprising how much refrigeration equipment there is in a restaurant. Air conditioning, ice makers, walk-in freezers, walk-in refrigerators, pie coolers, water bubblers, plate coolers and even water chillers. So at a young age, I had a fair amount of refrigeration experience." After graduation from college, Rodge saw an ad in the newspaper for a job opening at ARA in Grand Prairie, TX. "Since I had a love for cars and experience with refrigeration, ARA was a great fit for my first job out of school." Following his tenure at ARA, Rodge worked as an engineer at Wynn's Climate Systems in Fort Worth, TX, Bergstrom in Rockford, IL and Sanden in Wylie, TX. In 2009 Rodge joined T/CCI of Decatur, IL, where he serves as director of OEM applications. His primary focus is to assist customers with applications of compressors to maximize durability and performance. Rodge is most proud of a project he led while at Bergstrom. "I lead a design team tasked to simplify the under-seat school bus heater that had been produced by Bergstrom. The reason I am particularly proud of this project is that the same design is still in production, almost 20 years later. Most HVAC designs last a few years and are replaced; this under-seat heating unit has stood the test of time." Rodge lives in Plano, TX with his wife and daughter. His knack for inventing solutions spans more than just the mobile A/C industry. "I have a joint utility application with my wife for a mechanical foot exfoliation tool called Footsie Soft. The device has been tooled using suppliers from Finland, China and South Carolina and is sold at FootsieSoft.com." Rodge has a motto he learned early in life that he feels is great advice for all of us. "I knew a cattle rancher in West Texas who would say, if you want it to work you can make it work. I have always liked that phrase and have tried to apply it to anything I want to accomplish." Billy Carlisle Carlisle Air Automotive began in 1955 when Billy Carlisle Sr. opened "Billy Carlisle Auto Service" on the south side of San Antonio, TX. In the early 1960's he found a niche market that he was well adapted to: A/C service. Though only 10% of vehicles at that time came with A/C from the factory, replacement parts for these vehicles were hard to find. He cornered the market on these hard-to-find parts in San Antonio by accumulating and rebuilding these parts gathered from most of the salvage yards in town. In addition to these parts, he gained expertise and became very proficient in installing the aftermarket A/C systems that were just becoming available. Carlisle's son Billy Jr. began working for his father in the shop not long after he could hold a wrench. He was drafted and served in the military including Vietnam from 1967-1969. Discharged as an E-5 Specialist with service medals, he went into business with his father servicing automobile air conditioners. He attended college in the evenings, eventually obtaining a 28 ACTION * January/February 2016 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tubes-n-Hoses-International/581202845224480 http://www.tubesnhoses.com/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - January/February 2016

F.R.E.D. Goes to Tomorrowland
Pioneers
Outlook
Service Port
Leonard's law
Virtual View
Last Watch
Member Profile
Cooling Corner
Industry News
Association News
New Products and Services

ACtion Magazine - January/February 2016