The Castricone Family. From left: Randy, Ashley and Jennifer

Randy Castricone joined our Trane Residential business in 2016 as account manager in our Pompano Beach, Florida, dealer sales office. But his career in the HVAC industry started nearly 30 years earlier. He’s an industry veteran, with many years of sales and service experience under his belt – all with the Trane brand.

He and his wife Jennifer had owned an HVAC dealership for 18 years, selling Trane as its premier brand of equipment. Randy was the sales leader and Jennifer managed day-to-day business operations. Their daughter Ashley Gibb literally grew up in the business and served as office manager, handling just about everything else. It was during the business’s 18th year that Randy and Jennifer realized they were burning out on the 24/7 nature running an HVAC sales and service business.

“One of us was always involved in running the business 24 hours a day, and it was taking its toll on the family,” Jennifer said. “We had no downtime and felt like we could never really relax, with phone calls coming in at all times, even in the middle of the night.”

This also made it nearly impossible to go on vacation as a family and disconnect.

“But this is what happens when you own a service business,” Randy said. “We were ready to make a change.”

It was time to join the Trane family

Randy and Jennifer sold their HVAC sales and service business, and – one by one – Randy, Jennifer and Ashley took on roles in different areas of Trane Technologies’ Residential HVAC and Trane Supply businesses. They brought their wealth of HVAC industry and Trane product knowledge with them, along with the valuable experience of having been a Trane customer.

Jennifer joined in 2017 as inside sales specialist and quickly rose up the ranks to manage our Miramar, Florida, Trane Supply store. Now she is customer support leader in the Florida region, leading eight inside sales specialists and three administrators. Ashley started as a customer sales associate in our West Palm Beach, Florida, store and now manages our Pompano Beach Trane Supply store, with nine associates reporting to her.

Here they share what it’s like to work for Trane Technologies, how it’s impacted their family’s sense of work-life balance and their thoughts on the Trane family.

Q: Working together isn’t new to you three. What is it like working together now for Trane? What’s different?

Randy: First off, I see Jennifer and Ashley a lot less now than I did before, when we owned a Trane dealership. We work in different parts of the business and our roles don’t require us to interact regularly, even though we technically work out of the same location. I mostly work remotely, and Jennifer and Ashley now work in our Pompano Beach, Florida, combined dealer sales office and Trane Supply store.

Ashley: Because we’re in such different roles, it’s easy to lean on each other for help. My role as Trane Supply store manager is in operations and growing sales – not technical – but when my customer sales associate is having a technical issue, I know I can call my dad with a quick question about it. Or if we’re experiencing account issues, I know my mom can tell me who to reach out to for help. They won’t fix the problem for me, but they can point me in the right direction.

Jen: When I became the store manager in our Miramar Trane Supply store, Ashley was already store manager in Pompano Beach, so there was some role reversal when I leaned on her during my training.

Q: How has your industry knowledge and experience helped you add value to your current roles at Trane?

Randy: When I took over the Palm Beach County territory as account manager, almost all of my dealer customers already knew me because I used to be their competitor – I was once in their shoes. Now that I’m on the other side of the equation, they rely on me as a valuable resource – my customers know they can call me with technical questions that I can answer on the spot because of my firsthand experience with Trane equipment. My product knowledge runs deep, so there’s no delay while I hunt down an answer. I can probably tell them the dimensions of an air handler from 20 years ago! My dealers really appreciate this.

Ashley: My industry knowledge made me a good fit when I joined the team in our West Palm Beach Trane Supply store as customer sales associate. The team there already knew me from when I worked in the Trane dealership, so it was an easy transition.

Q: Why did you join Trane instead of a competitor?

Randy: I had been a Trane dealer for so long because the products are high quality and the company takes good care of its customers. I stood behind the products I supported for all those years – and I still do. I have an affinity for the brand; I bleed Trane red.

Back when I was considering selling the family dealership, my Trane account manager at the time suggested I join him on the other side of the business. He put me in touch with the right people so I could apply. If he hadn’t approached me, I don’t know where I’d be working now – I really can’t see myself working for a different HVAC manufacturer. This is the only job that’s right for me.

Jennifer: I joined the company a year after Randy did because of my love for the Trane brand. I embraced my inside sales role.

Q: How has working for Trane impacted you individually and your family as a unit?

Jennifer: Working for Trane has helped develop my professional abilities. I’ve had the opportunity to take on new and different roles with greater responsibility, gaining exposure and learning a lot. I’ve also completed my master’s degree since joining the Trane family.

Randy: Work-life balance is so much better now for me and my family. Being able to put down my phone when the workday is over – and no longer carry the burden of running an HVAC service business in the evenings and on weekends – means the world to me. Taking vacations as a family without constant interruptions and stress is something I will never take for granted.

Ashley: We can’t seem to stop talking shop when we get together for family dinners, though! Trane is such an important part of our lives, and I just don’t know it any other way.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working for Trane?

Ashley: This is my career – not just a job – and I take it seriously. My leaders saw my drive and potential and recommended me for leadership development programs, which really helped jumpstart my career.

Jennifer: When we owned the dealership we were Trane-branded then, and I’ve just continued being part of the Trane family now. My co-workers feel like family, and I feel valued and appreciated by the company and my leaders. I love being part of the Trane family, and I love my job. All of this makes me excited to come to work every day.

Q: How would you describe the Trane culture?

Ashley: The Trane family is real – the people here really do care about one another. I remember after a hurricane the director of compliance – who I’d only met a few days before – texted me to make sure I was ok. That might not be the norm at other companies, but it is for the Trane family!

Q: How would you describe Trane’s commitment to customers?

Jennifer: The mindset here is, the customer is always at the table. And since we already have firsthand experience on the dealers’ side, we understand what it means to be the customer. I lead my team of inside sales specialists and administrators to put the customer first – if we don’t, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

Q: In what ways are you involved in the community?

Jennifer: At work, I’m an advisor for the Engagement Committee for the Florida region. The Committee arranges employee and dealer volunteerism opportunities with Habitat for Humanity, breast cancer awareness, organ donation awareness and more. The Committee also runs the local St. Jude Walk/Run, sponsored by Trane Residential at the national level.

In my free time, I chair the Palm Beach chapter of Girls on the Run, donate food to the local food pantry and buy Christmas presents for families in need. It’s something that was instilled in me when I was a child – I’m driven to help people in the community.

Ashely: Anything my mom decides to do, my dad and I automatically become volunteers – serving the community is a family affair.

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