From Retirement Cliff to Renewal: How an HVAC Company Got Younger

Nathan Coker, operations manager for Stanfield Air Systems in Georgia, recently spoke to the Rotary Club of Madison County about this very challenge. He had seen the same problem of an aging workforce in his own company several years ago. He realized that technicians in their 50s might not have many more years of bending and twisting to reach difficult fixtures or sitting for hours in sweltering attics or freezing roofs. For the long-term health of his company, he knew he couldn't simply continue to hire people from the same shrinking pool. He had to start investing in talent development.

Six years ago, his team struggled to fill vacancies as older technicians retired. Today, his average age as a technician is 26 years. Such a change is rare and did not happen by chance. But it is achievable.

From skeptic to believer

Coker admits he was skeptical when he first thought about hiring teenagers.

“If you had asked me in 2018, 'Can someone 18 years old go into your house and fix your air conditioning?' I would say, 'No, absolutely not,'” he recalls.

That changed in 2019 when he stopped by Madison County High School and was introduced to construction teacher Jake Slusher. Slusher was eager to showcase his students' work and immediately recognized the potential for a partnership. What started as a casual visit quickly grew into a pipeline through the high school, later strengthened through connections with the Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

This relationship produced one of Coker's most important collaborators: Ashton Hill, who was 17 at the time. Hill's commitment was evident from the start. While most teenagers spent their Friday nights out with friends, Hill sat in Coker's office with a workbook open on the desk.

“He would say, 'Do you have a few more minutes to talk this through with me?' And we sat there until 6, 7, 8 p.m.,” Coker remembers.

Hill pushed to try out a service visit before graduating. Coker hesitated. Would customers trust someone so young? Hill insisted, “Just give me a chance.” When the time came, Coker didn't send him to a stranger's house. He called a long-time customer he trusted, explained the situation and asked him to give Ashton a fair chance. Moments later the phone rang: “I've never seen a technician do the things he does. He's a keeper.”

Today, Hill is 24 years old and the company's top technician. His story proves that with the right mentorship and determination, age is less important than attitude.

Construction of a pipeline

Someone listening to Hill's story might wonder about the practical side. What about liability? Insurance? Customer pushback? These barriers can be overcome. Trainees at Stanfield Air Systems complete a structured training program where they learn step by step under the guidance of licensed technicians. Initially, this means accompanying service calls, studying manuals and practicing core skills in a supervised environment. As they demonstrate competence, their responsibilities expand.

For Coker, building a pipeline is about more than just meeting today's schedule. It starts with holding on to the experienced technicians he already has, because every departure means the loss of years of know-how and customer trust. His company is based on four core values ​​- honesty, appreciation, responsibility and compassion – and backs them up with real-world practices: rewarding performance, providing clear paths forward, and giving senior engineers mentorship roles that validate their experiences while passing knowledge to the next generation.

At the same time, Coker is committed to developing future stars.

“Typically, we high school students start at about $14 an hour,” he said. “When we hire a high school student at this point, we look at it a little differently. We don't hire that student to work. We hire them to go through a training program. When they work for us, we don't tell them to go out and move concrete and do all the heavy lifting. We try to train them to graduate from high school and then we bring them in for at least $18 an hour.”

Such a constellation conveys to young employees that this is the beginning of a career and not just an emergency job. Apprenticeships may not put money in a contractor's pocket right away, but they build loyalty, reduce turnover and ensure a stable pipeline.

National studies prove this. A summary of the U.S. Department of Labor's American Apprenticeship Initiative found that employers' average return on investment was 44.3% – every $100 invested returned $144.30 in benefits – and that 68% of employers achieved a positive net return on investment within five years.

National data also shows the potential: In July 2025, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a youth labor force participation rate of about 55% and an unemployment rate of 10.8% for 16- to 24-year-olds. That means millions of young people will be available for pipeline training as contractors take the lead.

It also speaks to a larger reality: Many teenagers worry about their future. College is no longer the guaranteed path it once was, and the debt burden can be crippling. What is needed is greater development of practical skills in the K-12 classroom so that a student who graduates on a Friday can enter a real career the following Monday. In this way, Coker not only acts in a meaningful way for his company, but also provides an important answer to a social need.

Educate the community

Coker also knows that workforce development doesn't end at the store door. On a Friday morning, he stood at a podium at the Ila Restaurant in rural Georgia as Rotarians ate bacon and eggs. This is the same group that has built more than 1,000 handicapped ramps for neighbors in need – a club clearly committed to service. Instead of speaking to HVAC professionals, he spoke to business owners, civic leaders and educators, explaining how issues like federal refrigerant regulations and the growing influence of private equity are driving up costs and reducing service quality in the industry.

He then attributed these challenges to labor shortages and demonstrated why it is even more important to invest locally in the next generation of technicians. His talk gave the audience another way to think about making a difference: by helping young people see jobs as careers. This type of public relations work is not just for information purposes. It ignites energy for more good work and turns community leaders into allies. Community leaders often sit on committees, mentor students or support school initiatives. His message could prompt them to push for more workshop courses, career paths or internship opportunities at local schools. These community leaders can see what Coker is doing for local youth, and they will think of his company when they meet promising young people looking for a career.

Overcome the hurdles

Of course, training costs time and money. But consider what many companies already spend chasing technicians from other factories, paying excessive wages and dealing with constant turnover. Ultimately, it was cheaper for Coker to grow his own fruit.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average annual wage for HVAC technicians was $59,810 as of May 2024. Replacing an experienced technician can easily cost a third of that salary in sales costs.

In fact, the Work Institute's 2024 Retention Report (PDF) estimates that U.S. employers spent nearly $900 billion in 2023 replacing workers who quit – money that could have been redirected to training and education programs.

The costs of poaching talent are hidden but significant: sign-on bonuses, higher hourly rates, and the loss of loyalty when someone steps in for a few dollars more. On the other hand, when you train apprentices in your own system, you are molding them to meet your company's standards from day one. You'll learn how you work, build trust with your senior engineers, and build a loyalty that's hard to buy later.

Smaller contractors may worry that they can't afford formal training, but they can take the same first step that Coker did. Start with an apprentice. The quiet winter months, when service calls decrease, are ideal for training. Instead of paying technicians to sit idle or sending them home early, you can turn downtime into an investment in next year's workforce.

This change in mindset, viewing training not as a burden but as a redistribution of money already spent, makes the approach sustainable.

Lead the solution

Ultimately, contractors have two options. They can continue fighting over the same shrinking pool or start building their own pipeline. By investing in young people and educating your community, you're not just solving a workforce problem. You are building a stronger company and a stronger city.

The shortage is real, but so is the solution. The next generation is out there waiting for someone to believe in their potential. For Nathan Coker, that belief in the next generation has paid off. It can do that for you too.