b'MEET ACCOS LEADERSFrom Service Technician to Senior Vice President,See How Tom Reynolds Grew in Facility ServiceBy Neville Samuels The Facility Service Leadership team, which was led at the time by Ken Westphal, and included Pulley On July 1, 1984, Los Angeles was in the middleand Steve Smith, took note of Toms leadership of a heat wave and the 1984 Olympics wasqualities and thought he should be groomed for a about to start. It was also Tom Reynolds, Seniorbroader leadership position in Glendale. Vice President, Facility Services first day as a Journeyman HVAC Service Technician at ACCO. Groo Pulley, Steve Smith and I saw Toms leadership potential and asked him to come to My first day was hectic, Reynolds recalls. I wasGlendale, Westphal said. He possessed aoutfitted with basic tools and sent to Beverly Hills,strong sense of presence, was technically one of the most demanding areas to work, tocompetent and was well respected by employees replace a compressor.both in the field and in the office, including former CEO John Aversano.He was placed on standby rotation that day and worked 24/7 over the next two weeks.Reynolds would spend an entire year shadowing Pulley. When Pulley retired, Reynolds was Groo Pulley was the General Service Manager thatpromoted to General Service Manager. He was hired me as the Journeyman, Service Technician. responsible for all the mechanics in the field, from I worked so much over the course of the next twoSan Diego to Seattle and worked in that capacity months that I missed the Olympics entirely. for 10 years.While he did not get to watch the Olympics,When I became General Service Manager, I had a Reynolds settled into his technician role. relationship with the Director of Facilities at Bank of America and was selling $2 million dollars a Working as a HVAC Service Technician doingyear in retrofit projects, he said. Groo demanded service/repair or retrofit projects is very rewarding,the best of me. He scolded me a lot, but I learned he said. You diagnose and repair problems at afrom those scoldings. He really taught me how to 99.9% success rate. The satisfaction is immediate.be the best General Service Manager.So, I really enjoyed working in the field.Reynolds said Steve Smith, who retired in April After three years as a Service Technician, Reynolds2020, helped talk him into pursuing a career in was promoted to Foreperson running HVAC retrofitService Salessomething Westphal remembers projects. He held that post for another three yearsas well. before he was promoted to Service Supervisor, Central Valley (Bakersfield and Fresno).We realized we could leverage Tom into a greater leadership role, Westphal said. We mentored While working in the field, I developed a knack forand coached him and he exceeded all our selling. I was a Supervisor in Bakersfield sellingexpectations. He was as good, or better, atmaintenance contracts and projects, he said.selling than most other Service Salespersons8|Summer 2024'