Ambient | Ambient is a collective of HVAC design and implementation experts. What do you mean by a collective? Please provide a snapshot of Ambient’s companies and footprint.
We’re a team of HVAC manufacturer representatives from across the country, partnering with premier commercial and industrial air conditioning manufacturers. We represent their products nationwide to consulting engineers that specialize in design and mechanical contractors responsible for installations. We work closely with engineers on sophisticated designs, focusing on energy efficiency, acoustics, proper fit and budget. For contractors, we ensure that the equipment integrates seamlessly into the building, is properly installed, and operates at peak potential throughout the building’s lifecycle.
Right now, we have over 1,200 employees and a coast-to-coast presence, mainly in the Northeast and West Coast, with recent expansions into the Mountain States and Midwest. We surround the manufacturers we represent and the clients we support with a full line of services as well. Our services include applied engineering for optimal equipment use, field services to ensure proper start-up and efficient operation, and local parts warehouses. We currently have over 45 offices in more than 20 states.
Data Centers | What role do data centers play at Ambient?
Data centers are a significant part of our business, and we’ve been in this market for over 20 years. Mission-critical spaces are crucial to our growth, requiring specialized focus and expertise. The equipment designed in data centers needs built-in redundancy and must be easy to service and maintain for optimal performance. We focus on proper HVAC equipment application and complete field services. We have a dedicated team specializing in data centers, offering national support to clients across the country.
Career | Your career at Gil-Bar started 28 years ago as an HVAC engineer. Can you share some key milestones from your career?
I started as a salesperson making cold calls and was fortunate to have great mentors. They were really good engineers, but more importantly they were amazing people. They taught me not only technical skills but also the importance of treating clients and employees like family. The business was always surrounded with incredibly smart, hard working individuals that were also just great human beings. We built Ambient upon the same ideology.
When I became a partner with Gil-Bar about 15 years ago, the company was under $40 million. Now, as Ambient, we’re a $1.6 billion collective of companies. Growing with good people that are like minded individuals, and care about one another has made it fun. The mindset to help serve our clients and provide solutions to their problems makes it exciting to come to work every day. This commitment to client relationships and strategic, methodical growth has also made the journey incredibly rewarding. It’s been possible because of a family-oriented, people-first approach.
Recent Expansion | Ambient expanded in the Rocky Mountains last month with its strategic partnership with Midgley-Huber. Tell us about the strategic partnership and its impact on Ambient.
Recently, we welcomed two new members of the collective: Midgley-Huber in the Rocky Mountain states and Airtech-JOC in Michigan. In both cases, the teams had extraordinarily strong leadership and a similar culture to Ambient. Both teams have growth-focused future leaders with a client-centered approach, aligning perfectly with our values. Good leaders understand areas where they can benefit from support, and we’re excited to work with them to strengthen both their teams and ours. These partnerships are clear examples of how we can be stronger together.
LEED | You have been very involved in green HVAC technology; you developed the Life Sciences division, GBHLS, and invested in a dedicated sustainability engineer. Could you tell us a little more about Ambient’s sustainability journey?
Sustainability has long been a priority for us. I was first involved in LEED pilot projects before 2000. Our partners share this commitment, focusing on the well-being of our communities and those who occupy the spaces we serve. Post-pandemic, we’ve increased our focus on indoor air quality, bringing healthcare-level air purity standards to common spaces. Beyond air quality, we partner with manufacturers who prioritize environmentally friendly refrigerants and are active in decarbonization and electrification efforts. It is important to have the people that work for Ambient, the manufacturers we represent, and the clients that are trying to achieve sustainability goals all aligned as one team. It is our job to deliver air conditioning equipment to the market that is properly applied for sustainable design and operation.
We’re proud to be the only representative firm I know of with a dedicated sustainability team and annual sustainability reporting, including greenhouse gas tracking. This commitment aligns us with clients and manufacturers who also prioritize sustainability.
Career Hub | Ambient recently launched a career hub; what were some of the hub’s goals and your goals with hiring more broadly?
We have a strong family-oriented vibe and great energy around Ambient, which attracts people to work here. Last year, we hired over 250 people and anticipate similar numbers in the coming year to meet client demand. Response time is critical in our business and we will continue to grow to support that need. Our team enjoys working in a collaborative, solution-driven environment. Construction is such a complex process that it requires partnerships with engineers, contractors, and manufacturers to find answers. This keeps our job interesting and gratifying.
We also engage in community organizations, which deepens our connection to the industry. We aim for this to be our employees’ last job, and our high retention rates reflect that commitment.
Growth | What are Ambient’s growth plans, both short and long-term?
Our primary focus is to excel in our current markets. We strive to be #1 in all of our territories and will support what it takes to maximize our potential with our current business focus. We will continue to expand our services and our territories only if we find partners with the right culture and mindset. We prioritize finding the right partners who fit our culture, and are additive to the Ambient family in a way that we are stronger together than if we were apart. Our approach is strategic and measured, focusing on quality rather than speed.
We have had great success with this approach and will continue to grow with the right partners who share our values.
Growth | Is there anything you want to tell us about yourself or the company that we didn’t cover?
Ambient has robust corporate infrastructure, which includes specialized teams in marketing, IT, HR, and finance. Each team brings a high level of expertise, supporting our local teams and allowing them to focus on clients in their markets. Our strong infrastructure is a foundation that can support growth and is used in a way that allows our local brands to maintain their unique cultures.
The last few years have been exciting, with new leaders joining who are passionate about the business, and we’re eager to continue on this path.
