Since its founding in 1914, A.O. Reed & Co. has been one of the top mechanical contractors in Southern California, specializing in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and plumbing. The company’s sheet metal, plumbing and pipe-fitting department also prefabricates ductwork pipes, and plumbing systems.
With a workforce of about 830, A.O. Reed specializes in large commercial and industrial projects. The company has worked on some of the most prominent structures in the area, including the Camp Pendleton Hospital, San Diego Central Courthouse, Lilly Biotechnology Center and all the mechanical and plumbing work at Petco Park.
“If you look at downtown San Diego, I would say we’re at least 25 percent of the high-rises down there, if not more,” said A.O. Reed & Co. President David Clarkin, who ed the Kearny Mesa-based company in 2003 before his promotion to president 10 years ago.
A Point Loma native, the 59-year-old Clarkin, is being recognized this year for his leadership in the Top Workplaces special awards for a large company category.
The following interview has been condensed for space and clarity.
What’s the leadership philosophy that you bring to the company?
I guess that’s a very loaded question, but I would say if you take care of your employees, then it follows that the customers are also going to be taken care of. We have had that philosophy for a long time. We’re not one of those employers that ask for anyone to be working weekends and everything else. My philosophy to my employees is I want you to work hard while you’re here, but I also want you to have a great life with your family or hobbies or whatever you want to do after work.
Why is that so important?
That was the thing that actually excited me to come to A.O. Reed. In construction, you can get really caught up in working a lot of long hours and A.O. Reed was not that type. They were already the type that said, work 7-to-4, work really hard and go home and enjoy your family. We have field staff that are third-generation A.O. Reed employees. And that’s pretty remarkable for a sheet metal worker or a plumber or a pipe fitter to have.
What’s behind that philosophy? That if employees have a better work/life balance, it then makes the company better?
I think they’re going to be able to convey that they’re happier and not burned out. We have general foremen who have been with us 20-plus years. Some of them have never cashed a check from another mechanical contractor, which is rare because we’re a union contractor. When we don’t have work, they go back to the (union) halls. Well, I’ve got employees with 25, 30 years of experience that have only cashed an A.O. Reed check. And we have the same thing in our office staff. We don’t have a large amount of turnover.
Have you noticed a change in the way you deal with employees compared to 10 years ago?
A lot of people now want to work remotely and that is a huge challenge. I’ve had interviews with some pretty good candidates who said, “I want to work two days at the job site and three days at home.” There are trades or different positions that could work remotely. But not construction. In construction, you need to be able to look people in the eye, see their comfort level and really get a feel for what’s going on — whether it’s estimating, detailing or just general foremen and all.
