What does it really take to help independent contractors win in a rapidly changing trades landscape?

In this episode, Rhydon sits down with Julian Scadden, President & CEO of Nexstar Network, to talk about leadership, workforce development, contractor stewardship, and what it means to protect independence in a private-equity-driven era.

With a journey that began in the field and grew through technician, management, ownership, and executive leadership, Julian brings a rare full-spectrum perspective on the trades.

Together, Rhydon and Julian unpack how training, culture, leadership development, and long-term stewardship create stronger businesses — and why the future belongs to contractors who invest in people before profits.

For the entire #TradeCrew, this conversation is a blueprint for scaling the right way while keeping your values intact.

Whether you’re an owner, service manager, technician, distributor leader, or someone building the next generation of your business, this episode will challenge how you think about growth, succession, and contractor freedom.

• Julian’s journey from the field to leading Nexstar Network
• Why contractor independence matters more than ever
• Building leadership pipelines inside service businesses
• Workforce development and the future talent shortage
• Long-term stewardship vs short-term profit decisions
• How great contractors scale culture across multiple teams
• The biggest operational blind spots holding companies back
• Why ownership mindset starts long before ownership

DiversiTech • LiveSwitch • RLS • Resideo • Mann+Hummel • True Nature Meats Co.

🎵 Music credit: Alex Grohl 🌐 www.hvacrnd.com

#HVAC #Plumbing #Electrical #NexStar #Business #Trades #PersonalGrowth #Community #Collaboration #Network

Cory Byron once believed the trades were a dead-end path… until he realized the kind of life, freedom, and business you can build with your hands, your systems, and your work ethic.

Today, Cory is the co-owner of Van City Electric, one of the most trusted electrical companies in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the founder of Next Step Systems, where he helps trades businesses modernize operations, simplify their tech stack, and scale without burning out.

As the first electrical contractor ever featured on HVAC R&D, Cory opens up a whole new side of the trades for the TradeCrew — from building a multi-million dollar company to creating systems technicians actually follow.

Rhydon and Cory also dive into their shared journey as LiveSwitch ambassadors, how technology is changing the race to the face, and where AI is creating real leverage inside modern service businesses.

• Why the trades can be the ultimate long-term career path
• Building an electrical company from the ground up
• Creating systems your team will actually use
• Using AI and video tools to speed up quoting and improve customer experience
• The fastest ROI systems for growing trades businesses
• How to scale without sacrificing quality control
• Winning credibility before you ever step through the door
• Building a tech stack that scales beyond the owner

Whether you’re HVAC, electrical, plumbing, or anywhere else in the skilled trades, this episode will challenge the way you think about growth, systems, and the future of service businesses.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe so you never miss a drop.

🙏 Thank you to our partners: DiversiTech • LiveSwitch • RLS • Resideo • Mann+Hummel • True Nature Meats Co.

🎵 Music credit: Alex Grohl 🌐 www.hvacrnd.com

AHR Reflections: More Than a Tradeshow with Ramblin' Rhyno

This one’s a little different…

No guest. No script. Just me—reflecting on what was one of the biggest weeks of the year at the AHR Expo and taking a step back to talk about what it really meant to me.

From the HVAC Tactical Awards to four live podcast recordings with RLS, Resideo, HARDI, and Mann+Hummel, to moderating an AHR panel and leading workforce development tours… this year hit different.

But this isn’t just a recap.

This is about:

• The conversations that actually matter
• What the next generation of the trades really needs
• And how HVAC R&D is evolving beyond just a podcast

We’re talking about the launch of the Resource Hub, the return of the Ramblin’ Rhyno column, and why I’ve been showing up more on social—because the mission is bigger than just hitting record.

If you were at AHR, this will take you back. If you weren’t, this will bring you into it.

And either way… this is one of those episodes that defines where we’re going next.

• Why AHR is about people, not products
• Behind the scenes of the live shows (RLS, Resideo, HARDI, Mann+Hummel)
• HVAC Tactical Awards – “Blue Collar Goes Black Tie”
• Moderating an AHR panel (by the seat of my pants)
• Workforce Development Tours (Carrier, DiversiTech, Shurtape, Resideo)
• Crawlspace Confessions & real conversations from the floor
• The evolution of HVAC R&D

#HVAC #TradeCrew #AHRExpo #RamblinRhyno #Reflections

🎧 Listen now and subscribe so you never miss a drop.

DiversiTech • LiveSwitch • RLS – Rapid Locking System • Resideo • Mann + Hummel • True Nature Meats Co.

🎵 Music credit: Alex Grohl

Visit our website ⁠www.hvacrnd.com

Episode 176 of HVAC R&D was recorded live from the AHR show floor with Kurk Wilks, U.S. CEO of MANN+HUMMEL.

MANN+HUMMEL is a global leader in filtration with deep German engineering heritage and a growing presence in the HVAC and indoor air quality space. In this conversation, we zoom out and look at filtration not just as a component, but as a critical piece of the HVAC system.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why filtration is often misunderstood in HVAC system performance

• How filtration impacts airflow, comfort, and equipment longevity

• The growing importance of indoor air quality in residential and commercial spaces

• Sustainability and regulatory pressures shaping filtration innovation

• The challenge of balancing global engineering with local market needs

Kurk also shares his perspective as a CEO leading in the U.S. market — including how global companies navigate evolving industry expectations and where filtration fits into the future of HVAC.

Because as HVAC systems evolve, one thing is becoming increasingly clear:

Air quality, filtration, and system performance are more connected than ever.

#HVAC #FILTRATION #MANNHUMMEL #TradeCrew #HVACR #AHRExpo

🎧 Listen now and subscribe so you never miss a drop.

DiversiTech • LiveSwitch • JPL Flex • RLS – Rapid Locking System • Resideo • Mann + Hummel • True Nature Meats Co.

🎵 Music credit: Alex Grohl

Visit our website ⁠www.hvacrnd.com

Recorded live from the AHR show floor, this episode dives into the policies and regulations shaping the future of the HVACR industry.

I sat down with Todd Titus, Director of State & Public Affairs at HARDI (Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International), to talk about the state-level advocacy work happening across the country — and why it matters to contractors, distributors, and manufacturers alike.

In this episode, we cover:

• The biggest state advocacy issues facing HVACR in 2026

• What ultra-low GWP refrigerant policies could mean for the industry

• How PFAS discussions intersect with HVACR equipment and materials

• Fossil fuel bans and NOx emission regulations at the state level

• Why grassroots advocacy is becoming increasingly important

Todd also shares how HARDI is expanding its public affairs efforts to ensure the voices of distributors, contractors, and industry partners are represented when policy decisions are being made.

Because the reality is this:

Many of the biggest changes affecting HVACR are being shaped long before they reach the jobsite.

Understanding those conversations is key to preparing the industry for what comes next.

#HVAC #Refrigerants #A2L #TradeCrew #HVACR #AHRExpo #IndustryLeadership #HARDI

🎧 Listen now and subscribe so you never miss a drop.

DiversiTech • LiveSwitch • JPL Flex • RLS – Rapid Locking System • Resideo • Mann + Hummel • True Nature Meats Co.

🎵 Music credit: Alex Grohl

Visit our website ⁠www.hvacrnd.com

Recorded live from the AHR show floor, this episode dives into one of the most important conversations happening in HVAC today — training as the real adoption engine for intelligent systems.

I sat down with Jamie Quanrud, Learning Solutions Manager at Resideo (Honeywell Home), to talk about how technician confidence and evolving training is shaping the future of connected HVAC and IAQ.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why training drives adoption of intelligent HVAC systems

• The technician confidence gap — and how it limits innovation

• How modern training has evolved over the past 15 years

• Workforce development and preparing “intelligence-ready” techs

• Where connected IAQ and smart systems are headed next

I also shared my own experience attending Honeywell Home training back in 2012 in Minneapolis — and we discussed how much it has changed since then.

During this show two things became very clear:

• Technology doesn’t slow down and Confidence has to catch up.

If you're a contractor, distributor, tech, or leader trying to navigate connected systems, IAQ, and the next generation of HVAC intelligence — this conversation is for you.

Follow, subscribe, and share with someone in the trades who needs to hear it.

#TradeCrew #HVAC #HVACR #AHRExpo #Resideo #ElitePro #ConnectedHVAC #Training #HoneywellHome

🎧 Listen now and subscribe so you never miss a drop.

DiversiTech • LiveSwitch • JPL Flex • RLS – Rapid Locking System • Resideo • Mann + Hummel • True Nature Meats Co.

🎵 Music credit: Alex Grohl

Visit our website ⁠www.hvacrnd.com⁠

This episode kicks off HVAC R&D's live show recordings from the AHR Expo as the first of four in the coming series of episodes.

Recorded on the show floor from Podcast Pavilion 1 on Monday February 2nd, 2026. this conversation with Jessica Slaughter, Marketing Manager at Rapid Locking System (RLS), dives into one of the most relevant shifts happening in our industry right now — the evolution of press technology and its role in the A2L transition.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why press fittings are no longer just “alternative” solutions

• How RLS supports installs from ¼″ to 2-1/8″

• Real-world applications in tight spaces and mission-critical environments

• Why training and continued education matter more than ever

• How events like AHR still play a critical role in workforce development

This episode isn’t about replacing brazing — it’s about expanding the toolbox and increasing technician confidence as refrigerants, regulations, and jobsite realities evolve.

Live from the floor. Real conversation. Real application.

If you’re navigating A2L, large commercial installs, or looking to stay ahead of where the trade is headed — this one’s for you.

Follow, subscribe, and share with someone in the trades who needs to hear it.

#TradeCrew #HVACR #AHRExpo #RLS #PRESSGANG #PRESS

🎧 Listen now and subscribe so you never miss a drop.

DiversiTech • LiveSwitch • JPL Flex • RLS – Rapid Locking System • Resideo • Mann + Hummel • True Nature Meats Co.

🎵 Music credit: Alex Grohl

This episode kicks off AHR week with something a little different — and exactly on purpose.

With AHR right around the corner and a last-minute guest cancellation opening up space, this solo episode was the perfect opportunity to lean into a format we’ve been developing behind the scenes: real questions, real reactions, and honest conversation.

In this Ridin’ Solo episode of the HVAC R&D Podcast, I jump into a LiveSwitch React–style Q&A focused on my experiences with AHR, how the event has shaped my career, and what I’m most excited about heading into this year’s show.

No script. No prep. Just conversation — the way it’s always been meant to be.

In this episode, we cover:

• How AHR has evolved for me over the years — personally and professionally

• What matters most at the show beyond booths and products

• How relationships, timing, and presence shape long-term success in the trades

• A full rundown of my AHR week schedule, including Podcast Pavilion recordings, booth appearances, and live events

• Why workforce development and exposing the next generation to the trades matters now more than ever

This episode serves as both a pre-AHR mindset check and the official continuation of the Ridin’ Solo format — built to keep HVAC R&D moving no matter what the calendar throws at us.

If you’re heading to AHR, I look forward to seeing you. If you’re not, tune in, follow along, and be part of the conversation.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe so you never miss a drop.

DiversiTech • LiveSwitch • JPL Flex • RLS – Rapid Locking System • Residioy • Mann + Hummel • True Nature Meat Company

🎵 Music credit: Alex Grohl