BCI Mechanical Plumbing Heating and Air Studies Like Their Jobs Depend on It

Photos by Karen Gnepper

Greg Coward recently stopped into a hamburger joint and overheard a young man say he was looking to get his GED and then go into the trades. “I handed him my business card and said, ‘As soon as you get your GED, you call me,’” said Greg. As the owner of BCI Mechanical Plumbing, Heating & Air, he knows how solid career paths offered by the trades have been overlooked for decades. “I graduated in the early 90s and was told that the trades were a waste of time,” he said. College degrees and white-collar desk jobs were supposed to be the only option, but they’ve proven unreliable in terms of earning potential. Greg stuck with trades and “realized where the wage gave you opportunities that other avenues did not.”

Though college degrees are not required to become a solid and skilled tradesman, education is part and parcel of a position with Greg’s company. With the onset of the pandemic, the business started investing heavily in staff training, even cross-training employees, so that staff could understand each specialized area. If they have to close the office to send a cohort to a multi-day class, so be it.

With the democratization of access to advanced tech, the company even uses virtual reality simulators in its training. “That’s an easy way to get people to start on things that maybe they’re scared of,” said Greg. The simulators present a diagnosis challenge and learners try to diagnose a water heater or furnace problem, for example. “It will trick you and make you think it doesn’t have power, but the next thing you know, you get virtually shocked and have to start over.”

With a wide competency across such varied work sites as commercial, industrial, residential, remodels, and even small churches, education represents a commitment to excellence and a level of expertise Greg is proud to cultivate in his team of 50 to 60 people. As a seal of approval for his efforts, BCI celebrates 40 years in business this annum.

“Forty years is a milestone anywhere, especially a small business, but it’s our employees and customers, past and present, who make us who we are and got us here,” said Greg. He’s even proud of past employees now working with other companies as competition. “There’s enough work for everybody, and it’s nice to have friends in the industry that you’ve known forever,” he said. That personal relationship is integral to his approach to leading BCI.

The Right Mindset

There were three options: mow yards, wash windows, or join Dad at work for the summer. When Greg was 13, his father made the choice clear. He’d founded BCI back in 1984, and believed in the salutary nature of work. Greg chose to join his father, and he’s still there all these years later.

Though his father is no longer with us, many of the original company partners and leaders are, including Terry Tekell, a day one employee who has become a partner. It was the elder founder and Tekell who believed in the importance of partnerships to strengthen any endeavor. As a result of that continued philosophy, the company has been the trusted service provider for many of the children of the children of the children BCI first served. A man with a sense of humor, Greg understands his place in their lives.

“Nobody wants to call a plumbing and air conditioning company. Nobody wants to spend their money and have people come to their homes and businesses. If you get a new car, the first thing you do is show it to all your friends and brag, but you don’t call your friends to tell them to come see your new AC or your new sewer you just got unstopped,” he said. Thus, BCI approaches work not only as experts but as an advisor, informing clients about what they need to know and may not have considered.

They’ve counseled clients who don’t understand the maintenance required in home additions like tankless water heaters. They’ve helped others who studied up online and attempted a DIY repair, finding themselves in a pickle. “I get phone calls all the time from people who need a plumber on the weekend. My first question is ‘How many trips to Home Depot have you made?’ They’ll say, ‘I’m in my third,’” said the owner.

BCI can advise customers based on their lifestyle, their current home, and more. Said Leo Morales, BCI partner, “When you hire a professional, they can see beyond the immediate failure and assess the system as a whole.”

Respecting Their People

BCI also works closely with vendors, attending classes taught by subject matter experts to master technical, hands-on skills on operation and diagnosis of each part. Team members are also trained in reading schematics and plans by the in-house design team. While no one person is certified in everything, the confidence, understanding, and respect for each other’s certifications grow with cross-training.

Working in tandem with North Texas Central College for the past five or six years, BCI proudly hires many graduates from the program there. They also speak to students to share insights on the demands of the field, which are often different from those developed purely from classroom education or having only seen your parents hire a plumber. “If we don’t pass these skills down, they’re not gonna carry forward to the next generation, so we have to do it,” said Greg. “As hard as it is to shut the department down for training, we have to do it.”

It’s just part of the BCI commitment to and appreciation of everyone in its orbit. “We just interviewed someone who is gonna come work for us. He’s extremely important. Does he know anything about us? Not yet, but he’s going to become part of the team,” said Greg, a steward of learning and service in his community.