Process Engineering & Equipment Company (PECO)

It is my bittersweet privilege to recognize the retirement of Tom Billups today, after his long and distinguished career in the HVAC industry, and at Process Engineering.?A titan of the industry, a mentor, collaborator, and friend; Tom has served the HVAC industry for over 42 years, 28 of those years at PECO as Sales Manager for the HVAC group. Personally, I have had the honor and privilege of working for, with, and around Tom Billups for 20 years.?He has been known for his passion for win-win relationships with his customers, manufacturers, service providers, and industry professionals, equaled only by his passion for all things University of Michigan, his alma mater.?His integrity, knowledge, passion and competitiveness are infectious, and I am grateful to have learned the business from one of the greats. Tom has been an energetic advocate for his customers, his colleagues, and the manufacturers he has represented since 1981, when he was hired by Bob Hinytzke at York International as equipment sales engineer in Detroit. He later joined PECO as an agent sales engineer in 1995 and has been sharing his passion, knowledge, and encyclopedic memory of projects, people, and places ever since. The one constant throughout Tom’s career has been the quantity and quality of the relationships he forged over the decades with York/JCI colleagues - impressive in quantity, but more exceptional in quality.?His knowledge of chillers, refrigeration (and refrigerants), air distribution systems, and systems is second to none in the industry. Notably, Tom is probably more well-known among York/JCI employees and partners than just about any actual York employee. The number of York sales awards Tom has won is probably a record. Beyond his knowledge and expertise of York, Tom has had similar impact supporting all the other manufacturers he has represented at PECO, including Fulton, BAC, WaterFurnace, Hurst, and too many others to mention here. He has mentored many successful industry professionals along the way. Tom will continue on as a part time consultant for PECO over the next few months between rounds of golf and cross-country Airstream excursions with his wife Julie.??Stay tuned for details of a retirement celebration to properly commemorate his career of leadership at PECO. Thank you, Tom, for your service to PECO! Andy Riegler General Manager Process Engineering and Equipment Co