Leading by Listening

Martin was named president of SMACNA National last October after decades of dedication to the sheet metal and HVAC trade as an advocate, educator and connector who listens and invites everyone to the table. 

Tom Martin talking with SMACNA CEO Aaron Hilger.

He served as chapter president of SMACNA Cleveland for 10 years, beginning in 2014, and he increased its associate membership program from five to 30. He’ll pursue this effort nationally to advance collaboration for adopting new technologies and equipment. 

“Our industry is relationship-driven, and our peer-to-peer engagement is really strong with a willingness to share best practices and approaches for expanding business and helping other contractors be more efficient and profitable,” says Martin, who ramped up his travel schedule to further strengthen local and national SMACNA relations. 

Martin has long served as a conduit for change. 

He was recognized in 2018 as SMACNA’s Contractor of the Year and as SMACNA’s Legislative Contractor of the Year in 2021. Martin is a savvy, fair player in ongoing lobbying efforts to reform registered apprenticeship laws and regulations, pension reform, infrastructure policies and prevailing wage enforcement legislation. 

His approachable demeanor and sincere interest in forwarding members’ and associates’ pathways to success make him an affable colleague, partner and friend. 

Tom Martin 

“I am making sure we are listening and offering value to everyone, and I want to understand members’ concerns, challenges and how we can help out or connect them with a peer opportunity,” Martin says. 

‘We Can Offer All Of This’Martin grew up in the industry alongside his father, Thomas Martin, who started the business out of a 1985 GMC pickup truck with $5,000 for tools and equipment. Now, it’s a full-service mechanical contracting operation with a 67,000-square-foot manufacturing plant. 

Martin Sr. grew a reputation in Cleveland for quality service and craftsmanship. When Martin and his brother, Mike, Vice President, joined the business in the early 1990s, they continued the brand’s momentum as a premium contractor clients could trust. 

Tom Martin with Ben Cooley, Vice President at T.H. Martin, Cleveland, Ohio. 

Martin immediately got involved in the Joint Apprenticeship and Training (JATC) committee. “We were one of the biggest contractors and contributors locally, and I wanted to have a say in matters related to training, curriculum, safety and expanding opportunities for young men and women, including elective classes for our journey people,” he says. 

As T.H. Martin grew, so did Martin’s role in SMACNA in Cleveland. 

He removed barriers like transportation and expenses so team members could travel to SMACNA events. “There are so many valuable initiatives and programs going on at SMACNA National, and I pushed to ensure our contractors were privy of everything in order for them to leverage the best practices that would help them be successful,” Martin says.

“We can offer all of this,” he says of SMACNA’s reach.   

 Martin is an answer man because of his ability to listen and learn. He was and continues to be a go-to for legislative insight, labor relations information, safety and technology updates, and educational resources. 

He consulted on a New Horizons guide for expediting project close-outs; a report written by two Clemson University professors with the input of 21 SMACNA members. Martin is passionate about sharing proven processes and lessons-learned insight with industry members. 

“You learn about an area where a contractor is doing something well, such as recruitment or relations with labor partners or market recovery,” he relates. “You find out what’s working for safety or technology. Then, we take that back to our businesses and find a way to implement it.” 

As SMACNA president, Martin will continue to elevate the association’s education efforts. Notably, he advocates and facilitates progress in converting white papers and manuals into podcasts. Topics such as how to close out a job on time are more accessible to many when they can be downloaded and consumed as an audible. 

“We are getting five times the traction on educational podcasts,” he says. 

‘A Ton Of Opportunities’Martin says SMACNA’s range of specialty contractors and full-service operators offer an invaluable global perspective on pressing issues, including labor relations, recruitment and retention, market recovery, regulatory challenges, and project opportunities. 

As a SMACNA leader, he has championed these issues, holding posts on committees including the National Contractor Manual Task Force, HVAC Steering Council, SMACNA/SMART National Market Recovery Committee, and SMACNA National Strategic Planning Task Force. 

“Getting involved in SMACNA to support our industry is the best thing I ever did for me, personally, and for my business,” says Martin, again pointing to collaboration. “I’m a huge advocate for partnering with other contractors locally and nationally, assisting them and generating volume to generate new customers and profit.” 

When SMACNA contractors connect, they win. 

Engaging locally and nat­ionally can help contractors forecast, prepare, strategize, execute and manage evolving technology and economics. 

Aside from ongoing SMACNA initiatives, Martin’s term will also focus on attracting talent, engaging more associate members to promote vendor-industry collaboration, expanding task forces in emerging areas like AI and easing labor relations. 

Seth Lennon, Director of Content Development and Media Relations at SMACNA, interviews Tom Martin.

Martin emphasizes that jobs in HVAC/sheet metal offer opportunities. 

He retraces his progression from helping his dad to working as an estimator and taking shop inventory. He progressed to project management, and now he and his brother are setting the stage for future generations of SMACNA members. 

“We are putting a lot of resources into recruitment and retention via social media, job fairs and educating high school guidance counselors about what a great opportunity this industry offers,” Martin says. “We also network with and educate our politicians, and when we can get in front of a candidate or a student’s parents, we talk about the fin­ancial and healthcare benefits, as well as the endless opportunity to move up and become a future leader or business owner in this industry.” 

Martin adds, “Our contractors have many opportunities in the M&A space, and SMACNA offers many resources and guidance for succession planning.” 

Regarding SMACNA associate membership, Martin says face time with SMACNA contractors will advance the adoption of technology and processes. “Moving forward in our industry, we are seeing more collaborative delivery methods,” he says. 

“It’s great to have a robust associate member program to assist our contractors,” he continues. “We need to understand the equipment vendors are selling and the services they provide to help us decide which direction we want to go in with regard to software or equipment.” 

As technology evolves, task forces within SMACNA are emerging to respond to modern business demands. 

“Prefabrication and modulization continues to be a trend because we must be efficient,” Martin says. “Job sites will not allow you to stockpile anymore, which forces us to be lean and prefab as much as possible.”

Prefab contributes to lean principles and sustainable practices. 

“You can maximize as much material possible, cut to length and save time in the field — it’s all done in a lean manufacturing shop to minimize waste and maximize efficiency,” Martin says. 

AI is embedded in software programs and implemented as diagnostics tools, allowing instant data compilation and report delivery. 

Martin says contractors should leverage AI, including in areas like tool manufacturers that are tracking data on use and repair needs. “Everything is quick and easy to access for a project — the drawings, submittals, specifications, cut sheets, change orders,” he says.

‘There Will Be A Change’Perennial industry challenges aside from recruitment often center on labor-management relations and market share.

Martin is a strong collaborator. He says that SMART and SMACNA share a strong national alliance, and addressing in-the-weeds communications issues can begin with “low-hanging fruit,” Martin says. This could include focusing on a market to convene the parties for recruitment. Everyone’s on the same team concerning attracting talent and introducing the industry’s opportunities. 

Martin suggests that the megaprojects that blew up headlines and fueled tremendous industry growth aren’t going away but will slow. “With the new administration, I believe there will be a change from cell battery and EV projects to data rooms, big healthcare and any type of energy and municipal work like jails and water treatment plants,” he says. 

Martin says there is a promise of less regulation for more expedited projects. Looking forward, he sees the potential for increased private-sector investment in large projects. 

In fact, there’s potential all around. "The word is opportunity," Martin says, "and we’re going into the market resourced with SMACNA’s backing.

“Be prepared, be engaged, and talk to us about your best practices and challenges," Martin continues, "so we can succeed together.”