Five months into using the Hudson Technologies buyback program, One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating in Las Vegas, NV, has already seen a higher return on its investment than it did all last year with its previous chemical company.
The One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating in Las Vegas has about 35 service techs, 19 install techs, and 7 IAQ techs. They have been serving their community since 1976 and do a ton of HVAC installations and services, leading to a lot of old refrigerants. We sat down with Donavan Rohde, Vice President of this location, to hear more about their experience and success with the program.
Why Switch to Hudson Technologies
Donavan said they started using Hudson Technologies in January 2024 to dispose of old refrigerant they obtained from their customers' HVAC systems. A few key factors led them to look into switching companies.
Their old chemical company required you to put all freon/refrigerant into one large cylinder instead of many small ones. This caused an issue with the amount of money they received back when the contents were tested. If one HVAC system was contaminated, the whole cylinder appeared contaminated, meaning they would not get back as much money.
Hudson Technologies lets you put the old refrigerant in 40-lb. cylinders, so one contaminated cylinder will not impact your whole submission.
Donavan also said, “BuyMax is a great partner and always has great partnerships with vendors at pre-negotiated prices. That is another reason we decided to switch to Hudson Technologies.”
How Does the Buyback Process with Hudson Technologies Work
The busiest time for the Las Vegas location is during the summer months. During that time, they can fill 40 cylinders in less than a week. During their slower months, it may take a month or two. When they switched, they wanted to ensure Hudson could meet their demand during the busy summer months. Hudson has not disappointed.
Once this location has 40 cylinders filled, it simply emails its Hudson rep. The rep coordinates all logistics, from picking up the filled cylinders to arranging the drop-off of empty cylinders.
It usually takes a day or so for the rep to arrange the pickup of the filled cylinders once Donavan calls. Once the cylinders are picked up, they typically get the empty cylinders back in another day or so.
When Hudson gets the cylinders, they test each one to see the purity level. The purity level determines how much money they get back. The higher the purity level, the more money they get back. This is where the individual cylinders are huge because there is less risk of one HVAC system contaminating the whole batch, meaning more money in their pocket.
“If we encounter a system where the refrigerant is contaminated, it doesn't affect the others. It stays contained in that one cylinder and it doesn't hurt our return on the financial side,” Donavan said
After Hudson determines the purity level, Donavan receives a BOL that he must sign off on and then gets paid! Hudson Technologies also offers BuyMax members a 1% quarterly rebate on top of the money they get from the old refrigerant.
Success with the Program
So far this year, Donavan and his location have turned in about 140 cylinders and have received back over $5,000! They have received more money back in the first five months of this year than they did all of last year with their old company. Donavan foresees this partnership as being very lucrative for his business.
Advice to Other One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning Owners
Donavan said if you aren’t taking advantage of recovering your customers’ refrigerant, you are missing out. Companies can either sell the old systems to scrap companies for pennies on the dollar or utilize the Hudson Technologies program to get more money back.
“There is definitely a huge upside to your bottom line you aren’t taking advantage of if you sell the old systems off. You’re selling them for pennies on the dollar when you could be making a lot more,” Donavan said.
Other BuyMax Vendors
Donavan and his team also use many other BuyMax vendors, including Hudson Technologies. They purchase products and use services from:
- Goodman
- Carrier
- Aeroseal
- Johnstone Supply
- JB Warranties
“BuyMax is generally going to have the best price point, meaning I can’t go to a supply house and get a better deal,” Donavan said when asked what he likes more about his BuyMax partnership. They also love the private labeled products BuyMax offers for One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning franchisees.
If you want to learn more about Hudson Technologies or BuyMax, please get in touch with your Regional Account Manager today. If you aren't a member and would like to learn more about how BuyMax can help you boost your bottom-line, contact us today.
*Please note: The Las Vegas location is a One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating location.
