As President of Encon, David Indursky didn’t always know that he was going to run the company founded by his father, Marty, in 1968. After 50 years, the company has grown to become a leader in the HVAC industry in New Jersey, garnering recognition and awards along the way.
In 1993, David Indursky started working in Encon, and he worked his way up the chain to become the president. He began by working as a “truck driver delivering parts.” He also worked at the company’s sheet metal fabrication shop for a while, as well as on residential attic spaces. After that, he moved up to junior estimator, worked his way up the field, and then he transferred to project management.
Under David Indursky, Encon has grown to a value of $35 million. The company focuses on doing “fast track commercial interior Class A work…a lot of work within hospitals and surgical centers.” The company deploys 27 service trucks, perform tasks using automation and a team of in-house people.
Despite his business success at Encon, David Indursky makes it a point to give back to his community, which is a value that he has instilled in his team. Encon has consistently supported charities in their community. Adding to that, David has also created Encon’s “Rock & Bowl” charity bowling event, for the benefit of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Recently, Make-A-Wish New Jersey has also named him its Chairman of the Board. David and his team have already donated more than $500,000 to several charities all over the United States.
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I’ve found if you don’t carve out the time — even just 10 minutes a day — you risk burning out.
Jerome Knyszewski: What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
David Indursky: With over 50 years of experience in the HVAC industry, I can truly say that ENCON can — and will — deliver the impossible. We’ve grown tremendously in our capabilities throughout the last 20 years since I became president.
One example is our work at Gateway. We had a very tight window to turn around one of the biggest projects at ENCON; I call them ‘weekend wonders’ meaning you start the job on Friday night and it needs to be completed by Monday morning. We had about 60 employees on-site and we successfully installed a 195-ton custom air handler on the rooftop penthouse, replacing the old unit from 1985. Twenty years ago, we couldn’t have even dreamed of completing a project of that magnitude. Today, we’ve gotten very good at how to plan, how to deliver and there’s an underlying mantra in our company that failure is not an option. We are committed to staying on the job until it gets done.
Jerome Knyszewski: Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
David Indursky: My biggest tip to avoid “burnout” is to figure out how to disconnect from work. This is a lesson I’ve learned after two decades of being at the helm of our company. It would be investing time in a passion or hobby like fishing, hunting, reading, etc. I’ve found if you don’t carve out the time — even just 10 minutes a day — you risk burning out.
I have started to block out time in my calendar that I’m away; I’ll go to lunch, read a book, count my steps, go for a walk and take time to clear my head and push the reset button. I’ve found that you can’t eat and breathe work 24/7. When you step away, you’re a better leader and can think more clearly with a bit more perspective about your business.
These are lessons you learn as you grow. My best ideas come to me when I’m away from the business — sitting on the beach, playing with my kids, sitting on a plane, etc. — then out of nowhere the obvious answer hits you in the face!
A great company delivers a “wow” experience. You will call a great company again and again, because you know they’ll exceed your expectations consistently! David Indursky, President of Encon
Jerome Knyszewski: None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
David Indursky: I’m most grateful for my father, Marty, who founded the company in 1968. He is my role model and has helped guide me in this generational business. He has also empowered me to lead the business for the past 20 years and modernize it for the evolving times so that we could continue to grow and expand. It is really an honor and privilege to work in a family business. My father is full of wisdom and always willing to give back. And we still have a great relationship in our personal lives — outside of the business. I am proud to carry on his legacy.
My father always encouraged me to engage in organizations and training classes inside and outside of the industry. He was always mindful of how to mentor and coach me, encouraging me to build business relationships outside of our industry because you just never know how those will impact you, and ultimately, your business.
As ENCON has evolved over the past two decades, much of the growth is because I’ve branched out via networking and learned from others to help us expand and thrive.
Jerome Knyszewski: Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. The title of this series is “How to take your company from good to great”. Let’s start with defining our terms. How would you define a “good” company, what does that look like? How would you define a “great” company, what does that look like?
David Indursky: A good company gets the job done in spite of the budget. Whereas a great company gets the job done while valuing the budget, the scope, and the client relationships — and all of that matters when you’re creating a great company. Great companies view each project as more than just a one-and-done endeavor, they see the long-term business value in going above and beyond.
For example, I just took my son deep sea fishing last weekend. My 9-year-old son had a blast, and I on the other hand was very seasick. He was the only child on the boat and the crew made his experience so much fun and memorable — in spite of my sickness. They went above and beyond — THAT is a great company!
A great company delivers a “wow” experience. You will call a great company again and again, because you know they’ll exceed your expectations consistently!
Jerome Knyszewski: What would you advise to a business leader who initially went through years of successive growth, but has now reached a stand still? From your experience do you have any general advice about how to boost growth and “restart their engines”?
David Indursky: When I’m looking to recalibrate and get my creative juices flowing again, I like to get away, disconnect, and re-energize. I also enjoy going to trade shows, because you are physically disconnecting from your business and also get a mental release from the day-to-day grind. I often find value at trade shows, because I have the chance to connect with other business owners from across the country and hear new perspectives.
Jerome Knyszewski: Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
David Indursky: We are constantly looking for opportunities to grow and expand our services. We recently launched a new electrical power and wiring systems division so now ENCON is truly a one-stop-shop for all building solutions.
During this COVID-19 pandemic, our air purification services are in demand now more than ever. We’ve helped numerous offices, schools, restaurants, and daycare centers throughout New Jersey reopen more safely by implementing various strategies such as upgrading filters, increasing fresh air volume, and bi-polar ionization.
The biggest strategy I use is building relationships with our financial institution before you need them. That means when business is good and you don’t need a bond or a line of credit that’s the best time to establish those relationships, because when things slow down — or there’s a pandemic — it’s difficult to find a bank to help you. We also greatly value maintaining positive relationships with our insurance company and key vendors, because those partners are ultimately what helps your company thrive.
The biggest strategy I use is building relationships with our financial institution before you need them. David Indursky
Jerome Knyszewski: In your experience, which aspect of running a company tends to be most underestimated? Can you explain or give an example?
David Indursky: The most underestimated aspect of running a company is how hard it really is. Parts of it gets easier as you learn and grow, however other aspects get harder over time. Trying to do the best for everybody is not always possible and that is fundamentally hard. It’s like having multiple children, one is often disappointed.
Another underestimated aspect is how lonely it is running a business. As the decision-maker, it can be lonely when you’re having to make tough decisions that impact the organization.
The people you associate with can drive your life and business in a positive manner.
Jerome Knyszewski: What are the most common mistakes you have seen CEOs & founders make when they start a business? What can be done to avoid those errors?
David Indursky: I think the most common mistake is how seemingly easy it is to start a business.
As a business owner, there’s an inherent necessity to become the master of all aspects of your business from accounting to HR and sales with your eyes wide open. It takes time to grind through the ups and downs to learn how to do it all effectively.
To mitigate errors, I’ve found it helps to hang out with other really smart business owners and ask them questions about what pitfalls to avoid.
Essentially, I’d say it’s challenging, it takes time and you need to be mentally committed to the long haul. Do all the right things along the way, surround yourself with a good group of peers to help lessen the valleys.
The people you associate with can drive your life and business in a positive manner.
Jerome Knyszewski: Thank you for all of that. We are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
David Indursky: If I could start a movement it would be to treat people with respect and examine yourself to determine how you can improve yourself to benefit all. Be a good neighbor and a good person. If someone else if having a bad day, stop and listen to them — maybe that small act will be what they needed to help. Talking to people and understanding that they have different backgrounds, motives, and reasons, why they see the world in a different color, can make huge strides in us all being on the same page. Ultimately, we’re all on the same team in spite of our differences.
Jerome Knyszewski: How can our readers further follow you online?
David Indursky: You can find me on:
Jerome Knyszewski: This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this!