Alex Hall started as an apprentice refrigerator mechanic at A.G Coombs, and is now the owner of a successful company called A.C Hall Air Conditioning, which is a mechanical services contractor specialising in the design, service and maintenance of commercial and industrial heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

In this video, Alex discuss the industry from a business owner’s point of view, discussing opportunities for young people, what he looks for in his staff (he employs 25 staff, made up of refrigerator mechanics and plumbers, 5 of which are apprentices) and where he thinks the industry is heading in the future.

Alex enjoys the freedom of working for himself and says that the money is great, but as always, there are risks involved in running your own business. He really enjoys seeing his staff go from being young apprentices to highly skilled professionals.

Alex believes that while this is a ‘hidden’ industry that is unknown to most people, air conditioning and mechanical services an excellent one to be involved in - it is highly skilled and embraces a lot of new and innovative technology.

There are many career paths open to people, from either starting your own company, or moving into supervisory, project management, drafting and senior management roles in larger companies, offering workers the opportunity to succeed and make a serious amount of money; as such, Alex feels that trades are no longer the ‘second choice’ career they may have been in viewed as in the past.