Company History
Keith J. Brown formed The Airtex Corporation in 2002. The 36 years of experience in Central and South Florida as a mechanical contractor working for large mechanical companies has provided The Airtex Corporation an added value.
In 1980 Keith entered the mechanical contracting business as a mechanic's helper installing fiberglass duct systems for a southeastern air conditioning company. During the 1980's his work included the installations of large commercial and industrial HVAC systems for mid size air conditioning contractors. The 1990's provided Keith the project managerial and estimation experience for some of the largest mechanical contractors in the state. In mid 1990's Keith obtained the Operations Manager position for a large national mechanical contractor and built an excellent reputation on the south east coast of Florida while completing mechanical projects for the U.S. Government, The State of Florida, Palm Beach, Broward, Dade, Martin, St Lucie Counties and many large private sector projects. As Construction Division Manager, Keith directed a Ft. Lauderdale Company to record profits and a large percentage of the South Florida HVAC market share. In 2001 Mr. Brown relocated to the Tampa, Florida area where after managing a New Construction Division for a local Air Conditioning Contractor, Keith formed The Airtex Corporation.
The Airtex Corporation employs 15-20 employees. Open shop labor agreements with local skilled labor services provide the necessary additional manpower for larger projects. When the project requires a sole source contract, The Airtex Corporation will engage in work as a prime contractor and has long time relationships with reputable local subcontractors that are required for those specialty projects.
In 2004 the company relocated it's main office to West Palm Beach, Florida. In 2006 Airtex added a 3500 square foot sheet metal shop with welding and fabrication capabilities. 2007 brought Airtex their first LEED -NC "Gold" certified project. In 2008 the company set a goal of reducing paper usage by 50 % with the installation of an upgraded server that allows the downloading of bid and construction documents directly to the vendor or subcontractor. 2009 has brought major expansion of the company's facility. The shop and office have been upgraded to over 7000 sq feet with focus on expanding the service operations. 2010 brought Airtex many challenges building in a " first cost " environment while trying to maintain quality installations. 2011 to 2014 has provided Airtex the opportunity to expand their HVAC forensic services due to the large number of sick buildings constructed during the downturn in construction. Mr. Brown was selected as an expert witness and was instrumental in the settlement and cost to cure award for a commercial office building claim located in West Palm Bch, FL. Airtex believes that the rise in sick buildings can be attributed to the economic condition that allowed many poor HVAC installations by unqualified contractors based on price not on ability. In 2016 Airtex obtained NADCA duct cleaning certification.
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