Transcript
Rob Vaughan: Good day, everyone, and welcome to our second episode of the First Call Facility Focus Forum Podcast. I’m Rob Vaughan, your host, joined by a special guest today, Mr. Josh Lemus with Kenyon & Partners. Josh, it’s great to have you today.
Josh Lemus: Hey Rob, how are you doing? It’s great to be here coming to you from sunny Florida.
Rob Vaughan: I think you’re probably still the envy of about 80% of the country right now while we’re switching between 30 and 60 degrees trying to find spring. We’re pretty jealous of Tampa right now.
Josh Lemus: Oh yeah, we like it down here for sure.
Rob Vaughan: Well, it’s great to have you. In each of these podcasts, we like to feature different specialty topics, and you’re involved in something that’s a huge topic in the industry right now — controls and building automation. You and your team are really leading the way there. Tell us a little bit about your background, your role, and who you’re with.
Josh Lemus: Yeah, absolutely. I’m with Kenyon and Partners based in Tampa, Florida — the First Call Controls Group for First Call. I’ve been in the business since 1993. Right out of college, I got into test and balance and worked for a test and balance firm for about seven years. I became a NEBB-certified technician supervisor.
After that, I transitioned into the controls world and worked for an independent Allerton representative based in Tampa called Control System Specialists Incorporated, which is now an MCORE company. I was there for about 16 and a half years. I started in the field as a technician and worked my way up into operations management.
Later, I worked for Original Solutions Company in Lakeland, Florida as a manufacturer’s representative for several HVAC and industrial commercial products. Then, in October of last year, 2025, I joined the First Call Kenyon team. I’m really excited about everything we’ve accomplished in the last six months and where we’re headed for the rest of 2026. We’re making a quick impact, the team is growing, and I couldn’t be more excited about the future.
Rob Vaughan: I love it. You’re involved in something that’s incredibly important and rapidly evolving. When clients are looking to install HVAC controls for the first time — whether it’s a corporate office or a chain with 100-plus locations — what are the key things they should keep in mind?
Josh Lemus: That’s a great question. I think the biggest things to keep in mind are scalability and standardization. You want a system that not only solves today’s needs, but can also grow with the business.
That means choosing an open protocol platform like BACnet, which has really become the industry standard. It prevents clients from being locked into a single vendor. Standardization is also important across graphics, naming conventions, configurations, and sequences.
Another major factor is planning for remote access and centralized monitoring, especially for multi-site clients. And finally, clients need to think beyond upfront installation costs and focus on long-term serviceability and support. The real value of controls comes from energy savings, operational visibility, and long-term flexibility.
Rob Vaughan: That’s really well said. We see facility maintenance teams getting smaller while portfolios continue to grow. Companies are expanding geographically while trying to manage more locations with fewer people.
What you provide allows someone sitting thousands of miles away to control temperature settings, lighting, signage, and HVAC systems across multiple facilities. That level of visibility and control is incredibly valuable.
A major part of these projects is the site survey process. What are you and your team looking for during those surveys to ensure all the important details are captured?
Josh Lemus: A thorough site survey is absolutely critical. It’s where projects are either won or lost. When we walk a building, we’re trying to eliminate unknowns.
We evaluate the existing equipment and determine its condition and compatibility. That includes rooftop units, VAVs, chillers, pumps, VFDs, exhaust fans, hoods — really anything related to the application.
We also evaluate the current control systems. Is it pneumatic? Standalone? A legacy DDC system?
Then we assess infrastructure — network drops, power locations, panel spacing, wall space, and whether we need to get creative with installation locations.
One of the biggest things we look for is gaps in the sequence of operations. What is the system doing today versus what should it be doing? More importantly, what does the client actually need? We discover a lot by listening carefully to the customer and understanding their challenges.
I always say God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Rob Vaughan: I couldn’t agree more.
Josh Lemus: A good survey ensures accurate pricing, fewer change orders, smoother installation, and ultimately a system that performs exactly the way the client expects.
Rob Vaughan: And for all the facility managers listening — zero change orders, right?
Josh Lemus: Exactly. Good site surveys equal zero change orders and firm costs.
Rob Vaughan: I may have to put that on a sign in the office.
Coming from an LED retrofit background, I’ve seen how important strong manufacturer partnerships are. We work closely with Keystone, and they’ve been fantastic in terms of technology, warranties, and support. Talk about the importance of strong manufacturing relationships in the controls world.
Josh Lemus: It’s a huge advantage. Strong manufacturer partnerships impact project success in ways clients may never even see.
For example, when complex integration challenges arise, having direct access to manufacturer support allows us to troubleshoot quickly and solve problems faster. Those relationships also provide access to ongoing training, updates, and best practices.
Most importantly, they give you confidence that you’re deploying systems the right way — not just making them functional.
At the end of the day, control systems are only as good as the support behind them. Strong partnerships ensure consistency, reliability, and long-term success for the client.
Rob Vaughan: Absolutely. Clients often understand the obvious benefits like energy savings and ROI, but there are so many additional advantages — especially around visibility and data.
How have controls changed over the years, and what does that mean for end users today?
Josh Lemus: Controls have evolved tremendously since I entered the industry in 1993. We’ve gone from isolated pneumatic and basic DDC systems to fully connected intelligent building solutions.
Some of the biggest advancements include cloud-based access, mobile visibility, advanced analytics, fault detection, improved energy optimization, and integration with systems like lighting, security, and CCTV.
For the end user, this means more control, greater visibility, lower operating costs, faster response times, and the ability to make data-driven decisions instead of relying on guesswork.
Buildings are no longer just facilities — they’re smart, responsive assets.
Rob Vaughan: From the Blackberry to the iPhone 17 Plus.
Josh Lemus: Exactly.
Rob Vaughan: Technology just keeps evolving faster and becoming more affordable.
Talk about one of your favorite projects you’ve worked on.
Josh Lemus: It’s hard to narrow it down, but one project that stands out involved standardizing controls across a large multi-site portfolio.
We took several legacy systems and unified them into one platform with consistent graphics and sequences. That gave the client a single pane of glass to monitor and manage their entire portfolio.
By the end of the project, they moved from reactive maintenance to proactive management. That’s where controls really prove their value.
Rob Vaughan: That’s huge, especially considering HVAC is one of the largest expenses for most facility managers.
These systems can help identify problems before they become emergencies, right?
Josh Lemus: Absolutely. We trend data points and tie alarms to them — temperature, humidity, CO2, outside air conditions, equipment status, and more.
One example is fan wall technology. Many owners are replacing traditional air handlers with fan walls containing multiple fans. Controls allow us to monitor the status of every fan individually.
If one fan goes down, the client knows immediately and can address it before it becomes a larger issue. That proactive visibility helps prevent major failures.
Rob Vaughan: The savings go far beyond energy reduction. It’s also about avoiding emergencies and improving operational efficiency.
With budgets getting tighter, many facility managers feel they can’t afford a large controls project right now. Have pilot programs been successful as a starting point?
Josh Lemus: Absolutely. Pilot programs are one of the best ways to build long-term partnerships.
I’ve had many clients say they couldn’t afford to roll out controls across all locations at once. So I tell them, “Give me your worst site — or your worst two or three sites.”
We implement the system, let them use it for several months, fine-tune it, and allow them to experience the results firsthand. In every case, those pilots have turned into successful long-term relationships.
It all goes back to listening to the client’s challenges, creating a solution, and letting the results speak for themselves.
Rob Vaughan: I love that approach. The best partnerships often start with a pilot.
You’re clearly passionate about what you do. What’s your favorite part of the job?
Josh Lemus: For me, it’s the ability to solve problems and make a meaningful impact for the client.
Every building is different, and every project requires figuring out how to make systems work smarter and more efficiently.
When you step back and see the energy savings, improved comfort, and increased visibility the client now has into their buildings — that’s incredibly rewarding.
Taking something complex and making it simple and usable for the customer is what drives me every day.
Rob Vaughan: I love that. When you’re truly solving problems and helping people, it doesn’t feel like a sale — it feels rewarding.
Josh, we could probably do a part two on controls because technology changes so quickly. I really appreciate you joining us today. Hopefully you can send some of that Tampa weather up to the Midwest and East Coast.
Thanks again, Josh, and best of luck to you and the Kenyon and Partners team this year.
Josh Lemus: Thank you so much, Rob. I really appreciate the opportunity. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Rob Vaughan: Always, man. Thanks so much.
Josh Lemus: Thank you.
