Kolton Flick: A Trade Warriors HVAC Training Success Story
Meet Kolton Flick, Army veteran turned HVAC technician extraordinaire.
By Beth Allen
Kolton Flick was a successful Staff Sergeant in the Army when the AC in his home broke down. Being the handy man that he is, he took a stab at fixing it himself. After successfully fixing his unit, he started learning more about how to optimize his system and do his own repairs.
When it came time to decide what he wanted to do as a Veteran, he knew he wanted to continue learning and servicing HVAC equipment. This led him to join the Trade Warriors program by Trane Technologies and our training partner RightTek HVAC.
During this HVAC training program, students spend 8 weeks learning and servicing Trane and American Standard equipment. They are also required to pass the EPA and NATE Ready-To-Work Certifications. Upon graduation from our Fort Bragg (previously Fort Liberty) location, Kolton wanted to take his family back to where he was from – Blair, WI.
During this HVAC training, our recruiters dedicate countless hours to finding the best Trane or American Standard dealer match for our students. This is where we found Bagniefski Heating & Air Conditioning in La Crosse, WI. After a few interviews, both Kolton and the team at Bagniefski knew it would be a good fit.
Life After Service
Kolton spent the next two years learning the ins and outs of the HVAC world and the Bagniefski business.
“Kolton has excelled with our business above and beyond what most people with more experience ever have. He is first class in his customer service, learning, drive, and knowledge of the field. There isn't one thing I am not comfortable having or asking him to do.”
-Adam Miller, Owner of Bagniefski
This experience paired with Kolton’s desire to run his own HVAC business led to the group deciding to build another branch of their business in Kolton’s hometown of Blair, WI.
“If I have one thing to say, I would not hesitate to do this all over again. These individuals are people that have served their country, committed to a life of hard work and dedication, and that is exactly what you can expect out of them as a representative of your company.”
– Adam Miller, Owner
If you or someone you know is interested in a meaningful career in HVAC, look no further than Trade Warriors HVAC technician training. Kolton has a glowing review.
“If you’re interested in doing it, RightTek will be able to teach you what you need to know to be successful. You won’t know 100%, but you will be able to grow from the base knowledge they give you. You can easily be successful in this field with the right mindset and goals.”
-Kolton Flick, Trade Warrior graduate
Kolton never thought in a million years he would be opening his own branch of an HVAC business, but now has his sights set on co-ownership and growing Bagniefski HVAC to new heights in the next 10 years.
About Trade Warriors
The Trade Warriors program benefits transitioning military veterans and Trane® and American Standard® Heating and Air Conditioning dealers nationwide. This 8-week HVAC training program equips active-duty service members, within six months of separating from service, as well as current veterans, with the skills needed to become HVAC service technicians or installers.
Since the program’s founding in 2021, 335 service members have graduated. 80% of graduates secure HVAC jobs, most of them in their preferred job placement locations that they identified before entering the program. Graduates are placed with dealers nationwide.
The HVAC training program is designed to take a soldier without HVAC experience and produce an entry-level HVAC technician with installation and HVAC system service experience. We currently have two locations – Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, NC, and Fort Cavazos in Killeen, TX.
What our HVAC training includes:
- No cost to service members
- 300+ hours of technician training (maintenance, repair, & installation)
- 25% classroom instruction/75% hands-on technical training in the Trane Learning Lab
Successful students will graduate from the program with their EPA (608) Refrigerant and NATE “Ready to Work” certifications. They take these certification exams before graduation.
Our goal is to support both Trane and American Standard HVAC dealers and provide a pathway to rewarding jobs for military veterans.
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