Introduction
After my six years in the Navy and my job as an HVAC field supervisor, I became a facility technician for a semiconductor company. This role ignited my passion that has driven my 15+ year career in the industry reaching the role of senior facilities director. Along this path from Navy to director, I noticed gaps in resources not just for facilities management but for skilled trades as well. This in the end, led me to create Facility Science.
How I got into Facilities Management
The Navy is where I first learned about complex machinery. The Navy’s teaching methods gave me a lasting knowledge, confidence, and developed my mechanical aptitude. I gained critical thinking and troubleshooting skills that I still use to this day.
Working in the HVAC industry expanded my experience. The field demanded a blend of technical, mechanical, and electrical knowledge as well as customer service. It’s a good field to be in to become a well rounded technician that combination proved invaluable when I moved on to the semiconductor industry.
Joining a semiconductor company as a facility technician was good career move and turning point. The cleanroom HVAC, boiler and chiller systems along with the high stakes environment fueled my desire to learn.
Challenges I faced
As I advanced, I encountered challenges in team management, budgeting, asset management, and overseeing large-scale projects. I searched for resources, finding guidance from organizations like The Marshal Institute, Franklin Covey, and The Bell Leadership Institute. These organizations were helpful early in my career, providing structured learning experiences and leadership ideas.
Later, I realized that many professionals in our field might not have access to these resources, or might benefit from a more accessible, online platform tailored to our industry’s specific needs.
One big challenge I faced was having to implement systems or learn processes that my managers or company lacked the ability to explain or teach. This taught me a valuable lesson: just because someone can do something well doesn’t mean they’re good at training or teaching others to do it. This gap in knowledge transfer is a common issue in our field, and it became a key focus in developing Facility Science.
The need for a dedicated platform
I realized that people, both in facilities management and skilled trades, faced a similar challenge. We lacked a centralized place to share knowledge, ask questions, and learn from each other’s experiences. Popular topics like finance have lot’s of resources, but facilities management and skilled trades are often overlooked.
My vision for Facility Science
Facility Science came from my desire to create a comprehensive resource for both facilities management professionals and skilled tradespeople. I imagined a platform that could offer a generalized online experience, tailored specifically for our industry and accessible to a wide audience.
I thought about the organizations that had been helpful earlier in my career. They provided value and training that significantly impacted my professional growth. While Facility Science isn’t directly modeled after these organizations, my positive experiences with them reinforced the importance of accessible, high-quality professional development resources.
A key focus of Facility Science is bridging the gap between doing and teaching. We aim to provide resources not just on how to perform tasks, but on how to effectively communicate and train others in these skills. This approach helps address the common situation where professionals need to implement systems or processes that their immediate supervisors or organization may not fully understand or be able to explain.
Throughout my career, people often told me I was a good trainer who explained things well. Whether I was teaching how to start a 1000-ton chiller, fill out a work order, or perform operator rounds, I saw the impact of clear, practical instructions. This feedback shaped my vision for Facility Science’s educational content.
How Facility Science addresses industry needs
Facility Science is a focused resource for professionals in facilities management and skilled trades, particularly those working in industries with large campuses and multiple buildings. We provide content for new managers, supervisors, planners, schedulers, and technicians. Our aim is to offer practical advice, share best practices, and a supportive community for facility professionals at all career stages.
An aspect I wanted to have for Facility Science is its purposefully minimalist design. The site is built to educate and embrace community without distractions – something that platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn groups do not provide. While these social platforms have their place, they often come with a host of unrelated content, notifications, and advertisements that can subtract from learning and professional development.
In contrast, Facility Science offers a clean, straightforward platform that allows professionals to quickly find the information they need and engage with their peers without unnecessary clutter or complexity. This approach reflects my belief that in our fast paced industry, professionals need a dedicated space free from the noise and distractions.
The design of Facility Science aligns with our core mission: to provide clear, practical knowledge and foster meaningful connections within our community. By removing distractions, we’re creating an environment where learning and collaboration can take center stage, unimpeded by the constant flow of unrelated content found on other platforms.
Conclusion
Being an introvert this is a huge step for me, however creating Facility Science was a natural progression in my career. It hopefully will allow me to give back to the industries that shaped me. It’s not just a website – it’s a focused, distraction-free community where professionals in facilities management and skilled trades can access high-quality training and resources, and connect with peers in a meaningful way. By emphasizing both content and community, we’re addressing critical needs in facility management for better knowledge transfer, skill development, and professional networking.
Thank you for reading.
Cedric