Rhydon Atzenhoffer

Born and raised in the mountains of Bryson City, North Carolina, I come from a family that knew the value of hard work and community. My mother was a kindergarten teacher who shaped young minds, and my father ran his own HVAC business, where I spent my early years riding shotgun in a work truck and learning firsthand what it means to earn respect through service. By high school, I was leading install crews and project managing both residential and commercial work—long before I ever knew where the road would take me.

I attended Western Carolina University, double majoring in History and Entrepreneurial Business, and was honored as the 2010 Western Carolina Young Entrepreneur of the Year. That entrepreneurial spirit has followed me through every season of my career.

After college, my now-wife Kristen and I packed up and moved to Greenville, SC, where I took my first role in HVAC distribution—starting in the warehouse at Ferguson and working my way up to Assistant Branch Manager. In 2013, we settled in the Cornelius and then Concord, NC area as I stepped into a Territory Sales Manager role with Dealers Supply, where I spent the next decade and was honored as a multi-time Territory Manager of the Year amongst multiple other sales titles and accolades.

In 2023, I joined Insight Partners as a Business Development Manager, tasked with growing their residential and light commercial division across the Carolinas. Though my time there ended in early 2025 after private equity changes eliminated the residential business, the experience only fueled my belief that relationships—not ownership groups—are what truly drive success in the trades.

That belief made the next step an easy one once I got a phone call from an old admirer. After years of conversation the right timing finally aligning, and I joined Carrier Enterprise, where I look forward to continuing to develop my role and helping my teammates succeed as we move forward together. And I am excited to adopt the CE Southeast motto that has always been simple: Win as one. Win together.

Outside of my career in the HVAC world, I’ve always had a passion for storytelling. I spent years as a part-time managing editor and sportswriter, covering the English Premier League, Formula 1, and Major League Baseball for outlets like Bleacher Report, Examiner, Soccer Without Limits, Football.com, and Squawka. Writing and communication have always been central to who I am—whether it’s breaking down a trade show trend or analyzing tire strategy at a Grand Prix.

In 2020, I launched the HVAC R&D Podcast, a show rooted in the Power of Conversation and the belief that Collaboration over Competition is the future of the trades. Through the podcast, we’ve built an incredible community known as the #TradeCrew—a growing network of passionate tradespeople across every role in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and beyond. I’ve had the privilege of participating in the last three AHR Podcast Pavilions and Workforce Development programs, and in 2024, I led the AHR Workforce Development donation team, helping provide new equipment and training to the HVAC program at Chicago’s Prosser Career Academy.

At the heart of all of this is my family. Kristen and I have been married nearly 12 years, and we share our home (and our hearts) with our three schnauzers who keep life interesting: Kayden (9), Kodi (3), and Rhodes (almost 1). We also hold close the memory of our beloved Ryker (born May 7, 2011 – passed March 4, 2024), who was with us from our early days in Greenville. Ryker was my original ride-along sales partner, a loyal co-pilot who once famously ate an entire batch of cookies meant for customers, never met a Trane unit he didn’t want to mark, and could often be heard snoring in the background of many HVAC R&D episodes. He was family through and through, and his spirit rides with us always.

We love to travel when we can, chase good coffee and great food, enjoy beautiful views, mix a good cocktail, and spend quality time with the friends and family who make life meaningful.

Whether it’s behind the mic, out in the field, or simply sharing a laugh over a cold one, my mission stays the same: show up, be real, and help move the trades forward—one conversation at a time.