About

1. What’s Your Static?
A clever HVAC pun with a serious purpose—What’s Your Static? is our way of checking in on the mental wellbeing of our friends and fellow tradespeople. The trades are physically demanding, but the mental grind is just as real. From day one, HVAC R&D has pushed the message that it’s okay to talk about what’s going on upstairs. This show isn’t just about business—it’s personal.

2. Evolve or Dissolve
The trades never stand still—and neither should we. HVAC, plumbing, electrical and all skilled careers are changing by the minute. Whether it’s new technology, new tools, or new thinking, staying sharp means staying open to growth. HVAC R&D is built on a mindset of learning, adapting, and always staying one step ahead.

3. #TradeCrew Over Brand
Your uniform doesn’t matter—your integrity does. TradeCrew means putting people over products and relationships over rivalry. We’re here to promote collaboration over competition and to build a community where tradespeople look out for one another, no matter the patch on your shirt.

4. Build Local, Project Global
Born in the Carolinas but built for the world. HVAC R&D believes strong local communities are the foundation for global impact. By lifting up the #TradeCrew around us, we spark a ripple effect across the industry. What we give now shapes the future of the trades—for everyone.

Founded in 2020, the HVAC R&D Podcast began as a bold, grassroots effort to connect directly with fellow trades professionals and contractors at a time when the industry needed it most. Launched during the height of the pandemic, the show set out to prove that real conversations—between technicians, business owners, wholesale distributors professionals, manufacturers, manufacturer reps, and every role in between—could do more than build an audience… they could spark a movement. Today, HVAC R&D stands as one of the most recognized podcasts in the trades, amplifying the voices that keep the industry running.

For over 150 episodes, HVAC R&D has been built on the belief that the trades are full of great people with great stories—and those stories deserve to be heard. Whether you’re in the field turning a wrench, behind the wholesale counter, building a business or grinding a sales territory, this show celebrates the Power of Conversation and promotes Collaboration over Competition across every corner of the skilled careers industry.

Host and founder Rhydon Atzenhoffer has led the charge from day one, bringing a wide range of voices to the mic and staying active in industry outreach and workforce development. He has served on the AHR Workforce Development Student Tour Team since 2022, led the 2024 AHR team that donated HVAC equipment to Prosser Career Academy in Chicago, and continues to advocate for the next generation of skilled tradespeople through collaborations with industry leading voices and ventures.

The show has been recognized with back-to-back nominations for the HVAC Tactical Podcast of the Year (2023 & 2024), and has been a featured part of the AHR Podcast Pavilion for three consecutive years (2023, 2024, and 2025). HVAC R&D has also been spotlighted in top trade publications like PHCP Pros, SNIPS NEWS, and The ACHR NEWS, further solidifying its reputation as a trusted voice in the industry.

Whether you’re new to the show or part of the loyal #TradeCrew, HVAC R&D exists to share the real stories of the trades—unfiltered, unpolished, and unapologetically authentic. If you’ve got a story, then HVAC R&D has a mic that is waiting for you.

Want to share your story on HVAC R&D?

If you work in the trades, wholesale distribution or as a supporting member and service provider to any of the skilled careers and trades—any role, any level—and want to be part of a conversation, Rhydon would love to hear from you.

👉 Start by filling out the HVAC R&D Podcast Guest Questionnaire
🎙 Then grab a spot on the show booking calendar using this scheduling link

HVAC R&D Brand Manager, Kristen Smothers, will take care of the rest. Let’s put the spotlight on the people who keep the industry moving.