KENDALL EDWARDS

Featured Leader at WOOD AIR CONDITIONING INC.

FAST FACTS

Key Dates

Kendall Joined Wood AC: 2011

Wood AC Joined Midway: 2021

Wood AC Career

Current Position: General Manager

Starting Position: Dispatcher

Learn About Wood AC

MEET KENDALL

Midway is privileged to have Kendall Edwards as the general manager of Wood Air Conditioning. He has been an effective leader, achieving significant professional milestones, including the doubling of staff size and spearheading remarkable growth since he assumed the role of General Manager.

DISPATCHER TO MANAGER

Kendall has been a part of Wood for over a decade, beginning his journey as a dispatcher in 2011. He quickly acquired invaluable skills in this role, which he describes as “the first line of defense.” His career progressed to service manager, a position he embraced wholeheartedly. “I really kind of grasped it and enjoyed it. I had finally found something I felt really good at,” he reflects. His trajectory continued upward to Operations Manager and, eventually, to General Manager when Wood joined Midway. He views his career path with no regrets, valuing the lessons and growth at each phase.

“I really kind of grasped it and enjoyed it. I had finally found something I felt really good at.”

THE MIDWAY TRANSITION

Kendall recalls feeling “uncertainty, shock, and fear of the unknown” upon learning Wood was joining Midway. It did not match the way he envisioned his career progressing. But when he and his wife had a sit-down meeting with Midway leadership, they felt a sense of confidence and calm. This reassurance enabled him to convey optimism to his team as well, emphasizing the benefits of the transition, such as increased vacation time. He also took to live radio broadcasts to affirm to the community, “We’re still here. The people who own us changed, but the people who take care of you have not changed.”

"Midway looks at us and says, 'Hey, we believe in you. Go do it.'"

Kendall and his management team have felt empowered under Midway. He says, "What I appreciate most is the management freedom that we’ve been trusted with." He attributes what he calls unprecedented growth to "relationships that were built over the last 30 years and because we're not afraid to take a risk, and Midway looks at us and says, 'Hey, we believe in you. Go do it.'"

It has not all been easy, but Kendall and his management team have tried to “absorb all the changes” so that employees can continue business as usual. It has especially been a challenge to adjust record keeping and data reporting. But as the partnership has grown, they have found Midway responding and adjusting alongside them to improve the collaborative process.

THE MIDWAY IMPACT

Kendall describes a wave of new client opportunities under Midway and how he and other Wood leaders had tough decisions to make about how much growth to push. He shares, “We chose to go for it, saying, ‘The only thing we know how to do is succeed.’” Because of the risk they took, they doubled their staff size from around 40 to 85 employees over a few months, adding to what he describes as an already strong team with more talented members.

"We chose to go for it, saying, ‘The only thing we know how to do is succeed.’"

Kendall has also maintained a strong relationship with the Wood founders. He describes them as mentors and family. Especially as operations manager in the years before the acquisition, they provided regular feedback on his leadership choices. He still sees them at least once a month, including “going to their house to talk hunting, talk work, talk anything.”

At Midway, we are proud to be able to share Kendall’s story. He wants companies considering joining Midway to get to know him. “Give them full access to us,” he says, “Let us be an open door and bring them into our life, into our business, so we can help make their transition as smooth as possible.”