Aaron Russell
Maintenance Technician
Q: What do you do at Metro DES, and how long have you been with DES?
A: I came on board in 2000, when it was still the Nashville Thermal Transfer Corporation (NTTC).
As a maintenance technician, my main responsibility is to take care of the plant equipment, which involves routine inspections and preventive maintenance for the boilers, cooling towers, chillers and pumps. I also occasionally get dispatched to work in the distribution system tunnels, where steam and chilled water travels from the plant to customers.
Q: What path led you to where you are? What did you do before joining DES that prepared you for a career in this industry?
A: I’m a California native who moved to Arkansas to attend vocational school. After I finished school I worked as a maintenance machinist at Pace Industries in Fayetteville, Ark., where I manufactured barbecue grills.
I had a relative who worked at NTTC, and he helped me get my foot in the door. I’ve been here for almost eight years now, and I really enjoy this job.
Q: The turnover at Metro DES seems to be very low. Can you tell us what keeps employees here for so long?
A: It’s just an overall good place to work. The pay and benefits are good, and it’s a good work atmosphere. The people are also one of the highlights. We’re a pretty tight-knit team with a common goal, and that is to serve our customers to the best of our ability.
Q: Do Metro DES employees get feedback from the Advisory Board and customers on a regular basis? Internally, how do you guys gauge the plant’s efficiency and customer satisfaction?
A: Employees do not generally interact with Metro’s Advisory Board. Our feedback comes from the customers. My colleague Chuck Tucker is in charge of customer relations, and he’s good about relaying feedback to all of the employees here. The plant’s efficiency and customer satisfaction have been really good. We very rarely have any complaints from customers, and have actually received several letters and emails from them letting us know that we’re doing a good job. That’s a great feeling.
Q: What’s the most vital thing DES customers can do to conserve energy and cut costs as we transition into warmer weather? What’s the most detrimental thing customers can do at this time of year that could increase energy consumption and costs?
A: The number one thing I would recommend to customers is to keep the temperature consistent. If you need to make a significant temperature change for some reason, try to gradually make an increase or decrease. It’s more efficient to slowly raise or lower the temperature.
Q: If you weren’t a maintenance technician at Metro DES, what would you like to do for a living?
A: I used to work in security, so that’s a possibility. I’ve always had a passion for motorcycles and I’m also interested in railroads, so I guess I would try to do something related to one of those.
Q: What’s the best advice you would give to someone thinking about a career in this industry?
A: Go to school. I’d recommend a vocational training program in industrial maintenance.