Innovative Mechanical Family-Run for 38 Years
By the time he was 24, Kenneth Morando was itching to start his own business. So, he did.
“You’re crazy” and “you’ll never make it” were a few of the most popular comments Morando heard back in 1984. But armed with the expertise he gained from his apprenticeship and time working as a journeyman for another company, he knew he could do it.
“I’ve always had that entrepreneurial attitude. Plus, I always knew the guy who owned the shop made the most money,” the owner and CEO of Innovative Mechanical said with a chuckle. “I felt like it was the time in my life to take a shot at it. Here we are 38 years later, so something must have worked.”
The company’s origin story is a humble one — with just Morando and one other partner working from an 8x8 office with a desk and a phone. Fast-forward to 2022 and Innovative Mechanical has grown to a team of nearly 80 employees. The company has outgrown its current office in South San Francisco and is on the lookout for a new location that will allow them to continue to expand.
Recognized as one of the top HVAC service companies in the Bay Area, the Innovative Mechanical team has been dedicated to the comfort of residential and commercial customers for more than three decades. The residential division — headed by the company’s vice president (and Morando’s younger brother) Al Morando — specializes in furnace service for multi-million-dollar homes throughout the San Francisco Peninsula, as well as locations like Burlingame, Hillsborough and down to Menlo Park.
“Our customers are our number one priority, and our communication with them is what helps make us so successful,” Morando said. “It builds a real trust with the people and contractors we work with. Not only do we have the capacity to handle multiple projects and complete them in a timely manner with the best expertise in HVAC, but we also do a lot of design build work and value engineering with our clients using our in-house engineering team. We can sit down and explain what we think they need that works within their cost parameters to get them the right system without overspending.”
In addition to design build projects, the commercial division also includes HVAC pneumatic and DDC controls, general sheet metal fabrication, duct fabrication and installation, bid-spec projects, HVAC piping and installation and 24-hour emergency service. With the recent popularity of the biosciences throughout California, Innovative Mechanical has worked on several biotech labs, including one in Berkeley. Other projects include the Van Ness health club, a Google facility, Autodesk and tenant improvement, to name a few.
“Many of the labs require special filtration, and most of the systems we design and install are green,” Morando said. “Another job we have coming up is for the American Institute of Architects, and because they want to showcase their offices that help promote excellence in design and architecture, they want the newest, best, most efficient systems available. We’re trusted to deliver that quality service.”
Innovative Mechanical has been regularly involved in Bay Area SMACNA since its inception and also participates in local charities throughout the city. Morando is proud of the family-run company he’s built but is also ready for the next phase of his journey — retirement.
“Within the next two years, Al will take over the company, and I’m slowly going to ride away into the sunset!” Morando said.