As the newly installed president of SMACNA for 2026, Hill brings a lifetime of grit, from a post-Christmas apprenticeship dare to steering Ventcon Inc. through multimillion-dollar expansions and a pivotal acquisition.
His story resonates with SMACNA members, a blueprint for turning challenges into opportunities in a trade demanding both muscle and vision.
Picture a young Hill, mesmerized by his father’s creations: a diamond-plate snowboard gleaming under workshop lights, crafted from scraps of sheet metal.
“My dad was in the trade for 43 years,” Hill recalls, his voice reflecting the warmth of those memories. “I remember as a kid my dad would bring home different things that he would make or I would need, and it would come back as a piece of sheet metal.
“But I never really understood what my dad did until after high school,” he adds. Hill was eyeing computer-aided design (CAD) or engineering when his father challenged him to take the apprenticeship test, and that changed everything. After acing it, he reported to Ventcon on Dec. 26, 1990.
“I’ve been there from day one of my apprenticeship. Dec. 26th [2025] was 35 years,” he says. “It’s been a great ride.” While working at Ventcon, he earned his associate’s degree in applied science in CAD and mechanical design from Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan. Hill climbed from apprentice to CAD operator and advanced through several management positions, becoming president in 2005.
Then in 2010, Hill and partners, Scott M. Smith and Dennis T. Monaghan, bought out the previous owners of Ventcon Inc., turbocharging growth amid retiring leaders and booming demand.
Facing equipment obsolescence in 2019, the company invested $1.5 million into Mestek Machinery, including lasers, coil lines and waterjet tables to help advance the business, Hill notes. It took about three months from start to finish to settle the new equipment into Ventcon’s shop workflow. Since then, operations have flowed and the company continued growth.
Serving clients like Ford, GM, Stellantis, the University of Michigan and Pfizer, the firm logs top union hours in Wayne County with 140 workers.
A Jackson, Tennessee, facility followed in 2022 for Ford’s megaprojects, and in 2023, Gallagher-Kaiser acquired a majority stake in the company, eyeing battery plants and data centers.
Climbing SMACNA’s Ranks
Hill’s ascent at SMACNA mirrors Ventcon’s growth. He started serving on local SMACNA Detroit boards involving pensions and apprenticeships and then moved on to national roles on HVAC councils, research institutes and green building task forces. Elected to the Executive Committee and crowned President in November 2025, he views the network as profound.
“You end up meeting people in the industry, and before you know it, they become your best friends,” he shares, eyes alight. “My wife, Tammy, and I have met so many people in the industry from coast to coast.”
Energized at the podium, Hill outlines 2026 priorities echoing his life’s pivot points. He is optimistic for explosive growth, not just for Ventcon but industrywide.
“My company has seen a lot of expansion. I want to continue the path and continue to find the best talent we can — from the office staff through the union — and just make sure we have the best talent for the next generation and to promote our industry,” he says, targeting apprentices for generations ahead. “Our main challenge has been a shortage of jobsite leadership. Numerous leadership retirements and company growth have both contributed to this. The good news is we have had great success with the newer apprentices we have employed, and things look promising for the future.”
Dismissing construction’s old stigmas, he champions future career paths. “There are so many opportunities right now for people who want to work with their hands,” he says. “It’s unlimited, and we’ve got to just continue to promote that.”
Collaboration with SMART’s Mike Coleman amplifies this. “They’re on the same page as we are,” Hill says. “We don’t agree on everything 100%, but I think we have the same goals as far as finding talent. It’s all for the good of our union, our industry and sheet metal workers.”
New committee voices will spark innovation, much like Hill’s machinery bets fueled Ventcon.
