Florian Kestrelwood-Cho

Service 40+ grocery, convenience, and food-service accounts on parallel rack systems, walk-in coolers/freezers, and ice machines. Diagnose compressor, TXV, and condenser failures; recover and recharge R-404A, R-448A, and R-290 to manufacturer charge weights. Commission new Hussmann and Hillphoenix cases; set case controllers, verify superheat/subcooling, and document startup for warranty. Cut average emergency callback time from 4.2 to 2.6 hours by stocking common valves and driers on the truck and standardizing leak-search steps. Mentor two apprentices on safe recovery, leak detection with electronic sniffers, and clean brazing practices on copper lines. Maintain EPA logs and work-order notes in ServiceTitan; keep first-time-fix rate above 88% on scheduled PMs. Lead weekend remodel pull-downs for two regional grocery banners, coordinating with electricians and case installers.

Repaired walk-ins, reach-ins, and ice machines for restaurants, schools, and light industrial clients within a 60-mile radius. Performed seasonal condenser cleanings, oil changes on semi-hermetics, and refrigerant conversions on aging R-22 equipment. Built customer trust with clear before/after photos and plain-language explanations of repair vs replace options.

Assisted journeymen on residential and light-commercial installs: pulled linesets, set pads, and charged systems under supervision. Learned brazing, recovery, and vacuum practices that later transferred to commercial refrigeration work.

GPA 3.5/4.0. Coursework: Refrigeration Principles, Electrical Controls, Commercial Systems, EPA Prep, Shop Safety.

Built a truck checklist and photo template for supermarket walk-in leak searches; adopted by three techs on the Knoxville route.

Mapped 28 ice machines by brand and filter interval; reduced no-ice callbacks 35% over one summer.

Coach high-school competitors on brazing and electrical troubleshooting for regional contests.

Help keep donated-food coolers running for East Tennessee food banks.