Operator Spotlight: Johnny Hozeph: Rize Alliance Properties
Editor note: This was a great conversation with Johnny. One of the biggest takeaways was that he had previously been stuck with poor performing third party vendors because they were the only ones who knew the building.
By digitizing all the building’s information, it has given Johnny flexibility and allowed him to find the best providers for the job.
Operator Spotlight: Johnny Hozeph, Building Operator, Rize Alliance Properties
Enertiv: Tell us about your background, how did you get to where you are today?
Johnny: I’ve been with Rize Alliance Properties for nine years. I started my career in construction, but have ended up in commercial real estate property management.
It’s a very different environment, I’ve had to learn everything from scratch. At this point, I know this building like the back of my hand, but it was difficult at first.
I got thrown into the deep end and had to learn my way around very quickly. Most people don’t know this, but behind the scenes, buildings are like a maze. It took years to know where everything was.
This building was my base, but once I got through that, I started to manage new buildings. At the end of the day, the equipment is similar enough. That first one was definitely the hardest.
E: How did you pick up the skills you need? What was that like?
J: Like I said, it wasn’t easy. Fortunately, I did have a bit of knowledge from my days in construction.
For example, every machine draws power from a certain breaker in a certain panel.
If a building has been operational for a while, these are rarely marked property. If you want to find the switch for a specific boiler, there’s nothing that tells you where that is.
Day by day, panel by panel, I’ve learned how the building operates. The HVAC machines were the hardest. I often had to wait until the vendor did a repair to learn where the equipment was fed from.
That’s why I’m trying to introduce the maintenance vendors to Enertiv.
E: How has the job changed in the last nine years?
J: When my property manager mentioned Enertiv, I was eager to learn more because I’m interested in everything digital, I want to keep up with technology.
In the old days, the trades would work on a machine, and then just leave.
How would I know what he’s done?
Now, I have a much clearer picture. I know what was wrong with the equipment and I have a record of that going forward.
Plus, the reports are standardized. The maintenance vendor has dozens of different workers, any one of whom might come out for a repair.
Instead of just getting a bill, I have real transparency into who is doing what and when.
E: What advice for those resistant to technology?
J: It makes your life easier!
With this little asset tag, my life got so much easier. It’s as easy as ordering food at a restaurant with a QR code.
You have a question? Scan the tag and problem solved.
I’m really excited about the next building we’re bringing Enertiv into. That one is brand new and we’ll have a perfect history from the day it’s operational.
This building I’m in now is older, and the trades have been doing things a certain way for a long time.
But the truth is, we’re paying them, so we want to know what they’re doing. I want to get the elevators vendors on the app, but they only come in to perform maintenance once a year. They don’t even call ahead of time, they just show up.
With these asset tags in place, we’ll never feel like we don’t know what they’re doing again.
E: Can you give a specific example of the problem you’re trying to avoid?
J: Of course. In this line of work, if you don’t have something in writing, the next trade doesn’t know what to do.
If we decide to hire a new maintenance vendor, they’re coming in blind.
Having everything digitized gives us flexibility. We don’t have to stick with a company just because they’re the only ones who know the building and the systems.
We can actually find the best company available.
If they are doing a good job, great. If not, we can switch without worry.
E: What do you wish the broader commercial real estate industry appreciated more about the work of on-site engineers?
J: I think it’s important to understand that building operations is a team sport.
We deal with a lot of moving pieces and coordination.
For example, I just brought a new maintenance vendor into the building. He had worked in the building for a long time and said he knew his way around.
I gave him the service key and went to complete my own work. He called me 5 minutes later saying he got lost, that he forgot where to go.
I had to spend 45 minutes with him as he did his work. These are the kinds of things that don't always make it back up to the corporate office, but that slow us down.
That’s why buying technology is so important. There’s a lot of benefit to knowing whether belts have been replaced, whether hydraulics have been looped, whatever it is. It’s beneficial for everyone, for the whole team.
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