English
May 19, 2026
Trust and Opportunity: How Tommy Built his Brand in Energy Services Sales
Tommy Brown didn't arrive at Trane Technologies with a plan. 13 years later, he's one of the company's most experienced Energy Services Account Executives covering the state of Georgia. Here’s how he’s building a successful career defined by opportunity, sustainability and trust.
"The alumni network from my alma mater called recently and asked me, ‘You've been at Trane Technologies for 13 years, what's made you stay?’ And I replied: trust. People trust this company. It’s a hard thing to earn, and I like having it on my side when working with clients.
Trust is something that serves Tommy Brown well, working primarily with public-sector clients like school systems and cities as an Energy Services Account Executive covering the state of Georgia. His job is to take complex technical work and turn it into something a county manager or board member can confidently act on. "I work with our project developers and engineers and turn insights into something that makes sense for somebody who doesn't have a deep knowledge of HVAC or energy systems." He's good at it, too. But he'll be the first one to tell you the path here wasn't planned.
Finding purpose in the Graduate Training Program
Tommy took this job straight out of school. “It was the first offer I got, and it was an easy yes. I was excited about the Graduate Training Program in La Crosse, Wisconsin, even though I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do at the time”.
One project inside the Graduate Training Program changed that. An instructor named Wayne Baker ran what he called the “PIG Project” — an energy audit of the headquarters building that required trainees to build a financial sales pitch around sustainability outcomes. Tommy called his manager the day the project began.
"I told him: this is what I want to do. I love this."
Tommy's manager helped him earn his Certified Energy Manager (CEM) credential, and when Trane Technology’s Intelligent Services platform launched in 2016, he assigned him to the Georgia portfolio. Tommy spent seven years on the service sales side before transitioning into his current role on the Comprehensive Solutions team, a move that opened up new opportunities, a bigger team and projects of a whole new scale.
Working on the Cadillac of projects
The Hall County Government Center is one such project - and it’s the one Tommy’s most proud of. “I was brought onto the project because of my engineering background and the ability to pull together big contracting jobs, but I’d never done anything on this scale before.” The project was a full HVAC replacement in a 130,000-square-foot building. “We installed state-of-the-art equipment: high-efficiency air-cooled chillers, new air distribution ductwork, terminal units and smart lighting with automatic dimming and occupancy sensors.”
"It was the Cadillac of projects, and the customer gave us the keys. They said, ‘Your vision sounds awesome, go do it.’ So, we did. And they love it. It’s reduced their energy bills by around 35%."
It wasn’t just the scale and impact that made the project so meaningful; no one on the team had done anything quite like it before. "I had imposter syndrome for sure,” he admits, “I'd done this on a much smaller scale, but this is an order of magnitude bigger." Fortunately for Tommy, a seasoned project manager on his team provided some much-needed perspective.
In this company, you can lean on people who are more experienced than you for guidance and confidence.
Tommy Brown
Energy Services Account Executive, Trane Technologies
Tommy and his team from the Georgia office represented Trane Technologies as the top-performing contractor for Georgia Power Company rebate program after saving their customers over 5,300,000 kWh in 2024.
Maximizing your success with a supportive internal network
Confidence, Tommy believes, also comes with the right amount of preparation - and knowing when to call for backup when you’re stuck. “Trane Technologies has so many experienced individuals willing to share their knowledge.” Over the last decade, Tommy’s built a mental Rolodex that spans the entire company: a colleague with multiple energy storage patents on the West Coast, a Trane Technologies veteran of 52 years who knows the refrigeration cycle better than anyone, finance gurus and even an expert in ice rinks.
That internal agility, Tommy believes, is one of the things that separates Trane Technologies from other companies. It's also something the organization actively supports through a culture that encourages knowledge sharing and professional development. “Aside from Ray’s support, the thing that really jump-started my career was the company’s generous continuing education reimbursement. I used it to get my CEM in 2016 and then again for my MBA from 2018-2020. It’s something I encourage every new hire to take advantage of.”
“You don't find a lot of companies that invest so much in their employees.”
Learn more about Trane Technologies’ comprehensive benefits to support employee growth.
Aligning sustainability with common values
Outside of work, Tommy hikes and camps — and his relationship with sustainability is closely linked to his approach to sales. “I’m currently converting my dad's old box trailer into a camper. I could buy new, but someone spent a lot of time, energy and material building it. If it ends up in a landfill, that's a big loss." It's the same logic he brings to his work, helping public buildings run more efficiently by using equipment designed and maintained to last longer.
When it comes to clients who aren't steeped in sustainability language, Tommy finds common ground in the concrete. "Everybody can agree they don't want trash in the woods next to their house. They don't realize that's the same thing." Meeting people where they are and connecting big ideas to things they already care about is part of what makes him effective with public-sector clients navigating tight budgets and real accountability.
The trust and opportunity to build your brand
That same sense of perspective shapes the advice he gives to anyone considering making the move into energy services sales. “Job transitions of any kind have an adjustment period, but when people join our team, they really start to see the benefit. But, as my former manager, Ray, would say: show up every day, take care of your customers and the income will follow."
It helps that the market is moving in the right direction. Energy services is one of the fastest-growing corners of the built world, and global investment in energy service companies hit a record $42 billion in 2024, growing 10% in a single year. The opportunity is there, and Trane Technologies ensures its sales teams have the support they need to go after it, offering a competitive base salary, performance incentives and a commission structure built for longer sales cycles.
But where Trane Technologies provides the infrastructure and one of the most trusted names in the industry, Tommy also advises new employees to build their own brand within the company.
Trane Technologies gives you the training wheels, but you get to come up with how you want to succeed in your work. Apart from starting your own business, there's no other company that gives you that trust and opportunity.
Tommy Brown
Energy Services Account Executive, Trane Technologies
Sell something meaningful with Trane Technologies.
Ready to make an impact? Explore your future in sales with Trane Technologies
Topic Tags
