Get To Know Westside Mechanical

Westside Mechanical — with locations in Chicago and Naperville — has been a recognized leader in mechanical HVAC construction, service and maintenance since the company was founded in 1970. Boasting a team of more than 60 factory-certified technicians, the mechanical contractor is one of the largest service companies in the Chicagoland area, and prides itself on offering superior service to every customer, every time.

Whether a client has scheduled a preventative maintenance call or needs emergency service, Westside Mechanical offers immediate customized support 24/7/365. A GPS-equipped fleet and fully paperless business processes allow the company to operate more efficiently, and each field tech is equipped with a tablet or iPad directly connected to the office to easily and conveniently evaluate system performance.

“The customers like the expediency of it,” said Jim Reiss, CEO. “We use Dispatch Direct, which we highly customize for our own needs, and we have a complete history of every piece of equipment that we maintain for our customers, so every service tech has the ability to see the history of everything he’s working on.”

When scheduling a service call, customers know they’re in good hands with Westside Mechanical.

“The people who are out there quoting the work for the customer could actually do the work themselves,” Reiss said. “All of our service sales people, with one exception, are former service technicians. It really gets the job done right and cuts down on call-backs.

A strong emphasis on a company-wide safety culture also gives customers — and employees — peace of mind. In fact, Westside Mechanical recently won a 2017 SMACNA Safety Excellence Award and maintains an Experience Modification Rate (EMR) of .53, which is far below the industry standard of 1.0.

“We’re more than just getting the job done on time — we make sure our workers get home to their families,” Reiss said.

With more than 40 years of experience in commercial, industrial and institutional projects, Westside Mechanical delivers a suite of solutions throughout the entire construction process, from custom design/build services to value engineering expertise. They also perform extensive work on Chicago icons, including the renovation of the North and South Towers of the Wrigley Building and replacing the Newberry’s air handlers.

“These buildings have mechanical equipment that the buildings were built around, and the architects didn’t factor in replacing equipment in the original design,” said Jeff Lukitsh, president. “So, we have to find the most cost-effective way of fixing things.”

Recently, the company wrapped up work as the Engineer of Record on Spoke (formerly 1001 West Chicago Avenue), a 363-unit luxury apartment complex targeted to millennial renters. Resident amenities include a music lounge, gaming room, cycling studio and fitness center, plus 45,000 square feet of retail space. The two-acre site used to be home to the Gonnella Baking Co. plant.

Currently, Westside Mechanical is working on a new location of Lurie Children’s Hospital in Northbrook.

“It’s a standalone hospital that’s about 23,000 square feet. They’ve got operating rooms, surgery rooms, MRI labs, recovery rooms, and our team is handling everything from full 3D coordination through project construction,” Lukitsh said. “It’s roughly a $3 million project that’s supposed to be completed in June.”

The company looks forward to a busy 2018, with a number of projects already in the works at the start of the New Year.