FACILITY PROFESSIONAL SPOTHLIGHT
Allen Hall
How did you get into FM/ Accidental FM?
Accidentally with intention. 14 years ago, I was hired at Thermo Fisher Scientific as a maintenance technician, my previous experience was in HVAC. It seems a bit outside of the norm, but I have had 15 different managers during my tenure, 3 of which had any experience in FM. Having so many managers turned out to create an opportunity, I used the continual cycle of change to increase my knowledge and take on additional responsibilities. About 7 years ago I realized that FM was a career path, that I was good at it, and I enjoyed it at the same time. In 2023 I joined IFMA and received my CFM in Jan 2025. I currently manage a 20+ acre campus with 6 buildings totaling 180,000 SQFT of small-scale chemistry manufacturing and distribution.
One off or weird Experience in the industry
We had a peroxide forming compound that got pushed to the back of a refrigerator and forgotten about. In the middle of the night, it decided to explode blowing the refrigerator door open, filling the lab with a fine white powder and setting off the fire alarm. The fire department was entering the building in full SCBA to evaluate the situation and the property manager for the building (it’s a leased building) follows the firefighters into the building asking, “What’s going on?”.
A highlight of your facility or operation
Thermo Fisher Scientific has committed to decarbonization by 2040, in 2024 I laid out a 15-year decarbonization/asset recapitalization plan. Currently I am working with an engineering firm to design and install an air to water heat pump system to replace our 2 aging hot water boilers, current estimated cost is $900,000.00.
