About Us

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Pioneering Innovative Building-Efficiency Technologies Since 2013

Vision

An Efficient Built Environment

Our vision is a built environment that is centered on greater efficiency in which as many buildings as possible are electrified and decarbonized.

Mission

Challenge the HVAC Status Quo

Since our founding in 2013, we challenge the HVAC status quo every day in support of building sustainability, electrification, decarbonization and cost savings. We do this by pioneering the best and most innovative building-efficiency technologies that we source from across the world. We bring these global energy-efficient technologies—including heat pumps, heat-pump water heaters and geothermal systems—to commercial and high-rise multifamily buildings in our target markets. Further, we seek to electrify and decarbonize both retrofits and new construction.

Our Focus

The Most Demanding Buildings

We specialize in the most demanding buildings in the following verticals: commercial, high-rise multifamily, office, industrial, education, hospitality, healthcare and government.

The markets we work in include the New York City metropolitan area (all five boroughs), Long Island, Northern New Jersey and Westchester County. Contact us for more information.

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Why HIGHMARK

Challenging the HVAC Status Quo

The HVAC industry traditionally is stagnant and resistant to change — and that’s exactly what we’ve been fighting against as we seek to bring efficiency to the built environment. We challenge the HVAC status quo by constantly innovating and searching the world for the best building-efficiency technologies to achieve building electrification and decarbonization.

Trailblazing Heat Pumps and Geothermal

For example, since 2013 we’ve pioneered heat pumps, heat-pump water heaters and geothermal systems when few in the industry took notice. We knew that these were the game-changing technologies needed to achieve greater efficiency in the built environment. In fact, we’re proud to be one of the first companies in our target markets to spearhead these critical technologies.

Applying a Robust Lineup of Technologies

As we go against the conventional HVAC grain that does business as usual, we seek to curb building energy consumption, emissions and costs. Indeed, we’re the only company applying such a comprehensive lineup of the world’s top building-efficiency technologies.

Ultimately, we excel at implementing these technologies in the most demanding buildings, focusing on the engineering side of the project. Our expertise lies in understanding how the technologies relate to HVAC systems as a whole or a particular section, the engineering behind the approach and the relevant building codes that must be met.

Manufacturers’ Rep and Your Trusted Partner

We serve as a representative for a diverse array of the leading global HVAC manufacturers. In that role, we also serve as a trusted partner for both our customers and manufacturers to ensure the right technologies are applied for each job.

Further, our go-to-market approach is full service. From top-notch engineering support, to installation, to start-up, to service and maintenance, we’re with you the whole way. Therefore, as your partner, we’ll provide you with the best products AND guide you through the entire process—from start to finish.

For example, not only will we set you up with the best heat-pump water heaters on the market, we’ll be certain that your building has uninterrupted hot water over the life of the system. Moreover, in addition to providing you with the most innovative chiller system available, we’ll see to it that your building has consistently chilled water all the time.

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Key Differentiators

HIGHMARK is unique from the rest. We won’t stop until building efficiency is improved in as many commercial and high-rise multifamily buildings in our target markets as possible. This is the only way for a better future for all of us. With that in mind, here are our key differentiators:

Challenging the HVAC Status Quo

We work to change the buildings industry, which is stagnant and lacks new technologies and innovation. Correspondingly, we constantly challenge the HVAC status quo to bring efficiency to the built environment.

forward thinking

We don’t trust the same old ways and equipment. Instead, we get out there and vet the best global building-efficiency technologies. As such, we’re always looking ahead for what’s best to facilitate and streamline building electrification and decarbonization.

bringing to market new technologies

The first step we take is to find new global HVAC technologies. Once selected, we bring them to market in our target geographies. We’ve done the legwork for our clients, and they can access best-in-class technologies in a central hub.

Technical application & expertise

We’re an extension of our manufacturing partners, and offer a keen understanding of their products and technologies. We utilize our unparalleled knowledge and expertise for optimal application of our building-efficiency technologies on the engineering side, which are customized for each job.

Full-Service, Trusted Partner

From start to finish, we’re your trusted partner offering full-service go-to-market capabilities. We’re with you every step of the way — from sales support, to installation, to startup, to service and maintenance.

Products & process

Not only will we provide you with the most innovative and energy-efficient HVAC products on the market, we’ll also guide you through the entire process. Thus, we’ll be certain that your project meets and exceeds all expectations.

Devoted to Sustainability

By implementing our innovative building efficiency products and technologies, we support building electrification and decarbonization, thus fostering sustainability.

Global team Focused on the Customer

We lead a global team of hundreds of the most qualified HVAC professionals. The team is committed to meeting our customers’ needs first and foremost to create a rewarding experience.

Personal Driving Professional

Our personal goals of environmental stewardship drive our professional goals of challenging the HVAC status quo. And we’re dedicated to the utmost professionalism to ensure a streamlined customer experience.

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Our Story

It All Started in 2013

Richard Gerbe and Anthony Sannazzaro co-founded HIGHMARK in 2013 due to frustration with a lack of innovation and customer focus in the HVAC industry. Their goal was to challenge the status quo and bring efficiency to the built environment. As a result, their efforts provide key support for building electrification and sustainability initiatives in the company’s target markets. This includes the New York City metropolitan area (all five boroughs), Long Island, North New Jersey and Westchester County.

Today, the industry recognizes HIGHMARK as a building-efficiency pioneer and leader. This is particularly true because of the company’s trailblazing work in building electrification, decarbonization and sustainability. Therefore, in reflection of its efforts, HIGHMARK has experienced double-digit annual growth since its founding. It also continues to expand its wide-ranging client base and list of manufacturing partners.

The HIGHMARK Experience

What makes us tick? It’s our unwavering commitment to challenge the HVAC status quo and make building electrification and decarbonization a reality. Take a look at this video for an inside peek at the HIGHMARK experience:

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Who We Work With

Making Our Customers’ Jobs Easier

Our customers are the best in the business. We work with engineers, contractors, building owners and building operators to make the job as easy as possible. We customize our building-efficiency technologies to meet the specific needs of the most demanding structures. The results are buildings that optimize efficiency, strengthen their electric infrastructure, further carbon neutrality, safeguard the environment and operate more cost-effectively. Here’s how we help our customers:

Engineers

As the go-to guys for building engineers, we provide unparalleled technical knowledge and expertise. For example, when building electrification finally became more widely adopted, we were the team to help engineers understand how to make it happen. We ensure that the right technologies are applied for each job. And if it’s a job that you’ve never been done before, don’t worry, we’ve done it and can help make it a success.

Contractors

No bad jobs. That’s the number one reason contractors choose us. Of course, we still maintain the utmost price integrity, but what sets us apart is our ability to ensure the whole job runs smoothly— with the right technology from the get-go —and is completed to perfection. What’s more, we control the whole process, from product selection to implementation to service and maintenance, which enables us to execute best-in-class operations.

Building Owners

With building owners, we offer a one-two punch — we bring big-picture value (with a 10,000-foot viewpoint) coupled with the technical expertise and manufacture relationships to make the vision a reality. This means that we’re completely aligned with the interests of building owners to help you tackle your goals. What’s more, we understand the full HVAC system and can explain how our equipment plugs into your building. Furthermore, we help with energy-efficiency rebates and secure turnkey operations.

Building Operators

Maintaining the mission-critical operations of a building is a complex task that requires constant upkeep and attention. Consequently, building operators turn to our commercial Service and Maintenance team to ensure the building’s HVAC systems are achieving peak performance. The team can respond to any urgent matters, as well as set up a regular upkeep schedule for your building’s HVAC system.

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Building Verticals

NYC’s Most Demanding Structures

We seek to improve building efficiency and realize electrification and decarbonization in our target markets of the New York City metropolitan area (all five boroughs), Long Island, Northern New Jersey and Westchester County. The specific building verticals we focus on include:

Commercial

High-rise multifamily

Office

Education

Industrial

Hospitality

Healthcare

Government

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Markets We Work In

New York City and Its Surroundings

We seek to improve building efficiency and realize electrification and decarbonization in our target markets, including:

  • The New York City metropolitan area (all five boroughs)
  • Long Island
  • Northern New Jersey
  • Westchester County
NYC Metro Area
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10 Guiding Principles

Our Cultural Foundation

HIGHMARK’s 10 guiding principles serve as the foundation of our culture by defining character and values. Accordingly, these qualities are shared convictions that we expect to guide our associates both professionally and personally. As such, we created a culture guide for just this purpose that explains our 10 guiding principles.

Guiding Principles

  • Integrity

  • Judgement

  • Accountability

  • Expertise

  • Efficiency

  • Authenticity

  • Communication

  • Courage

  • Passion

  • Impact

HIGHMARK Culture Guide
HIGHMARK's 10 Guiding Principles
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Executive Team

Revolutionizing the HVAC Industry

HIGHMARK’s executive team is the best in the business as they never stop challenging the HVAC status quo. The team consists of the following industry veterans:

Richard Gerbe

Richard Gerbe

CEO & Co-Founder

Richard Gerbe is a 2017 ENR New York Top Young Professional and a 2016 Consulting-Specifying Engineer 40 Under 40 Award Winner. As a visionary and seasoned HVAC authority, he has nearly two decades of industry experience. His robust expertise in the best and most innovative products, technologies and processes available today for boosting building efficiency is unparalleled. Gerbe is committed to challenging the HVAC industry’s status quo and imparting a new mentality centered on greater efficiency in the built environment.

Prior to co-founding HIGHMARK, Gerbe worked as both a consulting and sales engineer at Trane for almost a decade, as well as held several other top-level positions at leading engineering and consulting companies in the HVAC industry. He received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the New York Institute of Technology.

Anthony Sannazzaro

Anthony Sannazzaro

COO & Co-Founder

Anthony Sannazzaro is a 2017 Consulting-Specifying Engineer 40 Under 40 Award Winner. As a leading commercial HVAC expert, his proficiency is unmatched in chilled-water system design, unitary products, complex airside design, ice storage, controls and energy analysis. Sannazzaro is tireless in his efforts to apply his considerable expertise to his client projects in order to boost building efficiency and cut energy use and costs.

Prior to co-founding HIGHMARK, Sannazzaro worked at Trane as a sales engineer for nearly a decade. As a technical expert, he collaborated with industry-leading engineers on numerous high-profile local and international projects, many of which earned top-level LEED certifications. He received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is a LEED Accredited Professional.

Joseph Schmitz

Joseph Schmitz

VP of Engineering

Joseph Schmitz leads efforts to introduce innovative building-efficiency technologies to architects, developers, general contractors and MEP consulting engineers. With HIGHMARK since 2015, Schmitz is an expert in numerous building-efficiency technologies, including heat pumps for HVAC and domestic hot water applications, heat-recovery strategies and chilled-water and condenser-water systems.

Prior to joining HIGHMARK, Schmitz was a Sales Engineer at Trane for nearly five years. He worked primarily in the area of applied systems with consulting engineers and mechanical contractors. Schmitz received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

Anthony Bianco

Anthony Bianco

Director of Service & Maintenance

Anthony Bianco leads the commercial HVAC Service & Maintenance team at HIGHMARK. With the company since 2019, Bianco is an expert in providing best-in-class services to ensure HVAC systems continue to achieve peak performance. This results in increased energy efficiency, system integrity and operational cost savings.

Prior to joining HIGHMARK, Bianco had several leadership roles in HVAC service and maintenance. Consequently, his knowledge, expertise and experience in optimal HVAC system operations are unparalleled.

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HIGHMARK at a Glance

Since HIGHMARK’s founding in 2013, our mission has been to challenge the HVAC status quo in support of building sustainability, electrification, decarbonization and cost savings. This is achieved by pioneering the best and most innovative building-efficiency technologies sourced from across the world. We implement these global technologies – such as advanced heat pumps, heat-pump water heaters and geothermal systems – in buildings to improve energy efficiency, cut carbon emissions and reduce costs.

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Challenging the HVAC Status Quo

In line with our vision of a more efficient built environment, our mission is to challenge the HVAC status quo. We do this by constantly innovating and searching the world for the best building-efficiency technologies to achieve building electrification and decarbonization.

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Pioneering Innovative Technologies Since 2013

Since our founding in 2013 we’ve pioneered innovative building-efficiency technologies, including heat pumps, heat-pump water heaters and geothermal systems.

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Global Team Focused on the Customer

We lead a global team of hundreds of the most qualified HVAC professionals committed to meeting our customers’ needs first and foremost.

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Unmatched Technical Expertise

We utilize our unparalleled knowledge and expertise for optimal application of our building-efficiency technologies, which are customized for each job.

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Manufacturers’ Rep & Trusted Partner

We serve as a representative for a diverse array of the leading global HVAC manufacturers. In that role, we also serve as a trusted partner for both our customers and manufacturers to ensure the right technologies are applied for each job.

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Best-in-Class Technology Partners

We only partner with top companies that share our vision of challenging the HVAC status quo to increase building efficiency. Thus, our partners are leaders and pioneers in their fields.

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Industry-Leading Customers

Our customers are the best in the business and leaders in their industries. We work with engineers, contractors, building owners and building operators to make the job as easy as possible.

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The Most Demanding Buildings

We specialize in the most demanding buildings in the following verticals: commercial, high-rise multifamily, office, industrial, education, hospitality, healthcare and government.

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Markets We Work In

In terms of geographies, we work in these markets: the New York City metropolitan area (all five boroughs), Long Island, North New Jersey and Westchester County.

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Veteran Executive Leadership

The executive team of HIGHMARK represents hundreds of years of combined experience working in the HVAC industry. Their sage leadership ensures steady and consistent company growth.

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Driven by Our Guiding Principles

HIGHMARK’s ten guiding principles serve as the foundation of our culture by defining character and values. Accordingly, these qualities are shared convictions that we expect to guide our associates both professionally and personally.

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Double-Digit Annual Growth Since 2013

Since our founding in 2013, HIGHMARK has grown by double digits every year due to the strong leadership of our executive team and tremendous team members.

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Year Founded

Completed Projects

Combined Years in HVAC

Building-Efficiency Technologies

Global HVAC Professionals

Technology Partners

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Our technologies are customized for each job. Contact us for specifications and more information.

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Insights

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