
Our Team
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Jon Townsend
FOUNDER
With 30 years of experience in the HVAC/R trade, Jon opened Northstar Mechanical, Inc in 2004. His primary focus was to provide customers of Commercial buildings with the most efficient HVAC systems.
As time went on, and at his customer’s requests, he branched out to include refrigeration. The success of Northstar Mechanical, Inc gave him the opportunity to open a second company, Northstar Refrigeration, Inc, an Industrial Refrigeration company, with his son, Travis Townsend, in 2014.
In 2021, Jon and Travis combined their years of experience in the HVAC/R field in both the Commercial and Industrial concepts and the two companies became one.
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Travis Townsend
PRESIDENT
Travis uses his over 20 years of experience to build lasting relationships with new and existing customers. He focuses on each customer’s specific needs and uses NorthStar’s resources to be sure that each facility/project is serviced/designed with their needs first.
Travis feels blessed to be the President of the best refrigeration team in New England.
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Kyle Smythe
INTEGRATOR/COO
Kyle brings to our team a background in team management and mechanical engineering. Driven to bring a new level of customer and employee relations to the HVAC/R field, Kyle is consistently practicing big enough to fix anything but small enough to care moto Northstar means.
He helps customers bring their design ideas to life by applying practical experience and innovative solutions.
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Matt Gray
VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES
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Jim Byrnes
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
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Joe Moores
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
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Ed Rice
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Ed joined Northstar Refrigeration in July 2020 and now leads our marketing efforts as the Director of Marketing. He is passionate about developing creative strategies that drive revenue, build our brand, and foster strong relationships.
A New England sports enthusiast, Ed spent over 20 years playing softball before transitioning to golf, where he continues to hone his skills. An avid woodworker and DIYer, Ed enjoys tackling home projects with enthusiasm.
Fun fact: Ed holds the record for the highest earnings in a single weekend at our annual golf outing, thanks to his impressive skills on the course.
Ed's diverse skills and vibrant personality make him a valuable asset to Northstar Refrigeration.
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Michael Rupp
HVAC/R ENGINEER
Mike has been in the industrial cooling world for over 25 years. His design/build experience coupled with customer interaction provides a pathway to identify, evaluate, and solve customers’ needs. He also brings years of experience in efficiency measures and leveraging utility incentive programs to provide the customer with an opportunity to upgrade their systems to lower carbon footprint and decrease operational costs.
Looking toward the future, Mike has taken an extensive step towards environmentally friendly designs utilizing low GWP refrigerants and capitalizing on heat recovery. As the refrigeration market advances with readily available and accepted natural refrigerants, his goal is to keep Northstar at the forefront of technology and help guide their customers with system options that meet the needs of today and while looking to tomorrow.
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Jesse Silva
ACCOUNT MANAGER
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Rachael Kuehn
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Rachael has a fresh and enthusiastic outlook to further our goals by putting our valued customers first and foremost. Leading the service team, she knows the value of meeting customer needs the first time, every time.
With an extensive professional background in special education, Rachael places great emphasis on both crystal-clear communication and getting every detail correct.
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Eric Hanson
HVAC/R ESTIMATOR
Eric provides detailed cost estimates and breakdowns for existing and future customers regarding their HVAC and Refrigeration needs.
Eric has a diverse background in engineering, having earned a degree in Facilities Engineering from Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He has worked on HVAC and refrigeration projects both big and small and works closely with customers with system design to best maintain construction and equipment costs.
Eric has a strong attention to detail and his number one priority is customer satisfaction and building customer relationships for years to come.
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Adam Loud
ASSISTANT CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Adam is a licensed refrigeration technician who joined the team in 2013 as a truck driver/apprentice. Working his way through the ranks at Northstar, he has committed himself to the success of the team and building excellent report with coworkers and clients alike.
Working with the construction team, Adam ensures equipment is installed to customer and manufacturer requirements. With a progressive view on the industry, Adam uses his extensive field background in VRF and design build projects to find new solutions for old problems.
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Bill LaForce
PROJECT MANAGER
Bill is experienced in Multi Residential, Commercial, Industrial and Design-Build Projects. He has extensive knowledge of HVAC Systems including Conventional Systems, Heat Pump Systems, VRF Systems and Exhaust/Dust Collection Systems.
Bill has been on the Project Management side of the business now close to 10-years and enjoys working with his team and believes communication and forming relationships is the key to a successful project. He holds a Masters Unrestricted sheet metal license in MA and has been in the HVAC trade for 40 years. Bill is Passive House Certified.
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Debbie Ricardo
CONSTRUCTION ADMIN
Debbie joined the Northstar team in January 2024, bringing over 30 years of experience in customer service roles. Her dedication and meticulous attention to detail make her an invaluable asset as our Construction Administrator. Debbie believes that a happy and cohesive work environment is essential to a company’s success, and she consistently strives to be a productive and supportive team player.
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Phil Mohan
PARTS & WAREHOUSE MANAGER
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Gamble Wiseman
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE MANAGER
Gamble brings experience and expertise to our team as the new Preventative Maintenance Department Manager. With a robust background in HVAC sales, service management, and client relations, Gamble has demonstrated skills in team motivation, training, and revenue growth.
In addition to his HVAC expertise, Gamble is also a USCG Captain and SCUBA instructor, operating various vessels for Massachusetts Bay Lines and R&R Marine and performing dive operations and training around the country.
Gamble is committed to enhancing our preventative maintenance programs, ensuring top-notch service and support for our clients. Through consistent and data-driven maintenance programs, he will reduce operational and capital costs for our customers, helping continue Northstar’s reputation as a skilled and reliable service partner.
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Peter Hunt
FIELD SUPERVISOR
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Juliette Blake
SERVICE DISPATCHER
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Barbara Whiting
SERVICE DISPATCH ADMINISTRATION
Barbara lends support to our Valued Customers, the Service Department, and Field Technicians. She receives incoming customer requests, schedules service calls, ensures work orders are detailed and that follow-up is accurate. She offers a diverse professional background as a former Banker, over 16 years as an EMT & Ambulance Dispatcher, and recent Residential HVAC/Plumbing Dispatch knowledge.
These experiences have allowed her the opportunity to develop skills to provide precise communication, excellent customer service, and build customer loyalty.
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Kathy Kelly
PAYROLL SPECIALIST
Kathy joined the Northstar team in April 2023 and moved into a Payroll Specialist position after just one month.
She has over 35 years of accounting experience in many different positions in the Construction, Environmental, Remediation and Management fields. She has worked in all phases of accounting and has worked closely with owners, customers, vendors and outside accountants. Kathy takes pride in her work, paying strong attention to detail and accuracy. She enjoys working as a team player and helping out in any area that may need it.
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Cristin Carbone
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
Cristin joined Northstar in September 2023, in an Accounts Payable position and has cross trained in Billing and Payroll.
She has over 5 years of experience in the HVAC industry, with roles in Accounts Payable, Payroll, Accounts Receivable and Property Management. She previously worked in corporate accounting.
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Amy Lambert
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
Amy has over 25 years of experience in the customer service field, from the food and beverage industry to data entry and dispatching in the commercial field for a Maintenance company and an HVAC/Refrigeration company.
She is very dedicated to her work and the company she works for.
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Sandie Allsopp
Sandie is the glue that holds Northstar Refrigeration together. She began with Jon working out of a spare bedroom and has grown the company into what it has become.
She has covered every role from parts ordering to account statements and all steps in between. Sandie has been Northstar’s problem solver since the beginning and continues to allow us to grow.