Bayside Mechanical, Inc.

Vincent Casale: Winds of Change

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SAN MATEO — After several years working on the corporate end of the construction industry, Vincent Casale was looking for a change of pace. As it happened, change came in the form of an entirely new livelihood. “After about 15 years in corporate sales and construction management, I wanted to get out of that world and work on a smaller scale,” he remembers. “One day, while I was on a jobsite, I met the owner of Bayside Mechanical. We got to talking, and the next thing you know, he brought me on. My prior experience in construction helped me as I became acquainted with a new industry, and things ended up working out very well.”

Today, as estimator at Bayside Mechanical, Inc., Vincent says his favorite part of his job is making people feel more at home in their homes. “Working in the residential end of the business, I really feel like I’m helping people. For me, it’s not working on houses; it’s working on homes, which I think is an important distinction. I take a lot of pride in making my customers’ homes more comfortable and just improving the quality of their daily lives.”

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Vincent came to the Bay Area soon after marrying his wife, Heather. “Heather is originally from here,” he explains. “We met while she was attending grad school in New York. She always said if we started a family, she’d like to live closer to her family, so as soon as we found out our first little one was on the way, we picked up and headed west.” Today, as a resident of Redwood City (where he lives with Heather and their three daughters, Isabella, Sophie and Emily), Vincent says his two favorite things about his adopted locale are the weather and traffic, both of which he considers moderate in comparison to those of his city of origin.

Vincent spends most of his time outside of work performing his role as a full-time family man. “I love being a father to my daughters and spending time with my family—they definitely keep me busy,” he laughs. He also enjoys cooking and following professional sports. “My family has a bunch of restaurants back east, so cooking has always been a big hobby of mine. I’m also a huge sports fan, and I follow all my New York teams.”

In regard to a personal philosophy, Vincent sums it up with one word: integrity. “In my mind, it’s not what you do in front of people that’s important—it’s what you do when no one is watching,” he explains. “That’s the true test of your character and how you develop trust and relationships with others. So, I’m always trying to instill the importance of integrity in those around me, whether it’s my kids at home or my crew out on the jobsite.”

When asked the first thing he’d do if he were to retire tomorrow, Vincent says he’d head to an exotic location to get some R&R. “I’d take a nice, long vacation. I’d love to go to Hawaii with my family for a few weeks and spend some time at the beach just kicking back and relaxing.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What are your favorite sports teams?
A: Being from Brooklyn, my two favorite teams are the New York Jets and the New York Mets.

Q: Music or talk radio?
A: It depends on my mood. Usually, I listen to sports talk radio in the morning, but as my day gets going, I put on music.

Q: What kind of music do you like?
A: Classic rock.

Q: What’s your favorite kind of food?
A: Italian.

Q: What were you most known for in high school?
A: Playing baseball. I also had a lot of friends from different social groups, so I guess I was also known for getting along with everyone.