XREF was started by Joseph Placz, who was born in Hungary in 1950. Joe started vocational school at the age of 14 and became a journeyman motor winder in 1968. In 1972, he came to the United States. After mastering basic English, he was able to find work in the electrical field. He first worked as a floorman, trainee, and finally as a journeyman winder for several companies.

In 1982, he bought a small electric tool/motor repair business in Northern California. It has always been difficult to find replacements for specialty motors, so at the beginning Joe started to write motor model/ID numbers in a small pocketbook. Shortly after filling a few books with data, it became obvious that this solution was not going to work.

After he filled his fifth book with information, Joe started to enter all of the data into a computer database so that when customers came to his establishment for a motor, it became an easy task to look up the information. Data was collected for almost a decade. Every time something new came in, it was typed into the computer. After eight years of typing, Joe realized that he could no longer do his business without this invaluable information at his disposal.

As an avid walker, he has been walking for several decades. During one of this walks, Joe was thinking how valuable this information was for his business and came to the conclusion that if his information was so important to his success, it could help others as well.

When customers come into a commercial establishment, they want a solution to their problems. If a businessman can handle their problem with ease, customers will not forget it. In today’s economy, service is the name of the game.

Initially the database included electric motors only. A few years after the introduction of XREF, several subscribers asked Joe about the possibility of including HVAC/R and appliance related information. Today, decades later, we have gone through many major changes. The initial information was provided in a two volume book. Then by 1988, updates were provided on floppy disks. By 1990, the database become so enormous that floppy disks were no longer a feasible way of providing updates. The decision was made to transfer the entire database onto CDs. XREF was the first to introduce the concept of CD ROM’s to the entire HVAC/R & Appliance industries!!!

Now a dedicated team is working very hard to provide information to the HVAC/R and appliance industries. We are determined to provide unmatchable service and information to our customers. Obviously, our job is not complete, nor could it be ever completed. However, if you cannot find information in our databases, please advise us and we will do everything within our power to make the information available in the upcoming updates.