Meet Michael
Our team members come from diverse and experienced backgrounds in electrical training, and many have been in critical power for years. We pride ourselves on choosing the best people to service our customers to ensure that you get the most out of your equipment.
Michael Unangst
Region: North East
Michael built his career in electronics, starting at Lincoln Tech and spending years in the field where every day was different. Calm, safety‑minded, and big on the “why,” he takes time to help customers understand the systems that keep their business running. Curious and hands-on by nature, he aims to learn something new every day – perhaps flying an airplane will be next!
Certifications: OSHA 10, NFPA 70, CPR Certified
Field Trained: 9900B, 9900AEGIS, 1100 Series
Tell me about your professional background and your journey to working at Mitsubishi Electric today.
“In high school, I went to a local technical school, not too far from here, in Allentown, PA – Lincoln Tech. I did an electronics engineering program in about 18 months.
I really didn’t know much about electronics before that, but I dove right in. I had a job at an electronics manufacturer, here in New Jersey, where I worked part-time in the mornings before school.
I got bored sitting at the same bench all day long working on the same stuff and eventually got a call from a company that was doing third-party UPS service that was even closer to my house. I started there in November 2011, which was my first exposure to the critical power field and the UPS. I did that for 13 years and I learned a lot.
But when a coworker on the project management side of MEPPI reached out about a technician spot in New Jersey, I applied. This month [Feb 2026], I’ll have been here for a year, which feels like the blink of an eye.”
How has the UPS industry changed since you first started in 2011?
“The data center scale is growing. It’s mind boggling how big they are, and that’s not to take the significance out of the smaller sites or systems, because the backup power systems are keeping the world moving in this industry. If this stuff stops operating the way it’s supposed to, everything screeches to a halt.”
Are there any common misconceptions about critical power equipment or services that you frequently come across?
“Over the years I’ve run into customers that are very familiar with their systems. They know why it’s there, what it does, and what it takes to maintain it. And I’ve also seen the extreme opposite side of that. The equipment is shoved in a closet somewhere.
They don’t really know where, why or what it does. Why are they spending so much money to fix it or maintain it? Why is it not working? So, I always encourage them and try to give a general understanding of what it is and why it’s there.”
What is the biggest difference between working for Mitsubishi Electric vs. a third-party ASP? What about the UPS itself vs. other suppliers?
“The third-party service industry is a wild world working on any and everything. It was stressful sometimes because you’re walking in on equipment that maybe you’ve never seen before, you’re not very familiar with. So, you learned a respect for that unknown.
In that job, I always enjoyed how simple it was to operate, maintain, start up, configure and commission the Mitsubishi Electric products. And there was always a network of people that I could call and get my questions answered pretty quickly.
It would take a lot of the stress out of my life because it’s so well-designed, well made, well put together, and good running equipment.
Over the years, working with other manufacturers, we’d call and e-mail and sometimes we’d never hear back from them. Mitsubishi Electric has always been much more supportive than the competition.”
What advice would you give to a Facility Manager?
“Keep up with their maintenance. We try to keep them on a schedule—whether that’s annually, semi-annually, quarterly—depends on what they choose to do. It’s important because you can catch a small problem before it turns into a big problem and we could rectify it before it becomes a big, big problem.
We point out to customers the company labels on the equipment and say ‘See the phone number in the big red print? If you have questions, problems, or concerns, call us! We are happy to answer questions or address concerns before they become big problems.’”
If you could describe your first year as a Field Service Technician at Mitsubishi Electric in 3 words, what would they be?
“Busy. Adventurous. Accepting.”
How would you describe Mitsubishi Electric’s Field Service team?
“It’s great. We have group calls or text chats almost daily. We’re always checking in to see how things are going and working around each other’s schedules to help one another out.”
How do you ensure the safety of yourself and those around you while working with electrical systems?
“Being familiar just with the equipment is number 1. Sometimes that involves folks other than just the Mitsubishi Electric team.
We’re involved with the facility electricians or facility operators because we’re in so many different facilities and need to know the details of their equipment. That’s in addition to our PPE practices.
And then verify everything. Even once equipment is shut down and the breakers are locked out, you have to check since something could be mislabeled. I double-check everything to keep myself and my coworkers safe.”
Where did you grow up, and where are you located now?
“I’m still in the same semi-rural township [in Belvidere, New Jersey] that I grew up in. My childhood home is only 5 or 10 minutes up the road, so I haven’t gone far. My family is all pretty close and I’m near the friends I grew up with.”
What is your ideal weekend?
“Spending time with my son. He’s into all sorts of different stuff, especially sports. But generally, relaxing, doing stuff around the house… I’d want to do something to keep me busy, but not too busy.”
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
“Teleportation. Definitely. It would just cut the commute out of wherever I had to go.”
What is your favorite genre of music?
“70s, 80s, and early 90s rock.”
What is a new skill or hobby you’d like to learn?
“I always wanted to learn how to fly an airplane – a small airplane. There are a couple of small airports not too far from my house. I hear airplanes flying around quite often, and I always look out the window to see what’s flying by.
But I know it’s not a cheap hobby to get into, so someday it might be in the budget… It’s something I always wanted to try. It’s on the bucket list!”
What is the best advice you have received, personally or professionally?
“Learn something new every day.
I’m into all different kinds of stuff—technology, race cars, anything. I’m not one of those people who puts on the TV and just binge watches a show that doesn’t pique my interest. I watch something that’s a little educational and will learn something. I like to learn about how things work, why things are a certain way, and how they get put together.”
Profile Last Updated: February 19, 2026