Small Business Spotlight – October 2020: Air Services Heating and Cooling & All Service Plumbing
Company name: Air Services Heating and Cooling / All Service Plumbing
Person in charge: Rich Callahan, general manager
Year founded: 1964
Describe what your organization provides for its customers:
Air Services Heating and Cooling and All Service Professional Plumbing provide our clients with over-the-top in-home service on all of their heating, cooling and plumbing needs. We specialize in being the best in customer service.
Give us a brief history of your business and what makes it unique:
We have been in business since 1964. Air Services started out as a small operation. In the early years, the company focused on new construction and commercial with some residential service as well. Several years ago, we decided our field needed a company that will bring back the true meaning of the word “service.” We then took all of our focus and trained our employees to first, foremost and franticly serve our clients. We stopped doing new construction and commercial work, to focus all of our attention on existing residential service. To do this, we went to a true seven-day-a-week work schedule so that our clients have a full experienced technician even on a Sunday. To make life good for our employees, we went to a four-day on and four-day off work schedule; in return, our employees give better service to our clients. We also think that the most important thing we can do is give back to our community. This awesome community gives us so much, we feel it is our obligation to give back.
What’s the most exciting recent highlight for your business?
In the field of HVAC and plumbing we have a shortage of qualified people entering into this field. There is a higher volume of people retiring compared to people getting into the field. This year we got a paid apprenticeship program started that is certified through the U.S. Department of Labor. This is bringing focus to individuals that may have never even thought of this as a path and is allowing them to find not just a job but a long-lasting career.
Where do you hope to see your business in 12 months?
In 12 months, we would like to see our organization not only get past the ongoing crisis but grow in market share in Springfield and surrounding towns. We are now at 45 employees and we believe we will have 10 more employees in the next 12 months.
How have you adapted your operations to deal with the pandemic?
This crisis has been very hard on our country and community. As a business that is seen as essential during the crisis, we had to quickly change a lot of our day-to-day operations. First thing in the morning we have all employees who enter the building get their temperatures checked and logged. Every employee must wear a mask in the building and in our clients' home. Technicians wear rubber gloves and new shoe covers on every call.
We also had to change the way we run our service calls so that we can provide our clients with a touch-free and socially distanced service call. We are always checking to make sure we are following CDC guidelines, and we stay not only compliant but we try to exceed those.
What advice would you offer to someone starting their own small business?
No matter what your business is, you must always remember that it is your clients that pay your bills. It is your community that will support that business day in and day out and you should be thankful every day. If you expect your community to support you then it is your obligation to support your community. Simply give back.
