When asked to describe an aspect of running a business that brings him the most satisfaction, Gary Schultz’ eyes lit up.
Schultz, President of Aspen One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning on West Michigan Avenue, didn’t hesitate.
“I’m really proud of our involvement in the Heat for the Holidays program,” he said. For the past twelve years, Aspen One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning has taken part in a program that provides a needy family in the community with a new furnace at no charge.
“When you see the look on people’s faces, it’s priceless,” Schultz said. “Sometimes we have to tell them that it’s really happening. They’ll watch us start working and we’ll have to remind them that it’s not going to cost them anything. You realize that you’re part of something really special.”
It’s those partnerships – those investments both in the community and in his own work force – that Schultz embraces the most.
After graduating from Ferris State in 1976, Schultz took a job with Ideal Heating & Air Conditioning (a Jackson company no longer in business) and has remained in the industry ever since. He and Mark Cesarz started Aspen One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning together and they’ve relocated a couple of times as the business has grown, finally finding a home in the old Ted Nugent Archery Museum on W. Michigan Ave. in 2000. During his time on the front lines with customers and in the shop with co-workers, he’s learned the value of building relationships and the importance of trust.
“We want our customers to be secure in the knowledge that we’re working with them on their particular project,” Schultz said. “That’s why we’ve set up our pricing structure the way we have. Our Investment Guide – which we give to each customer – shows exactly what it will cost for a particular project or need going in. If there’s a mistake somewhere, that’s on us. We want our customers to feel comfortable and confident that we’re being transparent and forward with our pricing and there won’t be any surprises.”
Aspen One Hour also offers a discount package – dubbed ‘The Comfort Club’ – that allows for maintenance check-ups and scheduled visits. Heating and cooling systems are built to last, but like anything else they require check-ups and routine maintenance in order to preserve that longevity. Aspen One Hour is constantly connecting with customers – through e-mail, phone calls or reminder cards – about maintenance checks which are, in many cases, cost free.
In 2008 they joined the ‘One Hour Group’ with the slogan ‘always on time or you don’t pay a dime.’ It’s another way to partner with their customers.
“There’s certainly a visibility there,” Schultz said. “People take time out of their day to schedule visits or when they are having a problem and they may not be happy about it because it can mean something is not working. It’s not only our job to find a solution to the problem, but to do it in a timely fashion. That’s where the slogan comes in.”
But it’s about so much more than installing or repairing heating and cooling systems. For Schultz, it’s about locating and cultivating good, young talent in an industry that, at times, is starving for it.
“One of the things I’ve always liked about this business is the hands-on aspect,” he said. “It’s a bit old-fashioned in that you can roll up your sleeves and get down to work – whether you’re installing a system or diagnosing a problem.”
And that hands-on aspect also relates to how Schultz and Cesarz interact with their staff, including often-daily training sessions and updates in the morning before the crews hit the road.
“I really enjoy the act of cultivating and developing new people,” Schultz said. “To take a young person, or someone new to this particular industry, and to work with them, to show them the details of the business from the ground up, is a great way to watch them grow. We want our employees to strive to be the absolute best at their jobs – whether they’re here for the long haul or if they choose to move on. We want to invest in our people because we know that if we do, they in turn will invest in us.”
The words keep repeating themselves -partnerships and investments – in the community and in the employees that make Aspen One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning a great place to work and a trusted name to call on for heating and air conditioning needs.
“It hasn’t always been easy,” Schultz said. “But we’re proud of what we’ve done and in our investment in this community and in our employees.”
You’re sure to recognize the trucks – the yellow ones all decked out with the Aspen One Hour logo and the clock on the side. And you’ll see that logo on JTV’s new high school football program- ‘The Aspen One Hour Football Show’ – as Gary Schultz, Mark Cesarz and the crew continue to do what they do best, which is form partnerships in the community and invest in the people that live here.
–Larry Jacobson, JTV Sports