As part of our ongoing "Getting to
Know Your Local Businesses" series, this week we sat down with Roger
Knight Sr., and his son, Roger Knight Jr., owners of Airtechs
Mechanical.
Tell us a bit about your business: What does your business offer, and how long have you been around?
Since
1986, we have provided experienced, honest and affordable Heating,
Ventilating and Air Conditioning system installation, maintenance and
repair services to homeowners, businesses, retail, office, restaurants,
data centers, and medical clinics. We are a family-owned business with
extensive real-world experience in all types of HVAC equipment, and
applications.
How did you decide to get involved in this line of work? How did the businesses get started?
Knight
Sr.: After my discharge from military service where I was a tank
commander, I attended CCNY. Later, I began work at Hydril Houston,
where I worked in the manufacturing engineering R&D department. We
were quite involved in seeking manufacturing and operational solutions,
troubleshooting issues encountered out in the field. I developed or
discovered that I really had a knack for solving manufacturing and
operational problems.
When the oil industry tanked in the mid-80s, I
went back to school and decided to learn air conditioning and
refrigeration. After graduating, I worked for a couple of very good
quality commercial A/C companies for a few years.
I saw that the
demand for quality, honest and affordable A/C services was there. After
obtaining my licenses, I started the business.
Tell us a couple things you are proud of about your businesses. What are you known for? What separates you from the competition?
We
are proud of our integrity and ethics. We do not oversell or tell
people they need a new system if they do not. We’ll make recommendations
to our customers, trying to inform them as to the various options …
including what gives them the biggest bang for the buck and most comfort
without braking the bank.
What is your favorite part of running this business?
The
feeling you get when you know you are doing things right. I mentioned
earlier that in the beginning of my A/C career, I had worked for a
couple of quality commercial A/C companies. I hate to say, but I also
worked for at least one that was just plain ugly and unethical. I always
told myself that if I ever had my own company, I would run it
ethically, affordable, and do quality work. That is what we do today.
That is our business code, doing right by all concerned, the customer,
our employees, our company.
Who is your ideal customer/client? Who do you serve best?
An educated customer is our best customer. When a customer
knows
what they want and are open to suggestions, we can work with that
customer to arrive at a long term solution to an HVAC problem, do the
job on budget, on time, quality of installation and equipment, and great
service on each and every job.
Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your businesses?
Besides
offering A/C System Installation, annual inspections, pre-season
preparation, A/C repair, Heating Services and smart thermostats, we
provide 24/7 emergency services.
Those who mention this article can
receive free high quality pleated filters for the entire year (estimated
1 filter per month change with one inch thick pleated filters) with an
annual Service Agreement (a $140 value). We also offer a 10% discount
(max $500.00) to active duty military, veterans, first responders, and
seniors over 65.
How do you see your businesses growing and improving over the next couple of years?
Our
fast-growing industry demands good tradespeople and dependability. We
are growing slowly, per design while training, looking for, and
retaining the best tradespeople who will maintain our high quality
standards. The demand for honest, fair, quality services is there. As we
grow, we will continue to deliver reliable services to customers at
affordable prices. We want quality before growth.
To learn more about Airtechs Mechanical, visit our profile at
Atascocita.com.