CLERMONT — — Josh Carrico and Shirley Stewart know the business side of the heating and cooling industry.
Carrico’s father Rob started Air-Trol. Carrico learned the business while growing up, eventually taking charge of the bookkeeping. Stewart managed the office and customer service.
Both agree it was a place with a familial atmosphere, which offered incentive to take pride in your work. That aspect changed when Rob retired and sold Air-Trol to a national corporation.
“I missed the tight-knit family atmosphere of a small business,” Carrico said following the change in ownership.
Stewart lost the relationships she cultivated with her customers. She went from sharing recipes with some to dealing with a higher volume of strangers.
“I missed that satisfaction I got from my job,” Stewart said.
Both are getting it back at Chapman Heating & Air Conditioning, where they’re reprising their roles from Air-Trol. Though Chapman has grown to be the largest independent Bryant dealer in Indianapolis, the operative word is “independent.” Owner Jeff Chapman prides himself on remaining a small, customer-friendly operation.
“Anyone can get something from a big box,” he said. “But I go to a particular eye doctor for that interaction I can’t get elsewhere.”
Carrico and Stewart agree. Both experienced the other business model, and found it wasn’t for them.
“There’s a lot of red tape,” Stewart said of working for a conglomerate. “It’s cumbersome to get things accomplished. Here it’s more hands-on with the customers and you’re really able to make an impact on the day-to-day functions.”
Carrico added, “When it’s a larger business that’s dealing in high volume, it’s tougher to give that personal touch to customers. It’s kind of like you deal with this one and move on.”
That’s not to say he’s condemning the corporate configuration.
“Some people fit well in that mold; some people don’t,” he said. “The background we come from, we just wanted that smaller, family style of business.”
They’ve discovered many patrons prefer that as well.
“You want to be able to trust someone who’s inside your home,” Stewart said. “That’s easier when you have personalized service. At a smaller operation, you begin to develop relationships with the customers.” At Air-Trol she remembers some clients making sure they had technicians’ favorite soda on hand when they’d come for an appointment.
That kind of commitment is the lifeblood to a small, independently-owned business.
“There’s a lot to be said when it’s your name on the side of the truck, as opposed to some corporation,” Carrico said. “When someone calls in with an issue, he hears it. When it’s your name at stake, you’re liable to do what’s right.”
Chapman knew both Carrico and Stewart through mutual industry contacts.
“They bring a lot of things that are well-ingrained and practiced,” he said.
He also is friends with Rob.
“I think we’ve both always operated on the same principles with how to treat your customers,” Chapman said.
This being the 25th anniversary of his business, Chapman says the time is right to bring in some young blood and take it to the next level.
“Here’s an opportunity to leave a legacy,” he said. “Now I’ve got the youth to do it. It gives me a chance to get something solidly ingrained and keep the name out there.
“It would be nice to get another 25 years, but I’ll be watching, not leading.”
Chapman Heating & Air Conditioning is at 9230 Crawfordsville Rd. For more information, call 291-4909 or visit the website at www.chapmanheating.com.
wade.coggeshall@flyergroup.com
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