Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), the region’s premier provider of residential and commercial service and repair, is proud to announce a five-year partnership with The University of Alabama’s Athletic Department and Crimson Tide Sports Marketing. As part of the sponsorship, Hiller was named the “Official Plumbing and HVAC Provider of the Crimson Tide®” Read more
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Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), the region’s premier provider of residential and commercial service and repair, is proud to announce a five-year partnership with The University of Alabama’s Athletic Department and Crimson Tide Sports Marketing. As part of the sponsorship, Hiller was named the “Official Plumbing and HVAC Provider of the Crimson Tide®”
The University of Alabama is one of the most established public institutions across the Southeast. In addition to its exceptional academic and research offerings, the Crimson Tide’s sports programs are deeply ingrained in the history and traditions of families across the state. With 28 national team championships in football, men’s and women’s golf, gymnastics and softball combined, and countless Southeastern Conference titles, the Crimson Tide is universally recognized as one of the biggest powerhouses among collegiate athletic programs.
Since opening its Huntsville branch in 2015, Hiller has earned a reputation among Alabama homeowners for outstanding customer experiences. As a direct result of this success, Hiller launched its second Alabama location in Birmingham earlier this year. As Hiller’s presence across the state continues to expand, a partnership of this magnitude offers a great avenue to participate in and support the areas that are sustaining the business’s growth.
“We are very excited to partner with The University of Alabama’s Athletic Department,” remarked Jimmy Hiller, Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “At Hiller, we always strive to be active participants and supporters of the communities we serve. We have been invested in serving homeowners across Alabama for many years now”, he continued, “And could not be more excited to partner with an organization that creates so many opportunities for so many across the state.”
“Businesses that actively serve families in our area are ideal partners for us. We are so excited to welcome Hiller as a partner,” remarked Jim Carabin, Vice President and General Manager of Crimson Tide Sports Marketing. “Developing exciting experiences for fans and supporting our athletic endeavors for our student-athletes is so important to us. Long-term partnerships with organizations like this are one of the ways that we achieve those goals.”
Launched in 1990 with a single employee and just $500, Hiller has grown exponentially across the past three decades. Today, Hiller includes over 800 associates and 600 trucks across 17 locations and has responded to over 1.7M service calls across 7 states.
Taco Comfort Solutions is pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Furst as its newest Commercial Trainer. With over 40 years of distinguished experience in mechanical engineering and a comprehensive background in overseeing multimillion-dollar projects, Tony brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Taco team. Tony’s career spans significant roles across renowned organizations Read more
Taco Comfort Solutions is pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Furst as its newest Commercial Trainer. With over 40 years of distinguished experience in mechanical engineering and a comprehensive background in overseeing multimillion-dollar projects, Tony brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Taco team.
Tony’s career spans significant roles across renowned organizations within the HVAC industry, including Armstrong Fluid Technology, where he served as the US Director of Application Engineering. His responsibilities included providing extensive application engineering support and developing technical education content for commercial HVAC systems. Tony’s commitment to excellence and innovation has consistently resulted in the successful completion of projects on time and within budget.
“We are thrilled to welcome Tony to Taco Comfort Solutions,” said Cheryl Merchant, CEO of Taco Family of Companies. “His deep understanding of mechanical systems and his passion for educating others will be invaluable as we continue to enhance our training programs for the commercial sector,” added Merchant.
Tony holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton and an MS in Education from Michigan State University. He is certified in Plumbing Design by the American Society of Plumbing Engineering (ASPE) and is a LEED Accredited Professional with the US Green Building Council. Throughout his career, Tony has been a dedicated member of ASPE and ASHRAE, contributing significantly to technical education committees and serving as a speaker at various industry events.
“I truly enjoy sharing knowledge with others to make modern hydronic systems better,” said Furst. His commitment to advancing industry standards aligns perfectly with Taco Comfort Solutions’ mission to provide innovative and efficient solutions for HVAC systems.
In his new role at Taco, Tony will join a team of esteemed trainers, including Brett Zerba and Rich Medairos, enhancing the company’s capability to deliver comprehensive training programs tailored to the needs of commercial clients.
“It’s rare when you get the opportunity to add someone with Tony’s background, experience, and knowledge to your team,” said John Barba, Director of Training at Taco Comfort Solutions. “Adding Tony to our commercial training team is like having three Hall of Famers in your outfield. I’m looking forward to seeing Tony, Brett, and Rich share their wit, wisdom, and knowledge with our industry,” concluded Barba.
Furst’s appointment marks a significant addition to Taco Comfort Solutions, reinforcing its commitment to excellence in commercial HVAC training and education.
Falls Church, Va. — Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) unveils Jeff Butler and Mary Kelly as the keynote speakers for CONNECT 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama, October 7-10, at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. Jeff Butler is a workplace strategist, who has offered expertise to help companies like Amazon, Google and John Deere foster a harmonious Read more
Falls Church, Va. — Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) unveils Jeff Butler and Mary Kelly as the keynote speakers for CONNECT 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama, October 7-10, at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.
Jeff Butler is a workplace strategist, who has offered expertise to help companies like Amazon, Google and John Deere foster a harmonious and high-performing workplace. Butler will present a keynote address, “Building an Effective Multi-Generational Workplace.” He will also lead a breakout session on the topic of “Winning the Talent War.”
Mary Kelly is a Council of Peer Award of Excellence speaker, best-selling author and Navy commander. At CONNECT, Kelly will share various stories and experiences of interest to p-h-c contractors during her keynote address, “Why Leaders Fail and the 7 Prescriptions for Success.” Kelly will also lead a breakout session, “Master Your World,” where she will emphasize effective tactics, practical strategies and innovative solutions that are tailored to dilemmas faced by today’s leaders.
“I know that many attendees, including myself, are anticipating the remarks that Jeff and Mary will share,” says Joe Cornetta, PHCC national president and co-owner of Cornetta Brothers, Inc., Elmont, New York. “We are excited to have these two leaders join us and help offer invaluable insights to the industry.”
For more details, including the schedule-at-a-glance, visit phccweb.org/CONNECT. This site offers information on education sessions, speakers, exhibitors, registration and hotel reservations, as well as the many attractions of Birmingham, known as “The Country’s Best Kept Secret.”
Amy O’Grady went from the fashion industry to an effective contractor and leader in the heating and cooling industry Women in HVACR (WHVACR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration trades, today announced it has appointed industry sales and marketing expert and licensed HVAC contractor Amy O’Grady as its first executive director. O’Grady brings Read more
Amy O’Grady went from the fashion industry to an effective contractor and leader in the heating and cooling industry
Women in HVACR (WHVACR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration trades, today announced it has appointed industry sales and marketing expert and licensed HVAC contractor Amy O’Grady as its first executive director.
O’Grady brings more than 13 years of experience as a licensed contractor, sales and marketing director and events manager to the WHVACR family. She also served four years as the executive director for the North Florida Air Conditioning Contractors Association (NFACCA).
“Women in HVACR has always been a completely volunteer-only organization, but since we now offer such a long list of networking events, educational programs and scholarship funds to our members, we needed someone on our permanent staff to manage all the good work that we do,” said 2024 WHVACR President Lori Tschohl. “With her background in the HVAC industry and executive director leadership, Amy brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic vision to our organization. We are confident she will provide the necessary oversight to help our board achieve its goals and take Women in HVACR to new heights.”
O’Grady is a graduate of Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in textiles and consumer sciences. After starting her career as a product developer and assistant buyer in the fashion industry, O’Grady began honing her leadership skills in business development, marketing and event planning as a marketing manager for a regional grocery chain and for Charlie’s Tropic Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. in Atlantic Beach, Florida.
“It was during my tenure as marketing director for Charlie’s Tropic that I discovered my passion for the HVAC industry and entrepreneurship,” O’Grady said. “I was able to modernize the company’s identity by crafting unique content and developing data-driven marketing programs to stay on top of the ever-changing digital market.”
She also reached a significant milestone at the HVAC company by becoming a licensed contractor, which helped her master her craft and put her on her current career trajectory.
Her next position was as the executive director for the NFACCA, where she demonstrated her adaptability and willingness to learn new skills. She spent more than four years in this role before accepting the position at WHVACR.
“My role at NFACCA certainly helped prepare me for the job I’m taking on at Women in HVACR,” she said. “I look forward to bringing my industry knowledge to our team so that I can help this organization grow and create a dynamic environment that inspires more women to start careers in the skilled trades.”
For more information about Women in HVACR, visit www.womeninhvacr.org/.
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical Receives Ninth Consecutive Ruud Top Pro Partner Award
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), Tennessee’s largest provider of residential and commercial plumbing, HVAC, and Electrical service and repair, was honored with Ruud’s 2023 Top Pro Partner Award. This award marks Hiller’s ninth consecutive recognition, beginning in 2015. Since the 1800s, Ruud, a major manufacturer of HVAC systems, has been at the forefront Read more
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), Tennessee’s largest provider of residential and commercial plumbing, HVAC, and Electrical service and repair, was honored with Ruud’s 2023 Top Pro Partner Award. This award marks Hiller’s ninth consecutive recognition, beginning in 2015.
Since the 1800s, Ruud, a major manufacturer of HVAC systems, has been at the forefront of heating and cooling system development and innovation. Each year, Ruud evaluates contractors, naming Pro Partners that deliver the highest standards of excellence in installation and service of HVAC equipment. This designation is determined based on quality of work, verified customer feedback, and volume of exceptional installations and repairs.
In 2015, Hiller received their first Pro Partner award, ranking first among 20 contractors selected from a pool of national businesses. Each year since, Hiller has been named among the best-of-the-best. The 2023 award, which was announced at a reception in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 30th, was Hiller’s ninth consecutive Pro Partner award.
“We are so proud to have been honored with our ninth Ruud Pro Partner Award this year”, remarked Jimmy Hiller, founder and CEO of Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. “Like Hiller, Ruud is extremely committed to superior product installations, service, and maintenance. Their equipment helps us ensure that each family we serve is comfortable and happy in their homes for years to come. We are extremely honored”, he continued, “To have earned an award that recognizes our parallel commitment to superior installation and ongoing service and repair on these systems”.
Launched in 1990 with just $500 and a single truck, 24-year-old Jimmy Hiller founded his company on values that have become signatures of the Hiller brand: integrity, professionalism, exceptional ongoing training, truly caring for others, clear and upfront pricing, and 24/7 emergency services. Today, Hiller is one of the nation’s largest privately-owned home services companies, employing more than 800 associates with a fleet of over 600 “Happy Face” trucks across 17 locations in 7 states.