by Josh Havens
My Dad was 15 years old when he started working in his Father’s HVAC business in Mountain Home Arkansas. His Father, Steve Havens, started that business in 1971, and in 1980 he became a Trane dealer. That business is still in Mountain Home today and is run by my father’s brother Preston Havens. Over four generations of the Havens family worked in that original business. Today four of them own their own successful heating and cooling companies in other states.
In 1993, our family moved to Pewee Valley, and took roots in the Oldham County area. My Mom started working for South Oldham Preschool in 1993 until 2007. There she was known as Ms. Kim, and taught numerous children in Oldham County. Dad started Havens Heating and Cooling in Crestwood in 1996. As in most businesses, starting out was hard. I remember Dad took part time work, delivering pizzas, working for UPS, and stuffing envelopes to make ends meet. With no notoriety in the Oldham County area, Dad had to do something to establish his work in the area.
I remember his attention to detail in all things about the job. Although it wasn’t my favorite way to spend my time during the summer months, I would sometimes go out on jobs with him when I was younger. He would have me get him tools and other menial tasks, but sometimes he let me help with more technical tasks, such as solder the lines of copper connecting to the outdoor unit. He wanted the soldering to look totally seamless. When he would tape up the insulated lines, he would make sure that the tape was precisely applied with no rough edges. Not only was it important for the system he installed to keep the home comfortable, but he wanted it to be something that the customer could see and be proud of. Because of this attitude and attention to detail, the business thrived through the early years of struggle into where it is today.
Since Dad started his business in Oldham County, I knew he always desired to get back to selling the Trane line of equipment. He had to start out selling other brands due to there already being Trane dealers in the area, but after selling Trane equipment for so long in his Father’s business, he knew the other brands were not as dependable as Trane. In August of 2009 Trane offered him a dealership in Oldham County. Now he sells 100 percent Trane equipment.
After installing countless systems in Oldham County, Havens Heating and Cooling has built a strong reputation for quality. I have seen evidence of this over the years I have managed the business website. Customers have expressed satisfaction through emails, reviews, and online posts. I have even chatted with individuals from larger HVAC businesses in Louisville. I was a little surprised to see how widespread the Havens reputation for quality systems had reached, but then again I’m not that surprised. No doubt many families are comfortable in their homes now because of that dedication.