A&B’s Don Jones doesn’t want ‘bigger,’ he just wants to serve his heating/air conditioning customers

By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter

Here’s an interesting twist.

Don Jones says he has no desire to make his company any larger. Jones is the owner and operator of A&B Heating and Air Conditioning in Burlington – and has been since he acquired the business in 1978.

“I’m here – and always have been here – to take care of our customers,” said the man who was offered the opportunity to purchase the company from the founder – Darrell Adams.

“I began doing some work for Darrell around 1976,” Jones told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “It wasn’t only HVAC skills I learned from Darrell – it was also the meaning of customer care.”

It was Adams who operated a laundromat on Garvey Avenue in Erlanger, according to Jones.

“His A&B Heating and Air Conditioning — that was for Adams and Brother,” Jones explained. “And he wanted me to keep the company A&B.

“That wasn’t a problem at all. A&B was first in the Yellow Pages, way back then.”

Things were tough for the 21-year-old Jones at the start.

“I lived in a camper the first year and-a-half,” he said. “I did some work for the telephone company; but what I really wanted – to be an engineer.”

The birth of his daughter changed all that – so it was off to OMI —Ohio Mechanics Institute – the University of Cincinnati’s trade and mechanical school.The schooling may have stopped – but the learning never does.

“The hardest part of HVAC,” Jones said, “Is keeping up with all the changes – government involvement, EPI standards and environmental changes.”

And speaking of industry changes, Jones remembers when he serviced clients under mobile homes, in raw sewage.

“Equipment today is so much more advanced. It requires more technical knowledge. In fact, it’s basically like working with computers today,” he said.

As for working in the HVAC business Jones said if a kid learns this trade, “He will never have a problem getting a job – anywhere. And the pay and benefits are really good.”

They must be – he has staffers anywhere from 15-to-30-plus years.

“We generally don’t lose employees,” Jones said.

Or customers.

“I take a personal interest in every call,” Jones said. “And we take calls 24/7. I know I’m getting old,” he laughs, “I’m doing work now for people’s grandkids. And that means a lot to us now. I know about 70-80 percent of our customers, personally.”

The difference, between A&B and the others – easy, according to Don Jones.

“Most HVAC companies are acquired by acquisition firms,” he said, “We’re one of the very few family-owned HVAC’s.

“And, our technicians are not personal sales people. Unless there’s a major problem,  we won’t sell our customers something.  We have service technicians, not sales people.”

But there is one thing Don Jones would love to see in his industry.

“I wish we had more female technicians,” he said. “I just think there’s a stereotype – that’s holding them back.”

Don Jones is holding back his growth at A&B Heating and Air Conditioning– he is happy just the way it is.

So are his customers.