Guy Adair - Show Low, Arizona

After leaving a 10-year career with the Air Force (1982-1992), Guy Adair found himself facing the unknown. However, he received specialty training at Sheppard Air Base in heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration with secondary training in controls systems. Adair also received additional specialty training in LOXs (liquid oxygen production) at Chanute AFB, and eventually served from Edwards Air Force base in California to two remotes, one in Korea and Alaska.

The training Adair received, where he worked on everything from heating and cooling split systems to 1150 ton chillers, gave him the tools needed to continue a civilian career in the heating and air conditioning industry.

What was business like before you invested in a franchise?

I had a construction focused HVAC business, but knew construction wouldn’t last. My business partner and I knew service in the residential market would be the base for a business to work through slow times/recessions. After my partner left, I wanted to go back to basics and decided to purchase an Aire Serv franchise.

What challenges did you face when you first started your Aire Serv franchise?

Challenges are all still the same – getting qualified service techs, putting training in place, things like that. I came from a strong service background, so the challenges to me are finding competent techs to be able to follow my way of thinking and way of doing things. I previously didn’t have the supported needed to accomplish that.

What are the benefits of working with the Aire Serv team? 

The benefits have been numerous – we now have people to hold us accountable for benchmarks; we didn’t have that before and it’s been a huge help. Before I’d look at my P&Ls when I had time, but having my Franchise Consultant available now to look at those things, hold us accountable and have support of the corporate office has been a huge help. In the past, we haven’t had any type of structure. Most HVAC companies start out as technician savvy, and not business savvy. It’s having that business knowledge – before I had to glean on my own what I could find from books and the Internet – but I now have people to help with budgeting, equipment pricing, etc.

A franchise is very comparable to the military, because there’s a lot of structure and a place for everything. When I was in the military, we always had a higher-ranking person that made us focus on the structure, which we had to report to, whether or not we were following the rules. I was used to following structures when I left the military, not making other people follow structure. Aire Serv is like having a General, a higher-ranking individual, that is directing me to follow the structure like a did when in the military. Now of course, I don’t have an officer yelling at me everyday, but the structure allows for a person to make sure things are in place. I was looking for something to help with that structure – Aire Serv is like having the command structure to help stay focused on what needs to be done.

What advice do you have for Veterans?

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