YORK-Deal’s Heating & Cooling Company in Yorktown has been keeping Peninsula homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter for three decades now.
John “Jay” Deal started his business after working for a HVAC contractor at NASA Langley Research Center. He inherited the entrepreneur spirit from his father and grandfather.
“My father had an insurance business and then later opened a campground in Gloucester,” he said. “That influence made me interested in being an entrepreneur.”
When a customer calls the business, Deal is the one who answers the phone and later works on the system. Deal said staying a small, one-person business has been intentional. It allows him to give all customers personal service. The company is also home-based, which Deal said has many advantages.
“I get the call and I work with people’s schedules,” he said.
That has led to much repeat business. Deal recently replaced a HVAC system at a customer’s home. He installed their first new system 20 years ago.
“It’s great to retain customers for twenty years,” he said. “They called for maintenance on their system and when their old one aged out.”
Over the years, Deal has seen changes with HVAC equipment, mostly by increased energy efficiency. HVAC systems are quieter as well, he said.
The business has earned a few awards through the years. Deal’s Heating & Cooling Company was named Small Business of the Year by the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce in 2001. Deal was also recognized by his customers in 2016 and 2021 when the company was voted Coastal Virginia Magazine’s best Peninsula HVAC Company.
For more information on Deal’s Heating & Cooling Company, visit its website or call 757-875-1546.