Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Deml.
Hi Brian, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Deml Heating & Air Conditioning was founded in 1969 by Roger Deml. He started with a pickup truck, a few hand tools and worked out of his garage. Soon he had expanded to include a couple of trucks, a couple of installers and a service tech. By the mid 1970’s he had a crew of 25+ guys with a satellite shop in Kasson, MN and a fireplace storefront in downtown Owatonna.
Early 1980’s brought around a housing crash that took Deml Heating down to Roger and his son Brian.
As the economy picked up again so did the work and employees.
Roger decided that it was best to separate his businesses into to two: Deml Heating with his son Brian and Fireplace Connection with his son Scott.
Deml Heating flourished and grew through a lot of ups and downs over the next 20+ years and then during another downturn in the economy in 2013, Brian and his wife Paula bought the business.
Brian had a slightly different vision. He continued the same basic format of keeping the company smaller and with a sustainable footprint that didn’t overextend the employees. But he also had an eye for technology With this Brian has taken the company to another level.
It isn’t just about hot and cold anymore. With better tools including load calculation programs, better equipment designs and a lot of new and innovative techniques……The company has increased comfort and efficiency for it’s customers.
Some of the newest offerings are duct cleaning and and AeroSeal duct sealing.
Brian also brought in his son Tony, now third generation, into the business after his graduation.
Tony and his wife Meghan are an everyday staple to the continued operation of the company and have plans of taking over when Brian retires.
The company slogan of “Our Family Keeping Yours Comfortable” is still as true today as when Roger started the business. We still believe in taking care of our customers and their families by creating a comfortable space they call home.
It’s not just a saying, it is our core belief and we take it to heart. Each day our priority is comfort over profits.
With this concept, we hope to be around for a few more generations.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As with any small business we have struggled with the economy and the ups & downs of the housing market. The biggest thing is we have learned to change and adapt to those conditions to better serve our customers.
Trying to find employees with the same core values is a challenge. If our guys wear our name, they need to work as we do.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have been involved in every aspect of our company. From pushing brooms and working in the shop at 10yrs old (first official paycheck), to being left on the jobsite at 14-15yrs old, to put up duct.
After receiving my drivers license, I started running material & equipment from the supply houses to the jobsites, working service calls and installing AC units. After I left high school, I went 100% full-time and in the early 80s when it was Dad and myself, work 70-100hr weeks just to keep up with the workload. After a few years and near burnout, we hired help and I became the primary service tech along with supervising some of the installation work.
By 2010, Roger started spending much of his time away from the shop and the next logical level was to step up and run the business.
In taking over, my main drive was to evolve the business for the next generation (Tony), and to bring a much needed shift towards technology. This requires an ever changing path of education and experience. There have been some surprises, but it can be so rewarding as well.
As I have started slowing down and rarely work in the field anymore, I have developed a form of information gathering. With this, the guys are able to document data from the jobsite and homes to aid in load calculation. It also helps to keep this data on our computers for future reference.
I spend most days working with this data, entering in to my load calculation program. Then I am able to digitally model the house and worse case scenarios to best come up with duct systems and equipment sizing for maximum comfort and efficiency.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Don’t trust in specials or bargains. Our industry is full of great salesmen that have no problem profiting from others lack of knowledge.
I prefer to educate and empower people, so that they have a better understanding of what they have and why they have it. With this knowledge, I feel we can better work together.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.demlheating.com
