BY DAN VASTYAN

For Smylie One Heating, Cooling,& Plumbing Co., Inc, going greenhas nudged the company into

growth, even during these less-than-friendly economic times.

Smylie One is a full service mechani-cal contracting firm involved with alltypes of plumbing, HVAC, hot water andsteam hydronics, radiant heat, geother-mal and hybrid systems installation andservice work. Based in Chesterland,Ohio, their work is evenly split between

residential and commercial work.Started in ’03, Smylie One pridesitself on a foundation of integrityand trust. Today, the company is headed by

Bill Smylie, Steven Smylie, GaryRosen and Rick Coates. The fourhave been successfully working to-gether for more than 30 years. Withthe highest quality service and awhatever-it-takes mindset, SmylieOne is committed to maintaininglong-term customer relationships,even if it means shipping neededparts via next-day air.Customers always receive — you

guessed it — “Service with aSmylie.” The company was built oncustomer referrals, and that contin-ues to make up the bulk of theirwork today. Smylie One has a three-stage

guarantee offered to all residentialcustomers who’re having centralHVAC systems installed:First is their Delivery Guarantee.

When a date for work to begin isscheduled, their crews will show upduring that week and will remain onthat job until the work is completed.If that’s not the case, $100 comes offthe purchase price. The No-Frown Guarantee is next.

If a properly-maintained compressoror heat exchanger fails due to nor-mal operation within five years, thefurnace or condensing unit will bereplaced at no cost to the customer. Last in line is the Final Price

Guarantee which promises that theproposal price is the final price.There are no hidden charges, even ifsomething was overlooked, incurringadditional work.

Unexpected growthSmylie One managers believed

that revenue in 2009 would be flat(compared to ’08). But that’s notwhat happened when the final tallywas made. For last year, they saw7% growth. Last years’ expansionincluded two new technicians anda plumber, bringing the companytotal to 25 employees. And, keepingthe growth curve moving in theright direction, this year is bud-geted for 10% growth. According to partner Rick Coates,(Turn to ‘Service... page 116.)

Even in a down economy,this firm is the Smylie one

112 Phc News — MAY 2010Field RepoRt

116 Phc News — MAY 2010Field RepoRt

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the firm specializes in challengingwork of greater-than-average compli-cation. “We love a good challenge,”he said. “Some of our techniciansare skilled at hot water or steam sys-tem hydronic work and others aregood at wrangling mini-split HVAC de-livery into tight spaces.” Smylie One’s residential work

consists almost entirely of add-onand replacement jobs. But in the

commercial realm, their work en-tails some new construction. SmylieOne serves about 5,000 customers,mostly in the greater Cleveland areaand its surrounding suburbs.“A lot of the work we did last year

involved the installation of new highefficiency systems,” said Coates.“The majority of homeowners —about 75% — are taking advantage ofFederal tax credits,” he added.

Big jobs for mini-splitsSmylie One currently has

bids out on two server roomcooling jobs. These are in-teresting applications be-cause, in order to keep thecomputer equipment cool,cooling systems of unusuallyhigh tonnage are required tocool relatively small areas. The company has done

several of these jobs in thepast. To remedy the need foradditional cooling, often for

interior spaces already served bycentral HVAC (though with inade-quate temperature and humiditycontrol) they routinely use Fujitsumini-split systems.“We like Fujitsu, and install a lot

of their gear,” said Coates, “Four ofus have gone through their trainingprograms and are now manufac-turer-certified. This has been an ad-vantage because Smylie One is nowpromoted on Fujitsu’s website, andwe get sales leads that way.”Smylie one recently finished a res-

idential job that entailed cooling fora 500-sq.-ft. sunroom addition. Thehouse is hydronically heated andhas central air. “The homeowner is a big enter-

tainer, sometimes packing up to 40people into that room,” explainedCoates. The customer wanted airconditioning in the room because inthe middle of the summer it was sim-ply too hot to enjoy. A 2-ton Fujitsumini-split system solved the need for

cooling and dehumidification.Another job where the Smylie

crews used Fujitsu equipment was a2,500-sq.-ft. Cape Cod that that wasstrapped with an undersized and in-efficient central heat pump. ASmylie One crew installed an 18,000BTU dual-zone heat pump. The evap-orator units were placed at oppositeends of the home, delivering addi-tional comfort control to the masterbedroom and also to a room near theentry where the homeowners espe-cially enjoyed reading. “On the first day, we were very

skeptical. We could hardly believethat the small indoor air unitscould provide the comfort weneeded,” explained the woman ofthe house (see photo). “But we’rebelievers now and only wish we’dmade the change sooner.”

‘Wet Heads’, tooSmylie One offers free home

plumbing inspections to customerswho have a residential service agree-ment with them. The company alsotakes pride in their hydronic work,specializing in challenging installa-tions. For water heaters, they relychiefly on Bradford White.A recent job in Shaker Heights

consisted of a family room edition.The 450-sq.-ft. area is heated by aradiant staple-up system attachedto a direct-vent Bradford Whitewater heater.“The Bradford White guys were

here two weeks ago,” said Coates,“They showed us the new Icon con-trol and safety shut-off system theydeveloped and now manufacture aspart of all residential water heaters.It looks very promising. We’ll havelots of applications for it.”

Service with a SmylieThe day after Smylie One techni-

cians completed the ductless mini-split installation at the home withthe old central heat pump, thehomeowners called to say thanks. “We convinced and converted

‘em, that’s for sure,” said Coates,smiling. And then, as if on cue,Coates added: “’Service with aSmylie,’ just as promised. “It’s nice when that happens,”

concluded Coates. “It really is asource of satisfaction to get calls(sometimes, letters) like that be-cause they support the reason whywe’re in the business after all.” �

Dan Vastyan is a trade journalist whoworks for Manheim, PA-based CommonGround, a trade communications firmspecializing in work for the hydronic,plumbing, HVAC and renewable energyindustries.

(Continued from page 112.)

‘Service with a Smylie’ more than a tagline

Homeowners can scarcely believe a mini-split unitthat occupies so little space can do such a big job.