Business Profile: Taconic Heating & Cooling Corp., Cortlandt
PutnamValley resident Peter Kelly, service manager for Taconic Heating & Cooling Corp., said summer is the busiest time of the year for his business.
“It’s busier now than it is in heating season,” Kelly said last week during an interview in his Cortlandt office. “I think people don’t look at is a luxury any more. (Air conditioning) is a requirement.”
“It’s insane right now,” Kelly said, adding later, “People can deal with cold better than they can deal with heat.”
PutnamValley resident Jim D’Annibale is the primary owner of the business, which has been located in Cortlandt since it was incorporated in 1987.
Taconic Heating & Cooling provides a wide range of services. The company installs heating and cooling units, provides equipment maintenance services, cleans air ducts, and installs air purifications systems, among other services, Kelly said.
One of the popular new features of his business is providing YFI thermostats that allow customers to “control their home remotely,” Kelly said. “If you’re going to be late, why turn an air conditioner if you’re not going to be home?”
“Business is good,” Kelly said. “We’ve grown tremendously, at least in the seven years that I’ve been here. I’ve seen a lot of growth in my department. And I think it has a lot to do with our customer service. We really strive to be the best company in the area.”
The company has about 50 employees, and Kelly oversees a staff of 10 in his service department.
Most of the company’s customers come from Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess and Fairfield counties. About 60 percent of Taconic Heating and Cooling customers are homeowners and the company also works with businesses, hospitals, schools and colleges. The company has worked on expansion projects at such sites as HudsonValleyHospitalCenter and the College of Mount St. Vincent, Kelly said.
“Customer service is the key,” Kelly said. “If you take care of the customer, they’ll tell everyone that you helped them.”
“Yes, we do advertising. We do direct mailings. But most of our business is referral business. It blows my mind,” said Kelly, who has been working in various capacities in the heating and air conditions business for 18 years. “You don’t always get this world today – someone thanking you for helping them out “
“The customer service department, I think, was where I was meant to be,” Kelly said. “It’s a happy home here.”
Taconic Heating & Cooling Corp. is located at 9 Dogwood Rd. in Cortlandt Manor. It can be reached by calling 914-734-9300 or by visiting http://www.taconichvac.us.
