Just been told Bank America is in HVAC business? True?

[nehps]

I just recieved a letter about a meeting for all us HVAC Contractors, and what we can do about Lowes, Home Depot,Walmart, and Bank of America. It says Bank America is in the hvac biz. Posssibly under the name One Hour Airconditioning and Heating, is this true? I just applied for a refi with them, I cant believe that a bank would get into the hvac biz, if so they must think theres alot of $$$$$$ to be made.

[cde72]

I've seen "one hour..." trucks.... So, I know thats a real biz, but a bank getting into hvac???

[aircooled53]

Originally posted by nehps
I just recieved a letter about a meeting for all us HVAC Contractors, and what we can do about Lowes, Home Depot,Walmart, and Bank of America. It says Bank America is in the hvac biz. Posssibly under the name One Hour Airconditioning and Heating, is this true? I just applied for a refi with them, I cant believe that a bank would get into the hvac biz, if so they must think theres alot of $$$$$$ to be made.

Bank Of America may have been the bank who loaned the money but there are regulations in the banking business to require them to follow guidelines state. I know that they buy out other banks savings and loans but never heard of hvac companys.

[johnsp]

They're probably behind some low finance deals on the equipment through the above listed reps.

[billva]

Originally posted by johnsp
They're probably behind some low finance deals on the equipment through the above listed reps.

i think you meant high instead of low. if it wasn't lucrative, they wouldn't do it.

[nehps]

Like I said I did recieve in my P.O> Box a post card that says are you worried about Bank of America, Walmart, H.D. and Lowes now that there in the hvac field (oh ya, and the Utility Co.'s) then it said if I want to atend the meeting to help trying to stop them, the meeting is in Tampa Fl. at the Clarion Hotel it says $139.00 for the nite. Its in March 2005

[HVAC Pro]

How many utilities and other starched collars have tried wetting their feet in the HVAC industry? It doesn't take them long to figure out that this industry requires true [/b]craftsmen[/b] and that they can't be bought and sold. (Atleast not all of us.) It does nothing but drive up our value. I say bring them and their deep pockets on. They have the $$$$$$$ and we have the talent.

[pstu]

We know some of those big names want to do HVAC work, but Walmart sounds iffy and Bank of America just sounds plain goofy. I would bet at the least, that BOA will not be in this business. But let us know what you find out, this is an interesting letter.

Best wishes -- P.Student

[mr big]

Open a new 5 year CD & get a new Heat Pump absolutely free! Expand your Cd to 10 years & get an electronic air cleaner, a UV light & a HRV for free! Stay comfortable with more money in your pocket with Bank of America; your cash & comfort headquarters!

[pstu]

Is this for real? How big a CD, how big a heat pump and what kind?

They used to give away toasters but I don't think they really threatened the toaster market. Your HVAC system is not an appliance although many people would like it to be.

Regards -- P.Student

[Edited by perpetual_student on 02-05-2005 at 02:25 PM]

[coldspot]

Originally posted by nehps
I just recieved a letter about a meeting for all us HVAC Contractors, and what we can do about Lowes, Home Depot,Walmart, and Bank of America. It says Bank America is in the hvac biz. Posssibly under the name One Hour Airconditioning and Heating, is this true? I just applied for a refi with them, I cant believe that a bank would get into the hvac biz, if so they must think theres alot of $$$$$$ to be made. I know theirs one hour a/c in Las Vegas Nevada, but i thought that was done through sap pros financing?

[wornout]

I also recieved the post card. Return address is
Lon Cassel
Venvest Inc.
2 North Tamiami Trail Suite 806
Sarasota, Fl 34236

Does anyone know who these guys are? I bet, there trying to make money off the HVAC Contractor, not protect us! Maybe I am just paranoid!

[chilledcool]

It looks like they are selling Franchises for One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating.
Check their Website http://www.venvestinc.com/.

[sgosine577]

"Always on time or you don't pay a dime" Always there in one hour. Hell I am always a few minutes late. I will go out of business if I have to be there in 1 hour because of traffic and other factors.

[coldspot]

Originally posted by sgosine577
"Always on time or you don't pay a dime" Always there in one hour. Hell I am always a few minutes late. I will go out of business if I have to be there in 1 hour because of traffic and other factors. THere's always a catch or gimmick, its called bait and switch, offer them somthing and make a small catch phrase so you dont have to honor the false ad, as long as their is an asterisk and a fine print allowing the blind lazy consumer the chance to read the tiny words before he commits himself to a lie or a half truth, which ever is politcally correct or just plain honest business practice! I believe it was right now airconditioning is financed by sap pros in vegas.

[Special Ed]

Coldspot, you're throwin' around a lot of co. names in Vegas. You from there? I happen to know the owners & some of the employees of RightNow Air. I also know the owners of Quality Service Co., aka, One Hour.

[fat eddy]

Yeah and then they'll find out what a lot of other consolidation companies find out, that there market is limited to chain store type accounts,they don't do well with larger mechanicals because you can't buy a relationship which is how most of that business is done.

[Carnak]

Originally posted by sgosine577
"Always on time or you don't pay a dime" Always there in one hour. Hell I am always a few minutes late. I will go out of business if I have to be there in 1 hour because of traffic and other factors.

Lol, if the don't come in the first hour they are not coming.

[berad]

I wonder if that would be the same Lon Cassel that used to be a partial owner of Chief Bauer which sold to Service Experts, who as we all know was bought by Lennox. (Where I used to work--after he left)

Seems like a pretty unique name to come up twice in this industry related to HVAC franchises. Especially since he "retired" to Florida last I heard.

I couldn't find anything in the company profile about Lon but Rebecca Cassel is the Senior V.P. of franchise operations.

[Twoolman]

You can bet your last dollar this is the same Lon Cassell.
He was heavily involved with Service Experts as a buyout franchise.He then became involved with Airtime 500 which is a consulting firm to HVAC business owners. It is the same song and dance with all of these people. They try to tell you how you can get rich by flim flam of the customer instead of just doing quality work for a fair price. I worked for an SE company and then got stuck with an Airtime 500 company. The "One Hour" deal was being started when I left and the claim they told me was that we would be there within one hour of the scheduled show up time, not one hour from the time of the call for service. All of these outfits are a joke and an insult to the honest HVAC trade. Period!

[Twoolman]

berad, what year were you at Chief or are you still there?

[refrigeration mafia]

Yah, yah. Here's how it goes. YOU do all the work, the bank collects all the money you collect. You pay the bank for the right to be able to collect the money plus interest. The bank wins, you get screwed. Next.

[Special Ed]

Originally posted by Twoolman
You can bet your last dollar this is the same Lon Cassell.


You're right. I know for a fact it's the same Lon Cassell. His wife is also heavily involved.

[berad]

Originally posted by Twoolman
berad, what year were you at Chief or are you still there? 2002 to 2004. I quit and went to work for American Pride. I had turned in a tech for selling and using dope on company time. Since the tech I turned in was a favorite mindless lemming that sold whatever and siad whatever the gm wanted sold or siad, they quickly conducted a cover up and tried to make me the bad guy. They wanted me to stay, but is siad audios.

[refrigeration mafia]

Everyone knows that you're supposed to use dope on your own time, not company time.

[berad]

I could,ve cared less what he did at home, if the company I work for gets a blck eye, so does my resume. But I was the bad guy because I didn't set as many leads or sell as much crap. By the same token, this and most of the other guys couldn,t think about making a diagnosis without calling me or one of the other few that knew what they were doing. I couldn.t set leads, I was running everyone else's recalls. The gm often siad that you don't need technical skills, just communication abilities, what a pathetic joke. That same company just got sued for selling a guy a furnace based on a failed gas valve. When the new unit was fired, no ignition, no gas, the rgulator at the meter was bad. Old furnace was demolished in removal. Buddy of mine still stuck there told me all about it. Communicate your way out of that.

[Twoolman]

Berad, That sounds just like something that would happen there. A lot of shady dealings for sure. I knew Dave & Dennis were that way. Rick must be just as bad. I was with George Bauer right before the buyout. SE made everything sound like it would be so great with them. That was a joke! In 3 years they ran George's well respected business into the ground. They did this with inflated pricing, high pressure sales, and poor warranty policies. Anything to cheat the customer. When Bauer went down they merged with Chief. I am amazed they are still in business. I left in the fall of 1999. Had enough of the bull. I was install partner with DM who is out with a bad back. He is a top notch installer and taught me plenty. Was the person you turned in there in the late 90's? Did you ever hear about a tech named Kevin who caught Legionaires disease on the job and they would not cover it under workmans comp. That was bull too.

[Twoolman]

Yep I know what you mean. One install we had was like that. I will pull blower on hot days and wire up in basement to move air while we are working. Customer comes down and says "whats that?" I tell him it is his blower. He says that was what was supposed to be wrong with furnace and is why he bought a new one. Told him to call office. Boy they were pissed. Had a condenser changeout, only thing wrong with it was mouse fried on capacitor but they sell him new one. They had a lot of parts changer techs. If they ran out of parts to change then sell them a new furnace. Thats why I went to install only, no service. Did not want to be stuck with all the callbacks like you said. They would also put off calls till late in the day and the on call guy would get stuck and be out till midnight.

[berad]

Dave taught me installation, I was strictly service before working with him, he is amazing, I was sad when he went out with back trouble. As far as the rest, you are exactly right, but for some reason, they keep growing and growing. As far as parts changers go, most of them have gotten to lazy for that even. They just go straight for the kill.Steve M is still there and Dan F, they are the only two honest and skilled techs in the outfit.

[berad]

They had kept Kevin quiet. He showed up at Rick's 25th weding anniversery party and I met him and heard the tale. It was enough to pi$$ me off. I was already drunk on free beer, beligerent wasn't a big step.Kevin seemed like a good guy. Getting legionaires from a sandstone humidifier and the company won't pay to comp it. He nearly died and got a so sorry, and in other posts others have asked why as a trade we have and attitude problem? I spent a week hospitalized with suspected legionaires, mine was caught, I never got near as bad as Kevin, but it was not fun none the less.

[Edited by berad on 03-05-2005 at 10:40 PM]

[Twoolman]

Dave is a great guy both as an installer and a person. Still a good friend of mine even tho I don't get by to see him as much as I should. I know a Steve that took over service in Decatur about the time I left. Is that the Steve you speak of? Is RB still service Manager? I see his brother on here sometimes.

[Twoolman]

Yes Kevin is a good person too. Seemed to be a good tech but did not know for sure.

[berad]

That is the same Steve. Tell Dave M that Brad Stanton says hello next time you see him.

[berad]

Rick B is an entire thread to himself. He quit/was asked to leave. This was after I leaft. Basicly his wife gave him the boot, he spent his days on the clock stalking his wife and was told to step down. Nogle and Blcak hired him and fired him two weeks later, he went down to Florida. I hear rumors of the law looking for him for attempting to burn his old house with his wife and kids inside, this is rumor, but I know he was arrested for some reason and there is an order of protection against him on the circuti clerks website. He tried getting a job with me, ha ha ha. The man was unstable at best and a terrible liar.

[berad]

Twoolman, we need to go for a beer one of these days.

[Twoolman]

Well.....I quit drinking years ago. I now have my own HVAC company and own and operate a full board horse boarding stable. My time is slim. I would like to sit down and shoot the **** with you about that zoo. If I am working in Champaign or you are in Decatur one day we could go for lunch. I know a good home cooking place here with good eye candy that serves you. Used to like MaryBelles in Chambana.
Call anytime 428-4848. You may get my partner Eric. We pass the phone back and forth. He can give you my actual cell #. Dont want to post it on here.

[berad]

I don't drink often either, lunch sounds good.

[Twoolman]

cool...do you have a # to reach you in the day time. We are on line to do some new construction in the Mahomet area this spring.

[berad]

My email is berad@mchsi.com

I would rather not leave my cell phone number hanging out here for everyone to see.

[mikewiggins]

Originally posted by aircooled53

Originally posted by nehps
I just recieved a letter about a meeting for all us HVAC Contractors, and what we can do about Lowes, Home Depot,Walmart, and Bank of America. It says Bank America is in the hvac biz. Posssibly under the name One Hour Airconditioning and Heating, is this true? I just applied for a refi with them, I cant believe that a bank would get into the hvac biz, if so they must think theres alot of $$$$$$ to be made.

Bank Of America may have been the bank who loaned the money but there are regulations in the banking business to require them to follow guidelines state. I know that they buy out other banks savings and loans but never heard of hvac companys.

you better call me

[Nevada]

Originally posted by nehps
...Bank America is in the hvac biz...

That would be terrible... I could no longer say, "I've made a deal with the banks. I don't make loans and they don't fix air conditioners."