Local Business Profile: Guinn’s Heating and Cooling

A typical day for James Guinn starts at 7 a.m. in the morning. He wakes up, makes himself a bowl of oatmeal with a side of toast and a cup of milk. Nothing special, just something to put on his stomach so that he can lift a furnace into a customer’s basement or hoist an air conditioner up someone’s stairs.

It’s hard work, sometimes thankless, but someone has to do it.

And that’s where James Guinn, from Guinn’s Heating and Cooling, established in 1992, steps in.

Guinn sees two peak periods: during the summer when the temperature hits above 80 degrees Fahrenheit and during the winter when the temperature steadily stays below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, which is now. In the peak seasons, Guinn can start his day as early as 5 a.m. and end it around midnight. But it’s the worst during the winter when “no heat” calls plague his phone. Some people may be inclined to ignore a phone call from someone at 2 a.m. complaining about being cold. But not Guinn.

“I think about what I would do if I had kids in a cold house early in the morning, and that motivates me to go the extra mile.”

What makes Guinn different from some of his big name competitors is that he offers prices that are affordable to his patrons. Guinn’s prices can range between 20-40 percent cheaper than his major competitors, while still providing high quality work from a licensed technician.

Guinn also prides himself on giving back to his community by mentoring young people who also want to be in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning eld. Moreover, he provides cheaper prices for senior citizens who have a tight budget.

While Guinn may be far from retiring now, when he looks back at his legacy, he hopes that his customers re- member that “there was a company that truly cared about people.”