This year’s Dealer Hall of Fame recipients include the late John Hentkowski, Hentkowski Inc. Heating, Cooling, and Electrical, Wilmington, Del.; Tom Kime, Standard Heating & Air Conditioning Co., Birmingham, Ala.; and Robert “Bo” Maddux, P&M Air Conditioning and Heating Co., Houston.
In 1968, Hentkowski was working at a small heating company in addition to working at Sears. A friend offered him the opportunity to start his own HVAC business and Hentkowski Inc. Heating, Cooling, and Electrical was born. The business grew quickly, and by 1978, Hentkowski moved his company into a larger building and expanded services to include HVAC installations for residential new construction and custom homes, as well as commercial buildings and complete building restorations. In 1986, Hentkowski Inc. Heating, Cooling, and Electrical became the first Carrier factory authorized dealer in Delaware, working closely with its distributor, Peirce-Phelps. It also became the second company in the nation to have all of its HVAC technicians North American Technician Excellence (NATE)-certified.