The year 2017 was a busy one for Lakewood, Washington-based Pacific Heating & Cooling and its 60-year-old owner, Peter Hungate. Pacific marked a major milestone in December by moving to a new, larger location after outgrowing its previous facility built 12 years ago. The company was also chosen as The NEWS’ 2017 Best Contractor to Work For in the West region.
“I had mixed feelings [when I heard the news about winning], and I thought, ‘well, how did we do that?’” Hungate said. “I think it’s a testament to the group of people we have working here. We couldn’t have done it without them and their focus on taking care of our customers. It helps make this a great place to work. We operate this business like a family — it’s from the heart.”