When the pandemic first hit, many businesses from all different industries were faced with the difficult decision to cease operations. The HVAC industry, however, was deemed essential. Now celebrating their 50th year in business, Hyde’s Air Conditioning stayed open in California’s Coachella Valley during the worst of the pandemic, but had to make some adjustments as they went along.
Hyde’s was started in 1972 as an appliance repair business by Brian Hyde, an engineer who was looking for a way to take care of his family when he was laid off work. His children — Barry, Michael, and Mark Hyde — had later gone to college to pursue other fields and were in and out of the business until the mid-1980s, when they joined permanently. Now, the family-owned company is three generations deep and has grown significantly.