Well it all started for me in 1981 when I got let go from my job as a salesmen at a local concrete and building supplies company. There was a recession and I was expendable. Needing a job I went that fall to a monthly meeting of the Ashtabula County Builder’s Association to network with business people from the construction industry, many of who I knew.
One in attendance at that meeting was Brad Wight from Wight Supply, a wholesale distributor of heating and cooling products. In 1981 there was a big market for wood burning stoves and accessories, brought on by the second oil embargo in 1977. Brad had added distribution of wood stoves and related products to his traditional heating lines and also opened up a retail store to sell same. His wood stove store manager had quit and he offered me the job. That was in November of 1981.
Brad had a relationship with a good stove installer that Brad had worked with when they both were employed at MFG – Molded Fiber Glass in Ashtabula. That installer was Dave Pinelli, who is now my partner and half owner of Apple Heating & Cooling. The name of the store was The Alternative as Brad had a vision of a store that not only catered to the needs of the wood-burning public, but also a store that would sell and install alternative energy products like solar and wind powered systems.
After a couple of months it became apparent that my compensation – 100% commission – was not going to be enough to live on. I told Brad we needed a change so he offered to make me a 50% partner and keep the pay the same. I accepted.
In 1982 we moved the store to Bridge Street in Ashtabula Harbor. We sold a couple of solar systems and at Brad’s suggestion we bid and won work installing heating systems in new homes with a local builder. This led to installations of “conventional” heating and cooling systems including gas furnaces, boilers, duct systems and all the rest. We also did plumbing with Dave being our plumber. Dave became 1/3 owner in 1983 (lucky guy).
Despite growing the business to about $350,000 in annual sales with at times 5 employees, the business was not profitable. There were many reasons. In January of 1985 in a push to cut costs we moved the operation to 4807 Park Ave., where we rented the space from my father and aunt. Our main creditor was Wight Supply and by April of 1985, Brad was in a situation where he could no longer continue to support us financially. He closed the business and liquidated the assets.
Dave and I were sitting in an empty building with nothing but two chairs, the light bulbs and some toilet paper. With zero capital we decided to start a new company that would be a traditional heating and cooling contractor – HVAC as well as plumbing. We had one customer – Tim Wing Construction – and some bills to pay. Dave and I went to the local Arby’s for lunch and discussed what to name the company. We knew we wanted the name to start with A to get in the beginning of the listings in the yellow pages. We also wanted a name that could be the foundation for graphics for a logo to identify us. The name Apple came up and we thought well, people like apples. So Apple Heating it was. We paid a lawyer to draw up articles of incorporation and filed with the State of Ohio. We were off.