In the Eye of the Storm: How ACCA Gold Member Airteam Heating and Cooling Supported Houston Through Hurricane Beryl
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On July 8, 2024, Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas, slamming the city of Houston with heavy rain, killing at least three people, and knocking out power to over two million families and businesses in the coastal area. The Category 1 cyclone moved northeastward through the rest of the continental United States in the coming days, eventually shrinking into a tropical storm.
Located in the heart of Houston, Airteam Heating and Cooling was there alongside residents of our nation’s fourth-largest city as they faced yet another natural disaster. “Our whole city, we had no power,” explained Dawn Curtis, Vice President of Airteam. “As a service company, we had to get our customers up and running and make sure they had cooling with their systems—it’s so hot here.”
That’s exactly what Airteam did. “We were going 24/7 trying to get our customers cooling,” Dawn said. This reliability from Airteam isn’t unprecedented; their website boasts emergency service available “24/7/365.” Airteam is there whenever their customers need them.
“We were feeling how our customers were feeling as we were working because we were without power for ten days,” Dawn continued about their commitment during Hurricane Beryl. “We were just working with fans and generators, hoping our computers would stay on.”
In Houston, where summers are unbearably hot and the humidity can feel like a blanket, Airteam Heating and Cooling stands out as a beacon of reliability and excellence. “It gets very hot here,” Dawn said. “The humidity is horrible. You walk outside and you feel like the air is being sucked out of your lungs, or your glasses fog up because it’s so bad.”
This family-owned and operated business has grown into a powerhouse in the HVACR industry, with over 60 full-time employees dedicated to keeping their community comfortable. With a reputation built on over 30 years of quality and reliability, Airteam proudly holds Gold Member status with the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) and has achieved Quality Assured (QA) accreditation.
Dawn Curtis didn’t hesitate to stress the importance of staying connected with ACCA. “It’s important to stay connected so we can all be united and help each other out the best we can,” she said. “There are a lot of forces that work against us, but if we’re united, hopefully we can tackle those things.”
Dawn mentioned that ACCA provided great advice on various issues Airteam faced. ACCA allows companies to connect with contractors across the nation, expanding that web of support. “It’s great learning from other competitors how they work,” Dawn explained. “We can realize we could do things better and easier and learn from each other, not compete with each other.”
Airteam understands that teams are stronger together; that’s why their company is a “family of families,” as Dawn put it. “We have employees here who have their children or nieces and nephews working with us,” she elaborated. “We’ve got some third generations working with us.”
Airteam has been in the home contracting business since 1989. Since then, Dawn said the contractors who originally installed the systems have gone back to maintain and replace the same systems.
For Dawn, it’s all about keeping it family-oriented. “Even employees that aren’t family, we treat everybody as family,” Dawn said. Airteam helps its employees in many ways, working with its bank to give financing classes to help their employees become financially successful or sitting down with employees to see what their goals are and how Airteam can help them achieve what they want in life.
Airteam has an open-door policy. “There’s no ‘you have to go to this supervisor before you can speak to someone else,’” Dawn explained. “If you want to speak to the owner or president of the company, come on back, talk to us. We’re here every day.”
Beyond putting family first, Airteam stands out from the competition because of its Quality Assured accreditation. “Working with home builders who want to be half Energy Star-rated at homes, we need that accreditation,” Dawn said. “It really sets us apart from other companies that don’t do such great installs.”
Airteam’s work is 80% new construction and 20% service and replacement. They pre-fabricate duct systems on-site at their facility and then send them out for installation. This includes allowing the system to cure for 24 hours so that the mastic is all sealed. When they do testing, they have minimal duct leakage. If there is leakage, they know who is responsible. With this system, Airteam can control quality much better. “It really shows we take it seriously,” Dawn said. “We want to do a great job.”
Airteam’s QA accreditation helps customers know they’re a reliable company. “Having that backing really validates us with our customers.”
The future of Airteam is in good hands. Dawn’s son has one more class at the University of Houston before he starts taking over at Airteam, where he has been working since he was 14 years old. “We’re really excited for him to take over,” Dawn shared.
Airteam Heating and Cooling is more than just a business; it’s a family dedicated to their community and their craft. As they look to the future, Airteam continues to set the standard for what a family-owned business can achieve in the HVACR industry.
Read this story and more in the September/October edition of ACCA Now Magazine online.
Posted In: ACCA Now
