Harker Heating & Cooling

Providing its customers with quality, knowledgeable service for 60 years.

Long before any green initiatives, solar power, or knowledge of geothermal programs, Harker Heating & Cooling of Madison, Wis., has been providing its customers with quality, knowledgeable service. Unlike many of their competitors in their region, this union contractor company has been a thriving business since 1949, and every employee belongs to the local Sheet Metal Workers’ Union.
“We experienced quite a few different owners until 1988,” said project manager Jason Phillips. “Tim Heiar became the owner in 1988, and now shares ownership with his son Luke Heiar, Oscar Wendt and Marcus Nelson.
With a total of 23 field employees, the company’s specialty is diversity.
“We’re 25 percent commercial, 25 percent residential, 25 percent service, and 25 percent residential new construction. Our specialty can be considered anything that falls under any of these categories,” Phillips said.
In the commercial component of Harker Heating and Cooling, the company’s role is as contractor for commercial HVAC installation and maintenance. The company’s expertise lies in roof top units, air handler units, boilers, VAV systems, air cooled chillers, central exhaust systems, cooling towers, geothermal systems, ductless split systems, energy recovery units, furnace split systems, radiant in-floor systems, temperature control systems and air balancing. As it pertains to residential services, Harker Heating and Cooling provides cooling, heating, air quality and geothermal products and ideas.
Like the diversity of its service menu, Harker Heating & Cooling boasts a full and varied range of completed jobs. These jobs include many buildings, with various sizes, applications, and budgets from apartments and condominiums, single family homes and even commercial buildings.
An area of Harker’s business that has increased greatly recently is residential new construction. The team at Harker has managed to make this area profitable by providing an efficient and uncomplicated way for builders to offer HVAC system upgrades to new home buyers. Those individuals have the opportunity to visit Harker’s well-equipped showroom, which is the area’s largest working showroom.
The showroom features an operational Carrier Infinity furnace and a Carrier 38TUA air conditioner that does indeed, heat and cool the building. The Carrier system has four zones and includes an air cleaner and humidifier.
As it appears, Harker Heating and Cooling has cornered the market on cooling, heating, air quality, and geothermal, and the company has started to dabble in the solar hot water market.
Solar water heating systems comprise several innovations and many mature renewable energy technologies which have been accepted in most countries for many years. Solar water heating has been widely used in Israel, Australia, Japan, Austria and China.
Like any tight knit family, Harker Heating and Cooling relies greatly on communication between owners, management and employees to run the company successfully. Over snacks and a cold beverage, the owners listen to the gripes and accolades of each employee, at least once a month. Tim Heiar believes greatly in the adage, “if you make your employees happy, they will make your customers happy.” To that end, the company sponsors holiday parties and regular bowling nights, as well as 100 percent paid tuition for work related courses. ELT

Photos courtesy of Harker Heating & Cooling