Peter's Heating & Air Conditioning -  October 2007 Merchant of the Month

 by Carol Hibbard

 

The Hamilton Merchant's Association is proud to name Peters Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc as October's Merchant of the Month. Members of the association thought it was a great time to showcase Peters and all they have to offer the community as the cool days of fall are nearing and cold winter weather is rapidly approaching.

Peter's Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc first began in Hamilton with 3 employees and outgrew their 2nd Street location before moving to their present shop 5 years ago. Peters is currently located at 1975 Keokuk Street in Hamilton and can be reached by calling 217-847-2777. Their business hours are Monday through Friday from 7:00 am until 5:00 pm. Peters also offers 24 hour expert emergency service, 7 days a week on any make or model of heating, cooling and refrigeration system.

Peters Heating and Air Conditioning's founders, Ralph and Charlie Peters, stated the business in 1955 in Quincy, IL by doing mostly guttering work out of a modest tin shop. When business was slow, they took various jobs cleaning smoke pipes and furnaces. As the demand for this service increased, Ralph and Charlie changed their focus to meet the growing customer needs. Peters Heating and Air Conditioning is very proud of their honest business ethics and integrity and sees it as a cornerstone to a well established business and continuing success. A visit to their website, www.petersheatingandair.com, offers information about products and services provided, to both residential and commercial customers; their many locations serving a wide area throughout the tri-states from Columbia and Troy in Missouri to Burlington and Mt. Pleasant in Iowa, as well as the Quincy and Macomb areas in Illinois and all points in between. While there, you will also find safety tips and employment opportunities.

Peters is proud to be one of only 5% of all Carrier dealers who have earned the distinction of being Factory Authorized. Peters' expert service technicians are all certified through NATE, the North American Technician Excellence, Inc., which is the leading certification program for technicians in the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) industry. The team also receives continuing education to meet today's technologies and innovations.

At Peters' Hamilton location, you will find a full sheet metal shop where custom fabrication is available to suit anyone's needs. They specialize in designing installations for both residential and commercial new construction and confidently state, "No job is too big or too small!" Keeping 'green' in mind, they also major in geothermal systems. In addition, Peters has become a complete dealer of wood burning, gas and electric fireplaces.

Bob Musolino, who heads the Hamilton branch, has been with the company for over 39 years. Bob began his career in Quincy as a janitor and installer's helper and is a coppersmith by trade. He was with Peters for 29 years before joining the management team. He oversees operations and the management of 28 team members, including a full office staff headed up by Pam Young, who has been with Peters for 7 years; a team of service technicians, with 6-year veteran Ken Litchfield as service manager; and Tony Jobe, work coordinator, who schedules the work load and keeps it all running smoothly. Bob proudly says, "He has great employees and an excellent leadership team." He adds, "Getting the heating and air education is the first step for anyone wanting a career in the industry."

Bob feels he has been blessed with good customers and loves the Hamilton community. He is an active member of the Hamilton Merchant's Association and serves on the board of the Hancock County Bizlink Group. He's served 15 years on-call nights and weekends with the Tri-Township fire Protection District in Quincy. He's restored 2 antique fire trucks -- a '57 International Pumper and a '73 American LaFrance Pumper. He also enjoys fishing, recreational boating and spending time with his family.

Hamilton is lucky to have Peters as part of their community. Congratulations Peters Heating and Air Conditioning!