When Bill Fleetwood, a millwright by trade, moved his family to Bloomingdale in 1976, he had no intention of leaving his career. But then times were tough and his home needed a new furnace, and he couldn’t find anyone to do the replacement for him in a cost-effective and timely manner.

The issues led him to buy a truckload of furnaces at an auction. He figured he could help friends and neighbors by selling them at a lower cost than others in the industry and giving them the ability to do the work on their own, just as he did. “Well, they sold faster than he thought they would,” said Nick Fleetwood, Bill’s grandson, “so, he went back and did it again, and realized he’d found a way to quit his day job and open up his own business.”

More than 45 years later, and through two generations of family ownership, Fleetwood’s Heating & Cooling showroom includes 8,000 square feet of space, which is more than five times as large as Fleetwood’s existing facility, giving customers the ability to see and select from a wider product range of full-service HVAC systems, parts, and more. The 12,000 square feet of warehouse space behind the open-to-the-public area means we have a deep inventory and quick response to customers’ needs.

Fleetwood’s is unique in the heating and cooling industry because it has held true to its tradition of being open to everyone, from do-it-yourselfers to professional crews, while also having a full team for expert service and installation of residential and commercial HVAC systems.

“From day one, the goal has always been to do things the right way to help the most people,” Nick said, noting through the years the company has been operated by his father, an uncle, and multiple other family members. “We take pride in taking care of the customers, being honest and doing the best thing for their situation, not what makes the most money for us. Because of this we have customers coming back to replace the 30-year-old furnace they purchased from my grandpa.”

Fleetwood said he learned those lessons from the start of his career  by sweeping the shop floor and sorting screws on weekends as a teenager. Once he officially joined the team, he helped give Fleetwood’s an online eBay presence that has them shipping materials throughout the U.S. “If you only need a part, we’ll tell you. If you want to do the work, we can be a resource, and if you want us to do the work, we’ll be there and make sure you get what you need,” he said.