Fifty Years and Thousands of Satisfied Customers

     Vogt Heating and Cooling began providing service for Meadville area customers August 2, 2010, but the story of our company actually started over fifty years earlier. My father, Paul Vogt began his career with a company later to become Agway Energy Products in 1956. A couple of years later, Paul was asked to manage the service department for the company’s Meadville plant.

     In this new position, he began a very successful forty-year career selling, installing, and servicing home comfort systems. He retired in 2000 and left a respected heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) business with over twelve well-trained technicians, a full-time sales representative, and several thousand satisfied customers.

Designing and Installing Indoor Comfort Systems

     I began working for my father in 1988 as a service technician after starting my HVAC career seven years earlier. In 1998 I was promoted to Energy Equipment Sales Representative and began working with Dave Bach and Dave Miller in the installation department designing and installing indoor comfort systems.

We had over one hundred locations in four states

     In 2003, Agway Energy Product’s parent company declared bankruptcy resulting in the sale of our company to Suburban Propane. By then we had over one hundred locations in four states with HVAC departments.

     Suburban Propane began closing down many of these locations in 2005. In February of 2007, our Meadville location being one of only two remaining with fully operational HVAC departments, had this department reduced to providing service only. With my department and position eliminated, I found myself unemployed.

The Beginning of the Meadville Branch

     I was hired by Phil Deets of Deets Mechanical in Seneca, Pa. in April 2007 as General Manager of what would be his second location. I was charged with finding a suitable building, assembling a team, and beginning the Meadville branch’s business.     

     I was joined by two of the best people I have ever worked with the following month. Dave Miller was a lead installer and Bryan Brown was a service technician for Agway in Meadville.

     Both highly trained and experienced, Dave and Bryan were well qualified to fill the roles of department managers, and with me already selling systems, we began operations in late May. Dave Bach also joined the team leading installations at the Seneca location.

From Zero to Twelve in Thirty Six

     During that first year, we added an installation technician in June and a service technician in October. My wife Debbie began helping us in the office in August and became our full-time office manager in March of 2008. In April of 2008, Dave Bach joined us in Meadville and in August, Dave Miller took over the sales responsibilities.

     By October of 2008, we had a team of four full-time installation technicians, two full-time service technicians, an additional part-time technician and a part-time secretary. Twelve in all in only a year and a half!

Expanding With Long-Time Friend and Respected Competitor

     In September of 2009, I received a call from a long time friend and respected competitor Ken Reedy, owner of Reedy Plumbing and Heating in Albion, Pa. Ken began his business thirty years ago and was joined by his son Tom in 2002.

     Despite having a great reputation and thriving business, Ken was interested in joining our team. We purchased Ken’s business December 30, 2009, and gained two more excellent technicians and were able to expand to offer plumbing services to our customers.

Paul Vogt… In The Name of Service

     During the spring of 2010, a decision was reached to start a new company in the Meadville area. This new company, named after my father Paul Vogt, would be locally owned, employee-owned, and focused on providing even better service to our customers.

      After passing my 28th year in this business, I find myself blessed to not only be a member of the best team I have ever been part of but also to have the formed relationships with the best customers I could have hoped for.

      Our team is now and will remain the area’s leading provider of heating, air conditioning, ventilation, improved indoor air quality, and plumbing sales and service.

 Tim Vogt Sr