New heating and AC business opens in Troy

John Harrison, a recent tranplant to Troy, has opened a new business doing heating and air conditioning work, as well as selling stoves and fireplaces. Harrison, although new to the area, is connected to Troy by family he didn’t know he had until recently.

Harrison’s sister, Rebecca Brumfield Vinion, was adopted in Iowa in her early childhood. Her adoptive parents changed her name and the family moved to Troy. When her adoptive mother passed away, she found the documents associated with her adoption and began the search for her family. The search resulted in her finding Harrison and her three sisters in October of last year.

Harrison, who was living and working in Las Vegas, Nev., at the time, was fighting medical issues and his physician advised him to seek a cooler climate. He decided the time was right to make the move this year, and came to Troy to be near his new-found sister.

“Having to quit my job and move here was a tough decision,” Harrison said. “But for my health and to be close to Becky, it was the right decision. The timing was right.”

Harrison moved to Troy and got a job, but then decided it was time to work for himself. Having worked in the heating and air conditioning industry for more than 20 years in Las Vegas, Harrison saw the opportunity to build his own successful business. For the past six months he has been building up his equipment and acquiring the necessary permits and licenses. He moved into a house next door to his sister’s place and is in the process of turning part of the house into a showroom in which he’ll feature stoves and fireplaces for sale.

He said he’s not limited to any specific brand of equipment, as many dealers are, but prefers to deal in Maytag furnaces and heaters because of the company’s track record for quality and affordability. He is also a dealer for Timber Wolf and Napoleon stoves and is working on distribution agreements with G.P.H. and Quadra-Fire to sell their products.

In addition to heating and air conditioning, Harrison also does minor plumbing and electrical repair work. He is hoping to have his master electrician and master plumber licenses through the state of Montana by early next year.