The Trusted HVAC Experts

Founded by Mike Dillett in 1996, Dillett Mechanical Services, Inc. exploded in its first decade. The HVAC company doubled in size in 2005 after adding a plumbing and sheet-metal department and then moving to its current location in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in 2006.

“My dad worked in this industry for other companies for 30 years,” says Tom, one of Mike’s children and a service manager for the company. “His huge client following, which grew from his reputation for superior service, helped jump-start the company when he went out on his own.”

Though Mike passed away in 2009, five of his 12 children, including Tom, still work for the business in various roles. For Tom, his role now is carrying forward the strong foundation established by his father. “Our long-term relationships with all our customers, big and small, are what set us apart,” Tom says. “We first work to gain their trust, and then we strive to keep it.”

Even in today’s economy, the company is still a multimillion-dollar business because of its traditional values and unwavering reputation. “From day one, our goal has been to provide honest, quality service at a fair price,” Tom says. “And because we provide project work and also are a service company, we’re lucky enough to have great customers that look to us in both areas.”

Currently, Dillett Mechanical offers a full-range of commercial and industrial services, repairing and designing heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, plumbing, and equipment-balancing systems, among others. The company also owns a 17,000-square-foot fabrication shop where it can source fittings and components for its repair work.

Its broad expertise and impressive facilities have helped the firm solve long-standing problems for clients such as the Wisconsin Center, an indoor arena located in Milwaukee. The center’s 20-year-old HVAC system suffered from poor ventilation and circulation due to poorly sealed and supported ducts. But, in early 2011 Dillett Mechanical took on the challenge, completely replacing the facility’s 6’ x 6’ ductwork and adding new gaskets, insulation, and air-volume controls. “The system had the capacity,” Tom says. “It just did not have the ability to circulate the air flow appropriately, but we were able to provide a permanent solution.”

Another of the company’s notable projects was the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center. By installing one larger air-handling unit and replacing all of the system controls and ductwork, Dillett Mechanical was able to help the facility achieve a milestone. “The clinic stands out for us because we worked in partnership with them to achieve joint commission status, making them the only clinic in the nation to hold that title,” Tom says.

One of the company’s newest focuses, according to Tom, is building a green-energy department. “Right now, we’re concentrating on hydronics,” he says, “and we’ve hired a sales person and mechanic with specialized skills for these systems so we can ensure our work is quoted and installed properly. We also are working on an energy-monitoring service so we can help clients find ways to use their equipment more efficiently.”

Dillett Mechanical’s forward-thinking initiatives also include ongoing classes for technicians on the latest products and procedures. “Minvalco [Inc.], who provides many replacement parts for our emergency service needs, has been especially relevant to our continued success via staff training,” Tom says. “They’ve also involved us in Honeywell’s Contractor PRO program, which provides additional free training and discounts on important items we use to service our customers.”

Even when developing and working toward these new goals, though, Dillett Mechanical still puts a premium on satisfying the people it serves. For example, not only does the company concern itself with better efficiency in-house; it also partners with clients to train their staffs in certain tasks to keep equipment-maintenance costs lower. “By putting our clients’ needs first,” Tom says, “we maintain a more personal ‘small-company’ feel that’s hard to find in this size [of a] business.” ABQ