December Spotlight

Spotlight: Korrect Plumbing, Heating,& Air Conditioning, Inc.

Q: Korrect Plumbing, Heating, & Air Conditioning was founded in Dayton in 1950. When did you start serving the Troy community?

A: Believe it or not, Korrect has been working in Troy since I’ve been involved with the company – so for more than 20 years – primarily for commercial customers with multiple locations in the area like Speedway, and several restaurant chains. We also work with Troy Schools and Hobart. In 2022 we decided to be more intentional in getting the word out that we serve the communities north of Dayton – including Troy. We leased a small office space on Cherry St. that helps potential customers find us as a contractor in the Troy area. Troy continues to grow in both the residential and commercial markets and we believe it’s a great area for us to focus on.

Q: What was your mission at the start of your business? How does that compare to your mission now?

A: Our mission statement has changed and adapted over the last 75 years, but the basis of our mission hasn’t changed. Our focus is on making a positive impact on people. As a company built and run on Christian principals - we truly care and value our team and their families, our customers, our vendors, and the community. The golden rule found in Matthew 7:12 says “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you…”. We take that seriously and it’s the core philosophy of our company.

Q: How many employees does your business have?

A:We currently have 86 team members.

Q: Your team members have volunteered with many local businesses in the community. How did this get started, and can you tell me more about it?

A: Giving back to the community started as a priority for my grandfather - Ivan Patterson. He is one of the most generous people I’ve ever known. His personal priority became the priority for future generations, and for our company. Each year we look for opportunities for our team to use the talents and skills they have to help others. This year we worked with Habitat for Humanity in Dayton on a couple houses, and we sent 8 team members to Dawson Springs, KY through the Brethren Disaster Relief organization to work on 6 more houses. We are also volunteer labor and providing material for the Victory Project building that is being renovated. In addition to projects that we volunteer for, we financially support several other local non-profit and ministry organizations.

Q: What moments/things have been most rewarding to you in this business?

A: As a 3rd generation family member working at Korrect, it’s rewarding to continue a company legacy that was established by my grandparents and polished by my father and aunt during their careers. We work really hard to build a team of great people. I love being involved in helping people learn, grow, and become successful on our team. Our company is growing because we have people who work hard, and live out the mission and philosophy every day.

Q: What challenges have you had to face and overcome?

A: The recession in 2008 and 2009 was a challenging time for everyone. Our business revenue dropped about 30% compared to previous years. We pray every day but through that period of time, we prayed a lot! Our team buckled down and we cut expenses where we could while continuing to employ everyone. Another challenge came in 2011 when we acquired a small heating and air company. Merging people and company cultures together and building trust wasn’t an easy task. It took several years but it has turned out to be a great decision. And of course, COVID had its challenges. It was difficult to find the “new normal” and to work in the best way to make all of our customers feel safe.

Q: What elements of your business do you think makes you so unique and so vital to the Miami Valley small business community?

A. A couple things are differentiators for us:

1. The first is Longevity. In our industry it seems like companies come and go more often. Customers have a bad service experience, or a job isn’t complete in a timely manner or done properly and the contractor or company has disappeared. We’ve been serving the Miami Valley for almost 75 years, and we stand behind the work we do.

2. Secondly, training is another big one. We tend to hire team members that fit our culture and core values: Honesty, Hard Working, Committed and Desire to Make a positive impact. And then we train the skillset. All our plumbing technicians have completed a 3 ½ apprenticeship and take the local Journeyman Licensing test. Our HVAC team members are EPA Certified, work towards NATE certifications and complete continuing education classes each year.

3. The third is our vendor relationships. We partner with local suppliers and treat them like an extension of our business. We need each other to be successful and we value those relationships.

4. Lastly, we understand that this work we provide costs money, and we try to make sure that our work equals the value that you are spending for our services. We want to make sure that our customers get the best services possible and feel satisfied with the results.

Q: What is something new you would like to do with your business, or start to offer more?

A: One thing we really excel at is working in historic homes and buildings. I would love to be involved in more renovation projects where the skill and craftmanship of a technician can be truly appreciated. Working in historical homes/buildings requires different skillsets and materials; and we have skilled employees that have the experience in this field. We would like to utilize their unique skills to serve these historic places.

A: What is something about Korrect that you think people would be surprised to learn about?

A. We have never laid off a team member during a recession cycle or slow season. We recognize the people that work for us; they are the most important assets that we have, and without them, we couldn’t serve our customers in the best way possible.

To learn more about Korrect, go to their website, which is linked here: https://www.korrectplumbing.com/

Thank you to Korrect Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. for this interview!