When to Exit Your HVAC Business, Part 2
Schlosser & Associates Mechanical Contractors is an award-winning, Newark, Delaware-based, family company founded in 1954. Now in its second generation of family ownership and third generation of active participation, Schlosser is best known for providing heating, plumbing, and air conditioning solutions to commercial, industrial, and residential customers. Additional areas of expertise include Indoor Air Quality, oil/propane to gas heating conversions, sewer and water line installation/replacement, interior renovation and restoration, concrete work, painting, drywalling, tiling, hardscaping solutions, and much more.
Schlosser & Associates is a member of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce as well as being a business partner and advisory board member of the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District. In addition, the company supports a variety of community organizations and their events.
Company President Steve Dennis is extremely active in the Delaware Contractors Association, currently serving as Senior Vice President as well as being on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
Schlosser & Associates was recognized with a Family-Owned Business Legacy Award in 2019 from the Delaware Business Times and a Superstars in Business Award from the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce in 2022.
Founded by Paul Schlosser, Sr.
Founded as Schlosser Plumbing & Heating in 1954 by Paul Schlosser Sr. to meet the growing demand for quality, affordable plumbing and heating services in the greater Newark, Delaware area, the company subsequently added air conditioning services to its offerings. Paul Schlosser Jr. assumed management of the company in 1980. In 1998, the name was changed to Schlosser & Associates Mechanical Contractors to reflect the wide range of services offered to residential and commercial markets.
Steve Dennis and Vice President Garnet Schlosser Dennis are the current owners of Schlosser & Associates along with longtime Associate Darryl Remedio Sr. Schlosser currently has 48 Associates. Employees at Schlosser are known as Associates to reflect their standing as true colleagues and team members)
Garnet is the youngest daughter of founder Paul Schlosser Sr. and has been part of the business her entire life. During the early years, the business phone rang in both the shop office and the family’s kitchen. All of the siblings would answer the phone after hours and on weekends. Garnet has actually been taking calls for Schlosser for 50 years.
Garnet has a degree in mathematics from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and manages account payables for vendors and service providers while also spearheading Associate functions like retirement parties and the annual crab feast and Christmas party.
Steve Dennis has a degree in business management with concentrations in finance and economics from the University of North Carolina Charlotte. With the passing of Paul Jr. in 2013, Steve became Schlosser’s president. Three of Garnet and Steve’s children – Zach, operations manager; Chris, estimator, and Justin, estimator, are key parts of the company.
The company philosophy reads: The Schlosser Way / Customer First and Above & Beyond Programs.
Legacy Beliefs Live On
A statement by Henry Ford -- “It is not your employer who pays your salary. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays your salary.” -- was chosen as the cornerstone of “The Schlosser Way” foundational principles, which include treating clients as family, respecting their time and property, the importance of change and continuous improvement, doing things right the first time, always standing behind the work, and making things right if mistakes are made. These are legacy beliefs.
Schlosser develops, recognizes, and rewards exceptional people and teams who champion this philosophy. The company’s “Customer First” initiative, based on a football theme, involves Associates gaining (or losing) yardage based on multiple variables, including customer reviews, safety- and teamwork-related performance, and customer referrals. Its “Above & Beyond” program recognizes and rewards exemplary actions, an example being an Associate shoveling a customer’s driveway when a caregiver’s car was stuck in the snow.
Schlosser’s company handbook, which is distributed for Associates to review and sign, covers more than 40 topics under the general headings of Governing Principles of Employment, Operational Policies, Benefits, Leaves of Absence and General Standards of Conduct.