Air Solutions owners Cliff and Carrie Tonne and their team of techs (in trucks) say they are blessed to work in an industry they love. Staff Photo
For Cliff and Carrie Tonne, founders, owners and operators of the newly opened Air Solutions Air Conditioning & Heating in Corpus Christi, starting this new venture has been a return to their roots. After 20 years in the heating and cooling industry, Cliff Tonne switched careers for a stint in electrical engineering. However, while the new job was fine, his former industry was pulling at him to return.
“I love helping people,” he explained. “For me, I get so much satisfaction from helping people or businesses resolve their heating and cooling issues. That was something that I did not get from the new career.”
After much consideration, the couple made the decision to start their own business. They opened Air Solutions last May and haven’t looked back.
“This was a huge leap of faith,” Carrie Tonne acknowledged. “But we have felt guided and blessed by the continual growth of our business since May.”
Initially, the business was comprised of a team of two: Cliff and Carrie. As the phone continued to ring and the workload expanded, it became evident there was more work than just the two of them could handle.
“My problem is that I just could not tell a customer ‘no’ when they called for help,” Cliff Tonne said. “So Carrie and I discussed it and decided it was time to hire technicians and purchase trucks.”
They now have a team of four technicians, who refer to themselves as Team Solutions.
“Our technicians are an amazing group of gentlemen,” Carrie Tonne said. “They all have many years of experience and are exceptionally skilled and dedicated to their craft.”
“We get so many compliments on the customer service of our techs,” Cliff Tonne added.
Air Solutions offers a full line of sales and services for heating and cooling for commercial and residential customers. This includes everything from large-scale jobs such as duct work or unit installation to regular maintenance programs.
“Our company’s growth is largely due to our commercial business,” Cliff Tonne said. “We would like to build our residential clientele.”
With the recent expansion, the Tonnes found they have outgrown their downtown office.
“We are now scouting out locations that will include a large shop as well as our offices,” Carrie Tonne said.
The couple sees the growth and future of their company tied to their fundamental business philosophy.
“We like to run a family-oriented business,” Cliff Tonne explained. “We feel like our staff are our family as well as our customers.”
Carrie Tonne agreed.
“Many of our customers have become good friends,” she said. “We feel truly blessed by the initial growth of our new business. We are grateful to be in the industry we love and running our business by our core principles. We appreciate the opportunity to serve our community. Our employees and our customers are not the means to an end or to a bottom line, they are family.”
