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SYCAMORE, IL—About 65 miles west of Chicago, past the western suburbs, and beyond the miles of farmland and corn field-speckled landscape, sits a town where a hard day’s work and an honest wage still means something. Family-owned Smith-Dahlquist, Inc. echoes these mantras, as the company stays true to its mission statement by seeking to “provide its customers with the best possible service, tailor made for each individual situation, achieving overall comfort, satisfaction and dependability.”
For Smith-Dahlquist, an equally important facet of doing good business is giving back to the local community. “We recognize the part our community plays in having a successful small business and we appreciate their loyalty and support and want to give back to those in need,” says Shelley Smith, president, Smith-Dahlquist, Inc.
Just in time for the holiday season—and normally every holiday season—Smith-Dahlquist seeks nominations to provide a free gas furnace—Trane or Ruud furnace systems—to a family in need that can’t otherwise afford the associated product and installation costs. Having done this annually for the past few years, it is just one example of “giving back” to the local community and the generous spirit exhibited by Smith-Dahlquist. The nominee receives the furnace, labor or re-hooking duct work services, thermostat, drain, chimney, wiring or sheet metal transitions. And, the old furnace is hauled away.
But Smith-Dahlquist’s charitable work doesn’t stop there, as the company looks to give back to the local DeKalb County residents. For example, the company is also heavily involved in supporting nearby Opportunity House, a not-for-profit organization that has helped individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities lead happy, healthy and productive lives. “We had a few employees who helped with the Opportunity House Special Olympics and we appreciate the involvement they have in our community with helping clients with special needs,” says Smith.
In addition, Smith-Dahlquist stays active in the community by donating to local charities like Boy Scouts, Kiwanis, American Cancer Society and many other local organizations and golf outings. “We also helped raised money for the Children’s Organ Transplant Organization (COTA) to help a young gentleman in DeKalb County receive a new heart and kidney transplant,” says Smith.
The History
Established in 1997, Dahlquist, Inc. was formed by Larry Dahlquist and his son, Thomas. At that time, Smith worked as the office manager and became a familiar face within the local community over the past 20 years, calling on customers each season to schedule work. With her operational knowledge of the business and her excellent customer service skills, Shelley, along with her husband Johnnie, purchased Dahlquist, Inc. in April of 2016 from Thomas Dahlquist when he decided to retire from the industry. They subsequently changed the name to Smith-Dahlquist, Inc.
Smith-Dahlquist, Inc. outgrew its former location, and the new location has more than doubled its office size, fabrication work area and warehouse—more than 7,500 sq. ft. of total space. It has the ability to stock close to $50K in service repair parts, and has a large inventory of new equipment. In 2012, the company expanded its facilities once more and added a gas fireplace showroom. The company continues to take great pride in educating its employees to further their knowledge in the HVAC industry. This is only fitting since having the experience and the know-how is a value to Smith-Dahlquist’s consumer, and the company feels that consumer education is the responsibility of every HVAC contractor.
As Smith-Dahlquist extends warm happy holiday greetings, the company holds true to its community values and understands the value of customer support by giving back to the local area, especially to those in a time of need.