HUNTINGTON -- With summer on the horizon, a new supplier for air conditioning equipment may help keep the Tri-State cool.
Ken Poston, who has spent over 20 years in the field of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, or HVAC, opened the doors of 2-J Supply on April 24. Located at 602 Jackson Avenue, 2-J Supply serves an estimated 250-300 federally certified HVAC contractors in the Huntington area.
"Not many people even think of their heating or air conditioning system until it fails, and they come home to a cold house," said Ken Poston. "When the system fails, a home owner calls a contractor. When they find out what part they need to fix it, they come to us."
2-J Supply is a dealer of Maytag, Westinghouse, Gibson, and Ducane HVAC supplies. In addition to carrying the products needed by HVAC contractors, J-2 also supports local contractors through 2-J University, a program of continuous education for HVAC professionals.
"We not only carry the materials they need, but also try to support local contractors with services, supplies, and support -- anything we can do to help them run a profitable business," said Larry Trimbach, the president of 2-J Supply. "We are in business for one reason, and that is to help our contractors. If they succeed, we succeed."
2-J Supply is a family run business currently operating under a second generation of owners. Started in 1962, the company has expanded from its base in Dayton, Ohio, to a range of distribution centers across West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky.
"My brother and I grew into the business even while we were going through school, we came into the business in 1984, I guess it was just in our blood," said Trimbach.
The spirit of a local owned business carried over into the new Huntington distribution center. Each of the employees is a local HVAC specialist. "Between all of us here we have over 60 years of experience in heating and air conditioning," said Poston.
The decision to move their distribution center to Huntington was not their first attempt to stake claim in the West Virginia HVAC market. The first center was opened in Winfield in 2002 as an attempt to attract business from both Huntington and Charleston markets.
"We decided that it was not such a good idea to straddle the two cities, and decided we needed to pick a town. When we looked at where our workers where coming from, and researched the market, Huntington was a perfect choice," said Trimbach.
"We really are proud of what we built in Huntington. It is an investment in the community and we hope to employ people from that market, and serve contractors in the local area."
J-2 Supply is located at 602 Jackson Avenue and is open 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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