Why I Bought: How Dave and Missie Carlile Leveled Up Their Business with Heating + Air Paramedics

The experienced entrepreneurs are taking advantage of a booming housing market and an explosive home services industry with the Threshold Brands-backed brand.

After 22 years of running their own heating and cooling company in the Indianapolis suburb of Trafalgar, Dave and Missie Carlile came to a crossroads in their small business. With the industry evolving and the world changing amidst the pandemic, they had a decision to make. Their choices?

Pivot, or quit.

“The struggle of trying to grow our company started to become too much for just the two of us to handle,” said Dave Carlile, who has spent 30 years in the HVAC industry. “So Missie suggested we look into a franchising opportunity.”

It was then that they discovered Heating + Air Paramedics, an emerging HVAC franchise that — along with its sister company, Plumbing Paramedics — joined multi-brand franchisor Threshold Brands in 2021 under its parent company Plumbing Heating Paramedics. Dave and Missie did their due diligence, researching the company’s ownership, pouring over customer reviews and exploring the resources provided to franchisees. 

“I’ll be honest, I was hesitant to do it,” said Dave. “I had been really standoff-ish about going the franchise route. Then Missie scheduled a Zoom meeting with the Plumbing Heating Paramedics team and said, ‘You have to be there.’”

During that meeting, the husband-and-wife team became enamored with the company — its core values, how it operates, what it expects from its franchisees and the resources it provides, with the support of Threshold Brands behind it, to position new owners to build a thriving business. They quickly found the franchise to be the solution to the scalability issue they faced in their small business, and much more.

“Small referral companies like us aren’t what they used to be,” said Dave. “Google is the new phone book, and if you’re not heavily present there, you’re going to struggle. With the guidance from Heating + Air Paramedics, we get the support, marketing tools and presence that most larger companies have.” 

That support is what will allow the Carliles to not only build and scale their new business, but to have a larger impact in their community than they had ever imagined. 

The timing is perfect as an influx of new residents retreating from large metropolitan areas make their way to Trafalgar. New housing subdivisions are sprouting up everywhere and with them comes an increased demand for home services.  

“The community is growing in such a rapid fashion,” said Dave. “We’re seeing that same boom in the towns around us, and we are looking forward to being able to meet the growing needs of our community as well as those within an hour radius. It’s a great time to be in business.”

The in-demand home services industry is expected to see 53% growth between 2020 and 2024, making it the perfect time for new owners like the Carliles to get in on the ground floor. Services from home maintenance and repair to cleaning services and pest control have proven to be steady investments, and the Carliles look forward to capitalizing on this momentum as they work to expand their business. 

“While businesses nationwide were forced to shutter as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of the brands under the Threshold umbrella were able to continue operations, and some even saw a spike in demand,” said R. Scott Sutton, chief growth officer at Threshold Brands. “Now, the demand for home services is continuing to grow in cities across the country, and we are thrilled to welcome new franchise owners like Missie and Dave to help meet the needs of their local community.” 

As the couple gains their footing with the business, they are looking to have an established base of 16-20 employees by the end of the year. From there, they hope to expand their services and their client base in order to become a business that can bring nearly 50 jobs to the Trafalgar community. 

The initial investment to open a Heating + Air Paramedics franchise ranges from $102,250 - $205,800 for new franchises (which includes a $40,000 franchise fee). For more information on franchising with Heating + Air Paramedics, visit https://www.heatingairparamedicsfranchise.com/.