INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Smith Services, one of the county’s oldest and largest heating and air conditioning companies, has a unique approach to corporate charitable giving. The owners, who had sponsored local events and supported non-profits for years, thought it was important that they give back to the community, but the spirit of giving was just as essential for their company.
“We have been involved with charities for years and love supporting them, but it all came down to me, alone in an office, writing a check,” said Chip Woody, CEO.
“It just wasn’t enough. We wanted everyone in the company to know that their efforts each day made it possible to make a positive impact on the community,” Woody continued, “so we came up with the idea.”
That idea was “Tune Up for Charities.”
Under their program, when someone needs to tune up their air conditioning system in their home, Smith will perform a complete cleaning and rejuvenation of their heating and air system for $60 per system.
When it comes time to pay for that tune up, the client writes the check directly to the charitable cause of their choice. One-hundred percent of the $60 goes to that charity.
Smith Services, Inc. is a locally owned and operated company that began as Smith Heating & Air Conditioning in 1974. In 2003, original owner Richard Smith retired and Woody bought the company.
A few years later, Bob and Nanci Brown became co-owners. While seeking charities to support, the Browns and Woody came up with the “Tune Up for Charities” concept.
“This program enables us to contribute towards many more charities as well as provide a way for Smith Heating & Air, and its employees, to give back to our community,” said Nanci Brown, the company vice-president. “We are thrilled that more and more charities are participating and the program is growing.”
The company employs approximately 45 people and serves a five-county area. The Smith logo and mascot “Smitty” is how many people recognize the company.
“Everyone within the company feels like they are part of this program.” said Tim Durfee, service manager of the company. “The whole team is so happy to be participating.”
The charities eligible are on a list of 501(c)3’s provided by the company. The list and information about the program are on the Smith Services website at www.smith-hvac.com. Customers can choose any of these charities to be the recipient of their donation.
Currently, Smith has a diverse list of charities to choose from that includes the Salvation Army, Environmental Learning Center, The Sun Up Center, and The Learning Alliance. If a charity would like to be on the list, they simply have to register their agency to be included.
“We welcome as many charities to become part of this program as possible to enable our clients to choose their favorite,” said Woody.
“It helps the charity and it helps us. They put this on their websites and newsletters to get the word out about what Smith Heating and Air is doing for their charity.”
Charitable giving is important to any business. Generating awareness, building the brand and generating customer charitable giving or philanthropy has always been a very effective marketing tool.
“Yes, this is about building a successful business, but our primary motivation is to help other people,” said Woody. “We want to leave this world a better place.”
