George & Sons HVAC: Keeping Homes & Businesses Comfortable from Son to Son

Even as a little boy, George Romita loved tools. That love ran in the family.

Romita’s grandfather and father were carpenters in Italy. His grandfather’s dream was to move his family to the U.S. to make a better life for themselves.

Once they got to the U.S., Romita’s father, also named George, found work cutting suits for Hart Schaffner & Marx. But that job wasn’t quite the right fit, so he left to pursue a new line of work.

And his American dream took root.

He went to school to learn about heating and cooling systems, and began working for other companies. But he still wanted more.

In 1972, he opened his own business, working out of his home. He named the business ‘’, hoping his young son would eventually join him.

And he did.

When young George Romita was nine years old, he would accompany his father on service calls.

“I was always watching him,” Romita said. “I was always amazed at the way he could work with tools, and how he could build things out of metal.”

Romita found his calling early. He still remembers one particular day after soccer practice.

“My dad had to go put this furnace in," he said. "I went to the job with him, and I knew the next step. I was always getting the piece of metal ready for him, or getting the tool out for him. That’s when I knew this was for me. That was the turning point.”

By high school, Romita was working for his dad on weekends when he could, and during the summer and holidays.

“I was always intrigued by the mechanics of how things worked,” he said. “The biggest thing was when he’d be removing an old unit and putting in a new one – just how clean it looked! You know, you take a puzzle apart and put it together again, all nice and neat and clean, with new equipment.”

Romita studied at Lewis University and Benedictine University, earning a degree in business. He then began studying the trade, taking classes from various manufacturers and earning professional certifications.

Romita worked for his dad for 14 years. Four years ago, his dad was ready to retire, and Romita now owns the business. An ‘s’ has been added to the name of the business, making it George and Sons. Romita hopes that one day his sons will follow him into the business, just as he followed his dad.

George and Sons is still very much a family business. Romita’s sister, Margie, runs the office. “She’s my right hand,” he said. Other family members help out as well.

They have many established customers, mostly residential, but a number of commercial customers as well.

“We travel all over Chicagoland, and we’ve gone as far out as Michigan for a client," Romita said. "He’s a builder, and we’ve done a lot of work for him. He’s got a mansion out there, and he would not allow anyone else to work on that home.”

Customer service goes a long way in inspiring such customer loyalty — loyalty that also spans generations. “We have to be able to respond to the needs of our customers,” explained Romita. “My dad’s biggest thing was, if you’re there when the customer needs you, you’re golden. If you’re not, you’re worthless. And you’re not going to stay in business if you’re worthless.”

He continued, “We build relationships. We’re not just there to change out pieces of equipment. When our customers call, we know who they are.”

George and Sons employs about a dozen people. Within the first year of being employed, new technicians must be certified, and they maintain their skills with clinical hours. Romita said, “If we send people out who don’t know what they’re doing, we’re not going to have customers to service.”

Changes in the economy, environmental standards, and technology impact small businesses, including this one. Romita is willing to put in the effort to do it right.

“We’ve been here since the ‘70s, and we don’t plan on going anywhere,” he said.

Two desks-sit-side in Romita’s office – his and his father’s. He explained, “He still comes in from time to time, and sits down. We never take his desk out of here.”

George and Sons HVAC is located just north of I-55 at 8412 Wilmette Avenue. For more information, call (630)960-0308 or check out their website at www.georgeandsonshvac.com.