Clay’s Climate Control — that has been serving southern New Jersey since 2001 — was named the 2020 Residential Contractor of the Year by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA). This national award — which is given two only two contractors (one for residential, one for commercial) every year — is highly sought after by contractors throughout the country.
Prior to choosing the Contractor of the Year, a panel of ACCA Past Chairmen determines a group of finalists. This year’s judges were Tony Shaker of Enfinity Partners, Larry Taylor of Taylor Consulting, Greg Leisgang of JonLe Heating & Cooling, Richard Dean of Environmental Systems Associates, Inc., and Stan Johnson from Stan’s Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. Contractors who are considered for this award must meet the ACCA’s criteria, which includes:
- Delivering excellence
- Administering superior heating and air conditioning services
- Composing a team of credentialed and well-trained HVAC technicians
- Offering friendly, reliable and helpful customer services
- Making HVAC services easier for homeowners via a high-quality maintenance plan
- Being committed to making it easy for customers to do business via technology (IE online booking and a booking app)
Since its inception in 2001, Clay’s Climate Control has been going above and beyond for all of its customers. From the beginning, the owners of Clay’s Climate Control — Clay and Jen Pierce — set out to provide a professional, stress-free experience for HVAC repairs, maintenance or installation. In order to achieve this, their technicians are all NATE and EPA-certified, and they offer 24/7 emergency service, a maintenance plan to make services more affordable, a referral reward payback program and a mobile app that takes the stress out of HVAC services. Now, with the title of Contractor of the Year added to their repertoire, it is safe to say that all of their hard work has been recognized.
“We are so humbled and honored to receive this award,” said Jen Pierce, adding, “it‘s crazy to think that it was just me and Clay when we started our business 19 years ago. Although we started from scratch with not much business knowledge, the ACCA provided us with resources and tools that taught us the business side, ultimately helping us recognize our untapped potential. Plus, we knew we had a ton of technical knowledge that would enable us to turn our vision into a reality.”
Jen went on to explain this vision, which centered around providing the highest quality of work and changing people’s expectations about the home services industry. “Over the years, we have been fortunate enough to grow and be surrounded by co-workers who have the same vision. If it weren’t for them, we would not have the company we have today, and we thank them for being by our side and sharing this achievement with us.”
As a family-owned and operated company, Clay and Jen have also made it a priority to support their community, which is why they have been supporting the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association for years. In 2019 alone, Clay’s donated $10,000 to this organization. Additionally, Clay’s is also committed to making local high school students aware of all of the amazing opportunities that are available to them in the trades through a New Jersey Structured Learning Experience at Mainland High School.
In addition to supporting their community, Clay and Jen also recognize that they would not be where they are today without their amazing team. Not only has the Pierce family created a healthy and supportive work environment, but they have also pledged to create 50 new opportunities over the next five years — this pledge involves educating, training and reskilling American workers from high school age to near retirement.
Being able to add the Residential Contractor of the Year award to their portfolio is a dream come true for Clay’s Climate Control, and they look forward to delivering excellence and living up to this title for years to come.
