A family business has been in the planning for the Kennedys of Delhi for years.
In June 2022, Daniel Kennedy founded Kennedy Plumbing, Heating & Cooling with his son Ethan. Daniel’s wife Crystal runs the office at 73 Meredith St., Unit 1 in Delhi.
Although the family business is new, according to Crystal Kennedy, the Kennedys have decades of experience.
“Dan worked for a company for 30 years and always wanted to go out on his own,” she said. “He found out that the company he had worked for for 30 years was selling, and since things were changing anyway, he decided[to start his own]. He didn’t want to work for anyone else… and the place he was in was like family to him. Our son had actually said, “Hey Dad, would you consider that?” and that was a few years ago, before we even knew the company was going to make its changes, and Ethan said, “I think we might.” do well together.'”
“We always talked about it,” said Ethan Kennedy, 24. “I got hired for the same company he worked for after high school and we talked about how nice it would be if it was our own gig and we could do what we want, how we want. It was always a thought, but we never really pursued it until last year. My father and I have always worked very well together; We’re still father and son at the end of the day, but we can see each other as equals on the job site and work well together, so it’s been great.”
Services, Crystal and Ethan said, run the gamut.
“We are plumbing, heating and cooling,” she said. “You have your service work and we install or replace heating systems and right now mini-splits and heat pumps are the new things, all in line with New York State (tax incentives) and air conditioning – that’s my son’s side of things. He worked at a trading company in Tampa for a year to gain experience and came back in July to add that part to the business.”
“The new stuff we’re doing, not a lot of people are doing,” Ethan said. “Heat pumps and air conditioning – although a heat pump is an air conditioner – are now being pushed a lot by the government so it’s good that a local company is doing this and there aren’t many who offer the service.”
Industry gaps and market incentives, Crystal said, have kept the business booming.
“We came on board at the right time (because) a lot of our local plumbers and people who worked privately have retired and there just aren’t enough,” she said. “People tell me it’s harder to find a good plumber than a good doctor.
“Retail customers (customers) are our primary goal,” Crystal continued. “We’re usually within a 30 minute radius but we’ve done jobs in Delhi and big jobs in East Branch, Margaretville, Fleischmanns and Harpersfield so we do big jobs and a wide range. We deal with a lot of city dwellers and second home owners and they are definitely the ones doing all the new green energy updates.”
Customers, said the Kennedys, value such service and know-how.
“Oh my god, the response from the community has been overwhelmingly wonderful and very positive,” said Crystal. “My husband is known because he worked at the other company for 30 years, so when people found out it was him… our phones just went nuts. The community has really supported us wonderfully and luckily we have already expanded and added two to three employees (because) I couldn’t do the office by myself anymore.”
“I wanted to have a company that really cares about the customer,” Ethan said. “I want to make sure we have good service and I just wanted a company that really has the best interests (of the customer) at heart. Unfortunately, in this area – not really here, but in larger areas – it’s more of a seller (thing), so I value gaining the trust of customers and building long-term relationships rather than a quick sale, and it’s nice to do that to be able to offer such engagement to the community.”
Crystal said the family hopes to build on their momentum.
“We started in our living room in June; our mud room was for deliveries and receipts and the garage was for supplies and we rented a storage unit, but we outgrew that and moved into our first office in January,” she said. “We have signed a two-year lease and our goal is just to keep expanding. We would like a crew of 20 and have just received our third vehicle.”
For more information, visit Kennedy Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling LLC on Facebook or call 813-778-3352 or 607-746-2198.
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