Feel a chill in the air? That means the season of high expectations is heating up. For high school seniors and their parents, November is about more than turkey, holiday shopping, and PSLs. It’s decision time. College application deadlines are coming fast. The next step in life is right around the corner. Where will you go? What will you study? Who will you be? The future is a gift waiting to be opened … and no one wants to come up empty.
Eight years ago, Preston Franklin, founder and owner of Preston’s Heating and Cooling, entered this season as a senior at Sycamore High School. He’d enjoyed his high school years, but he knew college wasn’t for him. So, Preston followed a path that fewer than 1% of all Americans are on. He became an active member of our nation’s military.
“I wasn’t really keen on going to school and being able to pay for it,” Preston explains. “But the National Guard pays for school.” And his path was clear.
Fittingly, the Sycamore Aviator signed up for the 123rd Air Control Squadron of the Ohio Air National Guard … and he actually stayed in district. The squadron’s base is practically across the street from Summit Park, which used to be the home of the Blue Ash Airport. If it weren’t for the fighter jet parked out front, the base could easily have been mistaken for another warehouse, or a light industrial business housed in the area.
Preston chose the Guard so he could learn HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), a trade he could use for life beyond the military. After graduating high school, he went to Texas for two months of basic training, followed by seven months of HVAC training.
“I chose HVAC with zero to little knowledge of what it was,” Preston explains. “But I got lucky … thankfully, I really, thoroughly enjoy it.”
Once his initial training was complete, Preston returned to work full-time at the Blue Ash base, which was right down the street from his family’s house. But he didn’t stay close to home for long. In late 2020, the 123rd deployed to the Middle East. There, in the middle of the desert, Preston managed the HVAC systems that would keep critical communication equipment cool and personnel tents comfortable.
“It was the start of my professional career in managing shops and shop flow,” Preston smiles, remembering his deployment.
Just three years out of high school, Preston was now ready for the next phase of his life. When he returned home in 2021, Preston accomplished his next critical mission: marrying his high school sweetheart, Elayna, which he did that September.
After his full-time contract with the Ohio Air National Guard ended, he decided to start his own HVAC company, while staying in the reserves. Being “over there” in the Mideast had given Preston the valuable skills and extra cash he needed to kickstart his HVAC business here in the States. In fact, he used his deployment money to buy a work van. At first, business grew by word of mouth. Among his first customers were fellow church members from All Church in Sharonville.
“Someone just said ‘I need HVAC.’ and I was like ‘Oh, I do HVAC,’” Preston recalls. “After that, the jobs just started coming in.”
Today, business has expanded well beyond the initial circle of friends and acquaintances, as customers quickly learned they could count on fast, reliable service, quality work, and transparent pricing from Preston’s Heating and Cooling.
“I wouldn’t do anything for my customers that I wouldn’t do at my own house,” says Preston.
This past July, that house gained a new member when Preston and Elayna welcomed the arrival of their first child, Forrest. In between running his business and the nonstop responsibilities of being a new parent, Preston still serves one weekend a month at the 123rd’s base, where he is now a Technical Sergeant and the NCOIC, or non-commissioned officer in charge. In addition, he goes to two weeks of training every summer. Next October, he’ll deploy to Tennessee for six weeks of upgrade training.
You could say Preston’s “flight path” from his days as a high school senior has taken him above and beyond. At 26, he’s already a husband, father, and business owner. Firmly grounded in faith, family, and service — to his country and his customers — Preston has cleared his future for takeoff. And that’s something he’s so grateful for.
PrestonsHVAC.com | 513.581.3667
Preston’s Tips for a Cozy Home
There’s nothing like a furnace going out to ruin the pumpkin spice candle vibe. To help keep your home comfy and your heating bill snug during the winter months, Preston suggests the following:
- Schedule a furnace tune-up.
During a tune-up, Preston’s technician will clean and check key components, lubricate moving parts, check air flow and the filter, run efficiency testing and calibrate your thermostat. A yearly tune-up ensures your furnace is running safely and efficiently, helping extend its operating life and reduce surprise breakdowns. - Cover your AC unit.
If your outdoor AC unit isn’t a heat pump, use a cover to protect it from the harsh winter elements. - Seal off drafts and maintain good insulation.
Seal drafty windows and doors. Ensure your insulation is sufficient, too. That way when Old Man Winter knocks, he can’t get in. - Don’t wait to check this off your list.
If you haven’t already, take steps now to get your heating system ready for winter. When the weather outside is frightful, a functional furnace is so delightful.
“I wouldn’t do anything for my customers that I wouldn’t do at my own house.”