“How can I make your day better?” This is what you’ll hear when calling Regal Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning. That attitude towards its customers is just one reason the York-based contractor is now celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The company, which employs 36, provides full-service plumbing, heating and air conditioning services to residential and commercial clients in York, Lancaster, Gettysburg, Mechanicsburg and East Petersburg. “We continue to grow and expand,” said President Mike Lohss, Jr.
Learning the business
Lohss started his career early— joining his dad at the office on Saturdays at the young age of seven.
Lohss’ father purchased the business in 2001 and was partners with one of the original owners before he retired. In 10th grade, as Lohss mulled over his options in the career world, his dad asked him his thoughts about becoming an employee. That was 20 years ago and Lohss has been with the company ever since.
Lohss began by learning the business from the ground up, obtaining the necessary certifications at night school. “I started in the field doing nearly everything before transitioning to the office in 2011 where I worked as a service manager and continued to help grow the company before taking control in 2021,” he said.
Over the years, Lohss and his employees have seen things change, for the better.
“Customer communication has been the most dramatic change when it comes to how businesses like ours have evolved over the years. We don’t have to find pay phones anymore to communicate with the office; now we have cell phones and I-Pads. Invoices can be emailed, and we can text the customer and send a photo of the technician who will be arriving at their house. It’s all an easier way to streamline things to provide a higher level of service for our clients,” said Lohss.
Chris Staley, sales manager, also points out that technology has saved time. “We went from hand-written worksheets and work orders to entering the data on mobile devices so that the office sees everything immediately,” he said.
Another change, according to Lohss, is that the company was able to eventually invest in larger trucks to carry more inventory. More recently, the company was able to move from 711 McKenzie Street to a larger building at 149 S. Tremont Street in York. “We have more room to keep additional inventory in stock and organized and have parking for 80 now, whereas before we had only 12 spaces,” said Lohss.
Unlike many businesses, Regal thrived during the pandemic. “It was one of our best years since so many were working from home,” said Lohss.
Being Proactive
Lohss said that it’s important to be proactive when it comes to employee retention. “The trades are suffering, so we needed to come up with a plan to help our employees internally. To keep, maintain and grow our current staff, we developed new pay plans and now offer some of the best compensation around,” he said, adding that the company also contributes to their staff’s 401K and provides them with continuing education paid for by the company.
“We are trying to invest as much as possible in our employees because the happier they are, the longer they’ll stay,” Lohss said.
Staley, who has been with the company for 18 years, said that the family-like atmosphere and the ability to advance kept him from seeking employment elsewhere. “I started as HVAC service tech and worked my way up to writing estimates, then taking over the service department and sales department,” he said.
Another way Regal is attracting employees is by offering apprenticeships. “We offer them to students right out of high school and help them understand that the business is not only recession proof, but also that they won’t be saddled with debt. Regal now has four apprentices and is now partnering with the York Builders Association and the Workforce Now Foundation. “We also host construction career days and show students what it’s like to work with us by job shadowing,” said Lohss.
As for the future, Lohss is confident that the company will continue to grow. “The plan is to move into a few new territories and bring on additional team members so that we can continue serving more members of our community,” said Lohss, adding that he’s glad he made the decision so many years ago to join the company. “The skills that I learned early on have been invaluable,” he said.
