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Business heats up for Grogg’s

Photo by Jess Mancini From left, Justin Layfield and Tim Hanlon of Grogg’s Home Services, in front of furnace and air conditioning units. The company plans to open a retail store in June.

PARKERSBURG — Tim and Carma Hanlon bought Grogg’s Heating and Air Conditioning in 1996.

“We only had one employee,” Tim, vice president of the company, said.

That was then.

This is now.

About 60 people work for Grogg’s, which has expanded to other services besides heating and cooling and into the city of Clarksburg in 2005. The company added so many services and products – doors and windows, electrical service, insulation and siding, plumbing and chimney cleaning and repairs – the name was changed to Grogg’s Home Services.

Photo by Jess Mancini Grogg’s Home Services has 24-hour service available. Justin Layfield, operations director, stands by a service van.

“We do light remodeling, like a bathroom,” said Justin Layfield, director of operations for the company.

The bulk of the company’s business remains heating and air conditioning, he said.

“We do some light commercial work, but most, about 95 percent of our business is residential,” Hanlon said.

Hanlon has been affiliated with Grogg’s since 1994. The Hanlons bought the company from Leon Grogg, Carma’s father, who established Grogg’s Heating and Air Conditioning in 1970, mostly as a parttime business for him.

Currently, about 40 employees work out of Parkersburg and 20 from the Clarksburg office, which is managed by Grogg’s grandson, R. Keith Blair.

Photo by Jess Mancini A water boiler and distribution system for an in-floor radiant heat system sold and serviced by Grogg’s Home Services.

The company was operated out of the Hanlon’s home before opening in a facility on Harris Highway. That company was growing rapidly enough that the building was too small and Grogg’s in January 2017 moved to 5349 DuPont Road, the former Wolfe Camper Sales.

The new Route 50 bypass took much of the property, not leaving enough room to park campers. After an expansive remodel of the facilities, there is enough room for more employees and plenty of parking for Grogg’s service trucks and administrative offices, Hanlon said.

“We now have sufficient parking and room to grow as well,” he said.

“We have all the parking in the world now,” he said.

Grogg’s later this summer will embark on another expansion, a retail store at 1567 DuPont Road on West Virginia 95 across from Bickel Estates, Hanlon said.

The store will feature all the products supplied by Grogg’s, such as air conditioning and heating units, water heaters, doors and windows and generators, Layfield said. Customers can buy furnace filters, too, he said.

“All the things we do will be on display there,” Hanlon said.

Among the brands sold by Grogg’s are York, Ruud, Generac, Great Lakes Windows, Bradford, White and Rheem water heaters and Polaris doors.

After more than 20 years in the business, Hanlon said he is surprised that the HVAC business continues to grow. He thought there were would be a saturation point.

“But HVAC is still going like crazy,” Hanlon said.

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