A Tradition of Progress

Steve Baker Sr. and Jody Swaidner, owners of Poorman’s Heating & Air Conditioning since 1992, know that the secret to success in their business is adaptability. 

“Our business has changed more in the last 15 to 20 years than any other business out there,” says Baker. “In the beginning we just belched out fog and smog and didn’t care.” 

Advances in technology and government regulations have made heating and cooling equipment cleaner and more efficient and complex than ever, but Poorman’s has evolved right along with them.

When Max Poorman first opened the doors of his heating and cooling company in 1978, Baker and Swaidner followed him into the business. Short on everything but experience, Poorman’s started on a handshake in a tiny house at 1417 Martin Street. The company started with only five employees. A large part of its work was servicing old-fashioned boilers in churches, schools and commercial buildings.

It didn’t take long for Poorman’s to build a reputation for helping people in difficult situations. The Blizzard of 1978 hit within weeks of the company’s founding, and Poorman’s jumped in ready to help. 

Since then, Poorman, Baker and Swaidner have accumulated plenty of stories about emergency calls and dedicated service. When an apartment building found itself without heat several years ago, the Poorman’s team drove all night to Lancaster, Pa., to pick up the boiler they needed to make the repair. 

“Nobody else could get them a boiler any quicker,” says Poorman.

That kind of flexibility has become the cornerstone of the business. “We’ve taken care of a lot of emergencies,” says Swaidner.

The ability to adapt to any situation has bolstered Poorman’s success. Following steady growth through the 80s and into the 90s, Baker and Swaidner bought the business from Max Poorman in 1992. They chose to keep the Poorman’s name because of the reputation that stood behind it. They have continued to build on the adaptability and service that have made the company strong.

Besides the fact that each customer’s situation is unique, industry changes have necessitated flexibility, as well. Where burners and less-efficient boilers were common when the company started in 1978, they have been replaced by high efficiency units—and even those have changed. Government mandates have forced minimum efficiency ratings higher over the years; even now they are poised to move from 80 to 92 percent.

All this means new equipment and new methods of installing and servicing that equipment. Baker compares it to the evolution of automobiles: the new equipment features less mechanical and more electronic parts, often with multiple circuit boards. As a result, modern furnaces and air conditioners need drains, vents and other installation considerations that were once unnecessary.

Of course, knowing how to install those drains and vents lends itself to other services. Poorman’s has also built expertise in piping and plumbing, and the company’s staff includes a certified plumber. 

“We have a lot of good guys who do a lot of different things,” says Baker.

Others in the company recognize the value of what Baker and Swaidner have built. Baker’s son, Steve Baker Jr., and another salesperson have already begun talking to the partners about purchasing the business when the current owners are ready to slow down. Though that may not happen for several years, the team wants to be prepared so they can keep up the forward progress. Baker and Swaidner are supportive of the idea. 

“They have a lot of knowledge in the business,” says Baker. “They want to continue down the road we’ve been on.”

Clearly the partners have made the most of the flexibility and service that have defined Poorman’s over the years. Since buying the business from Poorman in 1992, Baker and Swaidner have doubled the company’s revenue and increased the size of its staff. As they look toward the future, they know they have to keep changing to keep growing.

“Things are going to change,” says Baker. “We have to embrace it to keep moving forward. 

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