Business Spotlight: Nixa heating and cooling business focused on growth

Once Dan and Tammie Knight began talking about expanding their business, things just seemed to snowball. They quickly realized if they wanted to expand Knight Heating and Air Conditioning, they couldn't do it in a piecemeal fashion.

Last year, the Knights sunk more than $800,000 into the company they started in 1982. Much of this money was used to build their new 22,000-square-foot facility at 468 W. Tracker Road in Nixa, which the company moved into last December. Prior to the move, Knight Heating and Air Conditioning had been doing business in downtown Nixa.

"We were doing more work than our old facility could handle," Dan Knight said. "This location is better for us because it takes us out of Nixa's retail area and puts us closer to the city's industrial park. Our new building also has better truck access."

In addition to building a new facility, the Knight's also upgraded much of the company's equipment. Some of this equipment, such as the computerized plasma machine that is used to cut metal ductwork and to make decorative heating and air conditioning grates, is state of the art.

Building a new facility also has allowed Knight Heating and Air Conditioning to increase the range of products in its inventory. The company carries a full line of commercial and residential heating and cooling products, including gas furnaces, fan coils, central air conditioners, heat pumps, humidifiers, comfort ventilators, duel-fuel systems air cleaners, and thermostats.

Carrier manufactures many of these products. In fact, the company is the exclusive dealer for Carrier in Christian County, according to Dan Knight.

In addition to selling a full line of heating and air conditioning products, the company does a lot of installation and service work. Much of the commercial service work comes from banks located throughout southwest Missouri, such as Great Southern Bank, Peoples Bank, Empire Bank, and Firstar. The company also has done commercial installation and work for the Shell Knob Fire Station, K-Mart, Colonel Days, Springfield Aluminum, and many area churches.

Most of Knight Heating and Cooling's residential customers live in Springfield or Nixa, and the company has worked on more than 600 new homes in the Springfield area this year. However, the company does do residential installation and service work for customers located within a 120-mile radius of Springfield.

Dan Knight credits his wife Tammie, who serves as the company's bookkeeper, for helping the business stay on an even financial keel and for thinking of innovative ways to help fund the company's expansion. For example, Knight Heating and Air Conditioning occupies 6,500 square feet of space in the new building, while the remaining 15,500 square feet is divided into office space for five additional businesses, which provide the Knights with rental income.

Although Knight Heating and Air Conditioning experiences seasonal fluctuations in business, the company does employ 23 full-time workers year-round. The Knights believe providing steady, year-round employment has helped them attract and retain the best employees.

According to Dan Knight, keeping highly-skilled employees has become increasingly important during the past two years due to a tight labor market, and recently, the company added a retirement plan to help increase retention. These days, however, the Knights spend most of their time bidding on future jobs, and attracting new business is a top priority.

"Our focus right now is on growth," Dan Knight said. "We're operating at 60 percent of our building's capacity. We want to increase that, hire more people, and increase our market share."