Corey Hickmann founded Comfort Matters Heating and Cooling after seeing a need for a service company that “not only wows people, but blows their minds.” He and his wife, Amy Hickmann, opened the company in 2005.
“One of the first things I did was go to a local auto auction to find a truck,” Corey Hickmann says. “I purchased an old city truck that was yellow. People would say, ‘We see your trucks everywhere.’ But it was only me at that time. Since that day, the yellow has always stuck with us. I figured, as I add new trucks, keep it bold and people will notice. In 2016, we made the Inc. magazine 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies List. We have also been very proud to have earned more than 3,000 online reviews with an average rating of 4.9 stars.”
The Hickmanns are a part of Service Nation Alliance and Service Roundtable. Corey Hickmann is also past president and current board member of the Minnesota Heating and Cooling Association.
“Service Nation Alliance has allowed us to work with the best of the best in our industry,” Corey Hickmann says. “Working with other like-minded individuals is what has allowed our success. Industry events and training have been priceless.”
With 17 employees and 11 vehicles, the company covers the Twin Cities northwest metro area, staying within 15 miles of their office. The company performs 85% residential and 15% commercial work and provides repair services and retrofit installations.
The vehicles include a Ford 2016 250 Transit High Roof, a Ford 2016 250 Transit Mid Roof, a Ford 2017 250 Transit Mid Roof, two 2005 Chevy 3500 Cube Vans, a 2006 Chevy 2500 Express Van, a 2016 Chevy 2500 Silverado, and two recent purchases — a 2018 Ford Transit Connect XL and a 2018 Ford Transit 250 Mid Roof.
“Our favorite is the Transit 250 Mid Roof,” Corey Hickmann says. “We like the amount of space in the truck. Also it drives nice and is comfortable to get around. Being able to stand up in the back is great.”
Having gone through a few different wraps, he says his kids refer to the current wrap as the “emoji” wrap. The install was done by Transport Graphics out of Rogers, Minn.
“In 2017, we moved to a new location and decided to partner up with Dan [Antonelli] at Kickcharge [Washington, N.J.] to help us come up with a new brand look,” he says. “The color selection is great and the happy sun just makes you feel good when you see it. It has been great and our technicians are proud to be in it. It is so simple, clean and easy to remember. The emoji look definitely fits in the world we live in today.”
Active in direct mail, Hickmann also finds lots of success in local city parades where they give out “just good stuff — we only give out the highest-quality can koozies, bottle openers, pizza cutters, etc. The things that people will keep.”
To keep the growth momentum going, Corey Hickmann is in the process of adding a home awareness division to his business — one that allows people to be connected to their home with doorbell cameras, security systems, key code door locks, Z-Wave items, Alexa, smart thermostats and more.
“These systems make life easier and safer for the busy world we live in,” he says. “Our motto is ‘With you through the highs and lows.’ This is new this year and it just explains to our customers that we will always stand by their side.”
