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Cover Feature Story Steve Marino And Home-Tech

Home-Tech: Quality Service, Exceptional Care

By Lalaena Gonzalez-Figueroa

Photography by Giovanni Lunardi

They’re not a typical air conditioning repair outfit, and Home-Tech wouldn’t have it any other way. CEO and Chairman Steve Marino and his daughter Sonya Sawyer, the firm’s Chief Financial Officer, have established the company as a client-centric organization designed to make life a little cooler in southwest Florida.

“Home-Tech is a hybrid,” says Steve, who founded the company in 1981. Trained in air conditioning and appliance repair, he recognized the value in combining services into a central business model. His philosophy was simple: to offer residential consumers the convenience of comprehensive and reliable care for their major home appliances and air conditioning systems. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a keen sense of business, Steve grew the business rapidly, expanding from a startup launched in a spare bedroom, into two major sales locations serving Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties. As his clientele grew, he recognized the opportunity to meet their ongoing needs. Home-Tech sells only the finest major appliance and air conditioning systems, he says, and maintains “the largest service fleet in southwest Florida.”

In addition to sales and service calls, Home-Tech has created an innovative annual service agreement, which covers the cost of parts, labor and service calls for a/c units and 12 major appliances. “It’s incredibly convenient and affordable,” remarks Sonya, who adds that the program is unique from traditional extended warranties in that it is less restrictive and tailored to the needs of each home owners lifestyle. “We provide emergency services seven days a week, responding quickly and efficiently.”

Home-Tech’s showrooms are state-of-the art facilities that feature fully functional appliances, inviting prospective buyers to explore beyond their cosmetic allure. “It’s not common to be able to run a dishwasher before you buy it,” says Steve. “But our clients appreciate the opportunity to see how everything works, to hear them running and to make firsthand comparisons. This streamlines the decision-making process and ensures that there are no surprises once they get home.”

In 1996 Home-Tech became an employee-owned company, a model that has, says Sonya, contributed further to its success. “Because our employees are also our owners, they are personally invested in the longevity of the organization,” she explains. “Our clients love of our incredibly low turnover rates, as well. They can work with the same service technicians for a decade, and feel comfortable trusting the professionals they are allowing into their homes.” Their service is, by all accounts, exceptional. Home-Tech employees participate in comprehensive training programs that include technical elements as well as explicit guidelines on customer relations. “We establish expectations on presentation and appearance, effective communication skills, and how to treat homes and work spaces,” Sonya offers. “We respect the opportunity to service our customers in their homes, and want to ensure consistently positive experiences.”

Their efforts have paid off handsomely. Steve reports that Home-Tech has increased volume every year since 1981, reaching their first major milestone million dollar sales year in 1988 and tripling in size since they became employee owned. Since then the company has thrived, even during the grueling economic downturn that led to the demise of many of their industry counterparts. Through savvy business practice and creative advertising, Steve has ensured that Home-Tech has thrived against the odds. “We refocused our marketing as we identified the market shift,” he says. “Home-Tech invested in cause marketing, which allowed us maintain visibility while adhering to our philosophy of community involvement.”

Local charitable organizations were hit hard as sponsorship fell during the mid-2000s, and Steve and Sonya have been proud to extend financial assistance. “We employ over a hundred and thirty people who live in the communities we serve,” says Steve. “It made sense to step in and help when we had the resources to do so.” Their efforts have been lauded by many. In 2010 Steve and his Home-Tech employee owners were honored as Gulf Coast Magazine’s Philanthropist of the Year in Lee County. Sonya, a member of the executive board of the American Heart Association who also serves on the Corporate Executive Committee of the Children’s Museum of Naples, looks forward to leading as co-chair for the 2013 Heart Ball with her husband Brian.

Steve and Sonya remain dedicated to the growth and success of Home-Tech, but each finds balance outside of the business as well. Avid ballroom dancers, both love the elegance of the sport and have enjoyed dancing at local charity events and competitions. Sonya also revels in family time. Married to a detective with the Collier County Sheriff, she is also a mother to two young children. Steve is a licensed pilot who loves to fly with his copilot, his wife Tamara. “I enjoy my hobbies,” he says, “but my true passion is the business. Through Home-Tech I have seen my daughter launch a successful career, and I have had the privilege of working with an amazing group of partners, employees and customers.”

If they don’t fit the mold of a traditional a/c and appliance sales and service center, that’s fine by Steve, Sonya and the employees owners of Home-Tech. They’re redefining business the way they know it, raising the bar on quality service. “Other companies come and go,” observes Sonya. “We’ve created something that has stood the test of time, and we’re looking forward to ongoing success.”

Home-Tech
(800) 800.8356
www.home-tech.com