Nobody Does Geothermal Like ClimateMaster

If you've been hearing more about geothermal heat pump systems, if contractors have been dropping by to ask about an advertisement they saw about geothermal installations or if your neighbors have stopped by to ask what you know about that 30 percent tax credit on geothermal systems, then you might want to thank ClimateMaster.

As the largest geothermal manufacturer in North America, ClimateMaster has been spreading the good news about geothermal systems to distributors, contractors and consumers. And ClimateMaster is doing it in different ways: National advertising to attract new customers, education and training for dealers and contractors and its successful lobbying that resulted in the 30 percent federal tax credits on the installation of geothermal systems are among some of the methods. Regardless of how it's done, this is one company that proudly puts its money where its mouth is.

ClimateMaster has been doing geothermal since the late 1950s, longer than anyone else in the industry, and the business has played a role in the evolution of the geothermal industry. Its roots go back to Florida, where it first hooked systems into shallow sand water wells along the beach to provide heating and cooling. The company later moved to New York after being purchased by Friedrich, a larger company, where it manufactured water loop heat pump systems. In 1985, the business was bought by LSB Industries, and it moved to its current home in Oklahoma City, where its focus remained on the water loop and commercial geothermal systems.

In the mid-1990s, ClimateMaster began to grow its residential geothermal systems business. In many respects, this wasn't necessarily a good economic climate for geothermal. Energy costs were low and electric utility companies, which once pushed geothermal through its demand-side programs, were dropping these programs as a new wave of deregulation swept the industry. Still, ClimateMaster brought in two executives with extensive experience in geothermal to help chart its growth in residential: Dan Ellis and John Bailey.

Today, Ellis is ClimateMaster's president and CEO, and Bailey is senior vice president of sales and marketing. They are more enthusiastic than ever about their company and the future of geothermal systems as an efficient, effective and popular choice for home-owners. ClimateMaster has played a role in shaping this bright future and bringing geothermal into the national consciousness.

Doing all of this has certainly built ClimateMaster's market share, but it's clear that the company continues to do this because it believes in the products and in geothermal. “We're committed to this industry,” Ellis says. “We've taken a long-term view and have a long-term game plan. We have a passion for this industry.”