What began as burying oil tanks in Newport News is now a well-known Hayes business celebrating its 70th anniversary.
“It started with a fella named Jim Branch, a local man,” explained Steve Smith, P.E. Owners Steve and Karen Smith, with son and General Manager Evan Smith sat down to talk a bit about Peninsula Heating & Air.
“He had a Jeep with a backhoe on the back of it and he would bury oil tanks for Exxon,” Steve continued. Though the work kept him busy, Branch began getting into the installation of oil furnaces. “That’s when Peninsula Heating & Air kind of just took off, and it was, in its day, a very large organization.”
Central air conditioning in residential homes was beginning to take off as Branch began the transition from digging oil tanks. “As you can imagine, everybody wanted central AC in their homes … He was in the right business at the right time,” he said.
In the mid-to-late 1970s, Branch moved his business to Hayes, next to the Salvation Army offices. “He backe...