Ideal Heating and Air Conditioning was founded in March of 2013. It was started out of a belief that I, Corwin Keller could offer more to the HVAC industry and its people by starting my own enterprise. Out of a love for serving people and the industry I was encouraged by two Christian men to pursue a dream bigger than myself than just working for someone else.

 

As a boy I was always tearing things apart to see how they worked. I just never had the training to put them back together. I went through a lot of toys. That turned into a love for working with my hands. As I took classes in high school I gravitated towards industrial science, woodworking and welding. All of them excited me and allowed me to have interest in coming to school. I love biology as well. Dissecting animals for extra credit gave me great joy as I worked with precision to expose all the systems of the animal’s body. That’s when I discovered I loved organization and creation as well.

 

My HVAC Career started for a large company where I was the office assistant. I really enjoyed learning the construction HAVC process but didn’t have the skills yet to succeed. I was moved around the company and sat in multiple seats which I excelled at and as I moved up, I found my passion again for working with my hands and my brains. HVAC had science, math and hands on requirements that I was longing for. After being in the field installing air conditioners and controls I applied for a manager’s position and got 1 of 3. From there I found a love for leadership and people development. My team was looked at as misfits. We were supposed to be the last or the worst of the 3 yet we excelled every to exceed profit expectations and typically by 50-60%. After putting many new systems in place to help my team thrive I started to battle to increase their wages for the performance they were doing and to my surprise got shot down by upper-level management. At that point I started to drift. I thought this couldn’t be the pinnacle of my career. That is when a former business partner suggested we start our own HVAC Company. So, 1 year later we did. We did everything wrong. No business plan, no money, and stolen customers we were doomed to fail. It was rough at first and then sales started coming in. In fact, sales got so good that we employed 52 people and had around 13 vans on the streets. Most of our revenue was new residential construction. During those times we did well on the top line, but we had no regard for the bottom line. We were losing money like crazy. We priced things to beat our competitors instead of pricing them to meet our expenses and make profit.  We decided to hire a business coach. I knew then how powerful coaches can be in my life. The business coach helped us get things back on track, but the stress of the overload and all of the issues we were having to go through because of the way we poorly managed the business inevitably broke the business apart. I took a buyout of $1 in 2012 and went to work for someone else. It didn’t take long before I realized I was a horrible employee so that’s when I started to write a business plan to go back out on my own which was encouraged by two Christian Businessmen Andy Schnatz and Bill Miller.

 

I stepped out and took a risk. I have always been blessed by the industry when starting in the office at my first position as a sales and field assistant, to moving into the field, and learning how to install, service and build relationships with the customers. It just seemed as if I was made for the industry. I have sought out to master every aspect of the residential and Light commercial HVAC industry. Along the way I have built up and taught many generations of people and gave them an opportunity to better their lives both financially and intellectually. My pursuit in business will always be to leave it better than I found it and to bring others along so they can learn, grow and benefit from the unlimited opportunities the HVAC industry must provide. God willing, we will be able to do this for generations to come. Here’s to enjoying the present while exceeding expectations to make the future better for everyone, one HVAC system and repair at a time.

Justin was raised in southeastern Pennsylvania and has spent much of his career working in the federal government with HUD, EDA, and NTIA. He recently joined the Omaha Land Bank as the Impact & Development Manager and earned his Nebraska real estate license, where he works with residential clients. He previously consulted with state broadband offices on implementing broadband infrastructure programs to ensure all households have reliable internet access.

 

His career has centered on the intersection of public policy, public administration, economic development, housing, and community development. Justin earned his Ph.D. in Public Policy from George Mason University, along with graduate training in finance and political science. Throughout his career, he has focused on helping communities understand economic change and position themselves for long-term growth.

 

Justin has worked with universities, state and local governments, and national consulting organizations on projects related to broadband expansion, housing policy, and regional economic development strategy. His work has included supporting federally funded infrastructure programs, advising communities on grant funding opportunities, and helping organizations translate complex economic data into practical local decisions.

 

After relocating to the Omaha area from Colorado, Justin became actively engaged in the region’s housing and development ecosystem. He assists families, property owners, and local organizations in navigating housing markets and planning for future investment, and is especially interested in how strong neighborhoods, small businesses, and infrastructure investments shape long-term community prosperity.

 

Outside of work, Justin enjoys golfing, playing guitar, and attending his kids’ soccer, basketball, and track events. He also enjoys attending local civic events and exploring the Omaha metro with his wife, Rebecca. Justin is excited to join Rotary to contribute to service projects and build meaningful connections dedicated to strengthening the local community.

 

 

 

Rotary District 5650 Rotarians—February is here, and Groundhog Day is tomorrow. If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, we will have six more weeks of winter; if not, spring comes early. I am hoping for an early spring so we can get outside and continue our Rotary projects in our communities!