Johnson Controls and Gross Heating and Air Conditioning Rebuild Together
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Angela Adams Steve Graham
angela.s.adams@jci.com sgraham@godfrey.com
(414) 524-5210 (717) 393-3831
Johnson Controls and Gross Heating and Air Conditioning Rebuild Together
Companies co-sponsor house as part of Rebuilding Together® Greater Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wis. – (July 23, 2010) – One Milwaukee homeowner is living in a safer, more functional, updated home thanks to the combined efforts of Gross Heating and Air Conditioning, Brookfield, Wis., and Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls Building Efficiency business, the global leader in delivering products, services and solutions that increase energy efficiency in buildings. The two companies recently joined forces and co- sponsored the home preservation project as part of Rebuilding Together® Greater Milwaukee’s (RTGM) Spring Rebuilding Day 2010.
Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee is an affiliate of Rebuilding Together, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization that works to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize communities. Rebuilding Together has national affiliates comprised of volunteers and sponsors who help to provide free home rehabilitation for low-income elderly or disabled homeowners who are unable to repair or afford the work themselves.
This project was spearheaded by sales manager and RTGM veteran Greg Billmyer of Gross Heating and Air Conditioning. According to Billmyer, the homeowner, a 64-year-old woman coping with serious illness, was overwhelmed and overjoyed with the work that was done at her home. “And it’s no wonder,” said Billmyer. “At the end of the day when we were finished with our work, it was almost like giving her a new home.”
Gross Heating and Air Conditioning installed a York® Latitude™ 80 percent AFUE furnace donated by Johnson Controls, while donating all the ductwork and materials required for the installation. And that was just the beginning. More than a dozen other improvements were made to the home.
“Johnson Controls values and encourages the important contribution our employees make when we volunteer in the communities where we live and work,” said Tim Brusseau, territory manager for Johnson Controls. “Our focus on sustainability is at the heart of our work for our customers, throughout our workplace, and in communities across the world.”
According to York dealer Alan Ruesch, “We’ve been fortunate that our business has weathered the recession pretty well,” he explained. “So, this sponsorship represented a way for us to demonstrate our gratitude and at the same time, give back to our community.”
“As excited as the homeowner was about all the improvements to her home, I think those of us involved in making those improvements happen were just as excited,” said Karyn Rittenhouse, national service account team leader at Johnson Controls and veteran of Rebuilding Together. “It left all of us with a good feeling.”
Meanwhile, Katz-Petted and the RTGM organization are pleased and grateful for the work that Gross Heating and Air Conditioning and Johnson Controls were able to do. “The local economic condition has made a fairly large impact on funding, which affects our general capacity, and we are frequently forced to ‘triage’ the clients we are able to serve,” she said. “Johnson Controls and Gross Heating and Air Conditioning make a visible impact on the community where they operate. Their support will help us meet our goals and make a significant contribution to the most vulnerable demographic – the low-income and disabled homeowner – as well as make a difference in the neighborhoods where these homeowners live.”
Since 2000, RTGM has completed more than 400 projects in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, providing more than $6 million in free, professional-quality home repairs and serving more than 700 people. Rittenhouse, Brusseau, Billmyer and Ruesch are among the 6,234 volunteers who have invested 55,425 hours in the program.
York® products from Johnson Controls include energy-efficient, residential central air-conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces and accessories and innovative light-commercial, packaged heating and cooling systems marketed through a national distribution network and delivered to home- and building-owners through qualified York heating and cooling dealers. For more information about York, visit: www.york.com.
About Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and industrial leader serving customers in over 150 countries. Our 130,000 employees create quality products, services and solutions to optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles; and interior systems for automobiles. Our commitment to sustainability dates back to our roots in 1885, with the invention of the first electric room thermostat. Through our growth strategies and by increasing market share we are committed to delivering value to shareholders and making our customers successful. For more information about Johnson Controls, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com.
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Please Direct Reader Inquiries to:
Steve Hoffins
York Brand Manager
Johnson Controls – Unitary Products
507 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Group Photo.jpg -- Employees of Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls Building Efficiency and Gross Heating and Air Conditioning, Brookfield, Wis., recently joined forces as part of Rebuilding Together® Greater Milwaukee’s Spring Rebuilding Day 2010. Pictured (left-right) are Greg Billmyer (Gross), Rick Rittenhouse, Emily Breeden (JCI), Karyn Rittenhouse (JCI), Kelly Bremness (JCI), Jessica Baker, the homeowner, Alan Ruesch (Gross), Bill Fabinski (Gross), Jesse Moths (Gross), Juho Valta and Tim Brusseau (JCI).
