The story of WK Mechanical began in 1945 when Mr. Whiteford and Mr. Keagy established Whiteford Keagy (WK), an appliance repair shop that also provided heating and air conditioning services in the Hudson Valley.
Meanwhile in Brooklyn, in 1976 Ron Conforti and his two partners established WARP – 10 (Worldwide Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Plumbing). The company began with 10 employees but grew over the years to a large Heating and Cooling Mechanical Company servicing the 5 boroughs of New York. In the early 1980s, the company changed their name to Conforti Mechanical as they began focusing on proving on heating and cooling services.
A Big Change
In 1990 the Conforti family moved from Brooklyn upstate to the Monroe area after Ron Conforti’s partners purchased his shares of Conforti Mechanical. A year later in 1991 Ron and Joanne Conforti purchased Whiteford Keagy from Mr. Whiteford and Mr. Keagy and began building what is known today as WK Mechanical.
The Early Years of WK Mechanical
In the early days of WK Mechanical, Joanne Conforti ran the office, while Ron Conforti performed HVAC services with the help of a few employees including Bud who helped with the heating and cooling repairs for residential and commercial customers, and John who continued to perform appliance repair and installation. Ron & Joanne’s son Steve Conforti worked with his father often through the years, spending days off, weekends, and school vacations learning about HVAC systems. When Steve graduated high school in 2000 he began working part-time for WK Mechanical in the HVAC side of the business. He continued his education at Orange County Community College getting a degree in engineering while devoting all his free time to working in the family business. In 2002, Steve became a full-time employee of WK Mechanical joining a team of about 8 full-time employees.
A Season of Growth
By 2007 WK Mechanical was well established in the Monroe area and the Conforti family was looking for ways to expand their reach so that they could offer their services to more of their neighbors. That year they began a season of growth when they purchased Dyne Air Sheet Metal, a successful sheet metal shop located in Middletown, NY which also did HVAC installations. By the end of 2007, WK Mechanical was gaining momentum with two locations, in Monroe and Middletown both providing installation services for heating and cooling systems, as well as providing repair and service of heating systems, cooling systems, and appliances throughout the Hudson Valley. 4 years later, they expanded once again when they purchased Sta-Cool mechanical which was a small successful HVAC service shop.
Do It The Right Way With WK
During this season of growth, WK Mechanical continued to expand their HVAC services. The Conforti family and WK Mechanical were looking to build a business that provided the kind of service that ensures the job gets done right. Do It The Right Way, With WK became something that was said often around the shop and it soon became the WK Mechanical tagline. In 2013 they made the decision to phase out the appliance repair division of the business so that they could focus solely on HVAC.
The Pursuit of Better Service Leads to Continued Growth
As a family-owned and operated business, the Conforti family looked to build a team at WK Mechanical who truly cares about the comfort of the families they serve. They wanted to build a team that was easy to talk to and knowledgeable so that no matter the issue, our customers could rely on a highly qualified technician to thoroughly analyze your issue and make sure any necessary repairs are made as quickly as possible. By 2018, WK Mechanical recognized the need for a larger facility so that they could have enough space for their employees and to store additional equipment. It was in 2018 that WK Mechanical began their expansion of the Middletown location to create an 8500 square foot facility. The renovations were complete by 2019 and later that year they sold the Monroe location and moved their entire operation in Middletown.
Today, WK Mechanical are the Hudson Valley Heating & Cooling Comfort Pros whose 23 full-time employees service 9 counties including Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, Rockland, Dutchess and Putnum. The Conforti family remains very much involved in the day-to-day business of the company and enjoys building relationships with WK’s customers. The comfort of our customers is our biggest priority. We don’t look for what is easiest or best for the company, instead, we look to each and every day, Do It The Right Way.
