Introduction
You could say that James Lane’s first sale was the toughest deal he’d ever close.
After all, the customer was his wife, Elizabeth.
The year was 1957, and James was giving serious thought to leaving his employer and launching his own heating and air conditioning company. Elizabeth, whose primary job was caring for the couple’s three young children, all under the age of 7, was understandably skeptical.
“Oh! I had some questions for him,” laughed Elizabeth – who can laugh now. “But he had answers to all of my questions. He just seemed to know how everything was going to work out.”
James started small, working out of his shop at home and building a dedicated base of loyal customers. He worked long hours and hot days, sometimes even loading up the couple’s three children – Deloris, Leo and Louis – to go on sales and service calls. Soon, Elizabeth got involved with the business, helping with billing, payroll and other paperwork.
As the company grew, so did James’ involvement in the community. He was honored time and again for his civic and charitable achievements, in addition to the many accolades for his professional accomplishments.
James Lane passed away in January 2007. But his legacy lives on in the company that bears his name, a company that has been serving customers, solving problems – and answering questions! – for more than 50 years.
1927-1957. Growing Up. Working Hard
James Lane was born in Wichita Falls in 1927. He grew up in Sacred Heart Catholic Church and left high school early to join the United States Navy, where he received his first training in air conditioning repair and maintenance aboard ship. After completing his military service, he returned to Wichita Falls and worked for Paul Scheurer Engineering for more than a decade before starting his own company in 1957.
Like many other boys at the time, James grew up working alongside his father, contributing to the family wherever needed. His father had the Coca-Cola concession at area sporting events, including at the old Coyote Canyon football field. When James wasn’t peddling cold Cokes to thirsty football fans, he was riding along with his dad on his route deliveries, which took him all over Wichita Falls and into the surrounding communities. During the school year, his dad would rearrange his delivery route so that he could give rides to some of the kids who had long walks to school. Young James probably even rode past his future wife’s house in Windthorst at one point, although he wouldn’t have known it at the time.
He would have to wait until a post-World War II dance at the Wichita Falls Country Club in February 1947 to make the acquaintance of Elizabeth Frerich. They began dating and were married three years after that first dance, almost to the day, on Feb. 6, 1950.
Or, as James put it: during the air conditioning slow season.
By 1957, the two had become five, with the stair-step arrivals of their three children, Deloris, Louis and Leo. The family had outgrown a couple of homes already and was now settled in a modest rent house on the city’s East side on Stesco Street.
As it turns out, that modest house on Stesco had a garage that was ideal for a home-based air conditioning company.
1957 – 1970. Growing the Business. Building a Reputation.
James Lane was not one to ramble on, especially not when a few words could get the job done.
Asked by a reporter in 1985 to describe life in the early days of his company, James wasted none of the newspaper’s valuable ink.
There was just me and my wife and a pickup truck.
Simple enough. And it was a simple beginning, indeed. Which is not to say Lane had simple plans for the company.
Working out of the shop on Stesco Street, Lane started small, building relationships – and his reputation – one customer at a time. He realized early on that he was dealing with a new and complicated technology. Customers needed to be certain that they were getting what they needed – and only what they needed. Which is what helped shape the James Lane Company Mission Statement:
“Serving People With The Right Solutions.”
It wasn’t enough to simply get the contract and do some billable work; Lane wanted to provide the right solutions for people. Right solutions produce satisfied customers. And satisfied customers are customers for life.
Those customers for life came from all walks of life, with houses large and small, and old and new. As homeowners increasingly looked to add air conditioning to their homes – or include systems in their new home plans – the market for Lane’s services grew from one year to the next.
But that growth was accompanied by an increasing need to stay up-to-date with the rapidly-changing industry. James knew that keeping up with technology was the key to success, so he made it a priority to stay on top of the latest innovations and breakthroughs. Through his industry associations, such as the Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association, and his relationship with the Carrier Corporation, Lane ensured that neither he nor his company ever fell behind the times.
Lane was also the first contractor to equip his service fleet with two-way radios, an innovation that added efficiency and reduced costs, two concepts near and dear to any growing business!
By the end of the 1960’s, the company had outgrown the space on Stesco Street and the time had come to expand. The company built its current shop, located at 5024 Jacksboro Highway in 1970, and expanded it a few years later to its current 17,000 square feet.
1970-2007. Merging Family and Business. Leaving a Legacy
From the day he launched his company, James Lane always put the ‘family’ in ‘family-owned business.’ It started with his wife Elizabeth pitching in at the shop on Stesco Street and continues to this day, with all three children, and his grandson Clayton, all working full time for the company.
Deloris, who now serves as President of the company, was the first to commit herself – and her career – to the family business, coming on board in 1972. Louis was next, joining the company in 1977, with Leo following suit in 1979. Both men now serve as Vice Presidents. Leo and Louis both graduated Texas A&M with degrees in mechanical engineering, while Deloris graduated from MSU, majoring in psychology and sociology.
By 1988, the company had grown to 25 employees and a fleet of 18 vehicles, but both of those figures were soon to increase with the addition that year of a plumbing service line. The company was also at the forefront of the industry’s move to improve indoor air quality, in addition to heating and cooling.
For over 20 years now, James Lane has been offering customers its popular Energy Savings Agreement, which allows customers to receive two seasonal scheduled maintenance calls, priority response to service calls, and discounts on equipment and parts, all for a special low annual fee.
The company blossomed during this period, establishing itself as the industry leader in service, innovation and business ethics. In 1998, James Lane was honored by the Better Business Bureau with the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. In a newspaper interview at that time, James chalked up the company’s sterling public reputation to its high internal standards.
“It (the award) is not about us. It’s about our employees who do the work. And we have quality people who do quality work.”
Picking up from there, Louis added, “Our goal is to serve our customers well … to treat our customers right.”
And Leo brought the point home. “You have to have quality personnel to do a good job.”
One measure of the ‘quality personnel at the company is the lengthy roll call of staffers with more than 10 years with the company – including some with upwards of 30 years of tenure. The James Lane crew has, literally, hundreds of combined years of experience serving the people of North Texas. The Lane family members alone have over 100 combined years!
Knowing that his company – and its future – were in good hands, James was free to devote more time to the Wichita Falls community, becoming very active in business leadership, civic groups and, nearest to his heart, helping kids get a good start in life through his amazing commitment to the Boys and Girls Club of Wichita Falls.
James’ dedication to the Boys and Girls Club went well beyond his generous financial support; he took a keen interest in the organization’s day-to-day operations, as well as in the lives of the individual children participating in its programs. Spending time each week with these children, he was able to share with them the experiences that made him a man. In return, they shared with him the experience of just being a kid, something James perhaps didn’t have enough of in his own life.
James Lane died on January 23, 2007, leaving behind a family shaped in his image, a company at the peak of its success and a community indebted to his service.
2007 – Today. Leading the Way. Looking Ahead
Longtime James Lane customers probably can’t remember the last time they called the store and got a machine – or voicemail. Or got no answer at all.
That’s because it’s never happened.
From its very first day of operation, the phone at James Lane Heating and Air Conditioning has been answered by a real person, every hour of the day, every day of the year, for over 50 years.
After all, what’s the point of being the marketplace leader in technology, ethical practices and customer service if your customers can’t reach you when they need you?
The company now employs almost 70 people – the largest crew in its history. The company now offers a service line that includes:
- HVAC service, repair and maintenance
- Plumbing – Domestic Water and DWV Systems
- Pipe fitting
- Medical gas installation
- Mechanical engineering design
- Fire sprinkler system installation
- Custom sheet metal fabrication and installation.
Of course, the distinct yellow trucks and vans that make up the James Lane service fleet are as familiar to North Texans as Friday night football in the fall and pump jacks bobbing up and down in fields. But inside those familiar-looking vehicles, James Lane technicians will soon be equipped with state-of-the-art mobile customer service processing systems.
In fact, James Lane will be the first company in Wichita Falls to implement these mobile computer systems, which will allow technicians, while on site, to instantly access the history and specifications of a particular unit or piece of equipment, review any customer’s service history and even process credit card payments – all on the spot!
Another ‘modern’ advancement at the company is the arrival of a third generation of Lane family members, with grandson Clayton Lane joining the company in 2008 after a decade or so of summer employment there – and the completion of his undergraduate work at the University of North Texas. And his sister Taylor, who says she has worked ‘many a summer’ at the company, is currently attending MSU with plans to obtain a Master Plumber’s License.
Other plans are also in the works. In summer 2010, through a program administered by Oncor Electric Delivery, the company will begin installation of an array of almost 250 solar panels that is expected to produce all the electricity needed at the Jacksboro Highway facility. And, of course, the family and the company look forward each fall to the James Lane Memorial Dinner & Auction, benefitting the Boys and Girls Club.
And if you’re interested in signing up for an Energy Service Agreement, or getting a quote on a job, or, well, anything, just call us at 940.766.0244.
Someone will answer your call. That’s a promise.