If you’ve watched a Hallmark Christmas movie, even for a few minutes, you’re reminded of the season’s dramatic impact on lives. While TV presents fictional accounts, the real-life stories are more engaging, particularly when they affect you or someone you know. Here’s the story of Mechanical Extremes’ first Christmas.
On a fall day in 2010, it happened in a flash, almost on impulse. Harold Wilkes told his then-employer that he quit. His boss had given him an ultimatum to end side-hustles that brought in extra money for the family. Harold had dreamed about starting his own HVAC company, and his employer’s demand was the catalyst that caused it to happen at that moment.
Once home, he related the news to Stacey, his wife. She exclaimed, “you did what??” Daughter Haley was 10, and Hope, 5. The Wilkes’ had just built a house that wasn’t paid for, the country was in the midst of a deep recession, and Christmas was fast approaching. This was no picture-perfect landscape in which to start a new business.
“We kept it from the girls, but we suspected the road ahead could be bumpy,” says Stacey. Harold knew you should have enough cash to carry you through a year. He says “we had a third of that.”
Christmas’s true meaning communicates a deeply religious message. And here’s how Mechanical Extremes’ first Christmas connected with spirituality.
When you start a business, you go through the list of potential customers quickly—friends and family, then distant relatives and so on. Calls weren’t coming in, so Harold took on side jobs, like installing siding. Then came an opportunity for inside work. It was cold and blustery outside, and he was grateful when the pastor of his church asked him to paint her stairwell. Upon completion, something clicked…a change for the better. Work for Mechanical Extremes starting coming their way. Coincidence? Stacey says they had been praying along these lines “God provides. We give this over to You. You have brought us this far; we know You are walking beside us and guiding us. And we trust You to keep doing so.”
Moving forward, Stacey was confident. She recognized Harold was dedicated to his work and good at it.
Harold knew his role was to ensure the confidence of customers by showing them, in a step-by-step manner, how his repairs or installation of new equipment would improve their life.
Where did this take them?
By the end of the year, Harold and Stacey weren’t alone. They had hired three more to join Mechanical Extremes. Since then, the company has grown to 15 employees. Through the years, it has helped thousands of customers. Harold and Stacey feel their company is small enough to know these customers, but large enough to serve them. During this Christmas season, that’s something to be grateful for.
In the next episode of Extreme News, you’ll get an update on the new building.
