And The Winner Is ...
The Plumbing & Mechanical/Wearguard "Re-do Your Crew" contest has a winner: Deiter Bros. Heating Cooling & Security of Bethlehem, Pa.
Company President James Deiter, in describing why he believed his company needed a makeover, said, "While I think our guys look good, I think it is time to get rid of the typical look and go with something a little more upbeat and progressive looking."
The company wins $2,000 worth of free uniforms; be sure to read our November issue to see the results.
It's All In The Family
Deiter Bros. has been a family business for three generations. Brothers Sam Deiter and Bill Deiter founded the company in 1929 delivering block ice to homes on the south side of Bethlehem, Pa. Herb Deiter joined the company later on, and is still a part of the firm today.During the 1930s the company transitioned into coal deliveries. In the late 1940s Deiter Bros. added fuel-oil delivery to its services.
The firm continued to grow through the 1980s as the third generation of Deiters entered the business. The company expanded with new divisions: Walters Oil and Deiter Brothers Commercial Fuels.
Deiter Bros. joined the national Pacific Pride network of 24-hour, automated fueling sites in the early 1990s, and the new century saw the company add security services to repertoire with 4 Seasons Security. Its Web site, www.dbrothers.com, further enhances the company's services as it allows customers to schedule service calls online (see "Radiant Marketing" in PM's 2000 Radiant Heat Report).
The company's heating and cooling services include radiant heat and snowmelt, central air conditioning, humidification, air purification and water treatment.
"Deiter Brothers has grown for many reasons, but a major one is that the Deiter family treats both employees and customers like one of its own," James Deiter says. "This sense of respect manifests itself in responsive service and a constant drive to improve our own high standards. 'Good enough' is never good enough for our customers. This value has distinguished Deiter Brothers for more than 73 years and continues to do so in the future."
A Blast From The Past
The firm has 60 employees and 50 service trucks covering a six-county area of eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. Deiter Bros. trucks are easily recognizable from the road with their colorful graphics that illustrate the range of services available -- heating, cooling, radiant heat, home security, etc."The largest tanker is a pictorial tribute to our Lehigh Valley, Pa., home and shows beautiful scenes of local covered bridges, gardens and architecture," Deiter notes.
Surviving evidence of the company's history was recently discovered at an old gas station: a vintage pickup truck used by the original Deiter Brothers. "The owner's card, signed by my father, was still in the glove compartment," Deiter says. He bought the vehicle and had it restored to serve as a visible memory of the company's beginnings.
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