ICS Heating & Air Conditioning

Written by Kathryn M. Van Druff

Relaxation, work, chores, playtime, entertaining—whatever you do at any given time goes so much better in a comfortable setting. When your heating and cooling systems at home and work operate as intended—running quietly and efficiently in the background—life moves rather smoothly. But in the moment your heater quits on the coldest day of the year, or when your air conditioning fails on a 90-degree day, the world just about stops. Thankfully, ICS Heating & Air Conditioning is standing by 24/7 to offer dependable and trusted service, keeping your climate comfortable all year long.

“We pride ourselves on good customer service, fair pricing, and reliable service,” says Joan Howard, one of the company’s three owners. “We don’t need to sell service contracts that lock customers into our company. Our customers stay with us for many years because we provide professional service and installations. We always tell our technicians to leave the area cleaner than when you arrived!”

ICS Heating & Air Conditioning celebrated 30 years in business just last year. The Allentown company began in 1988 under Tom Howard, John Heckenberger, and Joan Howard. The three owners worked together from humblest beginnings with just two used vans and a shed in the yard for storage. While the men went to work, Joan Howard did the billing at home while caring for two young children. Soon, the team added a garage, and in 1995, the company purchased a building and moved to its present location with an office and a large warehouse on Fairmont Street.

While Tom and John brought experience and knew the HVAC service side, the new territory was learning how to build and sustain a successful business. Now, 31 years after its inception, ICS has 14 employees and 10 service/installation vehicles. Many of the employees have 10 to 15 years’ tenure, and even the newest additions got started right out of school.

“We have a great crew here at ICS,” says Joan Howard, noting that employee turnover is very low. “The majority of our technicians have been with us a long time. I have to say every one of our technicians and office staff give 110% every day. We all have the same work ethic and work as a team.”

She adds that ICS is a Bryant Factory Authorized Dealer and the company’s service technicians are all NATE certified. Customers can schedule 24/7 emergency appointments to ensure constant, all-season comfort. Options in Energy Star^® equipment make it easier to live green and save some green. Moreover, the owners are very involved in every aspect of the business at ICS Heating & Air Conditioning always working to keep customers and employees happy.

“It’s not an 8 to 5 job for us,” Howard explains. “Each and every customer is important to us. We send out satisfaction surveys when installations are complete. The reviews are very positive. We post the reviews on the office wall so the employees can see what the customers are saying. It really gives them a morale boost!”

Giving back to the community is a huge part of who ICS employees are. Pitching into Habitat for Humanity projects continues to be an enjoyable experience for the ICS team members, who help by installing the heating systems for homes and renovations.

“Habitat for Humanity is a great community organization that has brought joy and comfort to many families in the area,” Joan Howard notes. “We are glad to be a part of that.”

ICS offers residential and commercial installation and servicing for gas boilers, gas furnaces, oil boilers, oil furnaces, heat pumps, central air conditioning systems, humidifiers, and water heaters. The company specializes in ductless heat pump systems and receives many inquiries about this versatile solution. Ductless heating and cooling systems work especially well in spaces like patios, extra rooms, and parts of the home that don’t get warm or cool enough.

No matter what the job entails, ICS takes great pride in delivering complete customer satisfaction in every heating and cooling project from start to finish. Countless customer satisfaction surveys and Angie’s List reviews hold ICS in high regard with very positive remarks on communication, cleanliness, quickness and efficiency, reliability, and above all, being happy and satisfied with the work ICS performed. These glowing reviews and word of mouth referrals serve beautifully in introducing ICS to even more customers as time goes on.

Howard and her co-owners attribute their success to the hard work of their conscientious employees and the fact that everyone on the team follows through to get the job done.

“We think of how the customers feel, whether it is 90 degrees or 5 degrees. We try our hardest to make everyone happy and comfortable,” she says.

“We were born and raised in the Lehigh Valley,” Howard adds. “It is a great community and we have met many people over the years and developed wonderful relationships with them.”