Founder of Canella Heating and Air Conditioning says sustainable business model allows ‘better interaction with the community’

Craig Canella, founder and general manager of Canella Heating and Air Conditioning said the company’s business model focuses on maintenance, service, and replacement systems to allow better interaction with the community.

Founded in 1990, the company was acquired by Ace Hardware earlier this month.

“We were primarily a residential new construction contractor until 2006 and then changed our business model to maintenance, service, and replacement of existing residential HVAC systems,” Canella told Hickory Sun. “This was a more sustainable business model that also allowed better interaction with the community.”

Canella founded the business in 1990. His journey began with a career in commercial HVAC right after completing technical school. However, he decided to broaden his horizons by enrolling in electronics classes, eventually transitioning into the fast-paced world of the fiber optic industry. Armed with valuable experience in Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) from his time in the fiber optic sector, he ventured into the field of Energy Management. It was during this period that the company he worked for found itself in need of an NC HVAC license. Circumstances eventually led to the closure of that company, but, undeterred, Canella seized the opportunity and embarked on his own entrepreneurial journey by starting Canella Heating and Air Conditioning. The company has now been operational for 33 years.

Canella Heating and Air Conditioning is a residential only, maintenance, service, and add on or replacement HVAC business. Canella found it niche in the time when building science was incorporated into the HVAC industry.

Client feedback has been positive for the business. Canella noted that he has personally talked to customers to get their thoughts, and the majority of people only want Canella to not change its business model, which is to supply the best experience for the customer 100% of the time. 

In August of 2023, Canella Heating and Air Conditioning was acquired by Ace Hardware, according to the company’s website. They expressed their excitement for this partnership due to corresponding values and purpose.