Today we’d like to introduce you to Camie Beattie.
Camie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My husband, Brandon Beattie, the owner of Breezeway Air Duct Cleaning, has been doing air duct cleaning for the homeowners of Los Angeles for a very, very long time… He recruited me to come work with him many years ago – at the time I was the Vice President of Promotion & Marketing for Alpha Structural, Inc., the #1 hillside and foundation repair contractor in Southern California, which also just so happens to be my father’s company, Dave Tourje. Brandon and I have always had a very big passion for helping homeowners to better their lives by bettering their homes. There is something peaceful about knowing that your environment at home is being taken care of my high quality service providers, and just not having to worry about that as a homeowner. When my husband recruited me, I was nervous to step out into our own game, but we are both so very happy that we did. We have helped thousands upon thousands of Los Angeles homeowners with various dust-related problems, most of which stem from allergies/sensitivities to dust, starting fresh in a new home with a fresh and clean air duct system, we have helped expecting parents get the air systems cleaned for their soon-to-arrive babies, we have helped families clean their duct systems of the dust floating around the air in their rooms of their children, this list goes on… All told, Brandon and I will always love the services that our company offers, and you can just tell how happy our customers are when we see the online reviews. We use non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning agents to kill the germs within the duct systems of customers we are servicing, and we feel this really sets us apart from a lot of the other air duct cleaning company’s out there who use the industry standard sanitizers and deodorizers, which are essentially pure chemicals, and we just don’t feel good about putting that into our customer’s air systems to then breathe in. So our customers have been overjoyed with the products we use! Additionally, we truly know how valuable this service is, especially for those with children, as we ourselves have 3 young daughters and of course since we kind of know of a really great air duct cleaning company, we stay on top of our own home’s system maintenance, filter changes, etc. and it has been a very noticeable improvement for our kids. It feels good to really know first-hand that you offer a valuable service, then to deliver it, and then to see the improvement on the other side. It’s a very humbling feeling and we are just happy to be here and be of service.
Has it been a smooth road?
For the most part it has been a pretty smooth road. I would say one of the biggest struggles that we encounter as small business owners in the “air duct cleaning industry”, are the scammers. Scammers are a big deal in this industry… I cannot even begin to tell you how many homeowners we have personally helped to avoid getting scammed into replacing their entire air duct system due to being told by said scammer that their air duct system contains mold or asbestos, when you are not even legally able to tell someone that unless you carry an active mold testing/remediation certification or are a licensed asbestos abatement contractor. We also have encountered many “air duct cleaning company’s” who offer their services for pennies on the dollar, tricking the homeowner into thinking they are getting a much better deal, when in reality what the homeowner is usually left with (in these scenarios) is an incomplete cleaning project because their equipment does not reach the full length of each duct line; leaving the homeowner with a need to STILL have a thorough cleaning done. Sometimes we have even seen it where cleaning agents have been blown into existing dirty ducts, which absorbs into the dust and then sits there, creating a very awful musty smell and upsets the homeowners because – why? So, it can be tough sometimes running up against the low-ballers, but what we decide to focus on is really educating the homeowners about their central air system, the air ducts, the importance of ensuring that the equipment can reach the full length of each individual duct line, etc. so that the homeowner can really make an educated decision, rather than just jumping for the lowest price, which may very well leave them in a situation where they still need a full cleaning from one of the higher priced, high quality companies.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Breezeway Air Duct Cleaning story. Tell us more about the business.
Our business, Breezeway Air Duct Cleaning, specializes in the thorough cleaning, sanitizing and deodorizing of Los Angeles homeowner’s and commercial properties central air systems – meaning all of the air duct channels, the return or “intake” vents where the filters are located, thoroughly cleaning the HVAC units, heat pumps, condenser units, forced air units, etc. We also offer the following in addition to the central air systems: dryer duct cleaning, bathroom fan compartment cleaning. Personally, I am in charge of all of the businesses administrative and customer service functions. I am the one who usually answers the phones and goes over the whole cleaning process with our clients to make sure that they full understand the services we offer and how it all works, I am usually the one who handles the company emails, contracts, and the promotion and marketing for the business, My husband is the muscle… Brandon is the technical expert of our field and is the one who runs all of our jobs out in the field, meets almost every single customer in person, and oversees that all of our clients are receiving the quality they deserve. What we are most proud of as a company is that we are able to help so many people with our extensive and thorough yet non-toxic and biodegradable methods, and that even though it is not necessarily the cheapest service out there, so many people really recognize the importance of quality, and are subsequently very happy that they chose Breezeway Air Duct Cleaning, and then continue to call us a few years later when their next cleaning is recommended. It’s very humbling to have so many loyal, recurring customers. I would say that is what we are most proud of, that they come back. What sets us apart from most others that I am aware of, is our attention to detail, and care put into the job by our Technicians. We are very proud of the training that we offer to ensure that our Technicians are doing an exceptional job for our clients, and also what I mentioned on one of the earlier questions about the non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning methods that we use.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We currently have a 5, 10 and 20 year plan for our business, and our future most definitely holds a lot of expansion and growth, while most importantly maintaining our focus on technical precision and extensive care for quality.
Contact Info:
- Address: 438 S. Central Avenue
Glendale, CA. 91204 - Website: www.BreezewayAirDuctCleaning.com
- Phone: 626-399-9564
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @thehvacgirl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breezewayairductcleaning/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/breezeway-air-duct-cleaning-glendale-3
Image Credit:
Brandon Beattie, Owner/Operator. Evan Beattie, Production Manager. Franco Aguilar, Technician. The Beattie Family: Brandon, Camelia, Bristol, Rowyn & Levi.
