Building a Legacy of Excellence in Montana’s Trades

After seven successful years in business, Right Now Plumbing and Heating has established itself as a trusted multi-generational family enterprise in the Missoula area. With owner Joe at the helm and his son Dillon working alongside him, this family business exemplifies the values of craftsmanship and dedication that define Montana’s trades industry.

A Team That Works as One

Right Now’s strength lies in its diverse 14-person team, including four certified HVAC technicians, four plumbers, two helpers, and three office staff members. At the heart of their technical expertise is Tony, a multi-talented plumber, electrician, and HVAC specialist who programs boilers, commissions thermostats and heat pumps, and troubleshoots complex issues. His commitment is evident, as he’s always the last one to leave the job site.

The company also actively mentors two apprentices through their apprenticeship program. “It’s challenging to find experienced staff. There’s high demand in our area but not enough people entering the trades,” explains Joe, touching on the nationwide shortage of skilled tradespeople.

Embracing Energy Efficiency

Right Now has enthusiastically embraced heat pump technology, with customers consistently expressing satisfaction with their installations. They actively promote heat pumps and available incentive programs and tax credits, with particular success in ductless heat pumps and mini-splits for room-by-room temperature control.

The company has begun building relationships with local utilities, participating in Missoula Electric Cooperative’s income-qualified program and finding the process smooth with good communication. “It’s all about the money for homeowners,” Joe notes. “When they see the savings available through utility programs, they jump on it.”

The team also strives to keep customers happy by showing them that maintenance is key to equipment longevity, emphasizing that if you don’t take care of your equipment, it won’t last. Simple steps like changing filters and vacuuming out cabinets can significantly extend system life.

What sets Right Now Plumbing and Heating apart is their family atmosphere. “We are a big family here, and our trades work hand in hand together to help each other out,” Joe explains. This combination of technical expertise, family values, and commitment to developing the next generation makes them a standout contractor in Montana’s competitive market.

Our Field Specialist Spotlight highlights the experiences and stories from Comfort Ready Home’s Field Specialists. Based across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, Wyoming and Nevada, the Field Specialists support utilities and contractors with program requirements, technical questions, utility incentive paperwork and more. With 90 years of combined experience, the Field Specialists are here to help you tackle projects of any size and build your customer base.

With the intent of making change happen at the ground level, Comfort Ready Home Field Specialist, Nick Phillips made the switch from urban planning to energy consulting. At the time, he didn’t realize he would quite literally be on the ground level evaluating crawlspaces, but after 15 years in the business, there’s no amount of dirt or cobwebs that can stop him from his mission to improve energy efficiency.

As a Residential Field Specialist serving Southwest Washington, Phillips helps regional contractors and utilities improve their weatherization, HVAC, and water heater offerings. Whether he’s providing program or technical assistance or connecting contractors with local utility incentive programs, Phillips is always on the lookout for ways to help installers and utilities bring the benefits of energy efficiency to their customers.

“Looking back on my first energy retrofit project, the look on the faces of the homeowners was so gratifying. My team and I were able to air seal and insulate their crawlspace and seal up the duct work that hadn’t reached their bedroom registers in over 20 years. Simply put, they were overjoyed,” said Phillips. “Not only can I help folks save money in this role, but I can help them improve their health with better indoor air quality.”

Outside of work, Phillips spends time on energy-efficiency projects around his home. Currently, he’s restoring his home’s street-facing windows and installing storm windows to cut down on air leakage and heat loss and preserve the home’s era of craftsmanship. Previously, he sealed and insulated his attic before adding new trusses and a metal roof for a solar system. By reducing his energy needs and adding solar he hasn’t paid for electricity in four years”

To speak with a Field Specialist in your area or to find out more about incentive programs, visit ComfortReadyHome.com/join.

In a new series spotlighting experiences and stories from Comfort Ready Home’s Field Specialists we are highlighting the work they do throughout the region to support utilities and contractors with program requirements, technical questions, utility incentive paperwork and much more. With 90 years of combined experience, Comfort Ready Home’s Field Specialists are here to help you tackle projects of any size and help build your customer base.

Comfort Ready Home Field Specialist Scott Mayfield got his start in energy efficiency when he was offered a position to help identify energy-efficient commercial lighting projects. When Scott’s efforts resulted in the successful retrofitting of 57 Value Village stores, Scott knew this was the line of work for him. This soon led to homebuilding and then to a position as an energy services administrator at Kootenai Electric in Idaho.

As a Residential Field Specialist at Comfort Ready Home serving contractors and utilities in Northeast Washington, Northern Idaho and Montana, Scott provides technical assistance on weatherization, HVAC and water heating technologies and connects contractors with local utility incentive programs to help homeowners offset costs.

“I love the collaboration of working together with contractors and utilities and supporting projects that are beneficial to homeowners,” said Scott. “It’s important that homeowners understand how their whole house works and how energy-efficient products can improve comfort — and contractors can play a big role in facilitating that understanding.”

And the buck doesn’t stop at work. After hours, Scott can be found restoring Airstream trailers or working on home improvement projects. Two recently completed projects include rejuvenation of this 1961 Airstream trailer and installation of over 1,000 square feet of tile in his shop/office remodel. “I’m not made for tile work,” he uttered after completing the tile project.

To speak with a Field Specialist in your area or to find out more about incentive programs, visit ComfortReadyHome.com/join.

Comfort Ready Home has launched a series of eight weatherization courses focused on insulation and air sealing. These courses will help you gain expertise in the latest installation best practices, specifications, and requirements. You will also hone your knowledge of customer benefits, utility programs, and field support resources. The courses include real-life video demonstrations while offering continuing education credits for AIA, BPI, and CCB.

Who should take these courses?

These courses are recommended for residential insulation, windows, HVAC or general contractors and their teams that are interested in servicing Single-family, low-rise multifamily and manufactured homes.

What will I gain?

You will walk away with helpful program and utility resources, key benefits for homeowner conversations, experience choosing correct tools and materials, and a deeper understanding of program specifications.

What do the courses cover?

• Air Sealing.
• Attic Insulation.
• Floor Insulation.
• Insulating Sloped Ceilings.
• Site Built Wall Insulation.
• Manufactured Home Roof/Ceiling Insulation.
• Manufactured Home Floor Insulation.

Ready to build your confidence and offer your customers cutting-edge energy-efficiency services?

Visit the course site here.

When Robert Hamerly started GreenSavers in 2008, he did so with the belief that residential contractors can serve customers better by offering energy-efficient and high-quality installation options. Since then, his company has been installing efficient HVAC systems, insulation and windows for homeowners in Portland and Bend, helping them save thousands on their energy bills.

 “Our mission is to help our customers improve their homes with energy-efficient upgrades,” said Hamerly. “By making these upgrades, our customers save energy and money on their utility bills, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

One of the ways GreenSavers helps customers save is through rebates and incentives, with their customers receiving more than $200,000 in cash incentives to date. Hamerly notes, “We are excited to use Comfort Ready Home to connect with local utilities that offer incentives so we can maximize savings for our customers.” He has found that incentives are a huge help when it comes to homeowners feeling comfortable with the higher price of some more energy-efficient systems.

 “We are also looking forward to accessing the Comfort Ready Home contractor marketing toolkit, which will help us promote our services to customers,” said Hamerly. The toolkit contains resources including a sales guide, a proposal template and energy-efficient product guides to share with customers.

 Hamerly has found that GreenSavers’ customers trust their commitment to energy efficiency, transparency and high standards of service. GreenSavers is the first home improvement performance contractor to become a certified B Corporation  and is a 5-time winner of the ENERGY STAR Contractor of the Year Award.