The core values that William Lewis, owner of Southern Air Pros, learned during his time in the U.S. Navy — honor, courage and commitment — have stayed with him since his first deployment in the 1980s aboard the flagship USS La Salle (AGF-3) in the Middle East. In fact, the same values are the foundation of his heating and air conditioning company.

William, along with his wife, Zora, founded Southern Air Pros in 2014. Since that time, the business has grown at a steady pace by adding staff and vehicles, and increasing warehouse space multiple times. The company has achieved Elite Dealer status with its primary manufacturer, Day and Night, part of the Carrier Corp. family. Southern Air Pros also is a factory-authorized dealer for Lennox, Carrier, Amana and Rheem.

Current plans for Southern Air Pros are to add at least two more team members this year, upgrade the customer service and scheduling software, and look for a new office/warehouse space in Cherokee County to accommodate future growth.

Clean Air Matters

“What most people do not know is that your HVAC system does three things: it changes the temperature, yes, but also dehumidifies the air and, most importantly, filters or cleans it,” William said. “Therefore, the effects this one system has on the quality of air you breathe is far more important to someone’s health than most people realize.”

Improperly maintained equipment is more than just costly to operate; it can be dangerous, William said. He cites a memorable example of the effect poor air quality can have: Legionnaires’ disease.

This outbreak got its name when an HVAC system infected more than 200 people and killed 29 Legionnaires during the 1976 American Legion convention in Philadelphia, according to www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/history.html.

A scientist isolated the bacterium that caused this type of pneumonia, which was determined to have spread through the hotel’s air conditioning system.

Why Southern Air Pros?

The team and…