Leading the Coastal Heat Pumps family, from left: Ashley, Don and Joanne Gulevich and Lindsey Petz
SIDNEY – Work hard, play hard.
That’s what the team does at Coastal Heat Pumps and the result is continual, steady growth, and awards such as the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Customer Service Award, the Victoria Times-Colonist Readers’ Choice Award, and the Grant Thornton LLP Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards.
This locally owned and family operated company, is located at #3-2042 Mills Road West in Sidney. Coastal Heat Pumps, was started by Don and Joanne Gulevich in the Comox Valley in 2005, and moved to Sidney in 2012. Their daughters, Lindsey Petz and Ashley Gulevich are integral members of the leadership team, and have supported the company through complex change and rapid growth
Ashley Gulevich
Ashley, the Operations Manager, has been with Coastal Heat Pumps for four years, supporting team members and removing workflow obstacles.
“I look at current workflows for their effectiveness , and ability to support our growth,, I then look for tweaks within existing workflows or create brand new ones with a 10 year vision in mind. ,” she states. “My job is to stay curious, ask a lot of questions, and encourage the changes that allow growth.”
Lindsey, the Office Coordinator, jokes she started in the industry when she was 7, going on service calls with her Dad, holding flashlights, and eating customers’ snacks. She officially joined part-time in 2018 and full time in 2020.
“My position has evolved into a great mix of customer care, administrative support, team training and continuing to build and implement the structures that will help support our growth,” she notes. “My passion is implementing procedures to support the team so they know what to do, and where to look when they don’t know!”
Lindsey Petz
Lindsey shares that the company has grown steadily from the beginning, but has seen best-ever growth since the “Heat Dome of 2021”. She quotes Don, who says “People can handle being cold inside, they will put on a sweater – but they cannot handle being hot.”
Part of the growth has been fueled by Federal and Provincial Government rebate grants designed to reduce fossil fuel consumption and moving towards renewable energy sources for home heating.
“Heat pumps provide a clean energy heating source and can be used all year round in our climate on Vancouver Island,” Lindsey states. “They are energy efficient, quiet, and provide consistent temperature control of homes. We are professionals that specialize in heat pump installations.
“We take pride in the quality of work we do and the value we offer customers. Coastal Heat Pumps is trusted in the community, and certified both provincially and federally to offer top quality installations that align with available rebates. Our workmanship is guaranteed.”
Ashley points out that the company is built on positive relationships with customers, employees, suppliers and the community. And they have fun along the way.
“Our Dad has always said ‘you learn more about someone in an hour of play than a lifetime of work’, and our team loves to play and have fun,” she notes, adding they’ve done all types of team building activities over the years.
Lindsey adds: “We believe our ability to work together sets us apart from other companies and creates rock-star customer service.”
