Hatchell & Associates: Building Solutions Since 1994
In 1994, Ernie Hatchell’s mentor, Pete Murphy, decided to slow down and step away from his company. That was all it took for Ernie to pursue the next step in his career as business owner.
For nearly three decades, Hatchell & Associates has delivered custom, effective solutions for their customers’ most challenging projects. Today, Ernie is still as active as ever in the daily operations of his company, which he runs with the help of his three sons: Mike Hatchell, sales manager; Jon Hatchell, operations manager; and Kevin Hatchell, sales engineer.
It is evident by their good-natured banter that the brothers get along well in their personal and professional lives.
“One of the perks of the job is getting to work and seeing your family members pretty much every day,” Kevin said. “What better thing to do than spend quality time with the people that matter the most?”
According to Mike, the family-run business also includes other extended family members in various roles, and even those who aren’t part of the family are treated as such.
“That’s the backbone of how my dad grew and formed the company, and that’s how it’s always going to be here,” Mike said. “Hatchell has always been relationship-driven, which is why we have so many tenured folks here and longstanding relationships in the community and with other industry partners.”
In the nearly 30 years since Hatchell was founded, the team has continued to grow alongside their trusted industry partners.
Today, the company offers 50+ lines to best serve the evolving needs of their commercial and light industrial customers; most recently adding hydronic products and semi-custom air handlers.
"’Building Solutions’ is what we do, so we’re continually exploring our options,” Kevin said.
“We also hang our hat on being as responsive as possible and not hiding from difficult situations,” Mike added. “It’s easy to pump your fist in the air during successes, but we pride ourselves on being there for our customers during their tough spots.”
During the height of the pandemic, most businesses and projects hit a universal rough patch as the world came to a screeching halt. One of Hatchell’s customers required an upgraded HVAC system during that time utilizing VFDs, but the resulting supply chain disruptions bumped the lead time to a staggering 40-48 weeks.
“No one jumped out of the way of the firing squad,” Mike said. “We went out and talked directly to the building owner to explain the situation, then we evaluated different sources in the VFD community and provided alternative drives that were available as soon as 12 weeks and met the requirements for that particular job. Our customer needed the project done, and we were willing to do whatever it took to facilitate that.”
“Hatchell has always been relationship-driven, which is why we have so many tenured folks here and longstanding relationships in the community and with other industry partners.” - Mike Hatchell | Sales Manager, Hatchell
With a largely remote workforce during COVID, Hatchell had to quickly pivot and adopt a new ERP system to better handle the demands of the changing landscape — both internally and on the jobsite. Their new cloud-based system gives the Hatchell team access from anywhere and represents “a better solution for future growth,” according to Jon.
Speaking of future growth, the brothers are excited for what the future holds for Hatchell & Associates.
“Dad has never handed anything out. We’ve had to work for it,” Kevin said. “But after working for another company and getting to travel the country and see how other rep offices do business, I have a lot of admiration for my dad’s work ethic and business acumen. We have big shoes to fill, but together my brothers and I can step in and fill those shoes.”
“There’s definitely a sense of pride in keeping this thing moving forward into the future,” Jon agreed.