After a quarter century at the helm, the patriarch of Five Star Heating & Air Conditioning in Michigan Great Southwest is set to hand over to her son this fall.

Company founder Walter Wolshlager, who grew up and graduated from high school in Bridgman, will wrap up his storied career by the end of the year, passing the baton to his son Brian Wolshlager.

Five Star Heating and Air Conditioning was established by Walter Wolshlager in 1998 in St. Joseph, starting the business at 6107 Niles Avenue. He did this after working for two other local businesses for a dozen years, before deciding to start his own business. Thus, this year marks the 25th year of activity of Five Star.

Walter has run his business with a commitment to providing top notch customer service by getting every job done right. He has built a reputation in the area not only doing HVAC jobs with precision, but more importantly by being a friend first and doing things the right way.

Brian Wolshlager says of his father, “Walter was one of the HVAC guys in the area whose business was based on word of mouth, not marketing,” and adds, “He’s one of the first guys in the HVAC that brought Berrien County into the next generation.” Alongside Walter was his wife Diane Wolshlager who has run the company’s background for the past 25 years. Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Diane quickly realizes that she has had a huge influence on the company over these 25 years.

Five Star Heating & Air Conditioning started in 1998 with one truck and two employees. Fast forward twenty-five years to today and the company has grown to a fleet of 11 vehicles and a crew of 15. The company is now housed at 1744 Joni Lane in Stevensville and offers employees a comprehensive benefits package of health, retirement, vacation pay and vacation pay so they can continue to grow and still do things the right way. good way for team members and customers.

Now, after 25 years, Walt and Diane are hanging up and “going off into the sun” from vacation and enjoying retirement at the end of the year. The Five Star legacy will continue unabated through their son Brian who has been with the company for 19 of those years alongside his parents.

Brian tells me, “I’ve picked up where Walt and Diane will leave off, following their lead in always emphasizing top-notch customer service and doing business the right way.” Brian adds, “We will continue to make the company a fixture in the community through charitable donations and giveaways to the customers we serve. We would like to celebrate Walt and Diane for being the backbone of the company for so many years and we will celebrate them at a retirement party at the end of the year.

Five Star Heating and Air Conditioning is anchored by a strong team of individuals who don’t just walk in, get the HVAC equipment up and running, and on their way. On the contrary, they enjoy coming to work and working as a team to achieve team goals. Everyone on the team will tell you that it’s a place where everyone’s ideas matter. In fact, they pride themselves on the fact that it’s a place where customers are even given the technician’s personal phone number, with the promise that they’re just a phone call away to resolve any issues.

Five Star Heating and Air Conditioning is a Carrier dealer offering services from residential to light industrial customers. They install and maintain all equipment that heats or cools any space as well as water heaters and generators. Brian is proud to note, “We offer service contracts at the best price in the industry and also offer 24-hour service,” adding, “We are part of the Better Business Bureau, Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber, Harbor Country Chamber, a staple of the Berrien County Youth Fair and a big supporter of all school sports in Berrien County.

As Brian finished our recent conversation, he said, “Once again we would like to say thank you to Walt and Diane Wolshlager for all they have built and I am ready to work to keep this ethos and traditions alive. solid business.

You can reach Brian’s team at Five Star Heating & Air Conditioning by phone at (269) 428-0004 or you can simply stop by 1744 Joni Lane in Stevensville, across from the Lakeshore High School softball field. Here is also a direct link to their website:

https://fivestarheat.com/