Thomas Smith, of Weston, Florida, is a successful business owner and entrepreneur. He is the President of All Year Cooling and Heating, a Coral Springs, Florida-based air conditioning firm that serves all of South Florida. The HVAC firm specializes in home air conditioning unit installation and repair. Thomas was born in Hollywood, Florida, and attended South Plantation High School in Plantation, Florida. Thomas Smith was a hardworking self-starter from a young age. He began selling cars at the age of nineteen and soon had his own lot. After that, Thomas successfully ran a business that bought and built houses. When he became the President of All Year Cooling and Heating, he returned to the industry where he grew up.

All Year Cooling and Heating has grown from a small start-up to a thriving and well-established enterprise thanks to Thomas Smith. The company has grown into one of the leading air conditioning companies in South Florida under his guidance. With its business offices in Coral Springs and its President in Weston, Florida, All Year Cooling and Heating is able to serve consumers from Vero Beach to Homestead. Thomas is an amazing leader who sets an example for others to follow. His commitment to providing exceptional customer service motivates his team to continuously produce high-quality work. Thomas makes himself available to his customers at all times of the day to ensure that they can rely on him.

Thomas Smith is a dedicated family man despite his hectic schedule as a business owner. He and his wife, Erin Smith, live in Weston, Florida, with their four children, where they are involved in a variety of community activities and charitable causes, including Project We Care, a family-based non-profit organization that provides food, clothing, home goods, and other necessities to veterans. Thomas enjoys participating in his children’s activities, such as lacrosse, soccer, gymnastics, or coding, and spending time with his family creating new memories.

What does your business specialize in and how long have you been operating?

Our air conditioning company specializes in the installation and repair of home air conditioning units. We’ve been operating for just under 50 years and have completed close to a quarter million AC installations. All Year Cooling and Heating serves all of South Florida—from St. Lucie County to Homestead and we are able to deliver same-day installations with the highest quality brands.

What motivated you to become an entrepreneur and successful business owner?

My dad is a businessman and has always had businesses, so I’ve been around it my whole life. I’ve always had the drive to provide for myself, but also help those in need, which is why I also help with my wife’s non-profit Project We Care.

What do you consider your greatest professional success?

Growing my business from just me with a few employees to now over 100 employees all across South Florida doing something I love everyday – cooling people off!

Where did you go to school? What brought you to Weston?

I grew up in Plantation, FL where I went to South Plantation High School. Now I live in Weston and reside with my wife, Erin and our four wonderful children. The offices for All Year Cooling and Heating are actually in Coral Springs, but my family and I have always liked being in Weston—we’re here to stay.

What are your hobbies?

I love spending time with my family, whether it’s attending one of their activities or creating new memories outside of the home. We love going to Florida beaches for family vacations, whether it’s a weekend trip or a week long getaway.

How does being an entrepreneur help you out personally– that is how does it play into your personal life? For example, do you have more free time during the day to spend on yourself rather than doing something that would benefit your company/employees?

Being an entrepreneur has allowed me to help others while still providing for myself and my own needs. I am truly blessed to be able to do what I love every day. With it being so busy, I do have some free time during the day for myself which I use to spend with my family or catching up on some recreation—playing soccer or tennis.

What advice would you give someone who’s currently in high school who wants to become an entrepreneur?

If you want to become an entrepreneur – do it! It’s a lot of work, but if you love what you do and enjoy your job everyday then it doesn’t feel like work. Be prepared to take on risks and challenges that may come your way. Make sure this is something that really drives you and excites you because without passion it can be difficult to move forward. Make sure to do your research and plan carefully. Enthusiasm and intensity are important but those alone cannot overcome the deficit of being unprepared. Lastly, I would say make sure to surround yourself with trustworthy people. Some people just say to surround yourself with smart people. You certainly want intelligent people on your team, but it is more important to make sure that those people can be trusted. It is difficult to put yourself out there and be vulnerable, but it will allow you to take your business to the next level.

What sets All Year Cooling and Heating apart from the competition?

All Year Cooling and Heating is a family-owned and operated company that prides itself on being reliable, honest and professional. We have a combined total of almost 50 years in the industry and over 100 employees across South Florida. We’re also 100% dedicated to making sure our customers are satisfied. We offer free quotes and make sure that we are available on our customers’ timeline. Living in Weston, Florida and having grown up in South Florida, I also personally understand the importance of having good and reliable air conditioning, so we make sure to provide same-day installation. Our people are trained in the installation and servicing of a wide range of brands, so we are able to give our customers lots of options.

What does the future hold for All Year Cooling and Heating? What can we expect from your company in the coming years?

In the next five years, you will see more growth from us and possibly a move to bigger and better offices. We want to continue offering competitive rates and repairs along with our same-day installation on all of our brands. We’re hoping to soon be able to contribute and support other local charities and organizations who are doing good work in the communities we serve. We really want to make a difference and give back because we get so much from our community every day.

What’s your favorite part about your job?

My favorite thing to do is interact with our customers. I’m definitely a people person, an extrovert by nature. I always make sure to take care of the business at hand, but in the process, I meet all kinds of interesting people and get to hear all sorts of great stories. I spend most of my day talking and working on projects with them and it’s always a pleasure. My second favorite thing is working alongside my team. I enjoy teaching people new things and also building the sense of camaraderie that comes from working alongside the boss, seeing him get his hands dirty.