Our Story: A Trusted HVAC Company Since 1986

The Beginning: A Leap of Faith in Jacksonville

In 1986, Tommy Humphrey and his wife, Martha, opened the doors to Down East Heating & Air Conditioning in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

They didn’t open in a shiny storefront or a purpose-built warehouse. They started in a vacant building that had once belonged to an oil company called Downy & Hurst. It wasn’t glamorous, but it had road frontage, room to grow, and, most importantly, an opportunity.

Jacksonville was (and still is) a military town. Life here moves in cycles of deployment and return. Families arrive, families leave, and stability can feel temporary. When Tommy and Martha started the company, their goal was to build something steady that would take care of people in a community where dependability matters.

Martha handled the books and office calls while Tommy took care of service and installations. With just four employees, they built the company one job and customer at a time.

A Son Learns the Trade

Only a few years into the business, their son Jason, who was just 16 at the time, began learning the trade by watching how his father served customers, navigated challenges, and approached his work with confidence and respect.

Then came 1990 and the Gulf War.

As military deployments increased, Jacksonville changed almost overnight. The town grew quieter and work slowed. For a young business that relied heavily on the local community, it was a difficult period. This is when Tommy began looking beyond Jacksonville.

He recognized the opportunity in Wilmington, a growing coastal market nearby. Expanding there would be a strategic response to shifting conditions that would provide long-term stability.

Steady Growth Along the Coast

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Down East gradually strengthened its presence in both areas. Growth came from repeat customers, referrals, and builders who appreciated consistent workmanship.

In August of 2007, more than twenty years after the company first opened, Down East officially established its Wilmington location. By then, the expansion was about serving the growing demand from coastal homeowners who needed reliable HVAC systems built to withstand salt air, humidity, and unpredictable weather.

That same year, the company was named Bryant Carolina’s Dealer of the Year. Over time, it would also become one of the Top 10 Bryant dealers in the Carolinas. Those recognitions reflected consistency. In coastal environments where HVAC systems endure more wear than inland equipment, expertise matters, and Down East had developed that through experience.

By 2021, another opportunity emerged in South Carolina. Through their longstanding relationship with Bryant, Down East learned of a dealership owner in Myrtle Beach who was preparing to retire. Rather than entering a new market blindly, this expansion felt like a natural extension of their expertise.

Family at the Core

Family involvement extended beyond just Tommy, Martha, and Jason. Tommy’s father and brothers contributed over the years, as well as Martha’s sister. Eventually, Jason’s own daughter would become involved with the business. Titles never mattered as much as shared responsibility, and employees have always been treated like family.

A Generational Transition

In 2024 and 2025, Tommy and Martha passed away. Their loss marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter. After nearly four decades of learning the business from the ground up, Jason became the owner.

The transition was the culmination of years of preparation. Jason grew up inside the company, first as a teenager riding along on service calls, then as a technician, and eventually as a leader assuming increasing responsibility. When ownership passed to him, the values did not change.

Integrity. Knowledge. Dedication. A family-first mindset. Teamwork.

These principles guided the business in 1986, and they continue to guide it today.

A Reputation Built on Consistency

In communities like Jacksonville, Wilmington, and Myrtle Beach, reputation travels quickly. For forty years, Down East has built its reputation the same way it built its business: through consistency.

Today, the company continues to serve coastal North Carolina and South Carolina with systems designed to handle salt, humidity, and storms. The technology has evolved, equipment is more efficient, and tools are more advanced, but the approach remains steady.