THE GUY FAMILY: FOUR GENERATIONS IN THE DUBLIN COMMUNITY
With deep roots in local history, the Guy family is proud to be part of the Dublin community for nearly a century.
Greg Guy, a 1993 graduate of Dublin High School, has been at the helm of Air Force One since 2005, but his involvement in his family’s Dublin-based HVAC business goes back generations. You could say that it’s in his DNA.
One of the first things that Greg will tell you about himself is that he’s incredibly proud to be 4th generation in the HVAC field. His great grandfather, William C. Groeniger, a mechanical engineer, invented and patented the modern day toilet flushing mechanism that prevents cross contamination of clean water with waste water, commonly referred to as the “vacuum breaker”.
William’s business ventures proved fruitful and he accumulated a considerable amount of land along the river and up along Summit View Road, eventually gifting some of it to his children, where they would also raise their own families.
William’s son-in-law John Guy apprenticed under him in Mechanical Engineering, but upon William’s retirement, John decided to leave engineering and start his own business in Mechanical Contracting – JA Guy, Inc. – in Old Dublin in 1952.
JA Guy flourished under John’s leadership, eventually attracting John’s son Bill to the business while he simultaneously attended school at The Ohio State University. After graduation, Bill proudly served his country in the Army during Vietnam. Upon his honorable discharge, he went to work for JA Guy full time, eventually taking over as President.
However, Bill’s entrepreneurial drive was strong and in 1984 he left JA Guy, Inc to venture out on his own to start Air Force One, with just his personal savings and a 30’ trailer.
At the time, Bill’s son Greg was just 10 years old, but he remembers those early years well, as his young age didn’t keep him out of the business for long. Air Force One quickly became a family affair, with Bill’s wife Cheri helping with the accounting in the early years and Greg eventually entering into a work/study apprenticeship so that he could help out with the business while still in high school.
Even when Greg went away for college, he still insisted on coming home during the summer and working at Air Force One, and joined the company upon graduation. Greg has had a diverse career at AFO over the last 22 years, with experience ranging from installing and servicing mechanical systems, to sales and sales management, to starting new offices and new lines of business. With this dynamic experience in all facets of the business, Greg ultimately succeeded his Father, Bill Guy, as President in 2005, and became CEO in 2011.
Under Bill’s and Greg’s leadership, Air Force One has grown from one location with a handful of associates to approximately 240 associates across 6 locations throughout the state of Ohio.
However, the company remains headquartered in Dublin, committed to the community in which it has flourished for 35 years.
