CLEVELAND — When you’re lucky, your job doesn’t feel like work.

 

What You Need To Know

  • Smylie One Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing gave one local veteran a free furnace for the first time this past Christmas

  • The family business has been around since 1955

  • Air force veteran Charles Colletti was chosen by the city of Bedford Heights this year

  • Smylie One says the plan is to make this furnace giveaway an annual effort to support a local veteran​​

It helps when you really get to know your customers.

Steven Smylie and his business partner, Gary Rosen, checked in on Air Force Veteran Charles Colletti. The pair are in the kind of industry where house calls are part of the job: HVAC.

“Gary and I just wanted to come by and check and see how the new system is and make sure everything is going good," said Smylie.

 

“Oh, I appreciate that,” replied Colletti.

Smylie is the president of Smylie One Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing in Bedford Heights.

The Northeast Ohio family business has been around since 1955 and is always looking for ways to give back to the community.

For the first time this past Christmas, one local veteran was gifted a free furnace.

“It’s quiet. I don’t even know when it’s on compared to the old furnace,” said Colletti.

That veteran, of course, being Colletti.

“I've had a lot of work done in this house in 50 years. But I never had the owners come and check and see if everything was right,” he said.

The city of Bedford Heights was in charge of the process to chose Colletti, who just a few weeks ago was a stranger to Smylie One. But not anymore.

“We seem to check in on each other on a regular basis. So, it’s been a great experience,” said Smylie.

It’s a gesture that Colletti is grateful for. Recently, the veteran underwent double bypass heart surgery and spent two weeks in the hospital. He got the call about the free furnace while in the ICU.

“I couldn’t hardly walk down the steps when I came back from the hospital and this was a Godsend,” he said.

The 79 year old joined the Air Force right after high school and served until 1964.

Colletti’s service during the Cuban Missile Crisis even earned him an award.

Then for 38 years, Colletti worked at LTV Steel. But when the company shut down, he lost his retirement benefits and has been on a fixed income ever since.

“I enjoy my life. I’ve worked hard all my life,” said Colletti.

Smylie also loves what he does and he says it doesn’t have to be Veteran’s Day to honor someone for fighting for our country's freedoms.

“I love the interaction with people. I love being able to help somebody fix a problem that they don’t know how to fix. It’s really exciting when you make somebody happy,” said Smylie.

The newfound friendship has inspired Smylie One to make this furnace giveaway an annual effort to support a local veteran.