Our Story
Comfort Zone is owned and operated by Ralph Harrison. Originally from Indiana, Ralph has lived in Glynn County for 44 years. He understands very well the heavy demands our hot and humid, coastal climate puts on air conditioning units down here. He lives it. He knows that when a customer calls from St. Simons in the summertime to say their AC is out, that client is in for some sweltering heat and needs service fast, especially if the person on the phone is one of our community’s many retirees.
He’s well-versed in the challenges the salt laden air from Sea Island to Jekyll or East Beach presents for metal corrosion in outdoor air conditioning and heating systems and how to address them.
“When it comes to maintenance on the unit outside, you’ve got to get all the way down to the bottom of that unit to get the leaves and moisture out of there or it will lead to rust and corrosion which leads to problems and less than rated performance.”
Ralph was at a community college when a friend of his brought up the fact, “I like to work with my hands and fix things. He said I should consider working in the trades, so one summer I did. I enjoyed it, and never looked back.”
St. Simons Island, GA. Comfort Zone fixes previous install issue by shortening a pipe to above interior window sight-lines keeping it code compliant and design savvy.
Certifications
Universal Technician as required by EPA 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F
GA Unrestricted Conditioned Air Contractor License number CN210901
GA Certificate of Authority to install, maintain, & service boilers
OSHA 10 - 10 hour OSHA safety training
Rigging and Signaling: Necessary for rigging large equipment and for safe lifting onto a roof or raised structure
Operation of Scissor & Aerial Lift Work Platforms
Operation of Rough Terrain Forklifts including extended reach
Fall Protection
CPR, AED, and Basic First Aid
Every year Ralph and his employees take several hours of continuing education classes to stay up-to-the minute on the latest innovations in air conditioning and heating systems and commercial refrigeration technology, so that we provide our customers with the highest quality HVAC-R systems and service.
We believe in efficiency in time and money for our customers and our company. Integrity, elegant design, fair pricing, educating our customers so they make the best choices for their homes and businesses, energy efficiency and indoor air quality are the center of our company and work ethic.
Ralph graduated from Altamaha Technical College with a degree in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technologies in 1995. He started out as a field service technician at a local air conditioning company straight out of school. He stayed in the field doing repair, maintenance and installation for a couple of years.
Always looking to broaden his knowledge of the technical aspects of his chosen trade, he paused to spend two years as a Branch Manager of CC Dickson, a company that sells wholesale commercial refrigeration and HVAC equipment. Having done that, Ralph decided to get out of the office and back in the field where he could return to his passion for duct design, installation and solving the varying and unique challenges that each HVAC and commercial refrigeration system presents within its own particular setting.
“I was always pretty good at math and science, so I really got into duct design and installation. When a system is installed right and properly maintained, I’ve seen systems last as long as 20 years. Though, to get the best energy efficiency and take advantage of new systems that come out, you’ll likely want to replace it before then. When I install a system, the first thing I’m going to do is ensure it’s sized correctly. When I do the install, I know the ducts are tight.”
Ralph started Comfort Zone in 2006 as owner operator servicing residential and commercial HVAC systems and taking care of a wide variety of commercial refrigeration clients. When the world economy took its downturn in 2009, he kept working with his best Comfort Zone customers after hours, but he also decided to go back into the office to deepen his knowledge of the industry and meet new challenges.
From 2009 to 2022, Ralph worked at MJ Wood Consolidated beginning as a tech in the field, he moved up to Field Superintendent, then on to Project Manager where he focused on HVAC system design, project estimation and project management — all while keeping his own company’s customers in the Comfort Zone. In 2022, Ralph again heard the call of the field over the hum of the corporate office, so he decided to focus full-time on Comfort Zone where he enjoys meeting the diverse needs of residential and commercial clients in the variety of settings and projects entrepreneurship has to offer.
