DELAFIELD, Wis. — As tariffs on HVAC parts and equipment continue to drive up prices nationwide, one Wisconsin heating and cooling company is taking action—stacking its warehouse floor-to-ceiling with air conditioners and furnaces to help customers save.
Bill Brink, owner of Kettle Moraine Heating & Air Conditioning, said he and his team started preparing months ago.
“One of the biggest things was my team and I forecasted this right,” Brink said. “We wanted to make sure we could help the consumer get the lowest possible price, so we stocked up as much as we possibly could. And it kind of shows here, right?”
Standing inside their warehouse in Delafield, Brink points to aisles of equipment purchased before recent tariff hikes took effect.
“We’ve got about a couple thousand air conditioners and furnaces here that we bought at pre-tariff cost,” he said. “Again, we did it for the consumer.”
While some of Kettle Moraine’s products are manufactured in the U.S. or Mexico, Brink explained that “the components that go into them, no matter where they’re from, come from all over the world.” That global supply chain has made HVAC equipment more expensive and harder to source quickly.
Watch: Delafield HVAC business buffers customers from tariff-fueled price hikes
Brink said the cost of a new HVAC system varies depending on the size of the home, the unit’s features, and the customer’s preferences.
“We kind of have a good, better, best model,” he explained. “So it’s hard to put a price on it—but what I can say is, it’s gonna cost more.”
Even with the added inventory, demand is high. Brink said customers are already taking advantage of pre-tariff pricing.
“About half the product here right now is sold,” he said. “People have been proactive, knowing they want the lowest price—so they bought early.”
With costs still rising and supply tightening, Brink urges customers to plan ahead.
“It’s important for consumers to know they should buy now,” he said. “Waiting could mean a little bit of disappointment for them cost-wise. So, you know—act fast.”
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