Leroy Lopez, owner of Greater Purpose Heating & Cooling, gives a tour of his new shop Dec. 19, 2024, in Umatilla.

UMATILLA — A new heating and cooling company has opened in Umatilla.

The Umatilla Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 20 for the opening of Greater Purpose Heating & Cooling at 1271 Sixth St. in downtown Umatilla.

“Right now, since it’s cold, we get a lot of service calls for no heat,” owner Leroy Lopez said. “If a customer’s electric heater is not working or their gas furnace is not working, if they need to be replaced, we offer that service. If we’re able to fix them, we repair them. Same thing in the summertime with the ACs.”

The company tunes up, repairs and updates systems for heating, cooling, indoor air quality and more. It offers maintenance services for residential, commercial and new construction properties throughout Umatilla County and extends installation and repairs into Washington and to Portland.

Lopez started his business in 2021, operating from a van before expanding to a fleet of trucks. After three years, he decided to transition his mobile operation to a storefront business.

“I put myself through college,” Lopez said. “I went to Charter College, got my certificate, found a job here locally in town, and from there I just started moving up.”

He said after years of working for other companies, he wanted to branch out on his own. It was scary, he said, taking a leap of faith in himself.

“The day that I put my two weeks’ notice I was out in Hawaii with my family,” Lopez said. “When I came back there had to be a change, you know. I had no work. I had nothing. And that’s when it hit me, like, wow, I’m my own boss. I have to find work.”

Lopez said he started to advertise his business on social media, created a logo and offered affordable prices to customers. It’s all been word of mouth, he said.

“I started with an old, beat-up van, was able to save some money, buy a newer van and keep on buying vehicles,” Lopez said. “ I got three service trucks, four service vans, two enclosed trailers and two box trucks.”

Greater Purpose Heating & Cooling provides two free maintenance services for new customers who purchase a system. After the second service, the business presents a maintenance plan. For customers with older systems who want a maintenance plan, the company adds the service arrangement to the existing system.

 Lopez expressed gratitude to his family and the community members of Umatilla for their support.

The storefront operates Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and employees are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for emergency services.

Lopez said his company also works with Umatilla Electric Cooperative and Energy Trust of Oregon, which offers rebates to customers in need of system replacements.

Just The Facts

What: Greater Purpose Heating & Cooling

Where: 1271 Sixth St., Umatilla

When: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; available 24/7 for emergency services

Etc.: For more information or to schedule appointments, visit www.greaterpurposehc.com.