The History of Stan’s
Stan Johnson Sr., born and raised in Austin, has always had a knack for all things mechanical. He had owned a filling service station on Barton Springs Road for a bit, worked as a union carpenter, and finally worked for a local AC service company, where he found his true calling. Frustrated with his company’s AC salesmen and owner who lacked technical knowledge of the products they peddled, Stan decided to strike out on his own. In 1954, he and his wife opened their own AC Service business, built around his expertise and dedication to customer service.
The original office for Stan’s Service and Repair was located in the backyard of a house on Guadalupe Street. At the age of 8, Stan’s son, Stan Johnson Jr. went along on his first service call for his dad’s company. Developing a similar expertise, Stan Jr. soon found himself repairing window units all around Austin.
By the mid 1980s, Stan Sr. and Stan Jr. had achieved enormous success. Because of Stan’s dedication to provide quality service, and to guaranteeing all of their work, fruitful relationships were formed, and continue to this day. The family owned Stan’s was thriving. Between 1973 and 1984, Stan’s installed more than half of all AC systems for new construction homes built in Austin.
In 1986, the Savings and Loan crisis caused the worst economic downturn since 1929. The future seemed bleak: all across Austin, builders and developers went bankrupt, causing most sub-contractors to close their doors as well. Seeing former business partners and competitors folding all around them, Stan’s also felt the pressure. That year, their revenue fell from a strong $7,000,000 to only $600,000. In 1987 Stan Jr. took over the reins and immediately set to work. To go under would mean abandoning their customers and employees in a time of need, and that was something that Stan’s simply couldn’t do.
Times were very tough, and at one point Stan’s even looked doomed, but Stan Jr. resolved never to give up. And he didn’t. Weathering the storm, and riding the boom on the 90s, Stan’s rose to have record years in 2007/2008, and to become one of the industry’s leaders. If the story of Stan’s proves one thing, it is this: if you take care of your customers, they will take care of you.