Meet Cliff Sims | HVAC Service Contractor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cliff Sims and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cliff, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I just wanted to be gainfully employed but the job opportunites were very limited for me. I realized that if I wanted to make more than minimum wage than I had to employ myself by offering some sort of valuable product or service.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I attended Northwestern Technological Institute for Heating and Cooling in Southfield. What drove me was the desire to create for myself the opportunity to become be gainfully employed. I am currently a Licensed HVAC Service Contractor and owner of Detroit Heating and Air Service LLC. I am also Class A Building Engineer at a high rise in downtown Detroit. My journey started 7 years ago at Operation Get Down, a housing center for men in Detroit. I worked at Michigan Box Co. making $10 an hour. I saved up for an apartment and continued my journey from there. Eventually it occured to me that if I wanted more than minimum wage then I had to do more than just general labor. I started cutting grass for a living. Eventually I started cutting grass for a property management company. One day I was picking up a check and one of the property managers asked me what else did I know how to do? And I said “nothing”. I thought about that and that’s what lead to the decision to enroll into trade school. I started out as an apprentice installing furnaces, air conditioners, boilers and hot water tanks. I had finally become gainfully employed at an HVAC company but there was still a desire to do more so I decided to take the Michigan Mechanical Licensing exam and start Detroit Heating and Air Service for repairs and maintenance. And I still feel like I have the potential to do more.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Depending on the time of year they were visiting I would have to take them to experience Dally in the Alley, the River walk, Campus Martius. I really love down town Detroit. And then the food truck scene is really growing in Detroit. There are so many new restaurants to enjoy. Shell shock Tacos is one of my favorites.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many family, friends and strangers have been instrumental to my life that to just shout out one would be unfair to others. So I would like to just shout out my wife Stefanie who is a Prevention Director at Mariner’s Inn. My sons Kamar and Dorian and of course Eric and Kori Andrews who are very good friends of ours.

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