1. Hayley Clifford • Nichols College • Business & Society • MGMT 100-01
I Interviewed Michael Dubeau, the President of Victory
Heating and Air Conditioning located in
Bellingham, Massachusetts.
I’ve known Mr. Dubeau and his family since I became best
friends with his daughter Kaylee my freshman year of high
school. I’ve grown very close to the Dubeau family and Mr.
Dubeau is one of the wisest, kind-hearted and successful
person I have ever met.

2. • Victory provides plumbing, heating, air conditioning, duct
work and other HVAC services. They provide
installation, replacement and repair services. Their air
conditioning installation and repair service covers 65 towns.
• Victory is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year!
• Victory is a Corporation with two owners who own exactly
50% of the company. They chose this because it allows
them to share the level of commitment without overtaxing
their family lives.

3. • Michael and his partner started Victory in the basement of
his home in Blackstone, Massachusetts. “With little to no
capital, we just capitalized on all the contacts we knew and
hit the ground running”.
•To finance the business each owner took $5,000 and put it
in a joint account just hoping for the best. “We built it from
the ground up.”
•They started Victory for the independence and they felt
confident they would succeed. They wanted to have a great
investment for their retirement.
•Both owners were 39 years old and had 20 years
experience in all aspects of the business;
management, sales, engineering etc.

4. • Today Victory has 65 employees with about 40 trucks on
the road.
•The company grew fast but steady by providing the best
services they could in order to satisfy every customer. “We
never bit off more than we could chew”.
•They hired very skillful workers and stayed conservative
when taking risks. They were careful with their decisions and
never lived beyond their means.
•The most rewarding aspect of running your own company is
“knowing you are in control of your own direction and with
hard work and a lot of luck, own destiny”.
• The critical success factor is being committed to service.

5. • Finding good people, staying up to date on business
law, codes and new technology has been a big challenge.
• The most challenging aspect is the cash flow. “Even if sales
are good, cash is king and can only follow a solid profit and
loss statement”.
• Stress, dedication, networking and other
businesses/professional groups have helped overcome these
challenges.
• The most fatal flaw is competition. It’s fierce and relentless
so “you have to keep every customer feeling valued”.

6. • Victory has plenty of competitors, none in particular but
“the worst are not the major players but the moonlighters or
small shops that don’t follow all the rules”.
•To achieve competitive advantage, you have to differentiate
yourself from the competition. It’s hard to complete this task
because it requires a continued change in your organization.
• Honesty, integrity, and loyalty helps keep customers
satisfied. “Never let them think you forgot about them. Your
competition is always soliciting them with a better deal!”

7. • Today’s strategy is all about the internet generation. They
depend on this for new business. Referrals and existing
customers are always one of the best resources.
• They use direct mail, newsletters, ad campaigns, follow
ups, networking, mobile billboards and other advertisements
to market their company.
•When considering new employees, key things to look for are
appearance, communication
skills, dependability, loyalty, empathy, cleanliness, organizati
onal skills, and professionalism.

8. • Victory plans on staying in business! They are investing a
great deal in structuring for the future. Recently, they
invested in a state of the arc training room and three
working labs.
•They are also investing in their people to get the company
to run without the need to be there daily.
• “Though neither of us plan to leave the business anytime
soon, our goal is to free up our time for personal pursuits or
to explore acquisitions.”

9. • Have you ever employed family members?
•“We have but only on a very limited basis. That can be
very tricky with a partner in the business. It can be
challenging to always be subjective”.
• Is there anything that you would change about your business?
•“I suppose there are a lot of things I would change and we
have changed many things over the years. Finding your
niche and honoring that type of service or product is always
advisable.”
• How many locations do you have and are you looking to
expand?
• “We did open 2 locations for about 7 years but we
consolidated to prepare for the recession. We’ll expand
again soon as our existing building is now maximized.”

10. “Never hang on to mediocre employees. Never compromise yourself
or allow your employees to do so. Always insist on doing what’s
right! Treat your customers like royalty. Treat your employees very
well and show your appreciation. Train them well and empower
them. Reinvest in yourself, your employees and the company.
Always be looking to grow or bring in new customers, stagnation is
dangerous. Surround yourself with people smarter than you. Find a
good lawyer, banker and CPA. But most of all, be sure you start a
business you have passion for and do your research to be sure there
is a sound and growing market for what you have to offer. A sound
business plan with contingencies in place so you’re prepared for the
obstacles and setbacks. There will be some for sure! And a prayer
every now and then doesn’t hurt”
-Michael Dubeau, President of Victory Heating and Air Conditioning

11. From interviewing Mr. Dubeau, I
learned that it takes a lot to
start a business. Starting and
owning a business has its ups
and downs but also you get
what you put into your
business. Customer satisfaction
is key and the competition is
tough. Victory has been
successful for 20 years and they
have worked many long nights
to make this happen. Mr.
Dubeau is someone who I have
always looked up to and have a
great bond with. He’s a true
entrepreneur who deserves all
the success! Kaylee, Me, Mr. Dubeau and
Kaylee’s Step Mom on a cruise!