LAS VEGAS — Goettl Air Conditioning donated $2,200 worth of professional tools to U.S. veterans who recently graduated from the College of Southern Nevada Air Conditioning Technology Program. The tools of the trade will help them start their careers in the industry.

College of Southern Nevada is the largest higher education institution in the state. When the college’s air conditioning program was threatened by state budget cuts, Ken Goodrich, CEO and owner of Goettl Air Conditioning, stepped in and led a campaign to get companies to donate equipment and funds to keep the program operating. Goodrich also established a $100,000 scholarship endowment at the college to aid veterans enrolled in the Air Conditioning Technology Program. 

The tools Goettl Air Conditioning donated, totaling $2,200, were given to two U.S. veterans: Lawrence Malm and David Vanover. Malm and Vanover recently graduated from the College of Southern Nevada and are embarking on careers in the industry.

“The only way you are going to be satisfied is to give back,” said Goodrich. “I want to make it better for those who served our country. True happiness comes from when you give to other people — you get to do a lot of that in this business.”

Goodrich has been a contributor to the College of Southern Nevada for years. The J. Duncan Goodrich Air Conditioning Technology Lab is named after his father.

“Several years ago, I realized it was hard for veterans coming out of this program to buy tools as they often had to decide between groceries for their family or the tools needed to do their jobs. I told Ken this and he said, ‘Let’s do something about it,’ and he has been donating tools since. This is such a wonderful gift for our veterans and our community,” said Dennis Soukup, professor.

For more information, visit www.goettl.com.

Publication date: 5/25/2017

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