Baggett Heating and Cooling is a family-operated HVAC company with deep roots in Tennessee. It is located in Clarksville – a town with history dating back to the 1780s. It has survived and evolved through the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and became a center for the tobacco trade due to its prime location between the Cumberland and Red Rivers.
Baggett Heating was established in the late 1970s by Paul Baggett, and over its 40-year history has proven its resiliency and ability to adapt due to the owner’s forward-thinking leadership.
Fast forward to the 1980s, when the company underwent significant transformation when (current owner) Alana Ward’s father, Allen Owen, assumed control.
Over the years, it has grown from a small operation to a regional leader in HVAC services. Alana Ward, who now owns and operates the company, brings a distinct vision shaped by her unexpected entry into the family business and evolving into a respected industry leader.
Lead by Doing
Ward’s path to running Baggett Heating and Cooling was not a straight line. Initially pursuing a degree in political science with thoughts of attending law school, she pivoted to join the family business temporarily after graduation.
That happened in 2001 when her father offered Alana a temporary role as the company’s bookkeeper. Despite having no background in bookkeeping or HVAC, she accepted the challenge. In the end, this summer job evolved into a long-term career.
“Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted to do next,” she recalled. After stepping into that bookkeeping role, Alana Ward says she quickly realized the business’s potential for personal and professional growth.
Her rise to leadership was swift. In 2006, she became the general manager, a role that allowed her to revamp operations and implement more structured systems. She incorporated the company that same year, taking a 51% ownership stake. A year later, Alana Ward assumed full ownership.
Overcoming Industry Challenges
Ward’s tenure has not been without hurdles. Operating a heating and cooling business in Tennessee presents unique challenges, particularly during seasonal lulls. She describes the anxiety that comes with slower months when customers have less immediate need for HVAC services.
Ward also noted that many people enter the trade motivated solely by potential earnings rather than a genuine interest in the work. She says she believes such a mindset often leads to dissatisfaction and high turnover, especially when faced with the physically demanding aspects of the job, such as working in extreme temperatures.
With that in mind, she says that currently one of the most significant challenges during her tenure is maintaining a stable workforce. Unlike competitors who hire experienced technicians, Baggett Heating and Cooling often onboards individuals new to the trade. While this approach requires extensive training, it allows Ward to teach them about her company’s high standards from the ground up.
In fact, the Baggett website points out how this approach also helps them focus on being the best in Clarksville, not the biggest.
The website says, “Our team lives and works alongside our customers in Clarksville every day. Our work is local, our efforts are local, and our proceeds are local.
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