By Mike Barnhardt
Enterprise Record

Mickel Barnette had a pickup truck and a tool box.
And all-of-a-sudden he was in the heating and air business.
The year was 1974, and the Mocksville native had been working in a sawmill, but the lumber business was in a recession. He worked some for Lester Boger, then went into the heating and air business for himself. Barnette Heating & A/C was born.
Now at age 85, he still goes to work just about every day. Now, he’s joined by son Greg Barnette and grandson Broc Barnette – the second and third generation to call Barnette Heating & A/C their workplace.
The early years were tough. He borrowed equipment, but the jobs were scarce. When he got a contract for a heating unit at Center Methodist Church, Mickel said he knew he could make a go of it. By the way, that unit is still in use.
The business has had ups and downs over the years, Mickel said, one of the more frustrating parts of the job. Another was billing. Mickel enjoyed working on job sites, office work not so much.
Officially, he’s a consultant now, but Mickel regularly makes house calls to check on systems.
Greg Barnette grew up in the business. And he was determined to forge his path elsewhere. Crawling under a house on your back in 20º weather wasn’t his cup of tea, so he decided a college degree was in order. After all, it was an on-the-job injury in high school that cost him a season of football.
That football career didn’t fade away, though. He played at Appalachian State, and earned a degree in business management. He went to work in the trucking industry. And he was stuck in an office. All day.
After a few years of that, his father called and asked him if he could help out some, as he tried to find new workers.
“I started helping again and thought, you know, I should go and get my license,” Greg said. “The trucking industry sucked because of so many hours in the office. I’m not good at being in one place all day.”
Greg’s son, Broc, knew from the start he wanted to be a part of the business.
“Since I was 5 years old, I went on calls with pawpaw,” Broc said. He was on the job straight out of high school. “I’m learning the business more to see where the future takes me.”
Barnette Heating & Air specializes in single family home and light commercial sites, offering service to all types of units. Maintenance agreements are becoming more popular, and Barnette offers that as well. Technicians are on call 24/7, just leave a message when calling (336-751-1908).
“I do all of the estimates,” Greg said. “I like meeting and talking to people and figuring out how we can help them. We don’t try to sell you a new unit every time. We’re coming out to fix a problem you might have. We’re not going to sell you something just to make a bigger profit.”
It’s that personal service that makes Barnette’s special, Greg said. They try to keep most of their jobs inside Davie County. They service all brands, and offer American Standard and Ruud units, and are a licensed dealer for Mitsubishi ductless heating and air systems.
They keep parts on all trucks, so repairs can be made quickly, Greg said, noting that there are still a lot of oil-burning furnaces in Davie County.
Whatever your need, don’t be surprised if someone with the last name Barnette comes out. After all, they’re a third of the work force.