Star City Six – Brad Ohlmann

Custom Cooling & Heating, Inc. (www.customcooling.net) specializes in replacement of existing equipment, new construction, indoor air quality, mini-splits, fume extraction, custom metal fabrication, and installation of Geothermal systems. Brad Ohlmann is the president of Custom Cooling & Heating, Inc.

Tell us a little about your business.

We are a HVAC business serving Lincoln and southeast Nebraska since 1982. Our great employees ensure that our customers’ experience exceeds their expectations.

How did you get started in the business?

I was working at a temp agency during the summer after grad school. Custom Cooling & Heating called the temp agency looking for a laborer. I worked here a week before they hired me full time. I became part-owner after eight years and never looked back.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally?

Learning the nuances of business ownership. Most of us in the HVAC industry are proficient with the technical side but often struggle with the business side of things.

What has been your most important achievement professionally?

As of January 1, 2020, becoming the sole owner of Custom Cooling & Heating.

Tell us a little about your family.

Michele, my wife of 28 years, is the Sr. Director of Inpatient Therapy at Madonna Rehab Hospital. My eldest son Trevor is a HVAC tech at Custom Cooling & Heating and lives in Lincoln with his wife Taylor. The youngest, Jared, works in supply chain management at Valmont and lives in Omaha.

What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life?

Becoming a parent and becoming a business owner.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?

Hunting or being at my cabin.

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know?

I attended a one-room school from kindergarten through eighth grade. The school didn’t have indoor plumbing until my seventh-grade year.

What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

“Try not to be a man of success, but rather become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein

If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be?

Integrity.

If you could have a super power, what would it be?

Healing people.

What is your greatest talent that you don’t utilize in your daily work life?

I was a cowboy growing up on a cattle ranch. I was very proficient at roping cattle and can still throw a rope and handle a horse.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Photographic memory.

If you could choose any other profession to be successful in, what would it be?

Being a hunting guide for upland birds and waterfowl.

What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why?

I have been leading Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey at my local church for over five years. I also sponsor the curriculum at Lincoln Lutheran High School.

What is your favorite TV show?

Currently, Yellowstone.

If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be?

Albert Einstein.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so?

(402) 610-1653; brad@customcooling.net; www.customcooling.net.