“Haig is a great listener. When a homeowner gives him a list of problems with their current HVAC system, Haig works tirelessly to solve them all,” said Greg Hunsicker, leader of the McElroy’s residential HVAC team. “He’s a caring person who honestly wants every customer to be satisfied for the long-term. So he offers multiple options for homeowners to pick and choose the system that best fits their needs and budget.” July 14, 2024, marks Haig Sarkesian’s 10^th McElroy’s work anniversary. Haig’s approach to residential HVAC sales is friendly and all about personalized solutions. It’s our pleasure to help Haig celebrate his first 10 years with McElroy’s!

Sports, Studies and Work

Haig was born in Iowa, and his family moved to Topeka when he was two years old, a month after the devastating 1966 tornado. Haig graduated from Topeka West, in the class of ’82, where he was active in sports. “I was a shooting guard and also played tennis. At one point my doubles team was number one at Topeka West,” Haig said. “Washburn University offered me a tennis scholarship, but between my studies there and work, I didn’t have the time for tennis.” Haig had classes from 8:00 to noon and then delivered milk from noon to 6:00. He was studying to be a teacher and a coach. Then he married his high-school sweetheart and when they started their family he decided to make the most of the job he already had.

Milk Man

“My starting route was delivering Meadow Gold milk to the USD 501 schools,” Haig said. “Over the course of my 30 years there, the name changed to Zarda and then Fairmont – but we were always in the same location.” For his first 10 years, Haig had his own ever-increasing delivery route. “I delivered to grocery stores, schools, restaurants – anywhere that served milk. I knew a lot of folks from 90-miles north to 90-miles south of Topeka.” Then he became a supervisor for the next 10 years, and spent his final ten years there as a distribution manager. “I put out a lot of fires for about 15 routes that had over $1 million in sales per month. We were a fairly small branch of a big operation, but when the economy went bad in 2008, my team was still very profitable.”

Reunion

Haig had known Greg Hunsicker since they were in junior high together – but Haig went to Topeka West High School and Greg went to Topeka High. When Haig attended Topeka West’s 30-year reunion in 2012, Greg was there with his wife. They talked a little about the possibility of Haig working for McElroy’s some day. A couple of years later, Greg wanted someone he could count on to help him with McElroy’s residential HVAC sales, and Haig immediately came to mind. “I knew Haig was skilled at building trust and rapport with customers, and I was confident I could quickly teach him about the HVAC business,” Greg said. “He’s been my right-hand man ever since!”

Knowledge and Skills

“Greg took a chance by hiring me. I was 50 years old and completely changing careers,” Haig said. “I rode with Greg for a week or two, and then I started learning on the fly. Greg knows as much or more about HVAC than anybody around. He has taught me a lot, and I’m still learning. The technicians at McElroy’s are also excellent and they’ve helped me learn, too. Everyone here helps each other out.” The skills that Haig needed most to succeed, though, were the ones he brought with him – his ability to talk with and understand anyone, and his love for getting out and helping people in their own homes.

Helpful and Fun

“Haig has all the equipment picked out and ready to go for the job,” said Zach Brinker, McElroy’s residential HVAC installer. “Sometimes, if a tech needs an extra hand, you can ask Haig and he’ll come pitch in to make sure the customer’s needs are met. He’s always super nice and helpful, and fun to work with.” Zach said he’s learned a thing or two about customers from Haig. “He’s shown me how important it is to get to know customers and listen to what they have to say.” Zach has put that knowledge into practice and often gets stellar reviews from McElroy’s customers.

Everyone’s Friend

“Haig is always willing to go the extra mile,” said Julie Schirmer, McElroy’s residential HVAC service rep. “When we’re busy, Haig will deliver parts, change filters, or drop by a customer’s house to see if the problem is just a thermostat issue. We have a few older customers he checks on – sometimes doing small handyman things for free just to help them out.” Julie said Haig is great at building trust and confidence with customers and peers alike. “Haig is everyone’s friend. He’s down to earth, sincerely helpful and funny. Our jobs would not be as much fun without Haig. We love him, and we miss him when he’s on vacation!”

Family

Haig and his wife Gayla have been married 38 years. Gayla has worked for Washburn University for her entire career and is currently WU’s iCard manager. The Sarkesians have two sons: Haig, who has worked at Advisors Excel since he graduated college, and Nicholas, who is a service plumber for McElroy’s. Young Haig and his wife Alison have an 18-month-old daughter, Olivia Rose – who is doted upon as the Sarkesians’ first grandchild. “Gayla and I are KU basketball fans and have had KU football season tickets since the late 1980s,” Haig senior said. “We take trips on our Spyder three-wheeler, and enjoy hunting for treasures at estate and garage sales. Our entire family likes getting together to break bread and I love serving ribs, steak and brisket that I’ve smoked with my Kamado Joe Egg grill.”

Service and Solutions

"I enjoy spending time with our customers – before, during and after the installation. Happy customers are glad to suggest you to their friends,” said Haig. “I love getting calls from folks who say I just helped their buddy with a new system, and they need one too. Word of mouth is the best!” Customers have many good things to say about Haig, and we at McElroy’s certainly do too! Sure, Greg took a chance when he asked Haig to join McElroy’s, but Haig took one too – jumping into an all-new world. That leap of faith has worked out great for everyone! We thank Haig for 10 years of dedication to providing service and solutions to our customers and team, and we hope he’ll continue for quite a while!