About Us
In the spring of 2000 a young couple from Wyoming made the decision to move east to Southern New Hampshire. They settled in Merrimack, thousands of miles from family and friends, but they began their new life in New England with hope and optimism. Steve, a construction engineer, was employed in the HVAC installation/construction industry and Kara was an early childhood educator.
In late 2007, Steve and Kara decided they would like to explore the possibility of owning their own business, so they began the search, and in June 2008 they purchased Laconia Refrigeration a commercial refrigeration/ HVAC company in Laconia New Hampshire. This company had been servicing central and southern NH for over 35 years.
At the time of the purchase, they acquired four service vans and employed six. They leased a small 1,800-square foot space for their shop and office located in Laconia. They knew that it would take a lot of dedication and hard work to grow the business, but they were determined to provide a great working opportunity for additional employees.
By 2011, they had outgrown their small shop and office space, so they purchased a 4,500-square foot building at their current location, and in 2014 built a 2,000-square foot storage warehouse.
It did not come without a lot of bumps in the road, but Laconia Refrigeration had grown to two divisions. In the fall of 2011 they began New England Mechanical out of Waterville, Maine. Their service area had expanded into all of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and some areas of Massachusetts.
Today, their customer base consists of many well-known commercial restaurants, convenience stores and markets. They service residential heating and air conditioning throughout their service areas.
Laconia Refrigeration/New England Mechanical currently has 28 employees and 20 service vans. They are dedicated to being your “comfort specialist” with all heating/air conditioning and commercial refrigeration needs.
Our vans are fully-stocked with all the equipment needed to service our customers. Making payments is simple. Laconia Refrigeration/New England Mechanical accepts credit cards, as well as cash or checks. Electronic transfers from your bank to ours can be arranged. A 2% discount is allowed to any customer who pays by cash or check within 10 days of the invoice date.
100% Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed
Most people take for granted the comfort they get from their refrigeration, central air conditioning and furnace. That is, until something goes wrong. When this happens, you need a specialist who is knowledgeable, skilled and qualified to bring your commercial refrigeration back to the level of utility and comfort you and your business deserve. Our certified HVAC and refrigeration specialists are trained to handle all of your refrigeration, heating, cooling and indoor air quality needs. Our number one priority is the comfort of our clients and that of their respective employees. We are committed to meeting your needs.
All of our field staff members wear uniforms with ID badges and drive a fully-stocked Laconia Refrigeration truck for easy identification. Your business is in good hands with our technicians. We lay protective drop cloths when needed and leave your business as clean as we found it. Our service technicians are certified and attend factory-training classes to ensure that your system is performing to factory specifications. Whether you need a unit repaired or a system installed, your comfort and business readiness are our concerns.
Meet Our Staff
Steve Olson - President
Steve is a construction engineer and has been in the HVAC installation/construction industry for over 20 years. He and his wife Kara purchased Laconia Refrigeration in 2008 and began the Maine division in 2011. Although Steve is in the office most days quoting new installs, he also enjoys working in the field with the technicians. When there is time to relax, you will find him golfing, boating with his family and friends, and following the NASCAR races.
Kara Olson - Vice President/Human Resources
Kara has served as the Human Resource Director and Safety Officer since she and Steve purchased the company in 2008. She is active with the Associated Builders and Contractors and is a graduate of FLIC (Future Leaders in Construction). She maintains our safety policies and procedures to ensure a safe work environment. Kara enjoys the beach, boating, traveling, visiting with family, and spending time with their three dogs, Peanut, Hazel and Poubelle.
Carrie Roberge - Controller
Carrie has lived all around the Lakes Region her entire life in Gilford, Laconia, Franklin and now in Meredith, NH. She brings over 30+ years of experience in accounting and financial planning and analysis. She donates her time and talent by serving as a board of director member/treasurer for local non-profits. In her spare time, Carrie enjoys the beach, boating, traveling, and time with her family and great friends.
Jennifer Cashman - Assistant Accounting Manager
Jennifer is a transplant from the West Coast and has been in the beautiful Lakes Region for 15 years. She started her career working for several municipalities until finding her home at Laconia Refrigeration. In her spare time, she enjoys the lakes, reading, gardening, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Karen Kelley - Senior Accountant
Karen has lived in the Lakes Region for 12 years, coming from the Seacoast area. Karen has 25+ years in accounting along with several years in Purchasing. In her spare time, Karen enjoys boating, long walks, traveling and spending time with her family and friends.
Alexander Olson - Residential Service Manager/Dispatcher
Jerry Vaughn - Residential Project Manager
Jerry has lived in the Lakes Region most of his life. He served 8 years in the U.S. Army and went to college to become a residential service technician/installer and has worked his way up to becoming the project manager for Laconia Residential. He is knowledgeable with residential HVAC equipment and will ensure you get exactly what you need.
TJ Cross - Commercial Service Manager
T.J. has lived in Tilton/Northfield his entire life. He has been with Laconia Refrigeration since January of 2010. He came to Laconia Refrigeration and worked his way through all positions available, PM technician, installation technician, service technician, and is currently our commercial service manager. T.J. enjoys watching and playing basketball, kayaking, going to his son’s baseball games, and spending time at home with his wife, son, and two dogs.
Jason Cross - Commercial Project Manager
Jason has been a resident of NH his entire life, residing in Tilton/Northfield. He has been with Laconia Refrigeration since 2009 (Our longest employee!) Jason came in with little experience and has worked the past 14 years in every field position offered; PM tech, service tech, and the past two years as Commercial HVAC/R Project Manager. He enjoys his family outings, motorcycling with his friends and the outdoors/nature.
In Memoriam - Robin Livingston
Robin Livingston was a long-time valued, dedicated employee. She was hired in January 2017 as Accounting Coordinator and expanded upon her role at the company through hard work and dedication and was promoted to Senior Accountant in 2022. She was a pleasure to work with and always put in the extra effort to help our customers and employees. Robin passed away on October 17th, 2022. We will miss Robin dearly; she made an impact on all of us at Laconia Refrigeration and Laconia Residential. Robin was not just an employee but part of the family.
Hazel and Ollie
11 Walker St., Laconia, NH 03246
(603) 524-2937 NH
(207) 680-1854 ME
toll free: 1.833.669.2937
Hours of Operation
Monday – Friday, 8 A.M. to 5 P.M.
Payments accepted include checks mailed to 11 Walker Street Laconia, NH 03246 or if you prefer to pay by credit card, please call our office at 603-524-2937 and we can take payment over the phone or email you a link to pay online yourself.
