OUR HISTORY

In May of 2005 Douglas Dykstra and Chris Frick purchased Kaiser Heating & Cooling.  But the history of Kaiser Heating & Cooling began long before that! Established in 1948 by Richard J. Kaiser and named Kaiser Heating & Sheet Metal, the business was located on West 9th Street in Yankton, South Dakota.

The business sold and serviced residential and commercial General Electric Furnaces, air conditioners and sheet metal products. Over the next 40 years, the building grew and the business expanded, and after starting with one employee had grown to eight employees.

The business remained in the family until Douglas and Chris purchased it in 2005. The ethics and service that has always been a part of Kaiser Heating & Sheet Metal, remains with the company today. A division of ElectAir, Inc, and now located at 808 W. 23rd Street, Kaiser Heating & Cooling continues to grow and strives to be Yankton's #1 HVAC specialists.

Awarded the "Trane™ Comfort System Specialist" status in 2008 and the "Trane™ for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction" in 2009, Kaiser Heating & Cooling is ready to repair, replace or add an air conditioning and heating system to your home today!

ABOUT THE OWNERS

Douglas Dykstra
Douglas entered the electrical industry in 1972 while attending technical school in Mitchell, South Dakota. After technical training he was employed by Black Hills Power and Light Company of Rapid City for two years. During that time Douglas married Trudy Marek of Avon, South Dakota and together they decided to relocate to Yankton, South Dakota, where he worked as a journeyman electrician until 1978.

Once receiving his South Dakota electrical contractors license, the two began their first business of electrical contracting in April 1978.  During this time of self-employment they decided to take on a partner.  Their business operated that way from 1984 until 1996.  After lengthy considerations, Douglas and his business partner decided to sell out and slow down.

During this slow down period from 1996 until 2004, Douglas was employed by a tarp manufacture that was expanding and setting up satellite facilities in eight surrounding states.  He was the company pilot and flew management personnel to the different branches.  This gave him the perfect opportunity to obtain multiple states local electrical contractor licenses while setting up the branch offices.  

In January 2005, Trudy and Douglas joined Chris Frick and his family to form a new partnership, ElectAir Inc.  They purchased a local heating/cooling and sheet metal fabrication shop from a widow of a long time contracting friend.  A year later in August of 2006 Douglas’s electrical non-compete clause ran its course and they added another division to ElectAir Inc., Power Source Electric.  After a couple years they purchased Complete Communications and its assets opening yet another division of ElectAir Inc., this time in the form of a data networking and communications division.

“I have been a licensed electrician in South Dakota since 1972 and a licensed electrical contractor in North Dakota, Nebraska and South Dakota since 1978.  Over the years I’ve had the great privilege to have many great employees and meet some wonderful friends in the contracting business.”  Douglas Dykstra

Chris Frick
Chris was born and raised in Yankton, South Dakota, where he graduated from Yankton High School in 1982.  He pursued his college education in Sioux Falls, South Dakota attending the University of Augustana on a basketball scholarship.  Chris later transferred to the University of Sioux Falls, lettering in basketball from 1985 to 1987. 

During the 1986-87 season he became the first USF Cougar to score 700 points in a single season.  He is fifth on the all-time scoring list with 1,642 career points.  After Chris graduated with a degree in Business Management, he went on to play one season of professional basketball with the Rapid City Thrillers of the CBA.

Shortly after that, Chris decided to return home and enter into the family business.  Chris married Jodi Olson from Platte, South Dakota in 1989, and they now have 3 children, Jacob, Morgan and Tanner.

“I have had the opportunity to be in business for myself for the last 15 years.  The people of Yankton and surrounding areas have been good to us.  We are very thankful for the blessings we’ve had here.”
Chris Frick