Haddon Heating & Cooling

Kim Haddon: Learning a New Language

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

CONCORD – When she got married, Kim Haddon knew she’d be sharing a home with her husband, but she never thought that one day she’d be working side by side with him in a professional environment. “My husband, Dave, has been involved in HVAC from a young age, having worked for his father’s company,” she explains. “After returning to the family business in the late ’90s, Dave decided to expand the company’s operations from mainly commercial work to full residential services.” It was at this point that Kim was presented with an opportunity to become a participant in her husband’s profession. “As the business’ focus shifted to residential work, Dave asked to have my involvement,” she says. “I started out answering phones in the office and things just progressed from there.”

Not satisfied with remaining a novice in her new vocational role, Kim applied herself and gradually developed a thorough knowledge of HVAC technology and techniques. “When I started, I didn’t really know anything about the industry,” she says. “A lot of the terms were completely foreign to me, so it really felt like I was learning a new language.” Thirteen years later, Kim continues to demonstrate her fluency in industry dialect as co-owner of Haddon Heating & Cooling.

Born and raised in rural Minnesota, Kim relocated to Northern California after marrying Dave, a native of the North Bay. Having experienced her share of harsh Midwestern winters, she says the temperate local climate is one of her favorite attributes of life in the Bay Area. “I love being able to enjoy the outdoors year-round. I remember that soon after I moved here, I was sunbathing at the beach in January and called my family in Minnesota to tell them about it!”

Outside of work, Kim enjoys engaging in a variety of outdoor activities with Dave and their three children, Jesse, Rachael and Joseph. “We do a lot of weekend camping trips,” she says. “One of our favorite places to go is Lake Tahoe—there are things to do all year long, from skiing in the winter to boating in the summer.”

In her life and career, Kim espouses the importance of working hard to achieve one’s goals. “If you’re going to do something, you may as well give your all and do it to the best of your ability,” she says. “Whatever it is you’re aiming for, if you just keep at it and put in your time, you’ll achieve it. For me, it was becoming fluent in the language of the HVAC industry. It took a lot of time and hard work, but it eventually paid off.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant?
A: The Dead Fish in Crockett.

Q: What were you most known for in high school?
A: Music—I sang in choir and also played violin and piano.

Q: What’s your favorite film genre?
A: Science fiction.

Q: Do you collect anything?
A: Rare and interesting coins. I used to work as a waitress, and I would always look through my change at the end of the night for unusual coins.

Q: What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
A: My three children.