Meet the team

The company was founded in 1950 by Harry Schneiderwind. It started as a two man shop with Harry and LeRoy Stuehm. LeRoy then served in the Army from 1952-1954, afterwards he went to trade school where he studied HVAC. LeRoy really enjoyed the service side of the HVAC business because every call was a new challenge. In fact, when LeRoy began his career in heating and cooling he was working 60 hours a week on average and was on call 24/7. In 1971 the company was purchased outright by LeRoy, at the time it had three full time employees. LeRoy began running the company as Schneiderwind Heating and Cooling with “SOS Service” labeled on the truck. He chose the name SOS because it stood for ‘Schneiderwind or Stuehm’. In 1973 the company became SOS Heating, Cooling & Electrical Inc.

Rod started working in the company at a young age. He attended Dana College and graduated from Universal Technical Institute (UTI) with an HVAC degree. He earned his Master Mechanical License. As the company grew he was instrumental in creating separate service and install departments to create efficiencies. He took over control of the company in 1994. He spearheaded moving the company into a new 10,000 square foot building behind the original shop in 2005. Rod was active in the Ralston community, donating monetarily and spending many hours coaching youth sports. He unfortunately passed away in 2009. Every year, friends and family honor Rod by raising money for college scholarships through the Annual Rod Stuehm Memorial Golf Tournament which is in its 12th year.

Jon grew up in the company working summers throughout high school. Jon has a Master Mechanical License for the city of Omaha and state of Iowa. He is SAVE Certified for performance testing in Iowa as well. He attended Dana College and graduated with a degree in Business Management and Marketing in 2004. Jon received his LEED Green Associate certification for green building practices in 2013. Jon achieved an MBA from UNO in 2014. Jon provides residential and commercial estimates and has received factory training from York, Luxaire, and Bosch. In the fall you will find him on the football sidelines at Ralston High School were he is the Offensive Coordinator. Jon was married to his wife Lindsay in 2018 and they now have 2 children, Cash and Presley. As the third generation, Jon’s goal is the lead SOS into the 100th year in business.

Greg joined SOS Heating & Cooling in September 1994. The company only had 18 total employees which he has watched grow to over 50 current employees. He graduated from Gross Catholic High School in 1988 and Creighton University in 1993 with a B.S.B.A. in Accounting. Greg has been married to his wife Leslie since 1995 and has two children, Abbigail and Owen. Through the years Rod and LeRoy always stressed to provide quality service and workmanship for a fair price and to be honest with the customers and employees. Greg believes that this philosophy has contributed to the success and longevity of the business.

Gary Graduated from Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in 1975 with an HVAC degree. Gary began working at SOS in 1978 and was in charge of the installation department from 1994 to 2019. He is currently working in a semi-retired manner, handling only a few accounts. He has experience with all aspects of HVAC from service to installation. He has worked on projects ranging from small residential replacement to coordination of commercial jobs valued upwards of one million dollars. Gary has completed course studies in Mechanical Ventilation and Industrial Math along with Heat Pump Installation and Service. Gary received a Master Mechanical License from the cities of Omaha, Bellevue, and Council Bluffs in 1996.

Ken started at SOS in 1989 working sheet metal in our shop. Over the years he moved to residential install, then to commercial install. As a commercial install foreman, he headed projects valued over $1 million such as Midtown Crossing. He became the install manager in 2019. Ken was married to his wonderful wife Amy in 1995. He has 4 daughters and 12 grandchildren.

Torrey came to SOS in 2012 with a vast knowledge in heating and cooling. He started his HVAC career as an installer and is now one of the top commercial estimators in metro. He’s helped secure large projects such as The Mercantile in Downtown Omaha, The Duke Apartments in Midtown, and the recently completed Hotel Indigo. Torrey also has expertise in residential equipment and commercial rooftop replacement. Torrey and his wife Anne have four children; Morgan, Brennan, Natalie, and Alex.

Michael joined SOS in 2022. He’s originally from Maine and spent 17 years serving our country with the Marines as a Refrigeration Mechanic. He retired from service in 2016 and continued his career in HVAC. He’s experienced in every type of residential installation and repair, from Geo-Thermal units to Ductless units. Michael says he likes working on machines and enjoys a challenge. When not at work you can find Michael spending time with his wife Lisa, his daughters Sophie, Lillian, and Emma as well as his young son Michael Jr.

Jake joined SOS Heating & Cooling in 2020. He grew up with Jon and knew LeRoy and Rod well. Jake provides residential estimates, and promotes the quality work SOS has been providing for 70+ years. He attended Ralston High School and went to college at UNL. Jake spent 16 years in as a journalist moving all around the Midwest, with the last 10 years in Omaha having won more than one dozen awards for his reporting on a variety of stories. He married his wife Tara in 2009 and they have two sons, Cade and Blake. Jake spends some of his time coaching their sports teams in football, baseball, and basketball. He’s proud to be part of a company that’s so close to his heart and to help it grow in the future.

When Gina started at SOS in May of 1984, she helped with just about everything. Since the company has grown, she primarily deals with billing and accounting. She graduated from Nebraska College of Business in 1984 with an Associate degree in business. Gina has been married to her husband Joe since 1988. She has two sons, Aaron and Austin, and 4 grandsons.

Jenny began working at SOS in 2017. She not only helps with dispatching service calls, but also permitting for all of our work. Jenny and her husband Loren have two children, Katie and Brett. Brett has continued the family legacy and also works at SOS. In her free time Jenny likes relaxing on the Platte River and nearby lakes. She enjoys watching her grandkids play baseball, and she’s also a talented bowler.

Alicia joined the SOS family in 2018. She’s in charge of scheduling and dispatching our service techs to make sure you’re comfortable in the heat wave or frozen months. Alicia enjoys riding her motorcycle and baking. She’s an expert baker that creates specialty deserts when one of our SOS employees has a birthday. Alicia also loves seeing her favorite band, Incubus, live in concert.