How We Began

David & Carin Tickenoff, founders of CE Mechanical, a commercial HVAC company in Southern California
Our Founders, Dave & Carin Tickenhoff

 

CE Mechanical was founded by David & Carin Tickenoff in 1999. CE Mechanical was founded out of the desire for doing things better. In the time leading up to the formation of CE Mechanical, large corporations began acquiring local companies to grow. In these acquisitions, quality and value declined while costs escalated. Customers began to see a decrease in service and personable service which they had come to expect. This is where Dave and Carin stepped in.

One day, on his way home, Dave called Carin and asked, “How much money do we have?"

Carin’s response was,” Why, what are you up to?"

"Oh, nothing I quit my job and we are starting our own company. We can do this better than what I am seeing."

After a bit of shock, Carin took a deep breath and began the process of building the business infrastructure. Carin asked Dave what are we going to call this new company and he goes I don’t know how about CE?  CE for Conserving Energy? His response was no, CE standing for Carin Ellen and thus CE Mechanical was born.

CE Mechanical was formed and built on the principals of trust, keeping our word, and doing the right thing. Before founding CE Mechanical, Dave entered the HVAC trade thru the local 250 apprenticeship program which he completed while at Nelson Mechanical. From there he would move over to Cal-Air© as a foreman on the chiller team. Carin was a successful controller for a high-end construction company that focused on large water features.

From the humble beginnings on their living room floor to what we have become today, CE Mechanical has grown into a debt free, privately held entity. No matter how large the company grows, CE will always stay true to its core values and always do as we say for our customers. With over 40 employees, CE Mechanical is large enough to take care of our clients’ needs while not losing that personable touch you expect from a family run business. Together #wearece

Our Company Milestones

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