From receptionist to CEO: Diane Burgeson marks 60 years with the family business

REDLANDS, Calif. — When Diane Burgeson began answering phones at her family's heating and air conditioning business in 1966, dispatchers relied on Thomas Guides, customers dialed KRS 7-775 and work orders were handwritten on index cards.

Sixty years later, Burgeson is president and CEO of the company her father founded in 1949, making her one of the longest-serving leaders of a family business in Redlands.

Burgeson joined the company at age 21 after returning to Redlands with her young daughter. She started as the receptionist but quickly took on additional responsibilities, including dispatching technicians and handling after-hours emergency calls.

"The answering service would call me if they had an emergency, and I would take the call," Burgeson said. "I'm a good sleeper."

Over the decades, she worked in customer service, marketing and operations before moving into executive leadership. Even today, she said she's just as likely to be hauling equipment or delivering parts as sitting behind a desk.

"Our call number was KRS 7-775," she recalled. "We'd carry the big Thomas Guides around. Technology has made everything work smoother."

Burgeson said the business has changed dramatically since she started. When she first dispatched service calls, there were only three technicians in the field. Today, the company employs about 150 people.

Her father, Elgar Burgeson, founded the business after moving his family to California following World War II. According to Burgeson, the move was prompted in part by health concerns for her older brothers, who had contracted polio. He opened the Redlands business in 1949 after working in sheet metal fabrication during the war.

Burgeson spent much of her career working alongside family members. She shared the office with her mother, who handled the company's bookkeeping, while her father continued working until his death in 2005. Her brothers and sister also worked for the business over the years.

Today, the family tradition continues. Several of Burgeson's children, nephews and a great-nephew have joined the company, with some logging decades of service. Her daughter, Kathi Cochran, has worked there for 20 years, while nephews Brian and Kevin Burgeson have been with the company for nearly four decades.

Looking back, Burgeson said one of the biggest changes has been technology.

"I sat at a desk and kept a card file, summer and winter," she said. "We handwrote everything."

While computers and digital dispatching have transformed daily operations, she believes one thing has remained constant.

"I believe in the old way of personal touch," Burgeson said. "We still personally answer phone calls."

Her favorite part of the past six decades hasn't been watching the company grow, but watching the next generation step into leadership.

"The best memories have been watching the third generation grow up in the business because they came right after high school as I did," she said. "They are the important ones in the company now."

The company recently surprised Burgeson by recognizing her 60 years of service during an Inland Empire 66ers game, where she threw a ceremonial first pitch.

"I feel old and young at the same time," she said.

Retirement, however, isn't high on her list.

"I'm not sure as far as retirement," Burgeson said. "It's never been boring. I enjoy having something to do every day."

Her mother worked until she was 95.

"I'll at least shoot for 65 years," Burgeson said.