It’s a rarity to see a family business survive the cut-throat whims of the modern economy. It’s even rarer that said business could stay afloat for 100 years.

George’s Plumbing & Heating has beaten the odds, celebrating a century of service this year. The business, which covers heating fuel deliveries, heating repair, plumbing repairs and installations, and air conditioning services, has been a family-oriented operation ever since its beginnings.

“There wasn’t a lot of history kept, but it was started by my great-grandfather, Eugene, and his son, William,” owner Bill George said. “They used to have coal and oil. Then my father, Bartine, got involved around the late 30s, along with his brother Gerald.”

When World War II came around, Bartine and Gerald joined the Air Force and Army, respectively. After the end of the war, the men came home and took over the family business with their father.

“That continued with the three of them until about 1960,” George said. “My grandfather got older and sickly, so my father took it over, and Gerald continued to work here.”

Bill George joined his father in the business in the 1970s after getting out of college. Bertine had encouraged Bill to get out and explore his options with school, with the promise that the family business would be there if he wanted to join.

“He didn’t push me, in fact. he gave me every opportunity to do other things,” he said.

When Bartine became sickly later on in the decade, Bill took over.

“And I’ve been here ever since,” he said, estimating he’s been involved for about 50 years, including part-time work when he was younger.

The family line continues, with Gerald’s son Scott George having worked with the business since 1986.

“It’s a neat thing. A lot of people say it’s something you don’t often hear about,” Scott George said. “We’ve got the fifth generation here now, so that’s a neat thing. You like to think that people get what they pay for, and that we’re going to do what we say we’re going to do, and we try our best to do that.”

Bill’s daughter, Nicole Jahelka, along with her husband Chris and brother-in-law Daniel Ivancich, all pitch in at George’s Plumbing and Heating. Bill said that Nicole has played an integral part in recent upgrades, office management, and accounting for the business.

Jahelka still holds fond memories of being in the office with her sister and playing secretary with the phones as her mother helped clean.

“I think it’s amazing, for a family-owned business to be around that long. It’s not the norm, it’s definitely something to be proud of,” she said.

Of course, years of maintaining local residents’ heating and plumbing comes at a cost for the Georges, with the family having to invest an abundance of time and energy into the enterprise. Just because it’s a holiday, it doesn’t mean your heater won’t be on the fritz.

“It’s a seven-day-week job,” George said. “I remember going out on Christmas 14 times on service calls one year. It was 0 degrees, the wind wouldn’t let up for a minute, and I remember going out 14 times. I had to take the phone off the hook just to have supper with the kids.”

George said that the key to keeping customers – some of whom have been with the company for 50 years – is great service, and when it comes down to it, he would rather provide that for a smaller customer base than reduce the quality or reliability of that service.

“I’ve had chances to grow the company by acquiring another company or two, but, we have so many loyal and good customers, we stay busy, and we’ll continue to do so,” George said. “If people need something, we’re there, whether it’s 10 at night or 2 in the morning. If they need us, we’re there for them.”

That dedication to customers extends beyond the business, as George’s has routinely supported community efforts over the years. Bill is a volunteer firefighter, and his family is a pivotal part of Palmerton’s borough park celebrations.

“My whole family, both daughters, my wife, my son-in-laws, they’re all active in supporting Christmas in the Park,” George said. “We’ve supported the concerts in the park, and there are a lot of other local functions we contribute to.”

The future generations of Georges will certainly carry on the proud tradition of the business. Bill’s grandkids often tell him that they want to work with their pappy when they grow up, and you can see a proud grin spread across his face when he shows photos of his little guys pumping oil.

But until the next generation assumes the helm, Bill will be around to help out. It’s a life-long commitment, after all, and the George’s have a reputation for quality to hold up.

“I’ll work with them as long as I can,” George said. “I still love it, I still like doing it. It’s been a long time, and I want to keep doing it.”