by Kristin Boyd 

Inside Gold Medal’s 15,000 square foot East Brunswick facility overlooking the New Jersey Turnpike, customer service representatives answer telephone calls on the first ring, their upbeat voices carrying throughout the office.

Nearby, service technicians hustle in and out of the on-site warehouse, then hop into their signature gold-and-black trucks and head out on calls—maybe to repair a broken air conditioner, fix a pinhole leak or install a back-up generator.

On any given day, Gold Medal runs like a well-oiled machine, and the trio of owners—Rob Zadotti, Michael Agugliaro and Adam Belitz—wouldn’t have it any other way. They pride themselves on award-winning service and excellent customer satisfaction. "We want to prevent small problems (for customers) before they become big problems," Mr. Agugliaro says.

Mr. Agugliaro, who graduated from East Brunswick Vocational High School, has been an electrician his entire adult life. He met Mr. Zadotti, who comes from a long line of home-services contractors, while working at a local electric company in the late 1980s. In 1993, the pair opened Gold Medal Electric.

In 2003, they joined forces with Mr. Belitz, a master plumber who owned Yatrofsky Plumbing & Heating in East Brunswick. The owners merged the two businesses and formed Gold Medal Plumbing Heating Cooling Electric, which now offers a comprehensive package of home services.

Today, Gold Medal employs more than 100 people; of those, about 70 are qualified service technicians. Many are trained on all four trades —plumbing, heating, cooling and electric.

Gold Medal offers high-quality products at the best prices, and the company specializes in numerous home services — from replacing a sewer line, testing water pressure and inspecting cracks to installing back-up generators, solar attic fans and tank-less water heaters.

"No matter what, we do a complete job," Mr. Agugliaro says.

"We can do same-day service on almost anything because we have the products here," he continues, adding the company has an on-site service coordination department, dispatch station, warehouse and inventory room that remains stocked. "So, we’re not driving to supply stores while you’re sitting at home."

Depending on the scope of a job, Gold Medal will dispatch one or multiple technicians to a customer’s home. To streamline services, the company also employs designated parts runners, who bring necessary items to a customer’s home so technicians can remain at the job site.

While on a job, technicians wear floor protectors and roll out the red carpet – literally – when entering homes to keep the area clean. And customers receive a packet that includes important company information, as well as a magnet, pen and stickers. In addition, technicians arrive on time and always give an "on-the-way" courtesy calls to customers.

Technicians must complete a three-month evaluation program, in which they learn the company’s history and are tested on all equipment, before being sent out on jobs. In addition, technicians must attend monthly meetings at the company’s on-site training facility.

"We train people in our home before we send them to your home," Mr. Agugliaro says.

At the facility, five to eight employees staff the Gold Medal’s call center daily, so customers can speak with a live voice to schedule appointments or ask questions. Technicians are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The company typically staffs five electricians, five plumbers and five HVAC technicians on weekends. There is no additional charge for weekend appointments; however, there is an after-hours charge, Mr. Agugliaro says. The company, he adds, guarantees same-day service for emergency calls made before noon on Monday through Friday and before 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Gold Medal has a fleet of 65 trucks, all of which are equipped with GPS systems. Most days, about 50 of those trucks are dispatched for area jobs, Mr. Agugliaro says.

Currently, the company is offering a $99 special for the cleaning of any main sewer line, and customers who book an appointment online can save $10. Discounts are also available for seniors, veterans and disabled residents.

In addition, the company offers a Makes $ense Membership Program, a series of packages (basic, bronze, silver and gold) that includes inspections, services, check-ups and discounts.

Gold Medal is a member of the Better Business Bureau and has received a Superior Service Award from Angie’s List, an industry company that lists unbiased reports and reviews about service companies. The company is also in the top 1 percent of Lennox dealers statewide.

Gold Medal provides services throughout central New Jersey in eight counties, including Middlesex, Mercer, Somerset, Burlington, Ocean, Hunterdon, Monmouth and Union.

Mr. Agugliaro and Mr. Zadotti, in addition to being licensed electricians, have also earned their New Jersey electrical inspector’s licenses. Mr. Belitz recently earned his HHS inspector’s license.