Why Manager Development Drives Long-Term Growth: A Conversation with Allison Heaney of Skaggs-Walsh

Overview

Leading a nearly century-old home services company takes resilience, vision, and a deep commitment to people, all qualities embodied by Allison Heaney, owner and CEO of Skaggs-Walsh, the best home comfort services provider in New York City. Under her leadership, the company has expanded its services while maintaining a strong, customer-first culture. In this interview, Heaney shares insights on growth, leadership, and why investing in development, including programs like those offered by Oxygen, is critical for long-term success.

Building Comfort & Leadership: A Conversation with Allison Heaney of Skaggs-Walsh

Q: Allison, thank you for joining us. To start, tell our readers how Skaggs-Walsh began and what role you play today.

Allison Heaney: Skaggs-Walsh has been serving New York City and Long Island for nearly a century, first founded in 1933 as a boiler company that expanded into heating oil in the 1950s. Today, we’re a full-service home comfort provider offering heating oil delivery, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services with deeply rooted ties to the communities we serve. I’m the CEO and third-generation owner, and I work every day to uphold our tradition of high-quality work, personal service, and growth while also expanding what we offer to customers.

Q: Your leadership story is pretty unique; what drove you to continue growing a business in such a traditionally male-dominated industry?

Allison Heaney: It definitely started early for me. I literally grew up in the business, from washing trucks as a kid to stuffing envelopes and learning from every corner of the company. I think what carried me through was a belief that leadership isn’t about fitting a stereotype but about commitment, credibility, and showing up for your team and customers every day. It wasn’t always easy as there were challenges being a woman in this field, but staying focused on excellence and building a culture where every employee feels valued has been fundamental to our success.

Q: You’ve expanded into multiple home services areas beyond heating oil. How do you maintain quality and cohesion across such a wide service spectrum?

Allison Heaney: One of our core principles is that growth shouldn’t dilute quality. When we bring in new teams, whether they be master plumbers, electricians, or HVAC technicians, we look for people who share our values and customer-first mentality. We invest in training, certifications, and service standards so that whether it’s a boiler repair or electrical installation, customers get the same reliability. Also, we’ve kept our leadership close to the work — customers often speak directly with service managers or even me! That level of connection keeps us accountable.

Q: Speaking of leadership, the importance of strong management has been shown to impact business performance broadly. That’s a space where organizations like Oxygen help companies strengthen their leadership bench. What are your thoughts on investing in leadership development?

Allison Heaney: Leadership development is vital. Growing a business, especially a service company with diverse disciplines, means you have managers making decisions, guiding teams, and working with customers daily. Programs like those from Oxygen focus on real skill building to help managers become more effective communicators, better problem-solvers, and more thoughtful leaders.

It’s something I’m personally passionate about because when a manager understands how to coach, support, and empower their team, that’s when things really move. Just like how my father taught me about all parts of the business and how to be a strong leader, I am teaching my own kids the same to prepare them to continue the business and ensure more sustainable growth.

Q: What advice would you give other business owners looking to scale while maintaining a strong culture?

Allison Heaney: Always be intentional about who you bring into your leadership ranks and how you support their development. Don’t assume that promotion equals leadership competence; be sure to invest in training and coaching. Be sure to keep the customer experience front and center, because growth is meaningless if you lose that personal connection with the people you serve. And finally, lead with integrity to build trust inside your company and with your community, because those relationships endure even when the market changes.

Q: What’s next for Skaggs-Walsh?

Allison Heaney: We’re focused on innovation and how we can better serve customers with a variety of energy options, more efficient systems, and smarter service solutions. But at the heart of it all is the people — our team, our leadership, and our customers will keep us strong for the next 90 years and beyond.

Takeaway

What stood out to me in this conversation is something I see across industries: companies don’t struggle because they lack ambition, they struggle because managers aren’t equipped to handle the complexity that growth creates. Skaggs-Walsh continues to thrive because they invest in people with the same seriousness they invest in service quality. And that’s what ultimately makes scale sustainable.

To learn more about Skaggs-Walsh and the services they provide to New York City and Long Island residents, visit skaggswalsh.com.