Our History
Founded in 1946, Omar Schraer served Warrenton and Montgomery county Missouri for decades building and installing furnaces in the small community. In the 1950s, Omar added air conditioning to the services he provided and from then on was known as Schraer Heating and Air Conditioning. The company was run by a tight-knit group of family up until 1994, when the company was purchased by Scott-Woolf Incorporated, run by brothers-in-law Gary Scott and Bill Woolf.
Gary and Bill had begun serving the Warrenton area in 1993 with one truck and a customer base of about 300 people, and their purchase of Schraer Heating and Air Conditioning reinvigorated the company.
From the beginning, Gary and Bill committed to continue Omar’s legacy, and the enterprise continued to be a family affair as several generations grew up and joined the family business. Sons, daughters and cousins tell stories of building racetracks in the warehouse from ducting and riding bikes in the parking lot late into the night as the company grew both in capability and clientele.
And many of those same kids joined the company as it expanded to dozens of local cities, added numerous services, and established partnerships with suppliers like Lennox to carry only the most innovative systems.
The years since have been full of major leaps forward and challenges conquered, from airlifting HVAC systems by helicopter for commercial installs to serving the unprecedented growth of the communities west of St. Louis.
But no matter how Schraer has grown, one thing has never been forgotten—that the heating and air conditioning of a home is its beating heart, and it’s with that same heart that Schraer serves its community, and since the beginning has participated in civic cleanups, local parades, and purchases a bull every year at the local 4H auction. The people that work at Schraer treat every home like it is their own. Each new job is a chance to help one of our neighbors first, and a “service call” last. When we talk about comfort, we’re not just talking about heating and air conditioning, we’re talking about giving our heart to our communities. It’s just how we do things around here.
A TIMELINE OF SCHRAER LEGACY
1946
Schraer is Founded
Omar Schraer begins installing furnaces in Warrenton, MO, becoming a staple of the community and beginning half a century of service
1950’s
Schraer Gets Cool
Omar Schraer expands and begins to install Air Conditioning
1994
Gary and Bill Buy Schraer
Gary Scott and Bill Woolf form their partnership, purchasing Schraer and revitalizing its management
2010’s
Schraer Goes Geothermal
Schraer adds innovative new Geothermal technology to its arsenal and begins installing geothermal heatpumps
2023
New Partners, Same Values
Gary and Bill partner with Jake Nielson and partners to carry on the legacy of Schraer with fresh energy and a commitment to remain true to the values of The Schraer Way
“Mrs. Wonderful”
The icon behind the icon
A few key figures have steered Schraer throughout the decades, but none have driven its soul more than Teresa Scott. She was officially the office manager at Schraer for decades, but her actual role was as the beating heart and energy of the company.
Everyone has a Teresa story. Suppliers would go out of their way to talk to her – even after she gave up her front desk job. They gave her the nickname “Mrs. Wonderful”, because of the unbreakable vibrant optimism she carried with her every single day.
Today, if you hear a Schraer technician say “We love a good challenge!”, it’s because no one could keep up with Mrs. Wonderful—and you can bet you’d be better off echoing her trademark phrase than throwing in the towel too early.
On occasion, on a late night when a technician was having trouble or didn’t want to crawl into a wet, muddy crawlspace, they might suggest coming back the next day. To that, Teresa would declare “—you stay right there, I’m coming down and I’ll do it myself!” And she absolutely would. You can bet everyone started to judge their work by the “Mrs. Wonderful standard” from then on.
Teresa’s hustle extended far beyond Schraer, however. She once heard of an employee that was dropping out of school—and she dropped everything to go find them and push them not to give up. This was far from an uncommon story—she volunteered in the community, organized fundraising events, was an avid runner, and was always the first one in and last one out in any situation.
Teresa unexpectedly passed away in 2018, but her spirit lives on as the embodiment of what Schraer Air stands for—and we keep her running shoes in the office as a constant reminder that we always need to keep up with her, even today. As a key element of the Schraer brand, her iconic image serves as a reminder to all of us to uphold those values with every job. We bring the Wonderful. We do the dirty work. And we do it right, no excuses.
All of these values add up to our company commandments. We call them The Schraer Way. It’s a way of being in the world. A way to give more than anyone’s asking. And it’s how we do business.
Because No One Cares About Air More Than Schraer.
The SCHRAER WAY
Our purpose is to guarantee comfort for every neighbor we serve, and these are the values and commandments that guide everything we do at Schraer Air.
We believe that the bigger the challenge, the more satisfying it is to solve it.
Rain or shine, hot or cold, dry or muddy, crawlspace or helicopter airlift, we are here for it, every time.
We believe that every day is a chance to give the world a smile. We’re here to lift up and build up. It’s not a Pollyanna attitude, it’s the wisdom of knowing that every day and every relationship is what you make it.
We believe that there’s always a way to get the job done right, no matter what. When others find reasons to delay, say no, take a shortcut or chicken out, we roll up our sleeves and get it done.
We believe that our reputation is our warranty and our work is a reflection of who we are. Our customers aren’t a job, they’re our neighbors. We don’t make you talk to a robot, treat you like a number, or turn service into a sales pitch. We care.
As Gary and Bill plan their transition into retirement, they have passed management of operations to Jake Nielson. Schraer will continue to honor Omar, Teresa, and the values we’ve always stood for – by continuing to provide only the best, most up to date systems and service. We want to earn the chance to have you as a loyal customer for life. Give us a call or schedule today and we will be happy to assist you.
