Today’s fast-paced construction climate is supercharged by cutting-edge technology, rapid development, and mounting economic and labor challenges. With so much at play, it’s easy for construction companies to lose sight of the industry’s core values. A truly great construction company is one that evolves with the industry while at the same time staying grounded to its roots. Panko MC, a full scope commercial and residential HVAC company based in Hackettstown, New Jersey, exemplifies this balance.
While embracing the latest advancements in HVAC technology and adopting a flexible approach to the ever-changing market, Panko MC remains rooted in its mission, which is to deliver a high-quality HVAC service with integrity, expertise, and a personal touch. A servicing company by nature is not just a once-off provider, but rather a lifelong partner providing ongoing support to its clients. Over time, Panko MC has cultivated strong relationships with its clients on both sides of the Hudson River, earning a reputation for consistent quality and dependable service. The company has built a loyal customer base that continues to rely on it for regular HVAC servicing, and their commitment to doing the job right has turned many first-time customers into lifelong partners.
When I meet with the company’s President, Marek Pankowski, I get the sense that the beating heart of the industry—that is, the personal touch that built it—is alive and well. Marek started out in the construction industry over twenty years ago, trying his hand at small residential work and organically building a client base from one house to the next. “I started working in HVAC in 1998,” Marek says. “In 2007 I registered my business, and then in 2010 I really went out on my own. People liked my work and appreciated that I was honest with them.” The knowledge and experience Marek built over time paved the way for his expansion into the commercial sector, where he found a wave of new opportunity and a gateway to further growth. “I got to do some service work for clients that had businesses, and that’s how I started moving up and growing.” Today, Panko MC services everything from small residential units to large commercial units and everything in between. “We also do design, where a client will call us to say they want to design the system for big commercial and residential buildings.” About 75% of Panko’s portfolio is now big commercial, but Marek says, ever grounded to the company’s roots, “I’m going to keep pushing for small work too.”
2017 was a pivotal year for Panko MC, defined by an office reorganization, landing its first government contract, and hiring staff to accommodate the increased workload. “When we jumped from strictly residential to doing more commercial and taking on government projects, that’s when I realized I needed more people in the office to follow the workload,” Marek says. “Plus, that really opened up the markets in downtown New York City, Brooklyn, and Long Island. We really expanded from there forward.” It was during this pivotal year that Panko was awarded its first Post Office job for the federal government, marking the beginning of a partnership that holds strong today.
Panko’s work with government-run entities such as the United States Postal Service and the state boards of education has been integral to its success, as this line of work offers a stability that is harder to come by in other sectors. This is particularly beneficial to small to medium sized companies, for whom entering the federal space can mean steady work, less payment risk, and long-term growth potential. Another high-profile client providing a steady stream of work is the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City, which Panko has been servicing since 2018. In the healthcare industry, where optimized HVAC systems are crucial to occupant comfort and patient recovery, Panko has provided its services on multiple projects within the Montefiore Nyack Hospital campus.
Marek believes that the future of Panko MC is in its servicing operations, which was the catalyst to the company’s early success. “We really want to push on more services,” Marek says. Servicing allows Panko to work directly with its clients, which makes for a personal and responsive customer experience that is harder to achieve with the involvement of a General Contractor. This direct engagement helps build stronger relationships and ensures that client needs are addressed more efficiently. Recognizing the value of this approach, Panko is strategically investing its resources into expanding its service capabilities. “We’re building a good service department and looking for new work in New Jersey and New York,” Marek says. “Expanding servicing is our goal for this year.”
At the same time, Marek has his sights set on more HVAC design, which broadens the company’s offering and allows it to provide a full scope of HVAC services to its valued clients. With an engineer on board as part of the Panko core team, this is an avenue of work that is set to take Panko to new heights in the coming years. Allie, Panko MC’s Administrative Assistant, mirrors Marek’s point about prioritizing and expanding the company’s service department. Plans are already in motion to grow the service team further, and this investment underscores Panko’s belief that a personalized, hands-on approach is key to its continued growth and long-term success. Allie highlights the company’s desire to secure more consistent work on the West side of the Hudson River. “We do a lot of work in New York City, and we do have jobs that are based in New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” she says, “but we want to see that increase in the coming months and years.”
Under Marek’s leadership, the Panko team is motivated not solely by monetary success, but by reputation. “We all work for money,” Marek says. “My goal is to grow and build a good reputation. That’s what I’m aiming for. Simple.” More on the company’s reputation from Christian, one of Panko MC’s Estimators. “We’ve done a good job as a company to show ourselves as dependable and reliable,” Christian says. “When you call upon us, you know that things are going to be done not just right, but in an honest way. Being able to increase the service side of our department, and to become more of a name in New Jersey where we’re talked about through word of mouth, I think that’s the growth we’re looking for.” From day one, the Panko name has been associated with dependability, honesty, and integrity. “That’s where we started,” Christian says, “so we’re trying to hold up those values.”
“Being able to increase the service side of our department, and to become more of a name in New Jersey where we’re talked about through word of mouth, that’s the growth we’re looking for.”
Marek is striving for steady growth in the coming years, keeping pace with the expanding scale and reach of the construction industry within the New York Metropolitan area. He understands from experience that meaningful progress starts small, or as he says, “neighbor to neighbor.” It was through smaller service jobs that Marek earned the trust and reputation that ultimately led to larger, more complex projects. Being in touch with his roots, Marek remains committed to offering a reliable, personalized service as the foundation for sustained, long-term growth.
Looking further afield, the company also has its sights set on expansion into Pennsylvania, which will be a key step in its broader strategic growth plan. Panko MC evolves in step with the HVAC industry, which is being shaped by trends such as climate change, aging infrastructure, and rising demand for sustainable, high-efficiency systems. As the climate shifts, so too does the demand for smarter, more efficient heating and cooling solutions, thus presenting a significant opportunity for HVAC companies. The growing complexity of systems required in high-rise residential and commercial buildings presents new avenues for innovation in both system design and ongoing maintenance, and being heavily involved in these sectors, Panko is well-positioned to capitalize on this. Aging building infrastructure provides further opportunity as it brings with it a demand for system upgrades, retrofits, and maintenance to meet modern efficiency and environmental standards. With the right positioning and strategy, Panko MC can carve out a strong presence and continue to grow and thrive in this exciting market.
