Matz-Rightway Keeps It Cool (and Hot!)

Phil Rush, the general manager of Matz-Rightway in Hampton Bays, is a pretty funny dude. During our chat about the heating and air conditioning’s 60–plus year history, he regaled me with stories about East End clients. Nothing salacious or nasty, mind you, just silly things that happened, interesting people he met, some of the company’s long-time clients, etc. “This one woman, Robert, let me tell you about her,” Rush says, going into one such story. “This happened at the beginning of July, when it was sweltering out, remember?”

I did, in fact, remember. I was sweating through a brand-new Ninja Turtles t-shirt at a friend’s barbecue on the south shore. “Well, this long-time client, sweet lady, calls me and tells me her heat isn’t working,” Rush said. “I was out, working, filthy, sweating, like everyone else on the Island. I half-jokingly said to her ‘open your windows and doors if you’re cold’,” Rush finished, both of us laughing.

Matz-Rightway is one of those East End companies whose name is synonymous with the Hamptons. In business since 1948, the company primarily deals with ventilation, heating and air conditioning, with the summer being their obvious busy season. “Basically, we serve the North and South forks of Long Island. Recently, we’ve expanded further into Nassau and Suffolk, since a lot of our customers have additional homes up-island,” Rush said.

In order to continue his expansion, Rush cites his advertising with Dan’s Papers as being an integral aspect for growth. “I used to only advertise in Dan’s during the summer, but I realized I should use it all year long. I can’t even tell you the increased business I’ve had from advertising 52 weeks per year,” Rush exclaims. I politely teased him for singing the praises of the paper so highly, but he was genuine in his happiness through the advertising, so who am I to not include a little self-recognition?

“We do install, we do residential, new construction building and we also service all makes and models of heating and air conditioning,” Rush said, expanding on what kind of services Matz-Rightway performs. On their website, the company also highlights various refunds and rebates available to homeowners and those considering using Matz-Rightway for their heating and air conditioning installation or servicing needs.

“You have utility rebates available through the energy company, they have manufacturer rebates available,” Rush said. “There are also government rebates available for geothermal installations, which we do a ton of out here on the East End. Using the earth’s energy to heat and cool your house is a really popular green initiative that’s popular with folks out here. High-efficiency air conditioning is an important aspect, as well.” Perhaps as a sign of the economic times, Rush was quick to point out that many on the East End are seeking better energy-efficient ways to heat and cool their homes, leading many to the geothermal solution. “You wouldn’t think that folks out here are looking to save money or use geothermal, but it’s huge,” Rush said. “Indoor air quality is another important factor for East End homeowners. Many new homes are tighter than they ever were, so air filtration systems are a more common household necessity. Not a lot of fresh air gets into these houses, so, humidification, dehumidification, are all popular products that we sell to meet the customer’s needs.”

Matz-Rightway is also a full-service duct-cleaning service. Rush ran down a laundry list of popular, exciting products that they offer. By working on a lot of new construction projects, Matz-Rightway tackles installations in new homes while also providing service all over the East End. “I have a lot of very high-end long-term customers,” Rush says. “Customers leave the area recommend us to help out the new owner. Word of mouth goes a long way, you know?

“If you’re not taking care of the customer the way they expect to be taken care of, that’s a problem,” Rush says. “We try to keep our customers happy to the best of our ability and that’s why we’re so popular on the East End.”

For more information, contact Matz-Rightway at matz-rightway.com or 631-728-0661.