meet the team

Kenneth Neil Philbrick, Jr.

President | Years of Experience: 20+

As President, Neil is building on the strong business his grandparents founded in 1956, and leading Philbrick into the next generation. Neil is passionate about continuing Philbrick’s legacy of exceptional customer service and introducing new services to continue to meet our customers’ every comfort need. He has been instrumental in improving all aspects of the business to make sure our customers receive the top quality service they deserve and should expect from their plumbing, heating, and air conditioning provider.

Neil earned his Bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in Business Management and Finance, with a minor in Marketing from Christopher Newport University. He holds a Master Plumbing License and Master Gas License. He is well-respected in our community and by his employees and peers in the industry. Neil is married to his wife, Jennifer, and they have a precious son, Mason, and a beautiful little girl, Emma.

Steve Philbrick

Sales Manager – HVAC Department
Years of Experience: 35+

Steve joined the company in 1981 as a salesman in the HVAC department and has played a key role for the company in residential and commercial heating and air conditioning for over 30 years. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech (1976) and has numerous hours of instruction in HVAC from Old Dominion University and Tidewater Community College. Through his hard work and dedication to customer satisfaction, he was promoted to Sales Manager in 1992. Steve is active in the community and a past president of The Qualified Gas Contractors Association of Suffolk, and he has served on the board in Portsmouth.

Let Steve’s experience and knowledge provide you and your family with the right system and comfort you deserve.

Ronnie Meekins

Manager HVAC Department | Years of Experience: 30+

Ronnie has played a key role for the company for many years. He successfully completed a 4-year apprenticeship program in his field in 1984 and is well versed in the industry. His outstanding hands-on experience as an installer and service technician earned him his promotion to HVAC Supervisor in 2005 and also director of operations for the HVAC Department.

Ronnie’s experience, knowledge, customer service, and expertise get the job done on time and on budget. Ronnie is married with two children.

Jason Sawning

General Manager | Years of Experience: 25+

Jason plays a key role in making sure our plumbing department continues to be one of the best in the industry. Jason started his plumbing career as a helper with another firm and rapidly moved up the ranks to a service technician. He has had experience with supervising other plumbing service departments in the industry and comes with a vast knowledge of all aspects of plumbing. His customer service is one you will remember from his positive attitude to his expertise on getting the job done right the first time. He plays a key role in the estimating, scheduling, and coordination of all aspects of the plumbing department. Call Jason today for all of your plumbing needs.

Anthony Comberiati

HVAC Service Manager

Betty R. Philbrick

Co-Founder (1935-2014)

Betty was synonymous with the success of Philbrick Plumbing, Heating and Cooling for many years. She originated the bookkeeping system when her late husband, Walter, and founded the company in 1956. Together, they were dedicated to customer satisfaction and helped to grow a small company into one of the oldest, most established and successful Plumbing and Mechanical companies in Hampton Roads. Betty was always well-respected and loved by many people in the community, including current and past employees. She was instrumental in maintaining our accounting department to make sure our customers and vendors receive timely statements and payments. She saw many changes within the industry over the years and was always excited about new ideas and opportunities to excel into the next generation.

“We have created a family environment here at Philbrick. Through many years of being in business, the people we have employed have been a part of our family tradition. This company would not be where it is today without the dedication and service of our employees. Thank you to all of our past and present customers for continuing to call Philbrick for all of your plumbing, heating, and cooling needs and thank you to all of our dedicated employees for helping us celebrate our 55th year. We could not have done it without you!”

Walter Philbrick

Founder (1925 – 2006)

Walter Philbrick was the founder of Philbrick Plumbing, Heating and Cooling in 1956. He started the company on the premise of providing top-quality work at an affordable price. The company began as a small business that focused on boiler installation and repair and eventually grew to be one of the oldest and largest mechanical firms in the Hampton Roads area, specializing in plumbing and HVAC. To this day, the company is still in the hands of the family and continues to deliver satisfaction and quality job after job.

“Just the fact that we’ve been in business since 1956 says a lot about how our customers and friends regard us. No amount of advertising, civic work, or selling could keep us in business this long unless we deliver value and customer satisfaction job after job. To all our many customers and friends, I want to say thank you for your many years of friendship and confidence. In retiring, I turn the reins to younger people with more energy, newer ideas, and the expertise to provide the necessary service to our customers in an ever-changing world.”