Trent Taucher President
For over three decades, Trent and his father, Rodney, have been a defining force in the heating and air conditioning industry, widely recognized as the pioneers of the direct-to-consumer online HVAC model. As the President of Budget Heating & Air Conditioning, Trent has spent his career dismantling the barriers between wholesale distributors and the everyday homeowner, proving that professional-grade comfort shouldn't come with a premium markup.
The Origin Story
Budget Heating & Air Conditionings journey began in the early 1990s, a time when the HVAC industry was strictly gatekept. If a homeowner needed a new furnace, heat pump or air conditioner, their only option was to go through local contractors who often marked up equipment prices by 300% or more.
In 1992, Rodney founded Budget Heating & Air Conditioning. With the goals of fair, honest and budget friendly pricing it was formed to meet the needs of the community as it relates to air conditioning, refrigeration and heating service and installation. In 1999 the company expanded into new construction having over 60 team members and many commercial projects underway simultaneously throughout the state of Florida. In 2000 we relocated from a 4,000 sq. ft. space to a 52,000 sq. ft. facility to support rapid growth.
Pioneering Online Sales
In 2001, our eBay store launched with a simple but radical idea: sell HVAC equipment directly to the public at true wholesale prices. At the time, customers were paying exorbitant markups for the very same equipment sitting in wholesale warehouses. Early on, selling one or two systems a week felt like a major win! However, it quickly became clear there was a real market need for fair-priced HVAC equipment and supplies sold directly to consumers online. That realization led to the launch of BudgetHeating.com in 2004.
When the internet began to reshape retail, Rodney & Trent were among the first to recognize its potential for the HVAC sector. While competitors insisted air conditioners could never, and should never, be sold online Budget Heating built the infrastructure to prove otherwise. During this period, the company faced daily angry phone calls and threatening letters from competitors who knew the traditional model was being disrupted and long-standing excessive margins were at risk. For Trent and Rodney, that resistance became confirmation they were on the right path, because meaningful market pushback is often the clearest sign that real change is happening. Rigorous processes, procedures and shipping protocols were developed to ensure heavy machinery and supplies arrived safely while simultaneously building a support team of experts capable of guiding customers through complex purchasing decisions remotely. The focus was customer centric reverting to our founding roots of honest, fair and transparent pricing with professional advice.
Today, that gamble has paid off. Under Trent’s leadership, Budget Heating has grown from a local operation into an international supplier, fulfilling over 190,000 orders across North America. That philosophy still defines Budget Heating & Air today over 30 years later, our mission is to maintain competitive, transparent pricing while pairing customers with knowledgeable, experienced professionals who truly understand the products they sell. Our sales team alone brings more than 40 years of combined HVAC industry experience.
We are not order takers...we are guiding experts, helping homeowners and business owners navigate complex decisions to find the right solution for their needs and budget. Our recommendations are driven by what makes sense for the customer, not by brand preferences, manufacturer kickbacks, or higher margins.
Scale and Expertise
Trent currently oversees operations at the company’s massive distribution headquarters—a facility spanning over 100,000 square feet in Tampa, Florida and similarly sized building in Houston, Texas. His hands-on approach involves managing supply chain logistics with major manufacturers like Goodman, Rheem, and Mitsubishi. By buying in massive bulk, Trent ensures that Budget Heating maintains the lowest prices in the nation, passing those savings directly to the customer.
Philosophy: Knowledge is Power
Trent’s core belief is that homeowners should be empowered, not exploited. He has championed the creation of Budget Heating’s extensive library of technical guides and educational resources. He believes that whether a customer is a seasoned contractor or a DIY enthusiast, they deserve transparent information concerning sizing, SEER2 ratings, warranty terms, and installation requirements.
Why Listen to Trent?
Trent isn't just a business owner; he is one of the original disruptor of the HVAC industry. Before Budget Heating & Air, the "rules" said that homeowners weren't smart enough or trusted enough to buy their own equipment. Trent has spent 30 years and counting proving the gatekeepers wrong.
When you read Trent’s advice, you aren't getting a sales pitch from a marketing team. You are getting the strategic insight of a CEO who has navigated three decades of supply chain shifts, regulatory changes, and economic cycles. He knows the difference between a trend and a standard. If Trent puts his name on a brand or a business model, it’s because he has vetted it with the weight of a 30-year legacy behind him. He helped build this company on a single radical promise: to treat the homeowner as a partner, not just a paycheck.
