By Sterling McGinn
The Luce County area now has a new licensed and insured heating, ventilating and air conditioning business.
Newberry native Trenton Doughty opened Doughty’s HVAC in McMillan in November of 2023 seeing a need for additional services in the area.
“I saw how much there was a need for it here,” Doughty said. “Klaty’s is the only one in the area within 50 miles. I opened around deer season, and it has been going good so far.”
His business specializes in installation and service of forced air furnaces, mini-splits, central air, gas piping, duct work and small venting for dryers and bathrooms.
Doughty, a 2013 Newberry High School graduate, studied at Northern Michigan University and was a member of the Army National Guard for six years. He returned to the area working for Klaty’s PHE and construction until deciding to open his business. He now resides in McMillan with his wife, Katie, and their daughter.
Initially intending to enter the criminal justice field, Doughty took some trades classes and ultimately selected a new career path.
“I needed a filler class the end of my first year and I ended up taking an intro to HVAC and intro to electrical,” he said. “I thought, ‘This isn’t bad’—then I started steering toward that and after the second year I thought, ‘The criminal justice thing isn’t working,’ so this is what led me to the trades.”
Doughty is currently running the young company by himself, but wants to add an additional person by the end of the year. He’s also looking into purchasing duct cleaning equipment.
