Above: Community members showed up to support the Grand Opening for a business owned by partners who grew up in Southborough. (image cropped from contributed photo)
On a bustling Friday, downtown Southborough came alive with new life as Metro West Mini Splits held its grand opening on 3 Main Street. Owners Jamie Falconi and Alan Diodato described their vision for the business, reflecting on ties to the local community and the promise of their enterprise.
As I pulled up to the downtown area, I immediately saw and heard that there was a large turnout for the event. Since the lot and street next to the building were full, I parked across the road at Mauro’s. The purpose of the celebration was to give community members the opportunity to meet the business owners as well as to see the showroom where potential customers can survey their purchasing options. It was a celebration that included a free mini split system being given away along with a host of charity raffles.
Business partners Falconi and Diodato have both grown up in Southborough. When talking to them, it was incredibly apparent how much the town means to them.
“We’ve been doing this our whole lives…and we’re not just looking to serve our local community, we’re part of it too,” Falconi said. “We’re supporting our own community by giving the services that we do. We’ve focused on the mini splits and the heat pumps, but we’re a full service HVAC company and being right here in town surrounded by our friends, neighbors, people that we grew up with, our family and stuff, it’s pretty unique. It’s helped us to nurture this business to where it is now.”
Falconi’s family is in the heating and air conditioning business. They own Falconi Energy which is also located in Southborough.
“My grandfather started it in 1935 and Alan [Diodato] and I both attended Assabet Valley which is a local trade school,” Falconi said. “When we graduated, Alan actually went right into the HVAC field and went to work for my family down here to learn the heating and oil trade…he’s been doing that for 30 years.”
The two men have been friends since they were seven years old when they would stand at the bus stop together in the morning. The streets that they grew up on were visible from where we were talking, demonstrating the close ties they have with each other and the community.
“We have a good working relationship, I think that comes across to our customers and I think they feel the fact that we’re honest in our approach,” Falconi said.
Diodato elaborated on this sentiment.
“We’re pretty much straight shooters, we’re not hiding it, we’re not trying to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes,” Diodato said.
This neighborly foundation translates into their business model.
“We typically give the customers more options than they even realize they have,” Diodato said. “I’ve been in this field for so long, and we’re not just typical sales guys saying ‘yes, yes, you need this’; we actually look into it as if it were working in our own parents’ homes.”
On top of that, the addition of a showroom has enabled the company to further tailor to the needs of the customer.
“Now we have an opportunity to invite our customers down to see the different brands and mini splits on the wall and make a purchasing decision that way,” Falconi said.
Falconi later added: “We lay these quotes out and we’ll actually help you select what might be the best equipment for you. It goes without saying that we can beat a competitor’s price, but it’s more like making sure the customer gets the best equipment and the best scenario for their home.”
The partners tout that Metrowest Mini Splits has been a trusted name for two years now, earning a stellar reputation backed by a series of glowing customer reviews. They came across their new location after a previous business had left the spot.
“We wanted to make sure that we announce our presence, especially being able to snag a spot right here on Main Street,” Falconi said. “It was a no-brainer for us to shout it out there, let’s get something going and invite all of our family and friends and customers.”
All throughout our conversation, a steady stream of locals dropped by to say hi to Falconi and Diodato, offering congratulations and enjoying the celebration. The occasional honk from passing cars added to the vibrant atmosphere, exemplifying the towns’ warm reception of the new business.
“Southborough is a small community and it’s got a real hometown feel to it and it is a caring community,” Falconi said. “You find that you know your neighbors and they care about you. It’s rare these days and that’s the approach that we try to bring across to our customers.”
Updated (5/7/24 1:32 pm): Editors Note by Beth Melo: The first paragraph was missing Alan Diodato’s name. (That was completely my fault. To make sure I had the spelling right in a caption, I tried to copy it but accidentally cut it instead! Laney had included it and pointed out the omission.)
