40 Years of SSI

It doesn’t seem that long ago when a job at SSI came with an order of fries. Of course, it’s been 40 years since our founding. Our operation back then was a bit simpler. Eddie Murphy started SSI with just two employees and two ideas: that Northern Virginia was missing a quality, service-oriented HVAC company, and that his entrepreneurial spirit could make it happen. While operations were based out of Eddie’s basement, planning jobs for the coming day always seemed to happen at the neighborhood McDonald’s. It was an easy (and tasty) spot to bring the team together.

Soon, with a reputation for both value and commitment, the team outgrew their Reston meeting place and invested in their first proper location in Annandale. In those days, the clients were all commercial. Eddie and the guys would install and maintain heating and air conditioning systems for area businesses and industrial properties. Not long after, those same business owners started asking SSI to service their homes, too. The company grew.

As SSI expanded, so too did our need for larger accommodations. In 1988, we moved to the Chantilly headquarters where we still operate today – although we’ve grown into a floor plan that’s four times the size it was back then. We estimate that since our founding in 1979, we’ve installed or repaired over 100,000 HVAC systems across Northern Virginia. At any given time, you can find over three dozen SSI trucks on area roads, hustling to the next service appointment.

Eddie passed on his entrepreneurial spirit to his son, Rusty Murphy. Rusty has been running the business since 1997 after Eddie suddenly left us following his battle with cancer. With the 2nd generation at the forefront for the last 22 years, SSI has done nothing, but grow. From our founding team of two, SSI now counts over 50 employees. We proudly remain a family-owned company, and there is even a 3rd generation of Murphy’s currently working in the field and in the office.

Thirty years into business, it was clear that SSI was doing it right. We expanded our services to include plumbing – working on everything from leaky faucets to sump pumps and water heaters. It was a natural expansion for the team. Our customers had already recognized us as a dependable, caring specialist in indoor comfort and home efficiency.

What’s next? We suppose we’ll keep on doing what we’ve always done: creating a world of comfort as the area’s leading indoor heating, cooling, and plumbing specialists. Our services will continue to evolve to meet our customers’ needs, and our quality will never waver. It’s been a wonderful last 40 years at SSI, and we’re looking forward to the next four decades, too!