Growing up in a military family, it wasn't that Scott Wood was expected to follow suit; rather it was his choice of military branch that may have rankled a few elders. 

Wood's father enjoyed a career in the Army National Guard. Others in the family served in the United States Air Force. But, the Upstate New Yorker decided the oceans of the world were calling him, so he opted to serve in the Navy. 

Wood spent four years as a Master-at-arms, the Navy's version of military police. He originally enlisted as a Sea Bee, planning to work heavy construction. 

His military experience would serve him long after his tour of duty, leaning on the discipline instilled in him and leadership skills, as he went on to lead his own businesses, McCarthy's One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Omaha. 

While he enjoyed his stint in military law enforcement, Wood ultimately found a career working with his hands as an HVAC specialist in the civilian world. 

Working his way into management, he settled in Omaha in 2021 as the general manager of One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning. He bought the franchise in 2023. 

Before realizing his ultimate goal to own his own business, Wood faced a major decision early in his military career. 

Following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the Navy created an opportunity for him to attend the law enforcement and security academy. He jumped at the chance. 

"I grew up in the construction trade, so to speak, and it seemed fitting at the time, but I always had this passion of doing law enforcement," he said. 

Following a brief tour of duty overseas, Wood spent most of his four-year military stint stateside. 

Following his discharge, Wood visited his grandmother in Tampa, a traveling nurse who was working there at the time. He'd spend the next 17 years there. 

"I just kind of fell in love with that area, and really didn't want to go back home to New York," Wood said. 

He didn't pursue a career in law enforcement, instead finding his way into the world of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, eventually working for the One Hour franchise there. 

"They've kind of trained me from the bottom all the way up to where I am today," Wood said. "When I was at the Tampa One Hour, I learned so much from installation, service, maintenance, sales, management, and operations." 

In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, John McCarthy, then-owner of Omaha's One Hour, reached out to Wood about the general manager's position. 

He may not have used the best selling points to recruit the Wood family to Omaha. 

"He sent me a text message saying, 'Hey, the wind chill is negative 40,'" Wood said. McCarthy’s humor didn't originally land with Wood. 

"I sent him a picture of my palm tree," he said. "I said, 'It's 86. Leave me alone.'" 

With two autoimmune-challenged children, the Woods had to be careful about exposing them to others during the pandemic, he said. 

But, McCarthy was persistent in his pursuit of Wood, and the Floridian eventually landed in Omaha. He visited in March 2021 and started as the GM a month later. 

"The culture here is amazing," he said. "My kids fell in love with the school district. My wife and I fell in love with the Millard school district." 

The family likes Omaha's location, with his family living in New York and his wife, Sarah, being originally from Detroit, Wood said. 

"Omaha's a really nice pathway in the middle, not geography-wise, but culturally-wise," Wood said. "It's got that big, small-town feel, a mom-and-pop shop culture here in the community. It is really nice."

Soon after Wood started as general manager, McCarthy experienced health issues and stepped away from the business. Mary Kay McCarthy, who had an active role with the business, left to care for her husband, Wood said. 

"I got involved in the company a lot more deeply than I anticipated," Wood said. "I was really able to get things up and going to where I wanted them to be." 

Upgrading One Hour's technology was a major project when he took over as general manager, Wood said. 

Wood relied on the discipline and organizational skills he obtained during his military career to develop his management style. 

"I'm a people person," Wood said. "Everything growing up, from being with the volunteer fire department, military, and being a tradesman, every part of my life, I've had a uniform of serving people," he said. "I love working with people, watching people grow, developing them into something that they've never imagined that they could be." 

Focusing on others key to his success, Wood said. 

"Having the right people on my leadership team, they are the true reason why we're so successful," he said. "I just come up with a vision, and they implement everything. I could not be where I am without them. And that allows me to have the freedom of interacting with all the employees, ones who have been with us for 25 years, or ones that we just hired last week." 

While he has a personal goal of achieving $10 million in sales, Wood said One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning prioritizes customer service more than sales. 

"Although you can't make 100% of everybody happy, people know us for our service,” he said. “At the end of the day, I want a culture and an organization to model the thought process that I would want. If I'm going into your house, take care of the customer, no matter what the cost. That's the ultimate priority." 

The company sponsors community service programs and offers discounted services for veterans, such as the Heroes Club, Wood said. It features quarterly service visits at a low rate, he said. One Hour also supports the 50 Mile March program, a fundraiser for veterans, Wood said. 

Enjoying a career in the HVAC industry following his military service showcases the discipline and teamwork attitude he developed during his military duty, Wood said. 

Veterans often miss the camaraderie and challenges when they leave the military, but One Hour Heating helped continue those feelings, he said. 

"They teach all of us, just like the service, to grow and develop as individuals," Wood said. "If you're standing still, you're going backwards. You need to keep moving forward, better yourself, and mentor someone."

Tim Trudell is a freelance writer and online content creator. His work has appeared in Flatwater Free Press, Next Avenue, Indian Country Today, Nebraska Life, Nebraska Magazine, Council Bluffs Daily Non-Pareil and Douglas County Post Gazette, among others. He is a citizen of the Santee Dakota Nation.