We put our customers, our installers and our local communities first, all while protecting our planet.
Trades With Purpose, Workforce Development
Founded by CEO Owen, the company was born out of a firsthand experience working with a group of young men in the Bay Area. That experience revealed a clear gap—and a clear opportunity—in workforce development. Today, the company is built around the belief that investing in people's skills and potential isn't just the right thing to do, it's smart business.
Our Founder's Path to HVAC
Owen's road to HVAC was anything but conventional. A Berkeley High School graduate, Owen spent nearly a decade in Ecuador, where he taught math and helped launch a national football league. Five years ago, he returned to California and kept teaching math, this time in East Oakland — but like so many working people in the Bay Area, he found it nearly impossible to stay rooted here financially.
Owen trained at the Champion Technician Institute and leaned on his father, John — a general contractor of 40 years — as a mentor in the trade.
When he founded 1-888-Heat-Pumps in 2023, he brought his teaching background full circle, building a transparent, skills-based curriculum for installers that gives young people entering the trades a genuine career path — not just a job. It's a company built to strengthen the Bay Area community it calls home, one home, one career, and one heat pump at a time.
What we're here to do
We’re not trying to be the biggest. We’re here to be the best at what matters most: Doing things right, treating people right, and building something that lasts.
We succeed when our stakeholders thrive.
A win for our customers
Honest guidance, high-quality installs, and attentive service. We want to make sure your heat pump saves you money!
A win for our co-workers
We pay livable wages, invest in their skills development, and cultivate a deep pride in what they do.
A win for our planet
Deploying efficient, all-electric heating and cooling is one of the most effective ways we can decarbonize our buildings.
A win for our economy
We are fueling the rise of the tool belt generation: skilled tradespeople who build our future from the ground up.
NBC Bay Area on how we're electrifying the Bay
Meet the Team Behind the Mission
Meet the team
Mike
"Milwaukee"
Trapani
Role: Lead Installer (LL2)
Nickname: Mike
About Me: Young motivated HVAC Installer!! Enjoy spending time with family.
Hometown: Martinez, CA
Hobbies: Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Bowling
Favorite Music: Fool in the Rain – Led Zeppelin
Favorite Restaurant: Bella Sienna
Pets: Cali (German Shepherd), Dani (cat)
Favorite Movies: Shrek
Favorite Quote: “We’ll never know our full potential unless we push ourselves to find it” – Travis Rice
Drake
"Rico Suave"
Curtzwiler
Role: Service Manager
About Me:Nature lover born and raised in the Bay Area
Hometown:Fremont, CA
Hobbies: Climbing, Hiking, Camping, Video Games
Favorite Music: Sublime, Jimi Hendrix
Favorite Restaurant: Billy Roy
Favorite Song: I need you – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Pets: French bulldog (a rescue)
Movies: Oppenheimer
Favorite Book: Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children
Favorite Quote: “Do not pray for easy lives.Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers”
Jaxon
"Juice"
Bera
Role: Project Manager
Nickname: Juice
About Me: I love to spend time with my family and friends.
Hometown: Fremont, CA.
Hobbies: Video Games, Sports, Paintball and puzzles.
Favorite Music: (I don’t Have) Anymore Love Songs – Merle Haggard
Favorite Restaurant: Texas Roadhouse
Favorite Movies: Tommy Boy
Favorite Book: Any superhero comic book
Favorite Quote: “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it.”- Michael Jordan
Brad
"Rick Flare"
King
Role: Installer (L4)
About Me: Sports fanatic!
Hometown: Martinez, CA
Hobbies: Golf, Poker, and Snowboarding
Favorite Music: Free bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Favorite Restaurant: Zachary’s Chicago Pizza
Pets: English Mastiff-Gunner, Yellow lab-Dolly, and Cat-Alley
Favorite Movies: Reservoir dogs
Favorite Book: Unbroken
Favorite Quote: “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing”
Auston
"Utah"
Bera
Role: Installer (L2)
About Me: I love to spend time with my family.
Hometown: Fremont, CA
Hobbies: Working on cars, RC Cars
Favorite Music: Country
Favorite Restaurants: None
Favorite Movies: Beekeeper, Ford vs. Ferrari
Favorite Book: Ninja comic books
Favorite Quote: “Look at the people in your circle, if they don’t inspire you then it’s not a circle, it’s a cage.”
Christopher
"Iote (Work)"
Fe'Ao
Role: Installer (L2)
Nickname: Big Chris
About Me: I love spending time with family and friends
Hometown: Menlo Park
Hobbies: Watching football and playing video games
Pet: I have a french bulldog
Favorite Music: Reggae
Favorite Restaurants: Chilis
Favorite Movie: The Blindside
Favorite Book: The Blindside
Favorite Quote: “You win or you learn!”
Dominic
"Italian Stallion"
Trapani
Role: Installer (L3)
About Me: Hardworking, driven, young man
Hometown: Martinez, California
Hobbies: Gym, video games, bowling, poker, cooking
Favorite Song: Texas Sun – Leon Bridges
Favorite Restaurants: Blue Line Pizza
Pets: Cali (German Shepherd), Dani (cat)
Favorite Movie: Django
Favorite Book: The Compound Effect – Darren Hardy
Favorite Quote: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” Wayne Gretzky
Joseph
Daza Linn
Role: Administrator
About Me: Born in Fremont, Aspiring writer who loves to consume media
Nickname: Joey
Hometown: Fremont, California
Hobbies: Writing
Favorite Song: Cat’s in The Cradle – Harry Chapin
Favorite Restaurant: Dino’s Family Restaurant
Favorite Movie: Pulp Fiction
Favorite Book: Dragon Teeth – Michael Crichton
Favorite Quote: “It is the basic condition of life to be required to violate your own identity” – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick
Joshua
Buergi
Role: Installer (L1)
About Me: I’m a young guy that enjoys working with my hands and spending time with people I love.
Hometown: San Leandro, California
Hobbies: Sports, Reading, Baking, Gardening
Favorite Music: Salsa, of course.
Favorite Restaurants: Taqueria los pericos
Favorite Movies: The Hobbit Series
Favorite Book: The Alchemist
Gerson
Bolanos
Role: Installer (L1)
About Me: I’m born and raised in San Francisco, California. I’m driven by a passion for personal growth, strong faith, and the commitment to becoming better every day. I value quality time with family and friends and I strive to elevate myself to the next level in all aspects of life.
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Hobbies: Fitness training and reading
Favorite Music: “Nueva Vida” by Peso Pluma.
Favorite Restaurant: Outback Steakhouse
Favorite Movies: Fast and Furious 5
Favorite Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear
Favorite Quote: “One step at a time”
Mehari
Beraki
Role: Technical Lead & Warehouse Manager
About Me: Data Driven, Realist
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya
Hobbies: Video Games
Favorite Music: “Too Easy” by Bien & DJ Edu
Favorite Restaurants: Smokehouse
Favorite Movie: Bugs Life
Favorite Book: Atomic Habits
Favorite Quote: “Do your best and leave the rest.”
Romina
"The Princess"
Grimsich
Role: Warehouse Security Guard
About Me: Ferocious
Hometown: Quito, Ecuador
Hobbies: Chasing after balls!
Favorite Music: Salsa, of course.
Favorite Restaurants: Chipawtle
Pets: I am a Pet
Favorite Movies: All Dogs go to Heaven
Favorite Book: Principles of Quantum Mechanics, 2nd Edition
Favorite Quote: “Good girl, Romina!”
Owen Krebs Grimsich
Owner, CEO
Initiatives we support
Berkeley High Athletic Fund
Owen is the former JV Head Coach for the Berkeley High Football Team and in collaboration with 1-888, we proudly support the success of BHS Athletics, both on the field and off.
Where do these funds go?
Your contribution helps fund equipment, uniforms, senior night decorations, food for players, the end-of-season banquet, and more aspects of Berkeley High Athletics. Most programs have families and players asking for fundraising, all we would like to do is our part in helping make our Youth’s sports experiences that much more successful and great!
If you’d like to consider contributing, you can do so by clicking here.
Kye's Climate Action Fund
In memory of Kye Moffat (BHS Graduate) and his tireless dedication to combating climate issues, we stand behind this initiative. We hope that Kye’s life becomes a source of inspiration, encouraging others to consider impactful ways to address climate change.
Mission: To provide financial, mentorship, and community support to young people seeking to combat the climate crisis through science, technology, policy, or activism.
You can listen to their podcast “Climate Conversations for Kye ” by clicking here.
Ready to learn more?
We’re here to help—no pressure, no jargon. Just honest answers from real people. We’ll walk you through your options and help you figure out if a heat pump is right for your home. We’re currently serving homes in East Bay and South Bay in the SF Bay Area.