Terry Sellers: A Servant's Heart in Business & Everywhere

“I’ve always been an individualistic thinker. Even when I worked under others, I was my own boss. They let me run with it because I knew what I was doing and I made them money,” muses Terry Sellers of Grandview Furnace & MidWest Geothermal. Born and raised in Independence, MO, Terry didn’t always know he would own a successful business one day.

“My Dad was in retail management and I knew I liked what he did. So I worked through high school at Western Auto and enjoyed it because of being able to get to know and help people. But I really loved architecture and thought I’d get into that.”

After graduating from Truman High School in 1969, he went to college for a year. The next year, rather than take the chance of being drafted, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served six years.

After the Navy, Sellers worked for a heating and air conditioning company while going to night school for an Associates Degree in Climate Control Technology. By that time, knowing he would be a business owner someday, Terry continued onto college for a Bachelor’s in Business Management.

“I enjoyed the heating and cooling industry because I was involved in new homes construction. I was fascinated by the engineering behind construction and design.”

In 1983, Terry landed in Grandview, working at Grandview Furnace Company.

“I liked this company because it was innovative. They were the first company in the area to start working with closed loop geothermal heating and cooling systems, with all piping underground. Before closed loop, the system was only based on underground water source. When the closed loop system was introduced in 1978, it brought geothermal into the residential market.”

In the meantime, he met the love of his life, Barbara. “We were married in 1985,” he says with a twinkle in his eyes. They started their marriage like his parents did, on New Year’s Eve.

In 1987, Curt Bond, Jr., the owner of Grandview Furnace changed his focus in the industry and sold the company to Sellers. There was no time left for college, but the business has done well regardless.

“I was an orphan and adopted by wonderful parents. You go through a lot when that is the beginning of your life and I guess because of that it just became my nature to serve people. I have a servant’s mentality, to wait on people, to care for them. When people need something I want to be there for them. And in business when you fix something for them they are thankful. This happens over and over again. It never stops. This is what it means to provide a service.”

That servant’s heart is also evident in the Sellers’ entire family, that has grown to include four daughters, sons-in-law, and seven grandchildren. “Our home is open to missionaries on furlough. We enjoy it because we can serve them.”

Terry has been on several missionary journeys overseas. “In the Philippines we actually were allowed to minister to teens in the high school. There is an evangelist there, Leon, who has a program called Say No to Drugs/Say Yes to God. In his quiet and somewhat soothing voice he begins the story,“Here’s what happened while we there. We went to a rural village of squatters. They have little if any electricity. In fact, one hut we passed was in such disrepair, I asked if people actually lived there, thinking my grandkids’ tree house is nicer than that. Yes, people lived there. We brought food, prayed with the people, taught.  While they were distributing the food, I noticed a young woman standing outside, off the porch. My heart went out to her and I had the interpreter ask if I could pray for her. She said yes that would be fine. So we did. After the food was distributed, the plan was to take any leftovers to a family who was not present. We left for the hut I noticed on the way in. It had four thatched walls, a dirt floor with a mat. I asked where the bathroom was; someone pointed out to the trees. It was the young woman’s house. We visited with the family for quite awhile. It was an awesome experience. We prayed again. I told the young woman a little bit about my life. She said she wanted the Lord as her Savior. Later I learned her story. She was 17, got involved with a man, became pregnant, then learned he was married. So she lived with her mother and three siblings in this little hut. Her father had deserted them awhile back. Several other siblings just roamed the streets of the city. I told Leon before I left that I wanted to support her through her pregnancy. I have surrogate daughters all over the world. This would be another one. Leon and his wife took her to their house to have the baby in a clean environment. She had a baby girl. A reconciliation within her family occurred. Her sister left her life of prostitution and came home. Her father came home. Leon has 10 acres that he farms to keep his food program going. On the property is a small cottage. This girls’ entire family moved into the house to run the farm. She has gone back to school.”

That story brought tears to my eyes, to be sure. I was learning about the depth of this man’s soul. I always knew Terry had a gentle spirit, but I had no idea how much he put his faith into action. No wonder people call him for their HVAC systems; his strong convictions are evident in everything he does.

“I didn’t do everything right that’s for sure,” kind hearted Terry explains. “But the way I look at it, every type of business is involved in serving people. You are not in business to see what you can get out of it. But to see how you can provide a service and fill someone else’s needs. It all comes down to biblical principles: it’s better to give than to receive. Whatever it is: money, time, love, caring.  We all go into business to make a living, to make money. But if that’s your primary reason you will miss the mark. The ultimate satisfaction and reward is what you give to others. Making money is always there. But if we look at just the numbers side, it comes up short on the service side and the business loses customers. Work to keep and expand your customer base. Keeping them happy is keeping them served. When they’re not important to you anymore, well, okay, you’ll learn.

Would he do the business all over again? “Yeh, I would,” he responds with certainty. “I enjoy being a servant to others. It’s provided a good living for my family. I’m not rich. I liked where this company was headed in the 80s and where it continues. I never realized what a big player geothermal would be in the conservation of natural resources. It’s fun to be on the ground floor of that arena.”

Constituents in the industry call him Guru Ground Source. “I am the oldest ground source contractor in the KC area,” he adds, laughing. When you’re ready to replace your HVAC system or need repairs, be sure to give Terry a call at 816.761.6357.