Atlas Electrical, Air-Conditioning, Refrigeration and Plumbing

Life for Sarah Sagredo-Hammond, president of Atlas Electrical, Air-conditioning, Refrigeration and Plumbing, began in North Dakota where her parents were field workers.

“It was simply the only way to make money at that time,” Sarah said. When her father joined the Air Force, he changed the course of their whole family’s future. Learning electrical and heating, ventilation and air conditioning in the Air Force ultimately led him to open Atlas in 1982.

“I was 10 when my dad opened the company with my mom,” she said. “By the age of 12, I would answer phones on weekends, dispatch the technicians and do collections.”

Though she went to work for attorneys after graduation, she always kept her hand in the family business, working part time in the financial end of the company. In 2008, her brother, working with their father and mother at Atlas, came to Sarah with a heartfelt request.

“Can you help us?” he pleaded.

Deciding to join the company full time, Sarah read, studied and asked tons of questions, acquiring the knowledge she needed for the job. She was surprised to find she loved the business.

Her passion is to inform the public how to care for their AC units. In the valley, where units have to work harder than in most parts of the country, keeping the unit in top shape is a matter of comfort, if not actual survival.

Grateful the company has given her the opportunity to offer community support, they try to give back because they feel, “the community is the reason we are where we are.”

Building a little empire, the family also owns a Winter Texan RV park, Hummingbird Acres, and recently added an executive suite building, Alton Xplex, across the street from the main site.

This confident, knowledgeable woman leads the entire enterprise with ease and grace, side by side with brother, Roy Jr., and their supervising staff and employees who truly love what Atlas stands for.

“I was raised very well by great people. With my family and husband’s support, we hope to continue to raise another great group of people to have a great life!”

Sarah’s AC Tip
“People have a tendency not to understand air-conditioning maintenance, even believing if it’s not broken, don’t touch it. If you don’t get your unit inspected at least once a year, then your unit will not withstand the long haul. Since it runs 24/7, here in the valley, it’s imperative you get that yearly checkup by a certified technician, or you may have the manufacturer void all warranty.”