Tom McBride and Mike Burns founded Burns & McBride Home Comfort in 1949, shortly after World War II. Tom and Mike were both working in the heating and fuel industry.
Tom McBride worked as a truck driver for the Esso company, which is known as Exxon today. He delivered gasoline to area service stations in and around Delaware.
Mike was an oil burner mechanic who worked with a local company performing maintenance and repairs on oil burners to residents in the Wilmington area. It didn’t take long for Tom and Mike, who had been friends outside of work, to plan and start Burns & McBride.
They purchased a used pickup truck and a used oil truck that started the wheels in motion. Their original territory and customer base was in the City of Wilmington and soon expanded into the suburbs as the population grew. Mrs. Burns would answer the phone in her kitchen as Tom and Mike served their customers with top-notch service.
Unfortunately Mike Burns passed away unexpectedly in 1951, and Tom continued the business honoring these two great founders, Tom and Mike. Tom’s brothers Marty and Bud and sister-in-law Lil all worked at Burns & McBride helping out over the years to provide support.
Beginning in the 1980s, the second generation of McBride’s came into the family business. Tom, Terry and Jim joined the company and served in various positions. Tom McBride senior passed away in 1997. He was a hard-working man cherished by all.
The company has been owned and operated by Tom’s three sons, and over the decades, the business has continued to grow in sales and service offerings. Burns & McBride now performs maintenance, repairs and installations on all types of HVAC equipment throughout the tri-state area.
In 2018, Brian McBride joined the company to represent the third generation. Brian, along with his uncles, continue to provide the trusted and dedicated service that customers have always expected and receive.
The cartoon drawing of “Tom & Mike” that can be seen in this photo with Tom, Terry, Jim and Brian is a way to honor both founders and have a little fun. We are so very proud of our employees who always work hard and honor the beliefs of Tom & Mike: Do your very best to perform your job and serve the customers with gratitude.
Currently, Burns & McBride employees are being encouraged to have fun and share “Tom & Mike” vision: both at work and outside of work. It will be fun to see where “Tom & Mike’s” travels will take them. You can check our Facebook page for their current location.
We value the years of support our customers have shown, and, on behalf of the entire Burns & McBride family, we’d like to thank you for helping us honor the legacy of “Tom & Mike.”
Tom, Terry, Jim & Brian
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