U.S. 377 Fort Worth Drive

“The completion of this main thoroughfare has significantly helped commuters and residents who frequent U.S. 377,” said Commissioner Edmondson. “I’m so proud of everyone who helped make U.S. 377 this happen.” She also commented on how well the county and Denton worked together on the completion of the project. Sema Construction was the contractor for the project with design engineers from Lochner Engineering. County funds from the 2008 bond program were earmarked to cover a large portion of the reconstruction of U.S. 377/Fort Worth Drive. In Precinct 4, Denton County has leveraged approximately $43.5 million in taxpayerfunded bond dollars with a return of $2.95 billion from state and federal resources. These funds have provided for improved public safety, congestion relief and quality of life, officials said. Judge Eads spoke of the work on I-35E as a major north-south thoroughfare. He added how the east-west access of U.S. 377 will bring convenience for residents as well as for continued economic development. “I take this route every day,” he said. “I think of several legacy businesses on U.S. 377, especially Mr. Frosty’s, a place my Dad went years ago.” Transportation is important to the Denton County Commissioners Court, Judge Eads said. “Mobility continues to be a priority in Denton County. You have to have good and safe transportation.” Several dignitaries gathered for the event in the 1100 block of Fort Worth Drive, including Mayor Hudspeth, Judge Eads, Precinct 3 Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell and Tina Massey, Denton area engineer with the Texas Department of Transportation. “It is important to have these partnerships,” said Mayor Hudspeth, referring to the cooperation between cities, the county and TxDOT.

FORT WORTH DRIVE

by Dawn Cobb | photos courtesy of Dawn Cobb Director of Community Relations

April 26, 2021 - Denton County Commissioner Precinct 4 Dianne Edmondson, along with Denton County Judge Andy Eads and Denton Mayor Gerard Hudspeth, commemorated the completion of the U.S. 377/Fort Worth Drive expansion project.

The project widened U.S. 377/Fort Worth Drive from a two-lane rural road to a six-lane urban thoroughfare from Interstate 35E to just south of FM 1830. Construction began in January 2019 for a total project cost of $55.9 million. Denton County contributed $2.64 million for the project.

This phase is the first of several to be completed. Another four phases are either in the construction or planning stage. One major component of the first phase was the Union Pacific Railroad overpass, which included widening for additional tracks and building the bridge to current standards. This project also included funds to add sidewalks along the portion of U.S. 377/Fort Worth Drive west of I-35E.

Helping You Get The

MOST OUT OF LIFE

by Steve Gamel photography by Your Candid Memories (YourCandidMemories.com)

“We really go out of our way to deal with everything the right way. There’s no cap on honesty and ethics.”

Mike Douglas insists that there “wasn’t much to buy” the day he purchased an under-the-radar air conditioning company from an investment group he had been working for. The year was 1981, and the fledgling company had only been open for about a year. It wasn’t very big, either, boasting a small office space and only a handful of employees.

But Mike knew he had something special. He renamed it Advent Air, and today, he’s celebrating 40 years in business.

“I had been working as their GM at the time. It was a different type of business than what they were used to, and I liked the idea of going into business for myself,” Mike said. “So I bought it and grew it from there.”

He added, “Like anything else, you go through cycles of ups and downs. But it all worked out.”

Saying “it all worked out” is an understatement for this family-owned and operated company. Advent Air remains a trusted and relied-on staple of the Lewisville community, even as Mike transitioned leadership to his son Jared two years ago. While they’ve maintained that small, local feel, they pride themselves on having the reach to serve the majority of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. And they do it all, too, with comfort-focused residential services ranging from repair and maintenance to new construction, replacement, and installation. They also specialize in ductless cooling systems and split heating, air purification services, 24/7 emergency services with no overtime fees, and more.

Having a highly trained and certified team in the HVAC business that you can trust is invaluable, especially in North Texas. Summer temperatures spike over 100 degrees for months at a time, and we all know how brutal winter can be after February’s snowstorms. Advent Air resets the bar year after year and was recently awarded the 2020 Carrier President’s Award for leadership, management, customer satisfaction, expertise, business growth, and operational excellence. They are also the only HVAC company in North Texas to win the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics.

“If we make a mistake, we make it right,” Jared said. “As we’ve evolved and restructured, we have identified things from five years ago — even stuff that was misdiagnosed and is now outside warranty — and corrected them for customers free of charge. We really go out of our way to deal with everything the right way. There’s no cap on honesty and ethics.”

Mike agreed.

“It’s all about maintaining our core values and doing honest work,” he said.

When we caught up with Mike and Jared, the conversation never really revolved around their work and services. Their customers will vouch for them at the drop of a hat when it comes to that stuff. What sets them apart from everyone else is the family piece and their commitment to their employees. In fact, when we asked Jared’s 4-year-old son, Graham, what he wants to do when he grows up, he confidently said, “Work with my grandpa and daddy at Advent.”

Jared started working in Advent Air’s warehouse when he was 15. He’s since held every position, from working in replacements and installs to engineering and new construction sales. Over the last few years, he’s spearheaded the addition of new technology while also restructuring the company so that it continues to grow the right way.

“It’s been an amazing journey — not only growing up in the industry and within this company but also being part of the process and seeing the dramatic and positive changes,” Jared said. “We have such a positive culture of mentoring and supporting our employees. Our core passion is to help people get the most out of life — not only employees and their families but also our customers. It’s very important to us that we have people here who have a passion for life, a passion for people, and a passion for doing the right thing for the customer.”

Mike agreed, adding that he even made Jared apply for his job to become Advent’s new president — if for nothing more than to double down on their commitment to ensuring everyone was in the right seat.

“There are no free lunches,” Mike said with a laugh. “As it turned out, he had the interest and the skillset to excel.”

While it may sound cliche, the sky truly is the limit for Advent Air moving forward. And that’s impressive when you think about how far they’ve come — and the family that continues to lead the charge.

pictured above starting from the left is Jared and Mike Douglas