About Us

oUR HIstory

A History of Customer Satisfaction

In 1946, Rudolph Uttke, Sr. proudly started Rudy Uttke Heating and Sheet Metal in the basement of his home at 2756 South Herman Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At this time, Rudy mastered his tinning skills and heated many of the homes on the south side of Milwaukee.

Over time, expansion was inevitable and Rudy Sr. had two sons who joined the business, making it a second-generation family business. Rudy Uttke & Sons was now a more fitting name and the shop moved to 2704 East Norwich Avenue in St. Francis. On the dead-end industrial street, Rudy and his two sons, Rudy, Jr. and Jerry, proudly called St. Francis home for five decades.

After being drafted by the Army to serve in Vietnam, Tom Uttke returned to St. Francis and had a short stint as a factory worker. But soon thereafter, realized that working with his father would be more rewarding. Tom joined his dad and uncle in 1973 and learned the ropes of heating, cooling, and sheet metal. In the late 80s, Rudy hung up his snips and retired near Phantom Lake in Mukwonago, leaving Tom and Patti as third-generation owners of Rudy Uttke & Sons. Patti raised three children out of their home in Oak Creek while answering the phone and running the home office.

Then, as a veteran-owned third-generation family business, Tom and Patti grew the residential business while taking on new endeavors such as new construction, light commercial, and subcontracting with area remodelers. In 2006, Tom and Patti moved to the current location on Howell Avenue to increase their presence in the Bay View/Town of Lake neighborhood where she and Tom grew up.

In 2021, the fourth generation of Uttke Heating and Cooling began when Tom and Patti’s daughter Jen decided to follow in her parents’ footsteps and take over the HVAC business so Tom and Patti could start their much-deserved retirement. The business transitioned from veteran-owned to woman-owned. Jen brings to the table a career in hospitality, from Robert W. Baird to private country clubs. Jen’s background puts customer service as her top priority, ensuring Uttke customers are still strongly valued today as they have throughout the decades.

2025 brought an exciting change with a familiar face: TJ Uttke rejoined Uttke Heating to work alongside Jen, helping to carry on the proud tradition their family created. TJ brings 15 strong years of previous HVAC experience and customer service. After finishing college in 2006, TJ worked side-by-side with Tom to learn all facets of the industry. TJ ultimately decided at that time to pursue his creative passion instead and began his own wedding photography and design business where he has photographed over 425 weddings over the past 19 years. Given his past HVAC experience and his ability to run a successful, fast-paced small business, TJ has what it takes to help Uttke Heating continue to prosper.

As we proudly celebrate our 80th anniversary, we are excited to add plumbing to our services. Mark Maciejewski, Jen’s partner, brings 25 years of residential and commercial plumbing experience to Uttke Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.

We couldn’t be more proud and excited to continue the family legacy, by serving all customers, long-term or new, the way the family always has – with honesty, integrity, and exceptional customer service. Working and living in the communities we serve is important and when your name is on the truck, the pride and honesty you lead with is the difference customers experience when choosing Uttke Heating.