Cajun Comfort celebrates 35 years in the River Parishes

Published 8:48 am Saturday, January 28, 2023

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LAPLACE — Cajun Comfort Inc. started out 35 years ago inside Keith L’Hoste’s garage in Norco as he and his wife raised their young children. The business has grown into a 17,000 square foot facility, moving from a construction company to a service company that strives to offer a personable and memorable experience that shatters customers’ expectations.

“It has changed tremendously. We started off doing light commercial and residential new construction, and as our customer base got bigger and bigger, to satisfy their needs we transformed to service everything that we did. Our main focus has become customer satisfaction,” L’Hoste said.

Since moving into the current location at 15711 Airline Highway in Norco in 2009, Cajun Comfort has provided top notch air conditioning, indoor air quality services, whole house generator installation and maintenance, and permanent decorative outdoor lighting to customers in the River Parishes and beyond.

The company has become a household name in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. James, Jefferson, Orleans and surrounding areas, known for utilizing the latest technology to lower electric bills and achieve cleaner and healthier homes.

Whole house generators have become popular among River Region residents who don’t want to relive extended power outages during hurricanes and bouts of severe weather. As changes in permitting impact how and where generators can be placed, Cajun Comfort stays abreast of regulations to ensure all installations are up to code. The Cajun Comfort team was recognized for being the top dealer in the region for Honeywell generators. The company also offers Generac back-up power solutions.

Cajun Comfort also installs surge protection technology to prevent the short circuiting of appliances and technology that would otherwise be left vulnerable during storms.

Beyond installing and servicing air conditioning systems, Cajun Comfort offers indoor air quality and VOC testing. VOC testing services were especially important after Hurricane Ida’s impact drew concerns of mold exposure among many homeowners.

According to Cajun Comfort Operations Manager Philip Vaccaro, indoor air quality products are helpful to individuals with asthma and those who suffer from allergies.

“There are so many more people and families with allergies and sickness today,” Vaccaro said. “The testing can actually find what’s causing some of the problems in the house. With our air scrubbers and some of the tools that we can put in the house, it will help kill those pollutants in the air.”

L’Hoste added, “In today’s world, houses are being built tighter and tighter, and more contaminants get trapped in your home from furniture, carpet and even cleaning solvents. With that situation where the house doesn’t breathe like it used to in the old days, it makes it more important to take note of the air quality you’re breathing.”

Other HVAC and indoor air quality services include but are not limited to air balance and BPI duct leakage testing, Aprilaire dehumidifiers, EWC zoning systems, fresh air and ventilation, attic tents, ductless split and PTAC Units, and carbon monoxide testing.

On the electrical side, services also include service panel upgrades, automatic transfer switches, smoke detectors, phone/data/speaker/TV wiring, security and landscape lighting, indoor accent lighting and parking lot lighting.

Everlights permanent exterior LED holiday lighting has become increasingly popular as a year-round, virtually lifetime solution. According to Vaccaro, the customizable lights can shine for nine hours every night and still last 30 years.

Cajun Comfort also offers fabrication services, including welding, sheet metal fabrication, customized ductwork and drain pans, and angle iron stands and racks.

“We’re a full-fledged company, so we don’t contract out anything else. In the process of that, we provide 100% service. We service everything we install, as well as stuff we don’t install, so we are full-service, reliable, dependable, and we shatter expectations,” L’Hoste said.

Hannah Cozzo, administrative manager, said Cajun Comfort stands apart because most of the team has worked together for more than a decade. She and Project Manager Sheri Irick have each been with the company for 15 years.

“It really is a family-oriented company. We all trust each other, and you can trust that whenever we go out there to see our customers that we will always be honest and have the best intentions in mind,” Cozzo said.

Having been in the area for so long, Cajun Comfort has often given back to the River Parishes during trash bashes, cook-offs and charitable events hosted at local churches. The alligator mascot Caiman has become a familiar face at community events.

For more information, call 985-764-8191 or 504-304-0021, or visit www.cajuncomfort.com. Cajun Comfort can also be found on Facebook and YouTube.