about Nichols & phipps
Our Team
A great customer experience depends on the people behind the Nichols & Phipps brand name.
We would love to introduce you to some of our team members.
Leadership Team
Frederick S. Petrus CPA, MBA
President and Chief Operations Officer
President and COO, Fred Petrus has knowledge and experience in all business areas. You can feel good about hiring Nichols & Phipps because it is under the leadership of a Master HVAC tech, Master Plumber, Master Electrician, Real Estate professional, and Certified Public Accountant in Virginia.
This wide range of knowledge and experience, plus a passion for doing things the right way, means that Nichols & Phipps has the best leadership possible. Sit down and talk with Fred, and you’ll realize how important great customer service is to him too. One of his biggest pet peeves is when companies use free repair call offers to get in the door with the goal of finding things to sell the customer and to pad the bill to pay for the “free” service call. This will never be the case at Nichols & Phipps. The free repair call tactic does not fit with the company values. Honesty is more than just a buzzword; it is the way we run the company.
If you have any questions or concerns for our management staff, feel free to contact me today at (703)-670-8519. Our team is looking forward to working with you and fixing what needs to be fixed.
Mary Lieu
Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary & Treasurer
Mary is responsible for all aspects of the Company’s Accounting, Treasury and Financial Analysis Functions. She brings over 31 years of accounting/financial experience, including positions as Controller for a commercial and residential central heating and cooling specialists, plumbing services and piping contractors for over 16 years. Mary also served as an Accounting Manager for a builder/developer, a Senior Accountant for a regional bank’s real estate finance division and an Accountant with a national financial services corporation. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Daniel E. Graumann
Residential Construction Manager and Vice President
Danny is the knowledge behind our full service Construction Company. He has been with us for over 11 years, but brings his extensive expertise with over 47 years in the business, whether it is construction of commercial buildings, commercial build outs, residential additions, remodeling projects or building average to high end/luxury homes from the ground up. Danny holds a Virginia Class “A” Contractors License in General Construction and a Builders/Developers License. His customers praise his superior quality workmanship. Most of work is referrals by very satisfied homeowners.
Heating & Cooling Division
Christian Price
Residential HVAC Service Manager
Christian has 15 years in field experience with a majority of that time spent doing customization in the layout of zone controlled systems on fully communication geothermal, conventional forced air, heat pump, and hydronic systems, as well as Solar setups on roof, mounted and ground grid setups. Always willing to go out of the way to make sure any work done is completed with a 100 percent expectation at a minimum.
Plumbing Division
Brent Burwell
Plumbing Service Manager/Water Treatment Specialist
Brent has been with us for 7 years bringing 18 years of expert experience with Water Treatment Service and Installation of all types of Water Filtration Systems. He has experienced in Residential and Commercial Systems and addresses problems in both municipal or well water. Honesty and Fair Pricing are his work trademarks. Always ready to offer Free Water Analysis and provide services for your Water Treatment needs.
Electrical Division
Charles “Cary” W. E. Ritchey, III
Vice President, Electrical Operations Manager and Senior Estimator
Cary heads up our Electrical Contracts Division for 10+ years. He has 29+ years of Commercial and Residential Electrical experience, including running and managing his own company and preparing estimates for electrical contracts. He works with general contractors, engineers, county inspectors, architects, superintendents and other subcontractors to ensure the field projects run smoothly and get completed in a timely manner. Cary actual works with his technicians on a daily basis. He believes everyone needs to carry their own weight and they will respect you more if you show them the same respect as you would want yourself. Cary is a licensed Master Electrician and holds Certifications in Edwards FSA fire alarm systems, Leviton structured systems and Leviton Vista RF lighting controls. He has been married for 28 years with 2 children. Family has always come first for Cary and he carries that value to the workplace.
Office / Support Staff
Cathy Cleveland
Operations & Dispatch Manager
Cathy has worked in the Customer Service and Dispatching industry for over 5 years. She handles our Residential HVAC and Plumbing Service invoices and purchase orders as well as our Residential Comfort Club Agreements. When it comes to Customer Service, she knows how to listen, by giving her full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. She empathizes and solves all customer related issues efficiently. She has a great ability to multitask, work under pressure and meet deadlines in a timely manner.