Back home, Duct-Man Mechanical continued operating while Quan completed boot camp and technical school, something he says would not have been possible without the people around him.

General Manager and brother-in-law Tim Rollins oversaw day-to-day operations seven days a week while Quan’s son, Ty-Bryant, stepped into a much larger role helping manage the company while his stepfather served.

For Quan, seeing the business continue moving forward while he was away reinforced the foundation the company had built over the years.

“We run this business on integrity,” Quan says. “At the end of the day, a name is all you have. We want to make sure all of our customers and employees are cared for.”

Those values, he says, helped transform Duct-Man Mechanical from its start as a one-man operation into one of the area’s best-known HVAC companies serving Lake and Sumter counties.

Built through hard work

Quan’s story began long before Duct-Man Mechanical existed.

The son of Vietnamese immigrants who came to America by boat, Quan grew up in a struggling household after his parents divorced. Raised primarily by his mother alongside his brother Minh, Quan says money was often scarce and responsibility came early.

“At that time, we really had to grow up fast,” Quan says. “I was able to pick up odds and ends jobs mowing grass, picking weeds, washing cars, just anything that could keep me busy and bring in a little money.”

While many of his friends were paid for chores, Quan says helping support the household was simply expected in his family. He worked odd jobs to help make ends meet.

“In many Asian cultures, family finances are often pooled together, with individual earnings contributing to a shared family fund,” Quan says. “It reflects family unity and collective wellbeing.”

At 15 years old, an unexpected opportunity introduced him to the HVAC industry.

“I was trying to spend the night at my best friend Jason’s house,” Quan says. “His dad, Rick Baugh, owned an A/C business and told me if I wanted to stay the night, I had to go to work with them the next morning.”

The next morning, Quan went to work and quickly caught on to the trade. A job expected to take eight hours was completed in five, and Quan says he immediately fell in love with the work.

Quan balanced work, school and leadership opportunities during his days as a student at Eustis High School. Despite facing bullying at times for being Asian, he became student council president and earned full-ride scholarships to what is now Lake-Sumter State College.

Even while attending college, Quan continued working in air conditioning. Although it took him five years to complete a two-year degree, he earned an associate degree in business marketing and finance while continuing HVAC work and finishing school without debt or student loans.

Then came another life-changing decision.

In 2005, Quan’s boss offered him a $40,000 salary to leave school and work full-time due to the growing demand being created by rapid development in The Villages.

Quan initially declined.

“He said, ‘If you’re not helping me, you’re hurting me college boy,’” Quan recalls. “And I stated, ‘Are you serious?’”

Quan says he was eventually fired after choosing to continue pursuing school while working. At the time, he also began reconsidering the traditional college path while realizing he was already building his own successful career in HVAC.

Eventually, Quan accepted the opportunity, and over time, his “Duct-Man” reputation began growing throughout the area.

Growing a business and a reputation

Duct-Man Mechanical officially opened in Eustis in 2006.

Over the last 20 years, the company has grown from a one-man operation into a multimillion-dollar business serving more than 7,500 customers across the community.

Quan says the company built its reputation through hard work, consistency and word-of-mouth recommendations from customers.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs,” Quan says. “But hard work and persistence pay off.”

As the business expanded, so did its reach. Duct-Man Mechanical grew from primarily residential and remodeling jobs into commercial work and large-scale HVAC services throughout the region.

By 2020 and 2021, the company was recognized as the fastest-growing and largest Trane dealer in Lake County, earning a “Rising Star” award for gross sales across Central Florida and the panhandle.

But for Quan, the business was always about more than revenue.

“A lot of people define success as the amount of money you have or the stuff you can accumulate,” Quan says. “I used to. But now, to me, success is having good health.”

Together with his wife Tiffany and their children Ty-Bryant, Alexis and Ronin, Quan built the company around strong family values and customer relationships.

That family support became especially important while Quan pursued military service.

While Quan spent seven to eight months away for basic training and technical school, Tim continued leading operations while Ty-Bryant became increasingly hands-on both in the office and in the field.

The experience showed Quan the strength of the team and family surrounding the business.

“If it was not for Tim and Ty-Bryant, this company wouldn’t have made it,” Quan says.

Even while Quan prepared for military service, Duct-Man Mechanical continued growing.

“With strong community support and a family-driven team leading the way, the future looks brighter than ever,” Quan says.

A lifelong dream fulfilled

Quan says he always wanted to serve his country, but had aged out by the time his business became successful. He jumped at the opportunity to pursue his dream when the Air Force raised the maximum enlistment age to from 39 to 42.

Quan spent the next year preparing mentally and physically for enlistment, losing more than 50 pounds in the process.

At 41 years and 364 days old — just hours before his 42nd birthday — Quan officially enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, becoming the oldest recorded citizen to join the branch without a waiver.

“I am so grateful for the U.S. military,” Quan says. “This life would not have been possible without the soldiers who helped protect my parents while they escaped Vietnam.”

Basic training tested him physically and mentally.

Older than many of the recruits training alongside him, Quan endured long days in the Texas heat as he adapted to military discipline, procedures and routines.

“They called me ‘grandpa’ and joked about my age,” Quan says. “But once they realized I could handle myself and work in the trenches alongside everyone else, they knew I was there to serve just like them.”

Quan eventually became the group’s PT leader after consistently scoring among the top recruits physically.

Quan says the experience changed his perspective on life, faith and family.

“The Air Force BMT broke me and built me back up,” he says.

When he reunited with Tiffany and the children after eight and a half weeks away, emotion took over.

“All I could do was cry,” Quan says. “The journey really changed my perspective on life.”

Today, Quan continues balancing military service, business ownership, real estate investments and family life during his preparation for deployment at the end of 2026. In the Air Force, he works in Egress, maintaining aircraft ejection seat systems.

After years of setbacks, sacrifices and unexpected opportunities, Quan says one lesson continues guiding him through life.

“It’s never too late to follow your dream,” Quan says.   

Photos: Nicole Hamel