Customer Stories: Featuring the Baumgardner Family

At AES Hearth & Patio, we appreciate our loyal customers and love to serve this community. We talked with one of our customers to learn about them and their experience working with our team. See what they had to say…

Introducing the Baumgardner Family

Dirk and Audry Baumgardner are Chambersburg locals. They built their home in 1999 and have always been deeply involved in the community. You may have seen them around town or at the soccer field (Dirk coached for several years!). They are involved in several local organizations, including the Chainsaw Festival in Shippensburg, the Drew Michael Taylor Foundation, Christ Among Neighbors, and Community CARES.

Dirk’s family also owns the Truck Mart business in Shippensburg. You know what we’re talking about if you’ve ever spotted the large 18-wheeler proudly mounted high in the sky along I-81. Dirk shared that a real, full-sized truck was lifted onto its stand in 1999 and can withstand winds up to 200 mph!

Turning a House into a Home

Dirk and Audry love their home and the memories they have made living there over the years. It’s their family’s gathering place for holidays, cookouts, Easter egg hunts, sleepovers, and more. They love creating memories with their grandchildren in their space.

When the Baumgardner’s first built their home, they opted for a lower-quality, contractor-grade fireplace. Unfortunately, they never actually enjoyed it because they never got it to work. Recently, they decided they wanted a working fireplace and looked for a company to help.

Designing a Dream Fireplace

Dirk shared that he first talked with Bill from our team at the Shippensburg Fair. He was impressed with our display and decided to check out the Newville showroom. Working with Bill, Dirk and Audry found the insert that suited their needs and designed the fireplace of their dreams. Using Pinterest for inspiration, Audry found a look that she loved, and they opted for a classic design that would never go out of style.

They explained that working with Bill was a wonderful experience. He was patient, and didn’t make them feel rushed. He was very friendly and took his time helping them understand their options. Then Rick Soccio (owner of AES) went to their home to do a site survey. Dirk said he enjoyed talking with Rick during the survey and appreciated how relational he was. They worked together to figure out what would look right in their home. Dirk and Audry were pleased that the team didn’t make suggestions with the goal of making more money; instead, the team was genuinely interested in meeting their needs and helping them choose the best options.

Premium Products and Installation Service with AES Hearth & Patio

When it was time for installation, the Baumgardners shared that they were impressed by how particular and clean the AES team was. Audry mentioned that the team went above and beyond to clean up their work space after each day. The mason was meticulous and crafted their entire hearth stone by stone. When they first saw the insert installed, it looked bigger and more impressive than he remembered from the showroom. They were excited to see it finished; the quality of the stone and the custom barn wood mantle were highlights.

Since the completion of the project, Dirk and Audry have shared that they have enjoyed being in the space. They went from a fireplace that didn’t work to a luxurious, beautiful fireplace that they could enjoy every day. Over the winter, the room was their go-to space for cozying up to watch TV and, of course, take a good nap!

Dirk shared, “We are completely satisfied with our experience and will absolutely go to AES for anything else we need. We highly recommend working with AES.”

Thank you, Dirk and Audry, for allowing our team to feature you and your fireplace! We appreciate you trusting our team with this project (and any other projects in the future).