Today, Jex Aircon is a $2 million aircon company in Singapore, with its own fleet of vans and a team serving homes across Singapore.
But in 2015, Alex Ang was just a homeowner trying to replace his aircon. And every company he called told him the same thing. He would have to wait at least two weeks.
Why Alex Refused to Wait Two Weeks for an Aircon Replacement
Alex had wanted to be an entrepreneur since he was young. He just had not found the right problem yet.
He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from NTU and started his career as an engineer at Sembcorp Marine. Later, he moved into real estate as a property agent, where he learned what customers really expect from a service.
Then the aircon in his own home needed replacing.
He called around for an aircon company to do the job. The earliest availability he could find was two weeks away. And the prices were high.
Alex needed the replacement immediately. Two weeks was not an option.
So he decided to do it himself.
With his engineering background, he worked out what the job actually involved. What he found surprised him. The work, and the cost, could be far more reasonable than what he had been quoted.
If he could do it for himself, he could do it for other people too.
That became the start of Jex Aircon.
Two Engineers, One Car and a Stack of Flyers
Alex co-founded Jex Aircon with Jack, a fellow NTU Mechanical Engineering graduate who had worked at Daikin Singapore. Between them, they had engineering knowledge and industry experience. What they did not have was customers.
So they went out to hustle and find them.
They focused on BTO HDB flats. New homeowners needed aircons, advertising to them cost very little, and because Alex and Jack did every installation themselves, the jobs paid well.
Their week had a simple rhythm. Weekdays were for installations. Weekends were for walking into newly built BTO blocks and handing out flyers.
They had no company van. The two of them just travelled to every job in their own car.
Customers were surprised to find two engineering graduates carrying out their aircon installation personally.
That surprise quickly turned into confidence. Their customers knew the work was being handled with technical knowledge and hands-on care.
“We figured it out as we went.”
When COVID Stopped Every Aircon Installation in Singapore
Then came 2020.
When COVID-19 hit, Jex Aircon was not allowed to install aircons. The jobs stopped. The overheads did not. There were still workers to pay and costs to cover, with no installations to pay for them.
Asked whether he questioned if they should keep going, Alex’s answer was short.
“Yes. All the time.”
Government grants helped. So did being able to keep operating as an essential service. It was enough to stay afloat and keep serving the customers who needed them.
But the period changed how Jex Aircon ran.
Alex and Jack went back to the problems Alex had faced as a customer in 2015: long waits, high prices and inconsistent quality. They built the business around fixing each one.
They moved their marketing and customer acquisition online, reaching customers faster and cutting overheads so they could pass the savings on. They kept installations in-house rather than outsourcing them, so the quality stayed in their own hands. And they streamlined their scheduling so customers did not have to wait the way Alex once did.
The business came out leaner and more efficient. So did our work as founders.
“It keeps us grounded, reminding us to stay focused and be grateful for what we have, instead of taking things for granted.”
From One Shared Car to a Fleet of Their Own
Alex knew Jex Aircon was working when customers started coming back, and when they started sending their friends and family.
“That was the moment we realised we had built real trust and a business people believed in.”
The growth came one step at a time. First, their own car. Then rented vans. Then vans of their own. And two engineers became a team.
Eleven years on, that progression is what Alex is proudest of. Not a single milestone, but the knowledge that every part of the business was built step by step, through persistence and the support of their customers.
What he wants next is not a revenue number. It is for Jex Aircon to be the aircon company Singaporeans think of first. And for every customer to get the same standard of work, no matter how large the team grows.
If you are looking for aircon installation or servicing in Singapore, you can find out more about Jex Aircon on their official website here.
The Lesson Alex Carries
For Alex, Jex Aircon was never only about installing and servicing aircons.
In Singapore’s heat, an aircon is something people rely on every day. When it breaks down or is poorly installed, the discomfort and stress are real. What Jex Aircon sells is peace of mind.
That is also why he wants to raise the standard of the industry, with transparent pricing, consistent quality, and a team that takes real ownership of its work.
The hard years left him with something else too. He does not take opportunities, or customers, for granted.
“When customers come back to us again, or refer us to their friends and family, it shows that they truly value our work. That kind of trust is something we don’t take lightly.”
And to anyone sitting on an idea they have not acted on, his advice is the same approach he took with his own aircon in 2015.
“There will never be a perfect time to start. If you already have an idea, take the first small step and learn from there.”
