In West Texas in 1922, partners J.D. Young, a sheet metal worker, and Frank M. Pratt, a plumber and pipefitter, teamed up to provide reliable HVAC services. When the growth of The University of Texas spurred a building boom in 1929 - while the rest of the nation was struggling through the Depression - Young & Pratt made the move to Austin. Here, we grew our business to include steam boiler installation, piping, plumbing, and sheet metal fabrication to buildings at The University and around Austin. In 1967, when Young retired, engineer Joseph C. Zern, became co-owner and now acts as President in partnership with his son, David. "There's no secret to our longevity," says Joseph. "We still live by J.D. Young's philosophy of standing behind our work. We've been around a long time and pl