Meet Charlie Marks

Our founder, Charlie Marks, grew Charlie’s Tropic into what it is today. This came from his pure passion for the HVAC industry and building his own path to success. After traveling throughout most of  his young childhood with his Military Family he settled down in Jacksonville just in time to attend Fletcher High School. He loves getting to wake up every day and interacting with the other members of the Beaches community. Now with 39 years in the industry, his work still has no end in sight.

The Beginning

Charlie began his career in the HVAC industry nearly four decades ago. Way back then, he was just starting out and had no idea that one day he would be leading his own successful HVAC company. Thinking back to those foundational days, Charlie began his career where most others do: working for someone else. Even though he’s grateful for every opportunity he has been given in life, he was not fulfilled in this position. Not much time went by before he became disappointed with the outlook of his chances for upward mobility. This gave him the push he needed to fulfill his dreams of entrepreneurship and go out on his own. The Idea of Charlie’s Tropic was brought to fruition in Jacksonville, FL in 1998.

Even though he loves every moment working at Charlie’s Tropic and servicing his treasured community, Charlie also enjoys his down time just as much. When he’s not working hard at the office, spending time with family is always a top priority. Through his children he has received his greatest blessings in life, six grandchildren who call him “Pa.” Besides his work and family, Charlie would say his lifelong passion is building things. It doesn’t matter what that is, whether it be his business or his next car restoration project, building things from the ground up is what he knows best.

What Builds Charlie Up

Stemming from the love of his first car, a 1969 Ford Mustang convertible, his passion for cars was born. To this day, he takes every chance he can to get his hands dirty and work on cars. He finds restoring old cars to be more fun, as their older technology provides him the chance to embrace his mechanical side. Nascar is also a passion of his. Charlie will follow the action on tv race day or travel to at least one race per year to get the full experience. Working on cars provides him an outlet to clear his mind and continue building his way through life.

At the end of the day, Charlie is fortunate for all he has been blessed with in life. He’s proud of what he has accomplished over the years. He has been able to provide the Jacksonville community with quality HVAC services for over 20 years. Without the support of his family and friends, or the many dedicated and hardworking employees that walk through the doors of Charlie’s Tropic each day, none of this would have been possible. He hopes to see Charlie’s Tropic remain a staple in the Jacksonville HVAC community and continue building relationships for many years to come. Check out another story on Charlie here.

See Charlie’s video : What Builds Us