Uncategorized - Service Champions Partnerships

Frank Dimarco Succeeds Leland Smith as New Service Champions Group CEO

FRANK DIMARCO TO SUCCEED LELAND SMITH AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT SERVICE CHAMPIONS GROUP

BREA, CA – June 15, 2022–Service Champions Group, a premier provider of Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning services today announced an upcoming change in leadership at the Southern California-based company. After an illustrious 22-year career, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Leland Smith will be succeeded in that role by Frank DiMarco, Service Champions’ current Chief Operating Officer, effective June 14, 2022. Smith will remain a strong strategic partner and significant investor in the company as he moves into the role of Service Champions’ Chairman of The Board. Service Champions is a portfolio company of Odyssey Investment Partners.

“Founding Service Champions and leading this great brand to a new level of success and service for more than twenty years has been a great privilege. I feel that this is the appropriate time for a change for both the company and for myself. I have long admired Frank’s leadership, commitment and contribution to Service Champions over the years. Frank has been an integral part of Service Champions’ formula for success for four extraordinary years and I am confident he will thrive in his new elevated role leading this exceptional organization through future growth and the opportunities that lie ahead.” Smith said.

The appointment of DiMarco sets the stage for the next chapter of continued growth acceleration. “Service Champions has been pursuing a multi-dimensional push to further expand in order to serve the rapidly evolving nature of consumer demand. These include strategic acquisitions of leading like businesses throughout the state of California, as well as partnerships in the Southwest and Midwest with acquired companies in Arizona, Colorado, Ohio and Nevada. This is a remarkable time in Service Champions’ history. Leland has been an outstanding and inspirational leader who has grown and strengthened Service Champions’ position as the leading home services company known and loved by customers throughout the United States. I am honored and humbled to succeed him in maintaining our strong commitment to ethics and integrity as we aggressively grow our footprint and continue in the tradition of excellence set forward by Leland,” said DiMarco.

DiMarco and his team will continue to provide the day-to-day operational elements to the portfolio of Service Champions businesses across 5 states, 18 locations and 2000 employees.

Smith founded Service Champions Plumbing, Heating & AC in 2000 with the philosophy of being the “Champions of Service.” For more than 20 years he has shepherded the company to national prominence through a combination of uncompromising quality and unwavering commitment to customer service. His constant drive for service excellence allowed him to grow his small fleet of trucks into one of the largest home-services businesses in the country.

DiMarco has led the Service Champions Group as COO since 2018 and brings over 30 years operational experience in the home services industry to the role. Previously, he was Vice President of Operations with Horizon Services, a trusted AC, Heating & Plumbing Company since 1987. Prior to that, DiMarco was Regional Manager with Goodman Manufacturing, a worldwide leader in residential and commercial HVAC. He brings foresight, integrity and tenacity in delivering the absolute best home services experience to all customers.

About Service Champions Group

Based in Orange County, CA, Service Champions is a leading provider of essential home services specializing in heating, air conditioning and plumbing services. With the mission to maintain long term relationships with its customers, Service Champions is dedicated to delivering timely, high quality services across a comprehensive suite of HVAC and plumbing products. Service Champions goes to market with several trade names including Adeedo!, ASI, Bell Brothers, HELP, Hobaica, Howard Air, Jet, JW Plumbing Heating and Air, Moore Home Services, ProSkill Services, Scottsdale Air, Service Champions, Sierra Air, Swan Heating & Air Conditioning and Timo’s Air Conditioning & Heating. For more information, please visit https://partnerships.servicechampions.com.

About Odyssey Investment Partners

Odyssey Investment Partners, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, is a leading private equity investment firm with more than a 25-year history of partnering with skilled managers to transform middle-market companies into more efficient and diversified businesses with strong growth profiles. Odyssey makes majority-controlled investments in industries with a long-term positive outlook and favorable secular trends. For further information about Odyssey, please visit www.odysseyinvestment.com.

Howard Air and Scottsdale Air, Heating & Cooling are Now Part of the Service Champions Family

SERVICE CHAMPIONS GROUP DOUBLES DOWN IN PHOENIX METRO;
ACQUIRES HOWARD AIR AND SCOTTSDALE AIR HEATING & COOLING

BREA, CA – October 20, 2021 – Service Champions Group, a thriving U.S. Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning services business continues to grow its southwestern U.S. presence, announcing today that it has agreed to acquire both Howard Air and Scottsdale Air Heating & Cooling, two premium HVAC companies in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Howard Air in Phoenix is a second generation, family-owned business serving the Valley of the Sun for over forty years, originally founded in 1977, by William Howard. In 1993, William Howard turned the business over to his son Kevin Howard who continued to grow the organization for nearly three decades. Scottsdale Air has been a Paradise Valley institution since 1947. Current owner, Michael Cross, began as an apprentice in 1986 and quickly worked his way to the top, becoming the owner in 1989. Both companies specialize in HVAC repairs, maintenance and installation with in-house engineers and automated fabrication shops that can design, fabricate and install everything from the most basic to the most sophisticated solutions. Service Champions is a portfolio company of Odyssey Investment Partners.

“The Phoenix area is very important to us, and we are thrilled to be able to acquire two businesses that expand Service Champions position as a leading provider to more homes in a thriving southwestern marketplace,” said Leland Smith, Founder and CEO of Service Champions. “Howard Air and Scottsdale Air are fantastic businesses in an attractive and growing market. The entire Howard family has worked tirelessly to build a business that is as well-known for its extensive capabilities as it is for the outstanding customer service it provides. Scottsdale Air, led by Michael Cross, delivers a genuine, heartfelt, honest and exemplary customer experience. For more than 70 years this company has perfected its processes and systems and takes tremendous pride in the highest level of service, safety and professionalism. These are two companies that demonstrate integrity and a strong commitment to ethics in all that they do,” Smith continued. “It is with great pride that we announce partnerships that enable us to continue to grow our footprint in the southwest and carry on with the tradition of excellence set forward by both companies.”

At the helm of the Howard Air leadership team is second generation owner and President, Kevin Howard. “We are excited to join the Service Champions Group at this stage of our development. We expect the combination of core-competencies and cultures to create better opportunities for our customers and employees. We are proud to join Service Champions, a company that shares the values my father founded this company on, and together we plan to continue to fulfill our promises and build trust with customers for many years to come,” said Howard.

Michael Cross, Owner at Scottsdale Air is equally enthusiastic. “We have been proud stewards of providing the best HVAC services in Phoenix Metro for decades and know Service Champions is the right partner to guide our incredible company into the next chapter,” said Cross. This acquisition will infuse Scottsdale Air with the resources and support needed for the company and its talented team to grow. I am honored to join the Service Champions family of businesses and look forward to seeing what great things lie ahead.”

“This has been a remarkable year for us,” said Service Champions’ CFO, Daniel Hamm. “We continue to be focused on strategic growth, by partnering with fantastic businesses at a pace that allows us to service more communities and their residents to the high standards we have established. Acquiring of Howard Air and Scottsdale Air enables Service Champions to further solidify our strength in Phoenix Metro, creating a very strong presence with significant capabilities to further expand our footprint across the United States.”

Service Champions’ COO, Frank DiMarco is confident the latest acquisition by the distinguished home services industry leader will contribute significantly to the company’s plan for national expansion. “With the acquisitions of Howard Air and Scottsdale Air in addition to those of Hobaica and ProSkill Services, our capabilities to service the steady demands of the Phoenix Metropolitan area have quadrupled. These are all best in class, top-rated companies in their markets. We continue to prospect and search for companies like Howard Air and Scottsdale Air that exist throughout the United States. Companies with a shared purpose of delivering exceptional, customized, quality service with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee,” said DiMarco.

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About Service Champions Group

Based in Orange County, CA, Service Champions is a leading provider of essential home services specializing in heating, air conditioning and plumbing services. With the mission to maintain long term relationships with its customers, Service Champions is dedicated to delivering timely, high-quality services across a comprehensive suite of HVAC and plumbing products. Service Champions goes to market with several trade names including: Service Champions, Bell Brothers, Moore Home Services, ASI, Adeedo!, ProSkill Services, Sierra Air, Hobaica, HELP, Swan Heating & Air Conditioning, and Timo’s Air Conditioning & Heating. For more information, please visit https://partnerships.servicechampions.com.

About Odyssey Investment Partners

M&A Contact: Daniel Hamm, CFO

E: [email protected]

Timo’s Air Conditioning and Heating Added to Service Champions Group

SERVICE CHAMPIONS GROUP EXPANDS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OPERATIONS WITH ACQUISITION OF TIMO’S AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

THRIVING HOME SERVICES BUSINESS CONTINUES EXPANSION AT A STEADY CLIP WITH LATEST INVESTMENT

BREA, CA – September 13, 2021 – Service Champions Group, a premier U.S. Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning services business continues its expansion, announcing today that it has agreed to acquire TIMO’S Air Conditioning & Heating, a family-owned business serving Southern California’s Coachella Valley for more than 20 years. Founded in 1998, by Joe Timo, Timo’s offers highly skilled, NATE-certified technicians providing the industry’s leading HVAC solutions to property owners throughout Southern California’s Riverside County to include the area’s largest city, Indio, and the cities of Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Thousand Palms. Timo’s serves as a perfect partner to extend the Service Champions brand and superior coverage to a flourishing corridor. Service Champions is a portfolio company of Odyssey Investment Partners.

“We have had our sights on Timo’s for many years, and we are excited to be able to bring one of the Desert Empire’s leading home services providers into the fold, said Leland Smith, Founder and CEO of Service Champions. Joe Timo’s mission has always been to attain lifelong customer loyalty through demonstrating unprecedented industry knowledge, exceeding customer expectations, and creating an ethical culture based on integrity, honesty and character,” Smith continued. “Those are the same principles Service Champions was founded on and continue to be at the very core of our every-day existence. It is with great pride that we extend our Southern California family of businesses to include Timo’s Air Conditioning & Heating.”

Timo’s Founder and CEO, Joe Timo, who along with his son Joe restructured the company in 2005 to focus on HVAC repair and replacement, shares Smith’s gratification. “The opportunity to join the Service Champions Group is a privileged moment in our company’s history. We have entered into this partnership together because we share the common values of great service, heritage and pride. We are bent on exceeding your expectations as well as the promise of delivering heating and cooling solutions that are efficient, eco-friendly and competitively priced. At Timo’s, we never forget that the customer is our first priority. Service Champions operates on that same principle,” said Timo.

Service Champions’ COO, Frank DiMarco is enthusiastic about the collective growth of the acquisition. “This is an exciting path forward for Service Champions. Timo’s is A+ Better Business Bureau-rated and committed to excellence. This is a well-run organization with a group of talented employees focused on solving problems and delivering superior service to customers. That’s what we look for operationally as we expand our footprint throughout California and across the Country,” said DiMarco.

Future opportunities to expand the Service Champions footprint in all US markets are top of mind for Service Champions’ CFO, Daniel Hamm. “We are intently focused on identifying the right companies to acquire across all 50 states. Our goal is to partner with companies that are the leading brands in their respective markets, have in depth experience in delivering high quality and consistent service, share our passion for people, and recognize the importance of getting it right each and every time. With the acquisition of Timo’s, we solidify our presence, gain market share and bring abundant resources to residents of the Desert Empire,” said Hamm. “We continue to work hard each and every day to identify future acquisition opportunities and new markets that we hope to proudly serve.”

About Service Champions Group

Based in Orange County, CA, Service Champions is a leading provider of essential home services specializing in heating, air conditioning and plumbing services. With the mission to maintain long term relationships with its customers, Service Champions is dedicated to delivering timely, high quality services across a comprehensive suite of HVAC and plumbing products. Service Champions goes to market with several trade names including: Service Champions, Bell Brothers, Moore Home Services, ASI, Adeedo!, ProSkill Services, Sierra Air, Hobaica, HELP, and Swan Heating & Air Conditioning. For more information, please visit https://partnerships.servicechampions.com.

About Odyssey Investment Partners

M&A Contact: Daniel Hamm, CFO

E: [email protected]

Service Champions Partners with Swan Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning of Colorado

Service Champions Group Accelerates Mile High Growth with Acquisition of Swan Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning of Colorado

BREA, CA – August, 10, 2021 – Service Champions Group, a leading U.S. Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning services business continues its expansion into new markets, announcing today that it has acquired SWAN Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., one of the top brands in Colorado. SWAN provides HVAC and plumbing services to single-family homeowners in the greater Loveland and Denver areas. Beginning operations in Loveland in 2006, and Denver in 2014, SWAN, owned and operated by Tim and Andy Swan, is an established player passionate about taking care of the needs of homeowners and their families in the Loveland and Denver metro areas and will broaden Service Champions’ coordinated network of operations to include two attractive Colorado markets. Service Champions is a portfolio company of Odyssey Investment Partners.

Leland Smith, Founder and CEO of Service Champions is delighted with the alliance, “Service Champions and SWAN have a shared purpose. The safety and well-being of our customers, our communities and our employees is our number one priority. Our collective goal is to provide the best service to every homeowner in our served markets. We strive to deliver services that are fair, accessible, and inclusive, and SWAN has built a trusted brand aligned with those principles. This partnership enables the companies to better deliver compelling services that expand access to more consumers,” said Smith. “The acquisition of SWAN is our first flag planted in Colorado and will serve as a foundation for further expansion as well as our continued commitment to building the country’s premier home services group.”

Swan’s President, Tim Swan’s words echo those of Smith. “We are fully aligned with Service Champions’ purpose and we are proud to join their family of businesses. My brother Andy and I have always wanted to bring the service and experience SWAN offers to a larger audience. Service Champions’ investment in the SWAN brand allows us to do just that. We have built our business based on honesty, commitment to customer service, and a positive company culture. Service Champions operates on those same principles. Their partnership allows us to extend the value we bring to our customers. Together we will do great things for the Denver and Loveland communities,” said Swan.

“Synergies achieved from the integration of SWAN, in addition to those of Hobaica and HELP in recent months, have the potential to unlock greater scale. We are going to be focused on doing whatever we can to help all of our brands grow and maximize the opportunity for their business, which is significant right now. During this extraordinary time in our company’s history, it has become abundantly clear how vital a strong and reliable network of home service providers is to the world we live in, “ said Frank DiMarco, Service Champions COO.

Service Champions’ CFO, Daniel Hamm sees strength in numbers. “We’ve been very active over the past year, looking to acquire leading brands in new markets. By acquiring SWAN, we will expand our footprint in the U.S, offering access to a broader platform of new and valuable capabilities and services to residents in the Mountain West. SWAN is a significant opportunity for us in the Colorado marketplace. We are keenly focused on stepping up our game and intently looking toward future opportunities to expand our footprint across the U.S.,” said Hamm.

About Service Champions Group

Based in Orange County, CA, Service Champions is a leading provider of essential home services specializing in heating, air conditioning and plumbing services. With the mission to maintain long term relationships with its customers, Service Champions is dedicated to delivering timely, high quality services across a comprehensive suite of HVAC and plumbing products. Service Champions goes to market with several trade names including: Service Champions, Bell Brothers, Moore Home Services, ASI, Adeedo! and ProSkill Services. For more information, please visit https://partnerships.servicechampions.com.

About Odyssey Investment Partners

M&A Contact: Daniel Hamm, CFO

E: [email protected]

P: 562.212.3694

Leland and Frank on To The Point Podcast

In June, Leland and Frank were graciously asked to be on the To the Point podcast from Ryno Strategic Solutions. Together, Leland and Frank told the story of how they grew Service Champions into the company it is today.

To the Point is a home services podcast that “gives back.” The hosts look for home service businesses that stand out and talk to people within the company about what sets them apart. What makes their company different and unique?

As we all could imagine, Leland and Frank have a lot to say about Service Champions.

The podcast begins the story of Service Champions with Leland’s humble beginnings in Kentucky. Leland got his start working on antique cars with his dad. Through these lessons, Leland learned he doesn’t have the “magic touch” for tools. However, he has the magic touch for business.

From the beginning, Leland was destined to strike out on his own. After graduating with a business degree from University of Kentucky, he moved to California. When he moved to California, Leland took up work with his uncle as a plumber.

After learning the working side of plumbing, Leland started his own company in the 90s, Allied Plumbing & Heating. Leland grew the company, sold it to a consolidator, and started to sow the seeds of Service Champions.

Leland started Service Champions in the year 2000. Every decision was deliberate, and every detail thought out. “I planned a lot, even down to the name,” said Leland. “I wanted to be the champions of service. Hence the name.”

Leland and Frank then go on to explain how and why the customer first business model of Service Champions works. “To have techs that are great, I knew I had to pay the techs better than anyone else in the industry,” said Leland. “If you pay your techs really well you can make it a point to take care of customers. Even to this day, we want them to take care of the customer better than anyone else and a little bit more.”

When it comes to the success of Service Champions, Leland and Frank break down the “secret sauce.” To put it simply, the secret sauce is just doing things the right way, which allows a company to succeed where many others don’t, because it’s just easier not to do things the right way.

To elaborate, it’s putting the customer first. As well as training our technicians, CSRs, dispatchers, and anyone else under the Service Champions umbrella to not cut corners and take the as much time as needed to go the extra mile.

That extra mile is what people associate with Service Champions. From superior customer service to Good Deeds For Free, Service Champions ensures a wonderful customer relationship for years to come.

And just like everything else, a big key to success is to always be curious and open to learning. As Leland says, “When you open up a business you’ve got to start learning. And to this day, I’m still learning.”

The Service Champions Group Welcomes Proskill and Jet to the Family

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CenterOak Partners LLC (“CenterOak”), a Dallas-based private equity firm, today announced that its portfolio company Service Champions (the “Company”) has acquired ProSkill Services (“ProSkill”) and Jet Plumbing Heating & Drain Services (“Jet”), two market-leading home services brands serving the Phoenix, Arizona and Reno, Nevada markets. Including these transactions, Service Champions has completed ten acquisitions since CenterOak’s initial investment.

Proskill Logo

JET Plumbing Logo

“We are excited to grow in Arizona and Nevada with these two acquisitions”

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“We are excited to grow in Arizona and Nevada with these two acquisitions,” said Leland Smith, CEO of Service Champions. “Our team has been diligently searching for the right partners in these markets and are thrilled to welcome these two local market leaders to the Service Champions platform. This transaction represents a natural fit for our long-term growth plan as the largest residential HVAC and plumbing services company in the Western United States.”

“The ProSkill and Jet acquisitions mark an important milestone for Service Champion’s expansion history,” said Lucas Cutler, a Managing Partner with CenterOak. “After expanding Service Champions into the largest residential services provider in California, the Company is well-positioned to be the acquiror of choice for market leading residential services businesses across the broader Western United States.”

About Service Champions

Headquartered in Orange County, CA, Service Champions is a premier provider of essential home services specializing in heating, air conditioning and plumbing services. As the largest residential service provider in the Western U.S., Service Champions goes to market via several iconic local trade names including Service Champions, Moore Home Services, Bell Brothers, ASI, and Adeedo!

About CenterOak Partners LLC

CenterOak Partners LLC is a private equity firm with a focus on making control-oriented investments in middle market companies organized or operating in the United States. The Firm specializes in three key industry sectors: Industrial Growth, Consumer, and Business Services. Based in Dallas, Texas, the investment and portfolio management team has a strong history of creating significant value through operational improvement. CenterOak and its Partners have managed over $2.2 billion of equity capital commitments and have completed over 100 acquisitions, representing over $4.8 billion in transaction value.

Adeedo, JW and A-Avis Join The Service Champions Group

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CenterOak Partners LLC (“CenterOak”), a Dallas-based private equity firm, today announced that its portfolio company Service Champions (the “Company”) has acquired Adeedo! (“Adeedo”), JW Plumbing Heating & Air (“JW”) and A-Avis Home Services (“A-Avis”), three market-leading home services brands serving the Los Angeles and Riverside, California markets. Including these transactions, Service Champions has completed eight acquisitions since CenterOak’s initial investment.

“The Adeedo, JW, and A-Avis transactions are key components of our aggressive add-on strategy for Service Champions”

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The combination of Adeedo and JW creates the largest residential services provider in the Los Angeles market. Additionally, through the partnership with A-Avis, Service Champions now has a brick and mortar presence in Riverside, which will ensure high quality service and offer access to a talented pool of technicians. Following the acquisitions, Service Champions will make significant investments in new facilities, information technology, and technician training capabilities to support accelerated growth throughout Los Angeles and Riverside.

“We are happy to have made these acquisitions in two large and fast-growing areas in California,” said Leland Smith, CEO of Service Champions. “Our team has been diligently searching for the right partners in these markets and are thrilled to welcome these three local market leaders to the Service Champions platform. We continue to see tremendous opportunity to scale Service Champions and further build on our position as the largest residential HVAC and plumbing services company in the Western United States.”

“The Adeedo, JW, and A-Avis transactions are key components of our aggressive add-on strategy for Service Champions,” said Lucas Cutler, a Managing Partner with CenterOak. “Service Champions now employs over 760 technicians performing over 250,000 service jobs annually across its growing branch network. These three transactions come on the heels of our recent expansion into San Diego and solidifies our leading market position while broadening our customer base in key markets.”

About Service Champions

Headquartered in Orange County, CA, Service Champions is a premier provider of essential home services specializing in heating, air conditioning and plumbing services. As the largest residential service provider in the Western U.S., Service Champions goes to market via four iconic local trade names – Service Champions, Moore Home Services, Bell Brothers and ASI. For more information, please visit www.servicechampions.com or www.moorehomeservices.com or www.bellbroshvac.com or www.asiheatingandair.com.

About CenterOak Partners LLC

FRANK DIMARCO TO SUCCEED LELAND SMITH AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT SERVICE CHAMPIONS GROUP

SERVICE CHAMPIONS GROUP DOUBLES DOWN IN PHOENIX METRO;ACQUIRES HOWARD AIR AND SCOTTSDALE AIR HEATING & COOLING

SERVICE CHAMPIONS GROUP EXPANDS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OPERATIONS WITH ACQUISITION OF TIMO’S AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

Service Champions Group Accelerates Mile High Growth with Acquisition of Swan Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning of Colorado

SERVICE CHAMPIONS GROUP DOUBLES DOWN IN PHOENIX METRO;
ACQUIRES HOWARD AIR AND SCOTTSDALE AIR HEATING & COOLING