Comfort Systems USA

Comfort Systems USA, Inc.
Company typePublic
IndustryHVAC
Founded1997 (1997)
Headquarters
Houston, Texas
,
U.S.
Key people
Franklin Myers (Chairman), Brian E. Lane (President & CEO), William George, III, (CFO)
Revenue US$7.027 billion (2024)
US$522 million (2024)
Total assets US$4.711 billion (2024)
Total equity US$1.704 billion (2024)
Number of employees
18,300 (2024)
Websitecomfortsystemsusa.com
Footnotes / references
[1]

Comfort Systems USA, Inc. is an American company that provides mechanical and electrical contracting services, primarily HVAC, plumbing, piping and controls, off-site construction, monitoring and fire protection, and installation and servicing of electrical systems.[1]

The company is registered in Delaware and headquartered in Houston, Texas. It has 47 operating units with 178 locations in 136 cities in the United States.[1] It is ranked 520th on the Fortune 500.[2] In 2024, the company was ranked 6th by Engineering News-Record on its list of the top 600 specialty contractors.[3] It is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FIX.

In 2024, 56.7% of revenue was from installation services in newly constructed facilities and 43.3% was from renovation, expansion, maintenance, repair and replacement services in existing buildings.[1]

History

In June 1997, 12 companies were merged into the newly-formed Comfort Systems USA, which then became a public company via an initial public offering.[4][5]

In February 2002, after a decline in business after the September 11 attacks and facing $205 million in debt due the following year, the company sold 19 subsidiaries to Emcor for $164 million in cash and the assumption of $22 million of debt.[6][7]

In 2017, a federal lawsuit (Maddison v. Comfort Systems USA (Syracuse), Inc.) was filed alleging that the company failed to pay workers on public works projects the prevailing wages and overtime required by law. The suit asserted willful violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as related state-law claims, and sought relief on a collective and class basis.[8]

In February 2026, a former employee filed a class action lawsuit against the company. In the suit, the plaintiffs allege that Comfort System’s 401(k) plan carried unnecessary risk and provided low returns.[9]

Acquisitions

# Year Company Description of assets Ref(s).
1 February 1998 Portfolio of 16 businesses Price was $125 million in cash [10]
2 November 1998 Shambaugh & Son Price was $50 million in cash, $30 million in notes and $30 million in common stock; division was sold to Emcor in 2002 [11]
3 September 2000 Wichita Air Conditioning [12]
4 July 2010 ColonialWebb Contractors [13]
5 April 2017 BCH Mechanical $100 million in revenues [14]
6 February 2020 Starr Electric Offices in North Carolina and South Carolina [15]
7 February 2024 J & S Mechanical Contractor Specializes in data center HVAC systems and hospital medical gas systems [16]

Anti-union efforts

In July 2025, workers at the company's Montgomery, Alabama facility voted to remove Steamfitters Local 52 union after a nearly two-year effort. An employee, Brandon Davis, filed a decertification application with the NLRB in March 2023. Officials with the union responded with charges of unfair labor practices against the company's management. This included an allegation that Davis was acting as an agent of the management. NLBR ended up dropping the and settling the charges before a scheduled hearing, essentially ending the company's withdrawal of union recognition.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Comfort Systems USA, Inc. 2024 Form 10-K Annual Report". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. February 20, 2025.
  2. ^ "Comfort Systems USA". Fortune.
  3. ^ "ENR 2023 Top 600 Specialty Contractors". Engineering News-Record.
  4. ^ Carroll, Chris (April 13, 1997). "Another roll-up IPO rolling out". American City Business Journals.
  5. ^ Hamilton, Martha M. (July 27, 1997). "CONDITIONED TO CONSOLIDATE". The Washington Post.
  6. ^ "Heavily In Debt Comfort Systems Sells Key Operations To Emcor". Engineering News-Record. February 18, 2002.
  7. ^ "COMPANY NEWS; COMFORT SYSTEMS SELLS 19 UNITS TO EMCOR". The New York Times. Bloomberg News. February 13, 2002.
  8. ^ CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT. KEVIN T. MADDISON, individually and on behalf of all other persons similarly situated, Plaintiff, against COMFORT SYSTEMS USA (SYRACUSE), INC, d/b/a ABJ FIRE PROTECTION CO., INC. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK. March 30, 2017.
  9. ^ "Comfort Systems Sued Over 401(k) Plan's Stable Value Investment". 2026-02-04. Archived from the original on 2026-03-24. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  10. ^ "COMPANY NEWS; COMFORT SYSTEMS SAYS IT ACQUIRED 16 MORE BUSINESSES". The New York Times. Bloomberg News. February 27, 1998.
  11. ^ "COMPANY NEWS; COMFORT SYSTEMS SAYS IT HAS ADDED SHAMBAUGH & SON". The New York Times. Bloomberg News. November 17, 1998.
  12. ^ Dinell, David (September 24, 2000). "Comfort Systems brings veteran company into its fold". American City Business Journals.
  13. ^ Hall, Christine (July 28, 2010). "Local HVAC co. acquires North Carolina-based electric contractor". American City Business Journals.
  14. ^ Manning, Margie (April 3, 2017). "Texas HVAC firm closes $100M deal for Tampa mechanical contractor". American City Business Journals.
  15. ^ Little, Jane (February 11, 2020). "Local HVAC co. acquires North Carolina-based electric contractor". American City Business Journals.
  16. ^ "Comfort Systems (FIX) Expands With the J & S Acquisition". Yahoo Finance. February 5, 2024.
  17. ^ Comello, Jacob (2025-07-15). "Comfort Systems USA Pipefitters and Welders Win Two-Year Battle to Escape Steamfitters Local 52 Union". National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
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