On June 5, 2026, FirstCall Group announced the acquisition of Comfort Indoor Solutions (CIS), a Bensenville, Illinois-based commercial and industrial HVAC service and installation provider serving the Chicago metropolitan area. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction marks FirstCall's first branch in Illinois and extends the platform's footprint into the Chicagoland market. CIS will continue to operate under its existing brand and local leadership, consistent with FirstCall's broader acquisition model.
The asset: a long-tenured Chicago-area commercial HVAC contractor
Founded in 1978, Comfort Indoor Solutions is headquartered at 730 Birginal Drive in Bensenville, Illinois — in DuPage County, west of Chicago and adjacent to O'Hare International Airport. The company delivers commercial and industrial HVAC service and installation across the broader Chicago metropolitan area.
FirstCall Group: a SkyKnight-backed commercial mechanical platform
FirstCall Group is a multi-region commercial mechanical services platform headquartered in Rollingwood, Texas, in the greater Austin area. The platform was launched in February 2023 by San Francisco-based private equity firm SkyKnight Capital in partnership with Founder and CEO Evan Eachus, beginning with four Southeast acquisitions: STR Mechanical (the Carolinas), Technical Services (Virginia), TimCo Heating and Air (Georgia), and the service assets of JAX Refrigeration (Florida).
In roughly three years, FirstCall has expanded from approximately 150 employees and a regional Southeast footprint to 26 branches across 12 states and approximately 800 employees. Recent additions include CLS Facility Services (Mentor, Ohio, August 2025) and Automated Building Solutions (South Amboy, New Jersey, January 2026). The platform's services span HVAC, refrigeration, building controls, electrical, and plumbing, with end markets including distribution centers, cold storage and food manufacturing, universities, healthcare, industrial facilities, and government customers. FirstCall's stated operating model preserves local brands and local leadership while consolidating back-office, technology, HR, marketing, and finance functions at the platform level.
The MEP space: a steady cadence of commercial mechanical consolidation
The CIS deal is one of many similar transactions across commercial HVAC and the broader MEP services space in 2026. Institutional capital — PE-backed multi-region platforms like FirstCall, NearU, Sila Services, Northwinds, and others, alongside strategic operators with sponsor backing — has continued to consolidate established regional commercial mechanical contractors at a steady pace. The drivers behind sponsor interest are now well-understood: recurring service revenue, mission-critical customer relationships, fragmented regional supply, and a structurally tight skilled labor base.
For independent owners of well-run commercial HVAC and mechanical services businesses, the result is a meaningfully deeper buyer universe than the sector has historically seen. Acquirers are looking for clean financials, durable customer relationships, and operating teams that will stay in place through and beyond a transaction. Sellers who meet that bar are increasingly meeting multiple credible bidders — and increasingly able to choose the partner whose model and culture fit best, rather than simply the highest headline price.
Thinking about a sale or partnership in commercial HVAC or MEP services?
The commercial mechanical services space continues to attract a wide range of institutional acquirers, strategic platforms, and operator-led groups. The right counterparty depends entirely on the owner's situation and goals. We work with owners and acquirers across the trades. Happy to have an honest conversation, no pitch.
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