The deal
Leap Partners, a home services company that has acquired 34 HVAC, plumbing and electrical companies in the past four years, has acquired Central Heat & Air of Cleveland, Tenn. Terms were not disclosed.
Central Heat & Air has served the Cleveland area for more than 40 years under owners Tony Bishop and Larry Gardner. The company keeps its name, and Bishop remains in a leadership role alongside the current team.
Leap operates in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, providing investment and operational support while local leaders keep running their businesses.
Cleveland, Tenn., sits in the greater Chattanooga region, and this deal shows that buyers are actively looking at established companies in mid-sized Southeast markets, not just big cities. If you own a home service company in East Tennessee or North Georgia, platforms are already calling your competitors.
What this means if you own a company in the Southeast
- Buyers are local now. Platforms are buying in markets like Cleveland, Tenn. Yours is likely on a list.
- Forty years counts. A long local track record and a known name are what consolidators want.
- Know who's calling. Thirty-four deals in four years means a repeat buyer with a playbook. Have yours.
Source: Contracting Business, July 2026. Summary and analysis by V2 Strategy Advisors.