CHC Mechanical Contractors Inc.

Since 1969 CHC Mechanical Contractors Inc. (CHC) has built a reputation as a single-source for all things mechanical. With more than 80 associates, consisting of professional engineers, designers, craft workers and other specialists, the Tennessee-based company is capable of performing projects of nearly any size or type.

CHC was founded in 1969 and was originally known as American Heating and Cooling. “When I took over ownership in 1973, I renamed the company after our hometown, changing it to Cookeville Heating and Cooling,” recalls Garry Floeter, president of CHC. “As we grew and evolved as a company, we did not want to be perceived as being limited to our town, so in the early 1990s we started going by CHC Mechanical Companies.”

Today, CHC still operates out of Cookeville, Tenn., with a sister company known as Cookeville Heating and Services LLC. “Cookeville Heating and Services LLC provides the service and maintenance aspect of our operations,” adds Floeter. “We contract most of our work within a 100-mile radius of our hometown.”

No matter what designation the company goes by, the team’s ability to deliver a wide array of successful projects sets CHC apart. “We’re different from the mechanical contractors out there, because we’re highly diversified,” explains Floeter. “We can do just about any kind of mechanical work, but where we really excel is in our one-stop shop design-build abilities.”

One-stop Shop for Mechanical Needs

CHC provides end-users with a single source for mechanical needs. “As opposed to a traditional mechanical contracting company where the owner hires a designer, then the designer puts the work up for bid, we perform every step ourselves,” details Floeter. “We promise to meet and exceed expectations, because if we don’t that’s our full responsibility, not a subcontractor’s.”

As a full-service mechanical contractor, CHC’s integrated project team develops complete design-build options. All phases of a project are handled in-house, from engineering and construction to sheet metal and warranties. The company’s talented workforce promises design expertise, quality workmanship and efficient project management to ensure schedules, budgets and specifications are met. “We self-perform about 98 percent of everything we do,” adds Floeter.

CHC is one of the few mechanical contractors able to self-install piping, ductwork, equipment and controls for even the most sophisticated HVAC systems. Additionally, the company provides full-circle service, through preventative maintenance and system checks post-installation, performed by the Cookeville Heating and Cooling Services LLC division.

Projects & Safety Standards

The company’s diversity allows CHC to work throughout a wide range of industries, including commercial, health care, geothermal and institutional. Floeter is proud to note that CHC is currently reaching phase three of a multimillion-dollar project for the state of Tennessee.

“We just finished phase two,” says Floeter. “We’re completing a full-scale mechanical renovation of the RS GASS State Laboratories. We’ve been working on the occupied building for over two years now. It’s a sensitive site, because the lab deals with hazardous and toxic substance testing.”

However, that is not all the team at CHC is capable of. “As far as the design-build side of things, we’ve recently renovated several training facilities at the Meharry Medical College,” shares Floeter. “This includes dental labs and other areas for students in the medical profession.”

CHC has also finished the mechanical design-build of one of the largest Volvo truck facilities in the state. “We were able to redesign the project, meet the owner’s budget and even include radiant floor heating using a waste oil boiler,” Floeter continues.

On any job, one of the first goals of performance is safety. In 2009 this mindset won CHC the Tennessee Chapter of the Association of General Contractor’s Construction Safety Excellence Award for the specialty contractor category.

“We are very honored to have been named a Construction Safety Excellence Award winner,” says Floeter. “As is often the case, this was a true team effort, top to bottom. We take great pride in our dedication to safety, and we’re proud to receive recognition for all of that hard work.”

As a two-time winner of the Tennessee Governor’s Award for Excellence in Workplace Safety, CHC maintained its safety record while working on dozens of projects in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. The team completed a vast array of projects, including Cookeville Regional Medical Center’s North Tower Expansion, the School of Nursing at Tennessee Technological University, the Freedom Plaza office complex and the McMinnville Civic Center. Additionally, CHC provided the mechanical aspect of the renovations at the Tennessee governor’s residence in Nashville, Tenn.

With a record of proven success under his company’s belt, Floeter wants CHC to continue focusing on providing the best value in the design-build arena. “With the current economic situation it’s easy for the mindset to be that a bid-out is going to ensure the best value, but by the end it’s usually a free-for-all,” he explains. “You run into change orders and confusion; it’s really a lose-lose proposition all-around. On the other hand, owners hire someone like us and we perform every aspect and are fully accountable for every phase of the job.”

After 44 years in the mechanical contracting business, the company has gained the expertise to offer a single-source solution. CHC Mechanical Contractors Inc. continues to provide well-rounded design, installation and service while maintaining an impressive safety record.