Built to buy. Built to operate. Built to keep.
Homestead Service Partners is a Chicago-based commercial HVAC buyer. We are operators — not a broker, not a fund, not private equity. We acquire commercial HVAC service businesses in Chicagoland and operate them for decades, not five years.
Homestead is not private equity. We are operators who came up through the trades and understand how service businesses actually run — the work, the people, the customer relationships, the discipline it takes to keep good crews busy and good customers happy.
You spent a lifetime building your business. When you’re ready to step back, we’re built to protect what you created. That means a transparent process, genuine respect for your team and brand, and a buyer who plans to operate the business for decades — not flip it. Every conversation is confidential and there is never any pressure to move forward.
A different kind of HVAC buyer.
Everything about Homestead is built around what HVAC owners actually care about when they decide to sell — the people, the brand, and what happens after the wire clears.
Homestead vs. Private Equity HVAC Buyers
When you compare an independent operator-buyer with a private equity firm, the differences become obvious quickly. Here is a side-by-side on what each path actually means for your business, your team, and your legacy.
- Buys to flip in 5–7 years
- Rebrands your company under a platform name
- Often cuts or restructures teams to boost margins
- You may spend more time with associates than the actual decision-maker
- Financing contingencies can create real closing risk
- Your legacy becomes one asset inside a larger portfolio
- Buys to operate for decades
- Your name stays on the trucks and uniforms
- Your team, pay structure, and benefits stay intact
- You deal directly with Michael — the buyer and the operator
- No financing contingencies — we close clean
- Your legacy becomes the foundation for the next chapter of growth
Michael Mayes
Michael is a Chicago operator and dealmaker. Over his career, he has brokered and closed $46.3 million in business transactions across three deals — including a 10% equity stake in a company that exited for $20 million. He came up through the trades — from stone mason and laborer to owner — and today is focused on acquiring and operating commercial HVAC service businesses in Chicagoland. He is not private equity. He is the person who will own your business, show up on Monday, and carry forward what you built.
How we think about acquisitions.
Our approach to buying commercial HVAC businesses — from valuation to transition — laid out in plain English by Michael.
Your team stays. Your brand stays. Clean deal structure. Here’s how selling to an operator is fundamentally different from selling to PE.
Michael MayesThe first 90 days, your team, your brand, and your role. Here is exactly what the transition looks like under new ownership.
Michael MayesCompare 11+ named US HVAC acquirers across four buyer archetypes, plus six succession paths and ten deal terms. The full national landscape.
Michael MayesYour business took decades to build. Let’s make sure the exit reflects that.
Whether you’re ready to sell or just want to understand what your commercial HVAC business is worth, Michael will give you direct, honest answers. Every conversation is confidential, with no obligation and no pressure.