SOLD 2022 Private-equity backed verified

Stay Cool Air Conditioning and Heating

HVAC · Port Richey, Pasco County

Ownership at a glance. Stay Cool Air Conditioning and Heating is owned by Southeastern Home Services, a private-equity platform headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, whose capital has come from WhitneyWilder. The sale was announced August 15, 2022; the company still operates under its original name.
The name on the truckStay Cool Air Conditioning and Heating
Port Richey, Pasco County
Operating ownerSoutheastern Home Services
St. Petersburg, FL
Capital behind it
WhitneyWilder
St. Petersburg, FL

About the company

Port Richey-based residential HVAC contractor offering 24-hour service across the Tampa Bay area. Acquired by St. Petersburg-backed platform Southeastern Home Services in August 2022, its third Tampa Bay-area deal in four months.

Ownership history

What changed after the sale

Southeastern Home Services CEO Tom Birchard said Stay Cool 'has built an outstanding reputation with homeowners in the Tampa market through an unwavering commitment to 24/7 service.' No brand change or leadership change was disclosed in the release.

Only sourced observations are listed. Customers and employees can add what they saw.

Who really profits

Money paid to Stay Cool Air Conditioning and Heating now flows to Southeastern Home Services (St. Petersburg, FL), and from there to its investors — WhitneyWilder — whose funds are ultimately owed returns by their limited partners. Home-services platform launched in 2022 and backed by WhitneyWilder, a St. Petersburg family office. It bought three Tampa Bay-area HVAC and plumbing companies within four months of launch and kept each brand, in at least one case leaving the founder as a partial owner and operator.

Read more: why prices rise after a sale · debt, exits and the 5-year clock.

Same owner, different name

Other Tampa Bay brands controlled by Southeastern Home Services. Getting a "second opinion" from one of these is not a second opinion.

Frequently asked

Who owns Stay Cool Air Conditioning and Heating?

Stay Cool Air Conditioning and Heating is owned by Southeastern Home Services, a private-equity platform headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, whose capital has come from WhitneyWilder. The sale was announced August 15, 2022; the company still operates under its original name.

Is Stay Cool Air Conditioning and Heating private equity owned?

Yes. Stay Cool Air Conditioning and Heating is part of Southeastern Home Services, which is backed by WhitneyWilder. See the buyer profile for the capital structure.

Is Stay Cool Air Conditioning and Heating locally owned?

Not in the sense most homeowners mean. Control sits with Southeastern Home Services in St. Petersburg, FL, although the local brand name is still used.

When was Stay Cool Air Conditioning and Heating sold?

August 15, 2022 (announcement date).

Did Stay Cool Air Conditioning and Heating change its name after the sale?

No. Keeping the acquired brand name is standard practice for platforms; it preserves customer trust and reviews while ownership changes behind it.

Sources Verified — primary document

  1. PR Newswire (2022-08-15) — press release. Date, Port Richey location, WhitneyWilder as St. Petersburg family office, quote
  2. ACHR News (2022-08-15) — trade press. Trade coverage

See something wrong? Request a correction — we publish our corrections log.

Reader comments

Loading comments…

Comments are held for review before they appear. We remove unsourced accusations, personal information, and spam. Comment policy.