James E. Thompson
Williston,FL
Summary
Dynamic General Management and Regional Vice President with over 25 years of leadership experience in the mechanical industry, committed to aligning business vision with profitability through transformational leadership. Proven track record in nurturing small operations into mature, respected entities within their markets, consistently prioritizing customer service excellence and operational integrity. Successfully expanded organizational capabilities across multiple businesses throughout the Southeast by establishing and aligning services and projects with a cohesive regional support staff. Expertise in driving strategic initiatives that enhance operational efficiency and foster sustainable growth in competitive environments.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Regional General Manager, Service
Corvant
04.2022 - Current
- Financial results:
- Increased revenue trajectory from $4 million in 2021 to $50 million in 2025
- Achieved 24% EBIDTA while establishing 3 regional branches.
- Incorporated small service business generating $2 million additional revenue while elevating profitability.
- Current year-to-date trend at $60 million revenue with mid-20s EBITDA percentage.
- Secured sale to new PE firm in 2025
- Directed rebranding project for service division.
- Business growth initiatives:
- Enhanced national account footprint from Atlanta to incorporate 5 additional states.
- Harnessed large national customers and production builds to foster growth in emerging markets.
- Expanded Special Projects Business throughout region. Focused on Healthcare, institutional, Data Center and manufacturing sectors.
- Closed contracts for 65 new properties, substantially increasing business reach.
- Established new service operations across Dallas, Nashville, and Savannah.
- Acquired maintenance contracts 12+ 100 MW data centers from Atlanta to Mississippi and opened a mission critical service division within existing businesses.
- Staffing and Leadership:
- Increased technician headcount from 12 in 2022 to 100+/-.
- Added 10 onsite Data Center techs for major customer.
- Hired a Service Manager in Savannah, a new service operations manager in Dallas, and a leader in Nashville.
- Acted as Sales manager to support the sales team and drive strategic growth.
- structured all branches as independent business operations and sales reporting to regional GM.
- Operational Improvements:
- Integrated a new operating system across all service businesses to streamline operations.
- Centralized billing and purchasing processes to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
- Increased project business by approximately 30% annually, 3 years in a row.
- These efforts collectively contributed to substantial growth in revenue, profitability, and operational capabilities, positioning Corvant as a leader in its industry.
Regional Vice President, East Coast Operations
Climate Pros
01.2020 - 01.2022
- Promoted to Regional Vice President, overseeing the operations of 9 states, building a support structure through the training and management of leaders and the establishment of efficient processes and procedures, growing the region to $30M within 3 years
- Expanded the services of the organization, opening the HVAC division to diversify the business, creating a 30/30/30/10 split for product lines, and stimulating revenue growth
- Led in building a thriving region, producing $20M of organic growth within 3 years, closing 2021 over by $22M, with a conservative forecast of $30M for 2022
- Oversaw the opening of 3 new branches and the acquisition of 58 new customer locations with existing customers, generating a 200% increase in revenue in 2020, totaling $15M annualized with a 3% pickup on EBITDA
- Developed efficient processes and procedures for critical functions to streamline operations, resulting in overall operational efficiency, customer pipeline growth, and increases in organizational revenue
- Researched and recognized the need for a regional operations manager, filling the position to drive efficiency in dispatch, purchasing, and billing
- Established a dispatch program including all open jobs, providing a filter for the oldest jobs, showing the status of why it remains open, allowing it to be pulled to the front and tagged as a priority
- Implemented a focus on meeting customer needs quickly and efficiently, cultivating relationships, and growing the customer pipeline
- Regularly reviewed construction and service processes, standardizing the best practices to stimulate and support growth and shorten close to cash time
- Facilitated quarterly business reviews for regional staff and senior leadership, providing data from the quarter, as well as comparing with the past, celebrating success, and identifying areas in need of attention
- Ensured alignment of national agreements with local unions in organizational operating areas, including wages, hours, vacation time, insurance, and safety practices
Regional Director, Southeast Operations
Climate Pros
01.2019 - 01.2020
- Recruited by Climate Pros to oversee and organically grow the southeast region of the US, resulting in driving the top line 300% in 2019 to $7M annualized with a 6% gain in EBITDA
- Expanded the organization with the addition of the construction department, establishing crews in key locations of growth, generating $10M in projects for 2020 even with the COVID-19 pandemic challenges
- Negotiated strategically to achieve the addition of 3 national accounts, using the new accounts to support the opening of additional branch locations
- Hired, trained, and developed 3 service managers, 2 construction managers, 2 construction managers, a sales manager, estimator, and operations coordinator to be direct reports, supporting further expansion and growth increases in EBITDA
- Implemented a recruiting program, securing and training the needed employees to support the organizational expansion and growth
- Directed the improvement of quality control concerning the performance of fieldwork, utilizing POD implementation and the addition of field supervisor roles
- Restructured regional resources to support growth, reducing administrative workloads and allowing for a more customer-centric and business-minded focus
- Established a program providing a career path for advancing technicians, reducing attrition, and developing future company leaders
- Created and implemented the “open cost” reporting program, driving a reduction in the average age of open work orders by 35 days
Northeast Florida Sr. Service Manager
Source Refrigeration and HVAC Inc.
01.2015 - 01.2019
- Directed the Northeast Florida region, developing and managing the support team to establish a foundation to drive organizational growth, increasing the gross margins from 16% on full-service accounts to 26% annually
- Spearheaded the campaign for Publix’s aggressive retrofit program, successfully adding $400K in revenue at a 40% margin
- Expanded the customer base to increase profits and maintain steady cash flow, achieving new customer growth of $1.2M and 35% GM over 16 months
- Introduced back-office operations training to service technicians, allowing for a better understanding of the billing and collections procedures, as well as the turnaround time, producing improved efficiencies
- Utilized organizational improved profitability to increase overall wages, improving the quality of employee work-life, and reducing attrition, establishing a foundation for continued individual and organizational success
- Provided top-notch customer service, leading to the retention of current customers and reacquisition of previous customers, re-establishing 30 sites lost under previous management
- Established technician PODs with a team leader, allowing work to be centralized to technician’s home locations, reducing fuel consumption by 12% annually as well as establishing a customer relationship and accountability with assigned technicians
- Implemented a significant reduction in refrigerant usage on the Publix full-service accounts, reducing OT to secure a profit
Northeast Florida Field Supervisor
Source Refrigeration and HVAC Inc.
01.2010 - 01.2015
- Responsible for leading the service operations for the Northeast Florida area, including Publix Supermarkets, B.J.’s Wholesale, Walmart, Target, Winn Dixie, Save A Lot, Earth Fare, Trader Joe’s, Pizza Hut, Duval Nutrition Center, and Fresh Market
- Worked hand in hand with technicians, providing needed training to secure more efficient productivity, growing the organization while delivering customer quality and value
- Collaborated with dispatch, service billing, accounts receivable, finance, human resources, and the IT department, developing efficient processes and procedures to support the success of the organization
- Recognized the need for and implemented innovative technology and strategies for use within the field, ensuring employee training to better support customer needs
- Established a process to address customer disputes concerning service work and billing, generating a reduction in issues and cost
- Partnered with installation teams, sales, and customer support operations, providing smooth delivery and installation of new units
Service Technician
Commercial Air Inc.
01.2007 - 01.2010
- Performed independently to install, service, and repair multiple HVAC systems for residential and commercial properties, meeting customer needs quickly and safely
Education
HVAC Fundamentals -
Baran Institute of Technology
Windsor10-2001
Skills
- Expertise in mechanical systems
- Change management expertise
- Team leadership
- Program Development
- Financial Management
- Account Management
- Contract Negotiations
- Project Management
- Strategic Business Planning
- Process Improvements
- Sales Planning & Management
- Leadership and team building
- Customer relationship management
Accomplishments
I have completed expert level leadership training through Franklin Covey along with several other Leadership focused courses throughout my career. I continue to keep up with the ever changing technology of the industry so I can effectively lead my team through difficult projects.
Certification
- Franklin Covey Leadership certification
- Financial Acumen certification
- Emerson/CPC Controllers
- Carrier 3V Systems
- Desert Air Dehumidification Systems
- Trane Tracer Systems
- Munters Factory Training
- Radiant Heat Systems
Timeline
Regional General Manager, Service
Corvant
04.2022 - Current
Regional Vice President, East Coast Operations
Climate Pros
01.2020 - 01.2022
Regional Director, Southeast Operations
Climate Pros
01.2019 - 01.2020
Northeast Florida Sr. Service Manager
Source Refrigeration and HVAC Inc.
01.2015 - 01.2019
Northeast Florida Field Supervisor
Source Refrigeration and HVAC Inc.
01.2010 - 01.2015
Service Technician
Commercial Air Inc.
01.2007 - 01.2010
HVAC Fundamentals -
Baran Institute of Technology
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
- The United States Marine Corps
- Scarraco Mechanical Service – Steam Fitter Service Apprentice