Legence Acquires A.O. Reed & Co.

The acquisition of leading mechanical contractor A.O. Reed & Co. will empower Legence to expand its technical offerings throughout Southern California and further support clients as they realize healthier and more sustainable buildings.

Legence, the world’s first Energy Transition Accelerator™, is thrilled to announce the acquisition of San Diego-based A.O. Reed & Co., a leading specialty mechanical contractor focused on building and servicing complex systems in mission-critical facilities.

For over a century, A.O. Reed & Co. has played an instrumental role in shaping the performance of the built environment in Southern California, having spearheaded a range of major infrastructure improvements to schools, hospitals, museums, ballparks, amusement parks, hotels, resorts, courthouses, advanced laboratories, offices, government buildings, and more. The addition of A.O. Reed & Co. allows Legence to offer comprehensive solutions throughout all of California, providing clients with expanded coverage to optimize systems and decarbonize the built environment.

Legence’s continued California expansion aligns with the state’s introduction of mandatory building code measures to “limit embodied carbon emissions in the construction, remodel, or adaptive reuse of commercial buildings” — the first of their kind in the United States. Non-residential facilities account for nearly one-fifth of national energy consumption, with a significant amount of that demand — and resulting emissions — stemming from HVAC. As such, there is an urgent and rapidly growing need for proven solutions providers who can deliver cost-effective solutions at scale. A.O. Reed & Co.’s extensive expertise, sophisticated cost analysis, and advanced HVAC technologies will help enable this, supporting Legence in delivering next-generation decarbonization solutions that result in better buildings, lower emissions, and healthier occupants.

The acquisition of A.O. Reed & Co., alongside other established leaders throughout California, including Therma, SC Engineers and Trinity Process Solutions, will play a key role in expanding Legence’s design and implementation capabilities. It will also strengthen Legence’s standing as the premier provider of decarbonization solutions for high-performance buildings across the Southwest United States. A.O. Reed & Co.’s extensive portfolio includes a number of unique projects that will augment Legence’s library of solutions, including Petco Park in San Diego, California Polytechnic State University in Pomona, and Camp Pendleton Hospital in Oceanside.

“A.O. Reed & Co.’s core values of safety, sustainability, excellence, and innovation fit squarely into the fabric of Legence’s DNA, and we’re proud to have them join our Legion of companies,” said Legence CEO Jeff Sprau. “With an unwavering commitment to collaborative problem-solving and a robust track record of surpassing client expectations across a diverse project portfolio, A.O. Reed & Co. embodies Legence’s corporate ethos, making them a perfect cultural fit and ideal partner.”

“We are excited to be joining the Legence family and building upon the work we’ve done over the past 100+ years to provide superior service and value to our customers and create new opportunities for our employees. As a part of the Legence family, we will offer a comprehensive suite of services and solutions that address the entire lifecycle of a building, which helps accelerate emissions reduction and improve the health and productivity of occupants, resulting in cost savings and efficiency gains for customers," said David Clarkin, President, A.O. Reed & Co.

At its core, Legence accelerates the transition to net zero by making buildings healthier and more sustainable at unmatched speed and scale. By acquiring A.O. Reed & Co., Legence continues to build on this commitment by offering a deeper suite of services for mission-aligned clients at any point in their decarbonization journey.