The call came a few weeks before ACCA 2025, and it caught Tom White completely off guard. His son Brian was on the line with unexpected news about Accurate Mechanical.
“Brian called me a couple weeks ago and said we’ve been brought up for this award, this Commercial Contractor of the Year Award,” Tom recalled. For someone who had attended ACCA meetings for 40 years, always thinking awards were “out of our reach to ever be considered a contractor of the year,” the news was startling.
“But it’s very humbling to us and very appreciative that we’ve been selected for this award,” Tom said after accepting ACCA’s Commercial Contractor of the Year recognition.
The journey from a basement startup in 1977 to national recognition spans nearly five decades of technical evolution, systematic training, and an unwavering focus on developing people in an industry that demands equal parts expertise and adaptability. Today, Accurate Mechanical has grown into the largest provider of HVACR services in Central Ohio with 175 employees serving residential and commercial customers across multiple counties.
From Carrier corporation to basement entrepreneur
White’s path to entrepreneurship began in the corporate world of Carrier, where his engineering background from the New York State Merchant Marine Academy opened doors to technical leadership roles. As a service engineer, he evaluated Carrier equipment, developed installation instructions and wiring diagrams, and diagnosed complex system problems.
The corporate trajectory was clear: Carrier wanted him back in Syracuse to advance up the management hierarchy. But White had discovered something in Ohio that trumped corporate advancement. He felt Ohio was a great place to raise a family and start a business, which led to the launch of Accurate Mechanical from the basement of a house on Chillicothe’s east side.
Starting a small business proved exactly as challenging as expected, but his Carrier background provided something invaluable: deep technical knowledge and proven training methodologies.
From those basement beginnings, White built Accurate Mechanical with a philosophy that would guide the company through nearly five decades of customer-focused service. This faith-based approach shaped not just how they served customers, but how they treated employees and engaged with their Chillicothe community.
Engineering expertise meets family succession
White’s son Brian joined Accurate Mechanical in 2006, bringing formal engineering credentials from Ohio University, where he earned his BS-ME degree with an HVACR focus. When he acquired his Professional Engineer license in 2010, Accurate Mechanical could expand into design-build projects and special projects that required both technical expertise and engineering oversight. Under his leadership as Vice President of Commercial, the company has taken on major installations, including over 500 tons of rooftop air conditioning equipment for Trimold, an injection molding facility in Circleville.
The father-son partnership has driven substantial expansion. In 2011, Michael Linton joined as a partner, helping develop geographic reach and additional services. The company added plumbing services and partnered with firms across Central Ohio, including Humble Heating and Air Conditioning in Washington Court House in 2012 and Air Concepts, Inc. in Portsmouth in 2013.
Today, Accurate Mechanical serves customers across multiple states with professional engineering and HVACR licensing in Ohio and Kentucky. The company maintains over 600 commercial preventative maintenance customers and more than 3,000 residential service agreements while operating from multiple locations throughout Central and Southern Ohio. This past year alone, they added over 60 new employees, reflecting the sustained growth that caught ACCA’s attention.
Training as the foundation for everything else
Accurate Mechanical’s approach to workforce development reflects the leadership team’s technical background. White explained that working in such a technical industry requires an intense training program. As the company has grown, their biggest challenge has been developing a solid apprenticeship program, which they are currently working to establish.
The challenge of scaling training has led them to leverage industry resources extensively. “We’re thankful for the contacts with ACCA and our state associations,” White noted. “The technical training is important when you’re smaller and growing all the time.”
Brian detailed their current training initiatives, which include ongoing customer service training for technicians and leadership training for supervisors and managers through vendors at recent industry events like those hosted by the Air Conditioning Contractors of Ohio (ACCO).
The training philosophy goes beyond technical competence. “One of our core values is excellence in personal growth,” Brian explained. “And we want our mentors, leaders to teach and train the next generation on the job as well.”
Making training work within today’s industry constraints
Accurate Mechanical’s training strategy balances ambition with industry constraints. Brian noted the economic realities facing growing companies when it comes to sending new hires to distant training locations. Instead, Accurate Mechanical relies heavily on webinars and online training programs, putting new employees through a regimen of classes covering gas design training and preventive maintenance training.
ACCA’s educational resources and events have become integral to their development strategy, Brian said, highlighting how association offerings help regional contractors access quality training without prohibitive travel costs.
The training investment serves multiple strategic purposes. “The development of people through the apprenticeship programs, internship programs, and again, training of people from a technical standpoint is critically important to us,” White explained. “We always have to be developing more people that can grow within the company. We’re nothing without our people.”
This commitment extends beyond internal development. Accurate Mechanical has built an in-house training facility and developed programs that reach into the community, including high school internships and externship programs designed to introduce young people to HVACR careers. Their investment in developing the next generation reflects the same systematic approach that has driven their commercial success.
Recognition brings validation and responsibility
The Commercial Contractor of the Year award represents more than business achievement for the White family. It validates an approach that started in a basement and grew through consistent focus on technical excellence and people development.
White directed credit to his son and their commercial team, emphasizing that the recognition belongs to everyone who contributed to their success. The award carries special meaning for their Ohio-based workforce, particularly in an industry known for its demanding work and long hours.
Accurate Mechanical’s story demonstrates how systematic investment in training, technical competence, and people development eventually gains the attention it deserves.
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