Goldman Sachs-Backed Sila Services Acquires Best Heating & Air Solutions

What happened

Sila Services acquired Best Heating & Air Solutions, a heating and air conditioning contractor in West Lafayette, Ohio, as part of its purchase of NEOH, announced January 13, 2026. NEOH is the group of home services companies founded and led by HVAC industry veterans Chad Simpson and Steve VanHorn, who grew it over more than 15 years. Sila bought the group whole: alongside Best, it took on Simpson Heating & Air, Bonsky Heating & Cooling, Ultra Clean Duct Cleaning, Coblentz Plumbing Solutions, and the group's Trade Masters Academy. Sila's announcement did not disclose a price or other terms.

The seller

Harold Best founded the company in West Lafayette as a heating and plumbing business. It passed to his nephew, Don Best, and was later acquired by Phil Arth. By the time of this deal it was one of NEOH's five companies.

Best now does residential and light commercial heating and air conditioning: installation, repair, and maintenance, heat pumps, maintenance plans, and indoor air quality work. It serves West Lafayette and surrounding towns including Cambridge, Newcomerstown, Uhrichsville, and Zanesville. It is a Lennox Premier Dealer, a relationship with Lennox that runs more than six decades, and its technicians hold NATE and EPA certifications. One of its service technicians has been with the company 43 years, and its office manager 34.

Simpson, the founder of Simpson Heating & Air, said joining Sila "allows us to take what we've built and expand it, adding resources, training, and new services while staying true to the values that define our companies." He added that the group's "five awesome teams, along with our best-in-class Trade Masters Academy," would all benefit from being part of Sila.

The buyer

Sila Services is a home services platform headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, operating more than 40 brands across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, water treatment, indoor air quality, and home performance. In November 2024, Sila announced that the Private Equity business at Goldman Sachs Alternatives would acquire a majority stake in the company from affiliates of Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, with Sila management continuing to lead the company and retaining a significant minority stake.

"Chad, Steve and their team have built something special in Ohio by growing thoughtfully, putting people first in all their decisions, and expanding their range of services to benefit customers," said Jason Rabbino, Sila's CEO. "This partnership will allow us to accelerate growth, invest in training, and create even more opportunities for trades professionals across the region."

How Sila has bought in Ohio

Sila launched its Ohio region in April 2023 with Jackson Comfort Services, which it described as Northeast Ohio's leading provider of heating, cooling, and plumbing services. In 2024 it bought A to Z Dependable Services, a plumbing and HVAC provider in Niles founded in 1960. Both were single companies. NEOH brought five companies and an academy in one transaction. Owners weighing a platform like this can read our guide on selling an HVAC business to private equity.

What this means for HVAC owners

A Lennox dealer of more than six decades is now part of a Goldman Sachs-backed platform without having been sold on its own: Best had become one of the companies in a regional group two HVAC operators assembled, and Sila bought that group. Both executives' statements name training, and Trade Masters Academy was sold alongside the five companies. For owners of a long-established shop, a regional operator assembling companies nearby is one route to a national buyer, and who backs that operator, and whether the group it is building could itself be sold, are fair questions to ask when it makes an offer.

OffDeal is an advisory firm that helps lower-middle-market business owners sell with confidence. Reach out to learn more about our expertise with HVAC businesses in Ohio.

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Source: Sila Services - https://silaservices.com/sila-services-expands-midwest-footprint-with-strategic-ohio-multi-brand-acquisition