I began my career with ACI in February 1996 as a mechanical helper. After going through the Steamfitters Local 602 program, I graduated in 2001 and worked in the field as a journeyman until the spring of 2007. That’s when I had the opportunity to step into a project manager role. From there, I moved up to Senior PM around 2016 and, in 2021, transitioned to Projects Division Manager.
I led the Projects Division from 2021 through September 2024, when I was approached about transferring to JPG to become VP of the Construction Division. I worked with the JPG team from October 2024 through August 2025. In August 2025, the opportunity arose to return to ACI—this time as President—and I happily accepted.
I took on the role of President because it gives me the chance to continue building on the successful company ACI has grown to become. ACI has always believed in developing talent from within, and I plan to carry that forward. It’s a model that has served us well.
Looking ahead, I’m excited for the opportunity to grow in this role and take on new challenges. I’m 48 years old, married, and raising two sons in Mechanicsville, MD—and I look forward to building a future here at ACI that reflects the same values of commitment, stability, and growth that guide my own family life.
My wife and I are excited to be moving to the North Shore of Massachusetts soon! The role of president of ATCO building with our team on the strong legacy that Russ has built since 1984 (?) felt like the right move for my career at the right time. I had been with Trane for 18 years in ever escalating roles and levels of responsibility. I started in service which is still a burning passion of mine. I love working with our techs who have more touches with the customers than anyone in our business! I have learned so much from my field force and leader teams over the last 20 years. Everyone wants to get great service. We all know what it looks like when we get it and when we don’t. Service takes a focus on the customer, great listening skills, a commitment to get the job done, and the skills to execute. Empathy for what the customer is experiencing is likely the most critical trait of great service teams. Above all that, communication across our teams internally and externally is hard and super exciting when it all comes together! That is where my passion has always been. After leading service for Trane in Wisconsin, I added sales responsibility for complex sales (energy), controls, contracting, equipment, and service. My territory of responsibility expanded for construction to cover all of the upper Midwest then I moved to Michigan to become the West Michigan General Manager. For the last year and a half, I was the leader of Sustainable Systems Sales for North America. That means I was partnered with product management on the electrification of heat for Trane. I built a team to support the account managers as they started talking mBh versus BTUs and the new products. The largest transition has been around large scale CentraVac chillers transitioning to heat pumps from cooling only machines. That role was fun but was removed from the customer more than I like. This role seemed like the perfect opportunity to get back in touch with customers to build trust and partnerships in new ways in a new market. It has been exactly that so far!
We are excited to continue our new adventure as a family and stack wins together with our team in Newburyport. For fun, we love exploring fun areas, biking, boating, and spending time at the beach.
When Exigent launched its Mission Critical business, it wasn’t just adding another service line — it was making a deliberate move into one of the most demanding segments of the mechanical industry. Data centers, control hubs, operations centers — these are environments where even minutes of downtime carry outsized risks. And they demand a different approach.
That’s why we didn’t just “extend” our platform into this space. We built it intentionally.
At the center of that effort is Brandon Mullins, who joined Exigent Mission Critical with deep experience in this market and a quiet confidence in how to build a business that lasts. From the start, Brandon focused on what matters most: understanding the customer, planning the right growth strategy, and building relationships with operating companies that unlock value across the platform.
Instead of chasing quick wins, Brandon partnered with leaders at ACI and JPG, complementing their deep technical expertise with a focused, data center-specialized sales approach. That collaboration has opened doors to complex mission-critical projects, grown customer trust, and positioned both OpCos — and Exigent — to compete in high-stakes environments.
The results:
Brandon’s journey — from a strong individual contributor to a platform leader — is proof of what’s possible when expertise, intention, and partnership come together.
We’re just getting started. Exigent Mission Critical is now an established part of our platform strategy — and a growing example of how aligned leadership, shared expertise, and a deliberate approach to market entry drive real results.
ThermaServe’s Growth Story Shows What’s Possible When We Work Together
When ThermaServe joined Exigent in 2023, they brought strong local relationships and a reputation for great customer service. But like many companies in our industry, they were wrestling with challenges familiar to any growing business: dependence on large retrofit projects, limited specialty capabilities, and a service footprint that wasn’t fully leveraging market opportunities.
Rather than reinvent the wheel, we built on the foundation ThermaServe’s leadership had laid—layering in resources from across the platform. In less than 12 months, with shared expertise, strategic hires, and coordinated support, ThermaServe went from underperforming to the top performer in the group.
Here’s how they did it—and what we can all take away:
Why This Matters for All of Us
The ThermaServe story isn’t about a single strategy—it’s about how the power of the platform comes to life when local leaders tap into shared expertise, talent, and resources. Whether you’re looking to grow in your market, strengthen your team, or diversify services, this is a playbook any OpCo can use:
As Scott Royer, ThermaServe’s President, said:
“Joining Exigent transformed how we approach growth. We’re not just doing more business—we’re doing business differently, with new service lines, new markets, and a much more sustainable growth trajectory.”
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