Del-Air Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical
Sanford, FL · Formed 1983 · CEO Rick Rogers
How it operates
Central Florida's largest single-brand residential HVAC contractor, employee-owned through an ESOP for roughly 20 years before Astara Capital Partners recapitalized it in November 2022 as the first platform investment out of Astara's newly raised fund, leaving the company debt-free. Del-Air runs seven Florida locations including Tampa, and unlike the multi-brand roll-ups it expands by folding acquisitions into the Del-Air name (for example Gator Air Conditioning in 2025 and Simpson Air). Astara installed a new CEO (Rick Rogers) and COO (Faizzy Saghir) at close.
Tampa Bay brands (2)
Simpson Air
Gator Air Conditioning
Deal history in the region
- Acquisition Gator Air Conditioning → Del-Air Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical (backed by Astara Capital Partners)
- Acquisition Simpson Air → Del-Air Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical (backed by Astara Capital Partners)
- Recapitalization Del-Air Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical (backed by Astara Capital Partners)
Capital events
Recapitalizations, sponsor changes, debt raises, bankruptcies and exits at the platform level. These set the clock that local brands live on.
- recap — Astara Capital Partners completes an investment in Del-Air, its first platform out of a newly raised fund; the ~20-year ESOP is bought out and the company emerges debt-free. Rick Rogers named CEO, Faizzy Saghir COO. [source]
People
- Rick Rogers — platform ceo. Named CEO of Del-Air at the November 2022 Astara Capital Partners recapitalization that bought out the company's roughly 20-year ESOP.
Frequently asked
Who owns Del-Air Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical?
Del-Air Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical is owned by its investors — Astara Capital Partners — together with management.
Which Tampa Bay companies does Del-Air Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical own?
Does Del-Air Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical keep the local brand names?
2 of 2 Tampa Bay brands we track still operate under their original names.
Is Del-Air Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical private equity?
Yes — it is a private-equity-backed platform (see the capital chain above).
Sources Verified — primary document
- PR Newswire / Astara Capital Partners (2022-11-08) — press release. Sanford HQ, seven FL locations incl. Tampa, ESOP buyout, new CEO/COO, Astara NY HQ and partners
- Del-Air (2025-03-01) — company site. Gator Air Conditioning add-on; date is month-level
- ACHR News (2022-11-01) — trade press. Trade press coverage of the Astara investment; date approximate
- PRWeb (2023-12-01) — press release. Astara majority ownership, Chad Barton chairman, CEO Rick Rogers
- PR Newswire (2025-02-21) — press release. 40+ year history, Astara majority owner, statewide footprint strategy
Researcher notes: Del-Air is a single-brand operator, so tampa_bay_brand_slugs is empty by design — its Tampa presence is a Del-Air branch, not an acquired local brand. Gator Air and Simpson Air deal dates and cities not individually verified. | Del-Air also bought ARS/Rescue Rooter Vero Beach (Sept 2024), Colman Heating & Air of Titusville (Nov 2024) and McGowan's of Jacksonville (Oct 2025) - outside the Tampa Bay region.
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