Williams Comfort Air acquires $3.3M building in Lawrence for new HQ

A longtime Carmel-based heating, cooling and plumbing company is relocating its headquarters to an industrial building it acquired in Lawrence for $3.3 million.

Williams Comfort Air plans to spend at least $700,000 to renovate the 41-year-old building at 10640 E. 59th St., converting it into office space, a training center, a call center and warehouse space.

The company, founded in 1966, said it plans to maintain its existing location in Carmel at 1077 3rd Ave. SW and continue to employ more than 200 people throughout the Indianapolis area.

Williams Comfort Air bought the Lawrence building on Sept. 6. The property was previously owned by Hot Shot Investments LLC, and was occupied by ICOR International Inc., a refrigeration manufacturing company that has since closed.

The sale included a 253,500-square-foot building on more than 15 acres of land. The property is about a half-mile from Pendleton Pike.

Williams Comfort Air is relocating to the building in part because the Carmel headquarters was running out of space for employees and equipment. The Carmel offices are housed in a 17,500-square-foot building that was built in 1975.

In a written statement, owner Tom Wells said the move “will allow our team to have an even greater impact on the communities we serve.”

Williams and the city of Lawrence reached an incentive agreement earlier this month in which the company will receive a $75,000 training grant through Employ Indy. The grant has already been approved by the city and its Redevelopment Commission. Williams Comfort Air said the grants will train “the next generation” of HVAC and plumbing technicians.

The city began conversations with Williams about relocating its headquarters to Lawrence in June, city spokesman Joe Murphy said.

Williams Comfort Air has seven owners, including Wells and his sons Greg and Christopher; Joe Huck and his sons Jacob and Josh; and Dan Lockart Jr. The Hucks and Lockart have been involved with the company since 2007. The company also owns Mr. Plumber.

The company’s service area includes Indianapolis, the surrounding suburbs and most of central Indiana.

Indianapolis-based Defender Direct (now Defenders) acquired Williams Comfort Air in 2012 but sold it back to the current owners after deciding to concentrate on its core business of security systems.