United Mechanical is an innovative and quality focused Mechanical Contractor, utilizing the latest in tools, equipment and technology to plan and perform our work. However, we still consider our people and culture of quality, safety and performance to be our greatest asset.
A partial listing of relevant company qualifications and attributes is below:
• Staff of project managers with each having over 18 years combined field and project management experience.
• Core group of field superintendents, foremen and mechanics with over 20 years’ tenure with United.
• 24/7 dispatched Plumbing, Piping and HVAC service. Our response time is typically same day for non-emergency service calls, and as fast as under 60 minutes for emergencies.
• Over $ 1 million in inventoried Pipe, Valves, Fittings and Plumbing, Piping and HVAC specialties, with volume purchases yielding material discounts for cost savings, and providing for prompt and effective response for emergency repair situations.
• Self-performance of all HVAC, Plumbing and Piping, including ductwork fabrication and installation. The only parts of the Mechanical scope of work that we subcontract are Insulation, and Test and Balance and Controls (when specified to be by others).
• In-house safety staff, reducing our EMR to an under .73 average over the past four years.
• Fully automated coil line and fabrication shop.
• Engineering staff with Professional Engineering, CAD Operators/Designers and Design Build/Assist services.
• BIM design, coordination and clash detection utilizing REVIT MEP, Navisworks, AUTOCAD MEP, CAD-DUCT and CAD-MECH.
We started out as a small Plumbing company in 1949 with the idea- if you build a great experience, customers will create customers through word of mouth. After 11 years in the Plumbing business we decided to create an Air Conditioning company to compliment the already thriving Plumbing service company in 1960.
Thru the years we have experienced the up’s and downs of running a local privately held service business, never losing focus on the importance of humility, honesty and solid customer service. We have changed from a small service company in the 50’s to a mid-size mechanical/service group today with over 200 local employees. Our famous saying around here is “United was built on nights and weekends” We work around the clock, seven days a week, to ensure our customers lives and businesses continue to run.
Our employees are extremely loyal to United Mechanical and it shows in the average tenure. The management team at United has all come from within our own ranks, so the quality of service is never lost.
Today, United is recognized as a Premier Mechanical contractor in the DF/W area. We have a rich and unique history that is the foundation for the culture and core values of today.
United Mechanical maintains a highly competitive position regarding its financial strength, business continuity and risk position. This is a testimony to our frugal, fiscally responsible and risk management approach to our business and work. At United Mechanical, we do not strive to be the biggest – just the best.
Bonding Capacity:
United Mechanical has a very strong bonding capacity. As stated by our bonding agent, “The current bonding capacity for United Mechanical is $30 million on a single project and $50 to $60 million aggregate. Based on United Mechanical’s current project backlog and most current financial reports, as well as their overall financial strength, we can confidently commit to bonding United Mechanical for the … referenced project.”
Business Continuity:
As a result of our consistently conservative, fiscally responsible approach to our business, we have been fortunate to have always maintained a solvent financial position with very little to no debt and a strong cash position. This allows United to be able to survive the strongest construction market downturns or unforeseen events.
United also maintains a fully redundant data management system and has access to multiple properties for temporary operations should a catastrophic event occur at our headquarters. Further, most all of our staff and field forces are cross-trained in several different disciplines, where the absence of one or two key individuals can be handled seamlessly.
Our business plan is based on relationships, and not speculative “on the street” highly competitive bidding. We also serve many different segments of the mechanical industry, from large multimillion dollar projects to commercial and residential services, and even metal , but we also control the contractual risk we assume by carefully reviewing and amending the contracts we sign to ensure a fair contractual relationship on all of our projects.
David Osborne
President & CEO
David started with United in 1973 right out of Garland High School as an apprentice sheet metal mechanic. He then moved up from foreman, superintendent, to Project Manager in 1988, before leading United as President beginning in 1997. His superior knowledge and expertise with HVAC, Piping and Plumbing systems and Mechanical Contracting, gained over 42 years with United, coupled with his steady, strategic, intelligent leadership of our company is invaluable.
Under his leadership, United’s reputation for quality work and superior safe performance is well-known across the industry. One of David’s favorite quotes is that we strive to be “not the biggest, but the best.”
As President and CEO, David has always revolved around “do what you say you’re going to do,” and has emphasized taking great care of our employees and customers, and United being the lead subcontractor or contractor on any project we perform.
Professional Credentials:
Holder of United Mechanical Boiler, CNG, LPG, Gas Services License
Holder of Texas Air Conditioning/Refrigeration License
Past Board Member of Western Bank of Garland, Texas
Former Chairman of the E.M. Bruins Foundation
Inventor of specialty steam cabinets for garments and many other specialty products and systems
Personal Interest and Affiliations:
Chairman of State Fair of Texas “Shooting For The Stars” Scholarship Program
Board member of the Garland FFA Show Committee, White Rock Rotary, and Dallas AG Club
David enjoys ranching, charitable and civic involvement, and stays connected with political leaders.
Brian Chester
Executive Vice President
Brian’s life and livelihood always has and always will be tied to United Mechanical. Bill Chester, Brian’s uncle, was a founder of United in 1949. Over the next 5 decades, Bill, his son Gerald and brother Bob all served as dedicated leaders of United. So after many summer breaks during high school and college working for United in the field, it was a natural for Brian as a graduate of Texas A&M in 1989 to follow his father Bob’s footsteps and continue at United.
Brian started in purchasing in 1989 and moved to Project Management in 1992. After 14 years in Project Management including Design/Build, he then began his role as Executive Vice President in 2006, with an emphasis on Contract Risk, Risk Management, and Insurance.
Brian strongly believes that the risk that United assumes through contracting should be strictly limited to those risks that United can directly control.
Professional Credentials:
Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting and Finance, Texas A&M University
LEED AP Accredited Professional
Holder of State of Oklahoma Plumbing, HVAC and Contractors License
Construction Site Safety 100 Hour – CSST
Personal Interest and Affiliations:
Past Chairman of the Texas Construction Association and the American Subcontractors Assoc. of North Texas.
Brian enjoys duck hunting, fly fishing, golf, and traveling with his wife, sons and daughters. He also dedicates his efforts toward assisting charities and advocacy for the subcontracting industry.
Jeff Harris
Vice President
With more than 20 years of experience in the mechanical industry, Jeff brings a broad set of skills and expertise to his role of Vice President of United Mechanical. LEED AP since 2009, he has worked on many of the company’s most complex and challenging mechanical installations serving a wide range of industries. His customer base includes telecommunications, data centers, churches, entertainment venues, restaurants/commercial kitchens, food processing facilities, water bottling plants and senior living facilities.
Jeff’s well-rounded background in the mechanical, plumbing and sheet metal industry includes proven success and expertise in strategic planning, management, communications and policies/procedures. Known for being both effective and cost-efficient, Jeff focuses on budgeting, cost control and negotiations to deliver maximum value to his clients.
Jeff has been part of the United Mechanical team since 2001. His responsibilities today include supervision of the mechanical division, and overseeing both the pre-construction division and field operations.
His strong work ethic and proactive approach to fulfilling his clients’ needs has earned Jeff several esteemed performance awards, including Subcontractor of the Year awards for both AT&T and Plano Independent School District projects. But Jeff is most proud of the loyalty he’s earned from both his customers and his colleagues in the field. His personal motto is that hard work and dedication are essential ingredients in achieving excellence.
Professional Credentials:
Texas Journeyman Plumbing License
Oklahoma Mechanical Journeyman License
LEED AP
Personal Interest and Affiliations:
Jeff believes strongly in giving back to the community. He helps support, Frisco Family Services and The White Rock Center of Hope in their missions of providing emergency aid and sustainability to the less fortunate, and the Carson Leslie Charity Foundation, which raises funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research.
When he’s not with his wife and three daughters, Jeff enjoys ranching, hunting and raking in the pots at the Texas Hold’Em table.
Steve McClure
Vice President
Steve began his career in the mechanical industry at Texas Tech University where he studied Construction Management from 1991 to 1994. He then worked for Anthony Mechanical from 1994 to 2001. This is where he learned to service large chillers, boilers, and rooftop units. Steve then moved to running service projects and service calls for Anthony Mechanical for 6 years before deciding to move back home closer to his family and friends.
Back in the neighborhood in 2002, Steve interviewed with United Mechanical and was offered a position as service technician, and then quickly transitioned to run our HVAC service department in 2004-. He immediately began overhauling the department while keeping the integrity and quality of work at an industry high, with the commitment to service and quality that United is known for.
In 2013 Steve took over as the General Manager of service, handling the HVAC and Plumbing departments. This is where he began helping the managers in areas to help the business run seamless while the business continues to grow. In 2014, he transitioned from General Manager to Vice President were he continues to run the service department and help with the day to day operations.
Steve is fanatical about customer service, he wants our clients experience to be positive from the time the call is generated to its completion. Customers are United’s best assets, and we always strive to exceed expectations. He spends a lot of time training the service guys on the procedures of a proper service call. We like to educate our customers and let them make the decisions, then support them in any way we can.
Professional Credentials:
TSTC HVAC Technical College
Texas Tech University – Construction Management
Interest and Affiliations:
Steve enjoys his 3 boys and coaching all of them in sports, CrossFit, Running, biking, and learning to play golf. When he get any extra free time he and his wife Jenny like to go to dinner, have a few drinks and laugh about how crazy life is with 3 little boys