Our Story

Founded in 1968 under the name Comfort Control, Bill Williams and his partners set out to provide a mechanical contracting firm capable of providing coordinated installations in plumbing, sheet metal and HVAC piping. Despite an atmosphere where turn-key mechanical contractors were a rarity, Bill Williams held firm to his vision that greater efficiency and flow of project communication through the managed installation of whole mechanical systems were a necessity to succeed in this industry. With that vision of a single provider for mechanical services unwavering, CCI embarked on several initiatives over the next several decades that laid the foundation for what the company is today.

Our Culture

Our culture is a reflection of the company’s beliefs and behaviors.  At our core, we strive to model respect for our clients, our team members, and our suppliers.

Our cultural beliefs can be summed up by our commitment to the following:

    • Open Dialogue
    • Maintaining a Safe and Supportive Environment
    • Encourage Empowerment within a Team Structure
    • Strive for Diversity
    • Establish Reasonable Goals and Measure Progress
    • Set Clear Boundaries for Appropriate Behaviors

We are dedicated to preserving these values.

Our Commitment

A company’s commitment is its backbone, the foundation on which it stands. Commitment is far more than just corporate words on a page. Commitment is character revealed in actions.

Resolute that our actions will still ultimately define us, we offer the following pledge:

To Our Clients

We commit to listen, respond to your needs and strive to meet your expectations. We also recognize that we may not always be perfect, but we will always be there when you need us.

To Our Vendors

We commit to respect your confidential information and the expertise you bring to our industry. We will be fair, consistent and open in our requests and communications.

To Our People

We commit to value your contributions and acknowledge your desire to grow and succeed. To recognize that you have a choice in where you work and to strive everyday to create an atmosphere worthy of that choice.

To Our Communities

We commit to be active in the needs of our neighborhoods. To give of our time and resources to causes that make our region a truly unique and caring place to live. Further, we commit to improve our local environments through aggressive recycling of waste and construction materials as well as through energy efficiencies throughout our facilities and sites.

Our Team

Bill Williams

Chief Executive Officer

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Bill Williams

Chief Executive Officer

With over 47 years of experience in the mechanical contracting industry and as the Founder and CEO of The Comfort Group, Bill leads the team at TCG with a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Bill is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, where he majored in Mathematics. He has served on numerous boards both within the construction industry and outside the industry. He is a past-Chairman of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors. When they are not pursuing their philanthropic interests across the country, Bill and his wife Dana reside primarily in Nashville. 

Shay Williams

Chief Operating Officer

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Shay Williams

Chief Operating Officer

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Shay holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. Following college, he entered into the family business and has served in various positions including Project Manager, Operations Manager at TCG Huntsville, Vice President and most recently COO for all company operations.  In addition, Shay has served on the Board of Directors for the Middle Tennessee chapter of the Associated General Contractors and currently serves on the State Board of Directors and the Nashville Council for the Associated Builders and Contractors.  He and his wife Elizabeth reside in Nashville and have two children. 

Tom Long

Executive Vice President

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Tom Long

Executive Vice President

Tom holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Marketing along with an Associate’s Degree in Drafting and Design from Missouri Southern State University. Following college, he worked for a fortune 500 company working through positions from Drafter, Mechanical Project Engineer and Group Vice President of International Manufacturing. Tom has extensive experience in machinery design, manufacturing and process improvement and has training in the Toyota Production System Processes. After the 2011 EF5 tornado that devastated Joplin Missouri, Tom was the Director of Operations for the nonprofit organization Rebuild Joplin, building homes for victims that were underinsured. Tom came to The Comfort Group in 2013 as the Operations Manager for the Automated Controls Division and was moved to his current position in 2017. Tom is married and has 4 children. 

Rich Billington

VP of Procurement & Manufacturing

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Rich Billington

VP of Procurement & Manufacturing

Rich is a native Nashvillian with an extensive background in management, accounting, and finance, as well as experience in the commercial construction and real estate industry. Rich’s construction background has helped ensure The Comfort Group’s sheet metal manufacturing standards and quality are consistently being met. In his role as Vice President Rich oversees the company’s sheet metal manufacturing, all material procurement, subcontractor contracts, vendor relations, cost saving initiatives, as well as logistics management. Rich attended the University of Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a minor in Finance. Prior to coming to The Comfort Group, Rich worked for 15 years for a leading global 3PL provider as the Senior Operations Manager. In that role, Rich oversaw the day to day operations of a multi-site distribution operation totaling more than 750,000 SF of warehouse space for one of the world’s most recognizable brands. Rich currently resides in Mt. Juliet with his wife Tiffany and two daughters. 

 

Joe Westmoreland

VP of Construction

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Joe Westmoreland

VP of Construction

After joining The Comfort Group as an apprentice in 1981, Joe quickly established himself as a capable leader. He achieved journeyman status in 1985, became a foreman in 1987, and superintendent in 1989. Along with mastery of our in-house project management training program, Joe has continued to accumulate knowledge in project management and technical skills whenever and wherever our industry offers state of the art training. Joe spent 20 years in project management starting as a project manager and eventually moving up to Senior Project Manager. Joe was promoted to Client Service Director in 2015 which he held until being promoted to Vice President of Construction in 2018.  

Joe is a graduate of Rhea County High School in Evansville, TN, and the Associated Builder & Contractors Apprenticeship Program. He holds certificates and licenses for Air Conditioning and Heating, Journeyman Plumber, OSHA Safety & Health Administration, Red Cross First Aid & Safety, and High-Performance management and commitment to excellence. Born in 1963, Joe is married and is the proud father of two girls, Jessica and Cheyenne, and one granddaughter, Serenity. He lives with his wife, Dee, in-between Columbia and Chapel Hill, TN area. Joe is a Christian man and serves as a Deacon in his church. Joe’s hobbies include big game hunting, fishing, and ranching on the side.  

Zack Lane

VP of Operations - Huntsville

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Zack Lane

VP of Operations - Huntsville

Zack holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Alabama.  Upon graduation in 2013, Zack moved back home to Illinois and took a job as a project manager / estimator with a local mechanical contractor.  In this role Zack managed millions of dollars of work successfully over the period of six years.  Zack and his wife returned to Alabama and he started working for The Comfort Group. In his time here he has successfully managed multiple high-profile projects all over North Alabama. He currently overseas all operations in our Huntsville office and resides in the Huntsville area with his wife, Mallorie and two young children.

Recognition

Associated Builders & Contractors Middle Tennessee Chapter Award of Excellence Winners

  • Aegis 365 Laboratory (2012)
  • Asurion Chilled Water Plant Replacement (2012)
  • Blossomwood Elementary School (2012)
  • Ensworth Natatorium (2013)
  • Coleman Community Center Garden (2013)
  • Lentz Public Health Center (2014)
  • Vanderbilt Student Recreation Center Addition (2014)
  • Jack Daniel’s Distillery (2015)
  • Schwan Cosmetics (2015)
  • West Riverfront Park (2015)
  • MTSU Davis Wiser Hall (2016)
  • Metro Water Services Laboratory (2016)

Associated Builders & Contractors National Award of Excellence Winners

  • Coleman Community Center Garden (2013)
  • Newell Rubbermaid Ink Manufacturing Facility (2010)