PITTSBURGH - Modern Niagara HVAC Services Inc. has added to its corporate holdings, and the Linc Service Network, with a new company, Atlantica HVAC Services.

Modern Niagara purchased a $40 million mechanical contracting business in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Soon after the purchase was complete, Modern Niagara acquired the franchise rights to service the Halifax area - including the Atlantic Provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island - from Linc Network LLC. The company was then re-named Atlantica HVAC Services and became the latest contractor to join the 130+-member Linc Service Network spanning the United States, Canada, and Bermuda. Linc Service® contractors follow the disciplines of the Linc System® in delivering preventive maintenance, as well as HVAC service and bundled energy solutions, to the commercial market.

Modern Niagara HVAC Services President Rick Bracken had been looking to establish a Linc franchise in the Atlantic Provinces for nearly a year, hoping to make a purchase by finding a small contractor that was interested in selling. So when the opportunity arose to implement a structured service business in the area, Bracken saw a perfect fit for his company’s needs. The acquisition also includes obtaining a fire protection business - Life Safety Systems.

“We’re now the largest commercial mechanical contractor in Atlantic Canada, and we’re just beginning to tap into our customer base,” Bracken said. “We plan to open multiple offices in the area and utilize the Linc System to, hopefully, double the amount of business from last year.”

In addition to the Halifax territory, Bracken also has three other franchise agreements in place - two in Toronto and one in Ottawa - thus bringing his total number of franchise locations to four. Modern Niagara is a full-service, multi-discipline HVAC service and refrigeration contractor that joined the Modern Niagara Group of companies in 1995. As one of seven wholly owned subsidiaries, Modern Niagara provides a variety of HVAC and refrigeration system maintenance and installation for clients in the five regions of eastern Ontario.

“The continued expansion of the Linc Service Network across North America is a great sign of our consistent growth,” said Scott Giacobbe, Linc Network president and CEO. “By once again increasing the number of Linc Service contractors in Canada, Rick is showing how and why the Linc System is a proven formula for success. I have no doubt that will continue to be the case for him with Atlantica in Halifax.”

Linc Network LLC, headquartered in Pittsburgh and Atlanta, is the franchisor of the Linc System, a business format for operating a commercial HVAC service business. For more information, visit www.lincservice.com.

Publication date: 05/21/2007