This year marks a monumental milestone for Powers of Arkansas (Powers) as we celebrate our 40th anniversary. Founded in January of 1985 as an Independent Field Office (IFO) of MCC Powers, Powers has grown to become an industry leading name as a controls company representing SIEMENS in building automation and controls, a manufacturer’s rep representing a host of HVAC products, and a premier provider of both controls and mechanical service.
Over the past four decades, Powers has become a cornerstone of innovation and reliability, serving customers across many industries including health care, higher education, K-12, government, industrial, manufacturing, critical environments and commercial enterprises. With a commitment to enhancing comfort and energy efficiency, we’ve continuously evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers and the technological advancements of the industry.
Powers was founded with the vision of delivering high-quality building automation and controls solutions tailored to the needs of businesses and institutions. Initially, the company was focused on installing and servicing controls gaining a reputation for reliability and customer-centric service.
Throughout the 1980s, the building controls world was dramatically changing with new and developing technology as pneumatic systems were being replaced by the Direct Digital Controls (DDC) – a totally new way of controlling building HVAC systems. This shift has changed from a one-technician-fix-all approach to technician teams specialized in specific areas like installation, start-up, graphics design, integration, energy efficiency and more.
In the 1990s, Powers began its rise to being a manufacturer’s rep of HVAC equipment and air distribution. Partnering with leading manufacturers and technology providers ensured that we would have access to the latest advancements in HVAC allowing us to serve diverse customers.
Also, in the 1990s, Powers started to gain momentum in Northwest Arkansas that has led to iconic facilities in the region including the University of Arkansas and the new Walmart Home Office.
In 2005, Powers and the Mechanical Service Company joined forces to build an awesome service and retrofit team servicing all brands of HVAC equipment, replacing equipment with a focus on energy efficiency while minimizing downtime.
Expansion continued in 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic as Powers of Mississippi began. Today, we are the largest privately owned controls company in Louisiana and Mississippi.
In 2024, we expanded again as SIEMENS IFO to all of Oklahoma with offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
Over the last 40 years, we have grown from one office in Little Rock with 15 people to nine offices with more than 300 across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Powers CEO Alan Hope reflected on what has and hasn’t changed over the last 40 years. He started with the company as a field engineer in 1985 and was the first employee hired under Paul Briscoe. Briscoe sold Powers to Alan in 2005. Of the changes, he stated, “How we deliver service and comfort has changed dramatically because of technology in the HVAC systems and the communication we have with our computers and cell phones. We are continuing to evolve technically, but our focus remains the same: taking care of our customers. The key to that focus is our people, Powers people, who are the ones creating customers for life!” Hope continued, “Being one of the only independently owned and operated full-service HVAC companies in Arkansas has allowed us to always go the extra mile for our customers and team. We don’t answer to a distant corporation or private equity, we answer to our customers right here where we live.”
Powers wouldn’t be what it is today without the partnerships that have been formed over the years and we are truly thankful for our customers who have trusted us to work on some of the most prominent projects in the state. Some of those projects include multiple state buildings like the Arkansas State Capitol, many hospitals including Baptist Health, CARTI, CHI-St. Vincent, and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), higher education institutions like Ouachita Baptist University, Southern Arkansas University, and the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, Pine Bluff, Monticello, System Office), K-12 schools across the state, the iconic William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, 200 West Capitol (Worthen Bank Building) and the 40-story Simmons Tower. The list goes on with more than 1,000 customers of all types and sizes of facilities.
As we celebrate this remarkable achievement, we look back with gratitude to our loyal customers, talented employees, architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, SIEMENS and community partners, who have played an integral role in our journey. At the same time, we remain forward-focused, poised to continue our legacy of innovation and service for many years to come.
The 40th anniversary isn’t just a celebration of the past; it’s a testament to a bright future ahead. Here's to another 40 years of creating customers for life!
