We Invest in Exceptional People Who Grow Enduring Businesses: How Orion Lives Its Mission

As a long-term growth partner, Orion invests in high-quality, commercial field service providers to build them into enduring industry leaders. Talent – hiring, training, and career development – is a crucial part of this mission. Orion finds the best leadership, finance, and sales talent to expand our partner companies’ capabilities as their teams and businesses grow.

We dove into three leaders’ stories across Orion to learn about their hiring, training, and management journeys at their companies.

President Jared O’Connell Chose Trust with RSM Facility Solutions

In selling RSM Facility Solutions to Orion, Founder Stephen Sargenti was seeking a transition out of his business. He needed a leader he could trust to take care of his company.

When Orion reached out to Jared O’Connell, he was working at a large, multinational company. For the past few years, he had been focused on leading global businesses, managing multi-layered teams, and developing boardroom experience. At the same time, he was always interested in taking on an even bigger scope of leadership – at a smaller company.

“As a leader in a large organization, you’re running the commercial, manufacturing, and planning parts of the business,” Jared said. “But as an operator of a small company, you also manage components like human resources, compliance, and other departments that, in a larger business, are decided from a corporate perspective. With RSM, I had a chance to lead a company that expanded my skillset.”

In deciding to join RSM as president, Jared was taking a big leap: the team was in the midst of finalizing RSM’s sale, and Jared’s leadership was a crucial piece of the puzzle.

“I accepted the job without a written offer,” Jared said. “The team told me they were closing the sale tomorrow, and they needed me to jump in with two feet. So, I agreed. I was able to do that because of the trust that’s built throughout the interview process. You really get to know the team and build rapport with the people you’re going to work with.”

Beyond building trust, the hiring process also helped Jared see the company’s culture. And with every leader he met, he felt more certain: this was a team he was excited to join.

“The people I interviewed with were all super smart, driven, and clear on what they wanted to achieve together,” Jared said. “I had no doubts we had the right team in place to achieve our goals. Honestly, I’m still floored by the caliber of people we’re able to attract. It’s great to get to work with them every day.”

Field Supervisor Robert Weeks Found a Home at Helios

Robert Weeks was brought on to the Helios HVACR team as a technician and quickly advanced to the field supervisor role. As an industry veteran, he had experienced a wide variety of work environments before coming to Helios.

“I’ve been in the HVAC field for over 18 years now, and this is the best job I’ve had since I’ve started working in this trade,” Robert said. “There’s a camaraderie here at Helios. The team is like family, and it’s a great environment to work in. Everybody treats you the same way. I feel accepted, and that’s how I want people to feel here.”

Robert’s strong relationships with the team are part of what he credits to his promotion to field supervisor. He enjoys helping technicians learn about new equipment as the industry changes.

“The technicians here know they can call me for guidance,” Robert said. “I consider myself a teacher, and I don’t mind answering the phone when someone calls me with a question. We’re learning every day as a team: our environment is always changing, so we constantly need training to learn about new equipment. I’m working with my service manager now to get more training for our team so that we can adapt quickly to the advancements in the industry.”

While seeking training opportunities for his team and taking on a new role, Robert has still been able to prioritize time outside of work thanks to Helios’ family-focused culture.

“Helios allows more time to be at home with family than other companies I’ve worked with, and that really means a lot to me,” Robert said. “They tell us all the time that family comes first and that you should make sure to take care of them. I love that about this company. It’s the best place I’ve worked for.”

Embracing Change: Rob Cain’s Path to President at G.E. Mechanical

When Rob Cain joined G.E. Mechanical in 2015, he was excited to work with a strong, rapidly growing mechanical service provider. The company’s dedication to delivering high-quality work coupled with its focus on expansion made Rob confident that he would have sustainable opportunities to grow in his career. The team’s focus on learning and development also helped Rob adjust to a new industry.

“G.E. enabled me to understand the commercial and industrial world, which I hadn’t been involved in before,” Rob said. “I learned everything from technical knowledge regarding refrigeration and drain cleaning to the importance of job costing and building long-term customer relationships.”

When G.E. Mechanical was sold to Orion in 2021, Rob initially thought his career development would be brought to a halt. He expected changes that would derail his plans for steady growth with an excellent service provider. Instead, he found continuous opportunities to expand his leadership capabilities, becoming Director of Service Operations in 2022, Vice President in 2023, and ultimately, President in 2024.

“It took me some time to realize the opportunity in it, but once I did, I embraced the change and kept pushing to build a strong service business here,” Rob said.

Rob’s growth as a leader did not come easy. As he stepped into a new role, he also took part in Orion’s Leadership Development Program (LDP), which helped budding leaders build the communication and management skills needed to take on more responsibility in their roles. Through the program, Rob faced difficult feedback – and a rewarding opportunity to develop into a stronger leader.

“The LDP was not at all what I expected,” Rob said. “I found that everything I thought I was doing as a leader had the opposite impact from what I intended with my team. It took some hard self-reflection and a lot of support to make me realize the opportunity I had: I knew what I had to work on to change how I was showing up every day. The program was one of the most impactful things I have ever done, and I’m better in all aspects of my life because of it.”

Now, Rob is using his experiences to promote learning and development opportunities with his team. As a part of Astra, Orion’s network of premium mechanical service providers, GE can leverage the training resources of a broader organization.

“At G.E., we offer all of Astra University’s programs, including the People Manager Bootcamp for new leaders,” Rob said. “We also offer shorter trainings tailored to specific areas where our team may need support. As president, I want to give the right people the same opportunities that were given to me, so we can continue to grow a strong and sustainable business for the future.”

About RSM Facility Solutions

RSM Facility Solutions is a leading facilities maintenance company with expertise in servicing regional and national customers across the U.S. Through a network of leading technicians and vetted service partners across the country with decades-long expertise in providing maintenance and repair solutions, RSM can resolve all facility needs. RSM is a partner company of Leo FM, Orion’s facilities maintenance business. For more information, visit rsm365.com.

About Helios HVACR

Helios HVACR is a premier provider of commercial HVACR solutions offering comprehensive support across the nation with a commitment to superior service. Combining the expansive reach of a national provider with the dedication of a local partner, Helios HVACR delivers exceptional value to its customers. Helios HVACR is a partner company of Astra Service Partners, Orion’s mechanical services network. For more information, visit helioshvacr.com.

About G.E. Mechanical

Founded in 1984, G.E. Mechanical is a leading commercial HVAC, plumbing and drain cleaning services company with over three decades of experience in the industry. Based in Vineland, NJ, G.E. Mechanical is the leading 24/7 emergency service provider in South Jersey and Philadelphia. G.E. Mechanical is a partner company of Astra Service Partners, Orion’s mechanical services network. For more information, visit gemechanical.com.