NearU’s service locator names George Brazil, Patrick Riley and Action. Their advertised license numbers lead to different legal names in Arizona and California. That difference matters to anyone checking who holds authority to perform a particular trade. It also shows why a list of brands cannot stand in for a list of licensed businesses.[1]
Two Phoenix brands, two accounts
NearU lists three Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) numbers for George Brazil Air Conditioning & Heating and four for Patrick Riley Cooling, Heating & Plumbing. In seven selected ROC credential records collected October 10, 2026, the George Brazil numbers resolve to one account, GBPR LLC. Its regulator record names George Brazil Air Conditioning & Heating as a DBA, or business name. The Patrick Riley numbers resolve to a second account, Patrick Riley Cooling Heating & Plumbing, LLC. All seven credentials displayed Active at collection. These are seven credentials under two accounts, not seven companies.[1][2]
| Brand in NearU’s locator | Selected ROC numbers | Account shown in retained ROC records |
|---|---|---|
| George Brazil Air Conditioning & Heating | 338182, 338183, 338184 | GBPR LLC; DBA George Brazil Air Conditioning & Heating |
| Patrick Riley Cooling, Heating & Plumbing | 338167, 338169, 338170, 349865 | Patrick Riley Cooling Heating & Plumbing, LLC |
A reader searching only the George Brazil brand name might overlook the GBPR account. The advertised numbers provide the bridge between the public-facing name and the regulator’s record. Patrick Riley’s account name matches the brand, but its source-native DBA field names Isley’s Home Service and Isley’s Home Services. The account name, rather than an assumed Patrick Riley DBA entry, is the link established here.[1][2]
The qualification names cross the account line
Arizona’s selected records also name the qualifying party on each credential. David Richard Probst appears on four: Patrick Riley’s insulation ROC 338167 and plumbing ROC 338170, plus GBPR’s plumbing ROC 338182 and insulation ROC 338183. Justin Ryan Stevens appears on the air-conditioning credentials ROC 338169 and ROC 338184, one under each account. Patrick Riley’s electrical ROC 349865 names Howard R Leonard.[2]
The practical finding is concentration across trades and accounts. Six of these seven credential entries name one of two qualifying parties, so someone assessing the two brands’ licensed operations should check the credentials individually rather than treating the brands as separate, self-explanatory license holders. The records associate names with credentials; they do not independently verify the people behind matching names or show unlawful sharing, current employment, ownership or a change in qualification. Echelon has not assessed movement between snapshots.[2]
Action’s advertised California number names PGMA LLC
NearU lists California license 1083840 for Action Air Conditioning, Heating & Solar. The California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) identifies the holder as PGMA LLC, doing business as ACTION AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING. The detail displayed the license as current and active, with a C20 classification for warm-air heating, ventilating and air-conditioning and an expiration date of November 30, 2027. The board marked its data current October 14, 2026 at 11:02:47 PM, without specifying a timezone; Echelon retrieved the detail October 15.[1][3]
That number establishes the holder and HVAC classification for this one license. The solar word in Action’s consumer-facing name is not a solar classification on the cited detail. Other authorizations have not been assessed here. A buyer, customer or analyst should check the number and the trade at issue, rather than assuming that every service in a brand name is covered by one credential.[1][3]
The company history does not settle present ownership
NearU announced its acquisition of Action on November 24, 2021 and said the Action team would keep its local brand.[6] For George Brazil and Patrick Riley, NearU announced a signed definitive agreement on May 10, 2022, with the local brands and management team continuing. That announcement supplies an agreement date, not a verified closing date or a license-transfer record.[5]
Freeman Spogli’s portfolio page dates its NearU investment to August 2022 and describes the company as founded in 2018 and headquartered in Charlotte.[4] NearU’s August 2022 announcement named Freeman Spogli, SkyKnight and founder Ashish Achlerkar as significant shareholders and described 22 brands in nine states then.[7] An October 2023 announcement described Achlerkar’s move to chairman, Jay Darfler’s arrival as CEO and 24 brands at that time.[8] Those are dated company statements, not a current ownership chart or present-day leadership check.
Echelon retained 24 company-listed brand rows from NearU’s locator observed October 14, 2026. That count describes the selected locator entries, not distinct legal entities, a verified total of licensed companies or every brand in NearU’s portfolio.[1] The three examples above show the useful next step: start with a brand’s advertised number, then check the regulator’s holder, classification and status for that number.
Method and verification
The Arizona findings use seven selected ROC records collected October 10, 2026, not a statewide roster count. Echelon’s centrally accepted Arizona roster ends September 5, 2026; movement has not been assessed. The selected September 5 records agree with the October 10 fields discussed here, but two matching endpoints cannot show what happened between them. Check individual numbers at the Arizona ROC contractor search for later status. That search is a verification route, not a direct link to the retained seven-row collection.[2]
The California finding uses one CSLB license detail, not a statewide refresh. Company locator and announcement text was retrieved October 15; the announcements retain their original publication dates. Echelon is not affiliated with either licensing agency. This review does not establish NearU’s nationwide licensed footprint or its current ownership percentages.
Sources
- https://nearu-services.com/find-service-company
- Arizona ROC contractor search (verification route; seven-row October 10 evidence retained separately)
- https://www.cslb.ca.gov/1083840
- https://www.freemanspogli.com/portfolio/nearu
- https://nearu-services.com/news/nearu-services-partners-with-george-brazil-air-conditioning-heating-and-patrick-riley-cooling-heating-plumbing-anchoring-the-companys-presence-in-the-southwestern-united-states
- https://nearu-services.com/news/nearu-services-expands-to-west-coast-with-acquisition-of-california-based-action-air-conditioning-heating-and-solar
- https://nearu-services.com/news/nearu-partners-with-freeman-spogli-co-for-next-phase-of-growth
- https://nearu-services.com/news/nearu-services-founder-and-ceo-ashish-achlerkar-elevates-to-chairman-of-the-board-jay-darfler-joins-the-company-as-ceo
Continue reading: the trades roll-up.