Johnson Controls recently partnered with Air One Heating & Cooling, Star Air Conditioning & Heating and YORK Factory Direct to install YORK® heating and cooling systems in two Building Homes for Heroes mortgage-free homes for wounded veterans in Daytona, Fla., and Orlando, Fla.

Air One Heating & Cooling installed equipment donated by YORK Factory Direct in the home of Sergeant Carlos Cruz in Daytona, Fla. Cruz, who joined the military out of San Antonio, Texas in 1997, was injured during his 20-year deployment, causing him to suffer from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), herniated discs in his back, left ACL reconstruction, migraines, and chronic pain.

Star Air Conditioning & Heating installed equipment that was also donated by YORK Factory Direct in the home of U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Jorge Zapata in Orlando, Fla. Zapata, who joined the military out of Parris Island, S.C., was injured during his deployment to Iraq, causing him to suffer multiple injuries, including PTSD and a traumatic brain injury. The injuries of both veterans require specific modifications in their homes in order to live safely and focus on their recoveries.

“We’re proud to partner with Johnson Controls and Building Homes for Heroes to give back to a real hero within our local community who has made great sacrifices for our country,” said Larry Franklin Sr., owner, Star Air Conditioning & Heating. “We’re honored to contribute our services to help Sergeant Jorge Zapata and his family live comfortably in their home.”

Building Homes for Heroes is a national organization that recognizes those who serve in the United States Armed Forces by supporting the needs of severely wounded or disabled soldiers and their families. The organization strives to build or renovate quality homes and donate them, mortgage-free, to injured veterans nationwide.

“The customized amenities that Johnson Controls brings to these homes provide not only a foundation for these heroes, but a hopeful path to a bright future with the opportunity to reach dreams they may have never thought imaginable when injured,” said Andy Pujol, founder and CEO of Building Homes for Heroes. “We are so grateful to partner with Johnson Controls, Air One Heating & Cooling, Star Air Conditioning & Cooling and YORK® Factory Direct to help these veterans and their families to live in greater comfort.”

The YORK brand of Johnson Controls has been a proud sponsor of Building Homes for Heroes since 2014. The company has been recognized by US Veterans Magazine as a top veteran-friendly company. Johnson Controls is also committed to hiring veterans and military spouses. Veteran employees are honored to design, engineer and assemble systems that help improve the lives of fellow veterans.

Building Homes for Heroes invites anyone wishing to volunteer or donate to the organization to contact Building Homes for Heroes at info@buildinghomesforheroes.org. To learn more about Building Homes for Heroes www.buildinghomesforheroes.org.

To learn more about Air One Heating & Cooling, please visit www.aironefl.com and follow them on Facebook. To learn more about Star AC & Cooling, please visit www.starairconditioning.com and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

For additional questions about Building Homes for Heroes or the ceremony, please contact David Weingrad, senior communications manager, at David.Weingrad@buildinghomesforheroes.org. For questions about Johnson Controls, please contact Ryan Nolan, global public relations program manager, Johnson Controls, at Ryan.P.Nolan@jci.com, and for questions related to YORK, the HVAC contractor or distributor, please contact Liz Sternby, public relations manager, Godfrey, at lsternby@godfrey.com.

About Building Homes for Heroes
Counting fourteen consecutive years of record-setting growth, Building Homes for Heroes® builds and gifts mortgage-free homes, and completes home modifications, for veterans and their families, and provides further services along their road to recovery to help them live a promising and fulfilling life ahead. The organization is strongly committed to rebuilding lives and supporting the brave men and women who were injured while serving the country after September 11, 2001, during the time of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. The organization has received a perfect 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for five straight years, including a 100% in transparency and accountability. It’s our honor to support the men and women who have loyally and courageously served our country. To learn more about the organization, visit www.buildinghomesforheroes.org.

About Johnson Controls
At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.

With a history of more than 135 years of innovation, Johnson Controls delivers the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through its comprehensive digital offering, OpenBlue. With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world’s largest portfolio of building technology, software as well as service solutions with some of the most trusted names in the industry. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.