68 Years. Still Family-Owned, With a Renewed Community Focus

The Choate's family honors its three-generation commitment to community giving.

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 68 years. 13 American presidents. Three generations.

Choate's is a family business in the most literal sense -- and giving back to the community is its stock-in-trade.

"We've been local in the Memphis area for so long," Choate's Assistant General Manager Brian Choate says. "The common theme is community."

The company motto is "Let our family serve your family." Brian is quick to point out that's not a slogan. 

"It's kind of just ingrained in us and who we are," he says. "Our family has always been one to help out others. The core of our business is a lot of having a servant heart, a servant mindset, being able to take care of others."

Over the years that has meant supporting organizations across Memphis, from Life Choices to St. Jude to Memphis Athletic Ministries and Best Buddies, along with first responders, police, and veterans. Sometimes the help is a check. Often it is showing up in person. The team has cooked out for local first responders and had them over for lunch, and they turn out for city events around Carnegie Square and Cooper Young.

"Those are always kind of cool times to be able to bring that community together," Brian says.

Among the organizations Choate's supports, one carries extra personal weight for Brian: Life Choices, a Memphis organization that comes alongside mothers in difficult circumstances and helps them raise their children.

"It's one that I personally connect strongly with," Brian says.

And when you've been rooted in the Mid-South for 68 years, the giving finds Choate's, not the other way around.

Example: a local family lost their air conditioning entirely. A news station that had worked with Choate's before reached out with the situation. The answer was immediate.

"They reached out to us, given us the situation, telling us what's going on," Brian says. "And we said, yes, we'll be happy to help." 

Choate's donated and installed went a new air conditioning system for the family.

Another customer let the company know that their young son had become obsessed with a Choate's commercial, to the point that he would mimic Chris Choate's line word-for-word: "I'm Chris Choate with Choate's Air Conditioning."

So Choate's reached out and sent the boy and his family to a Memphis Grizzlies game. "They got to go see an NBA game, and they wrote us a wonderful letter about their experience. It's cool things like that."

Their next community ambition: establishing a technical college. "Keeping with the multi-generational legacy, we're interested in training the next generation," says Brian. "Not only would they learn the technical aspect, but they'd also get to actually apply it with a master watching over them, so they can learn the craft while they learn the knowledge.

"I think we're fortunate enough that we've had multi-generations establish such a relationship in our community that we've been able to not only survive and thrive, but give and help out. Having a legacy and good reputation has allowed us to continue on and help others."

SOURCE Choate's Air Conditioning, Heating, Plumbing, and Electrical