A Legacy of Excellence: Denise Lyons Dickinson Retires After Decades of Family Leadership at Lyons Mechanical Services

GLASGOW, KY, UNITED STATES, May 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- This spring marks another significant chapter in the history of Lyons Mechanical Services. The company celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2024, but now in 2025, it also honors the retirement of its third-generation president, Denise Lyons Dickinson. Her retirement on April 30, 2025, not only closes a remarkable era of leadership but also highlights the strength of a family legacy that shaped the company into what it is today—a respected mechanical contractor with deep roots and far-reaching impact.

A Legacy Begins: Roger Lyons and the Early Years

In 1954, Roger Lyons acquired R.H. Ross Plumbing & Heating with a $4,000 note from Citizens National Bank. Renaming the company Lyons Plumbing & Heating, Roger started as a residential contractor with three good employees, two trucks, a wife and two sons. From its earliest days, Lyons stood for craftsmanship, service, and the belief that a business succeeds by investing in its people and exceeding customer expectations. These founding principles remain central to the company’s culture, even as its services and reach have grown dramatically.

The Turning Point: Laying the Groundwork for Growth

A transformation for Lyons Company came during the 1960’s when Roger decided to expand into commercial and institutional work alongside the company’s established residential business. With a strong desire to help his father grow the business, Tommy Lyons made the decision to leave college a year early and return home with his wife and infant daughter, Denise. During this time of transition and growth, Roger became ill and died in 1970 after a series of heart attacks. He left controlling interest in the company to his son, Tommy, and the remainder interest to his wife, Marguerite.

With the support of friends in construction, loyal customers, and dedicated suppliers, Tommy was able to quickly recover and lead the company into a pattern of growth and stability—establishing Lyons as a leading design-build, full-service mechanical contractor in Kentucky and the surrounding region.

Recognizing the demand for ongoing support and service beyond initial construction, Tommy established a Commercial HVAC Service division in Bowling Green, Kentucky, incorporating in 1991. This expansion not only extended the company’s geographic reach but also reinforced its ability to serve clients throughout the full lifecycle of a project—from design through long-term service.

Thanks to his foresight, tenacity and deep commitment to both client service and employee development, Tommy transformed a company on the edge into a regional powerhouse, laying the foundation for a new generation to lead.

A President with Perspective: Denise Lyons Dickinson’s Rise

That next generation came in the form of Tommy’s daughter, Denise Lyons Dickinson. After earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Abilene Christian University, Denise joined Lyons Company in 1988, starting as an accounts payable clerk. Over the following decades, she immersed herself in every operational layer of the business—becoming project manager assistant, project manager, CAD operator, human resources manager, and eventually chief financial officer.

Recognizing the importance of financial strategy to long-term stability, Denise returned to school and earned her Master of Business Administration while continuing to serve the company. That decision set the stage for her ascension to President, where she would steward the company through its next phase.

While Tommy built Lyons into what it is today, it was Denise who carried that success forward. Under her leadership, Lyons maintained its standard of excellence, adapted to modern challenges, and deepened its people-focused culture. Her belief in mentorship, transparency and community service has been instrumental in retaining the skilled, loyal workforce that defines Lyons’ reputation.

Culture Built on Integrity and Loyalty

One of Denise’s greatest legacies has been her ability to uphold and extend the company’s mission of investing in people. That mission—articulated by both Denise and her father—is about far more than job performance. It’s about building a workplace where individuals can grow, be challenged and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

This commitment was on display during Lyons’ 60th anniversary celebration where Denise personally recognized 29 employees with service awards, including eight with over 20 years of dedication. Events like these speak volumes about the loyalty and community that define Lyons Company.

Seventy Years of Purpose

Lyons Company has employed hundreds of dedicated employees and craftsmen and serves clients across Kentucky and the Southeast. The company’s ethos, established by Tommy, sums up its purpose best: “Pride in our daily efforts is the assurance of our success. Lyons Mechanical Services is an organization of people who have been brought together from a diversity of backgrounds, training and abilities to a common purpose. That purpose is to provide an honorable, challenging and enjoyable work environment for all the members of the organization enabling each of us to be good providers for our families and to be productive, contributing citizens of our communities. Our strength lies in the integrity of our people. Our success will be measured by our commitment to these standards. Our growth and profits will be the by-products of that commitment.” That ethos, instilled by Roger, built by Tommy, and nurtured by Denise, has carried Lyons through generations of change and challenge.

As Denise steps away after decades of leadership, the entire Lyons community—employees, clients, and industry partners—joins in gratitude. Her leadership, grounded in humility and driven by purpose, ensured that the company remained strong and stable through to its 2022 acquisition by Fidelity Building Services Group. A new chapter is now set in motion, as Chad Childress becomes president after nearly 30 years with Lyons, and the talented management team remains that has fueled growth and innovation for the past 20 years.

The story of Lyons Mechanical Services is more than a timeline of milestones; it is the story of a family who believed in something greater than themselves—faithful to God, a belief that honest work, and loyalty to people are the keys to its success.

Denise Lyons Dickinson
Lyons Mechanical Services
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