It’s interesting that we’re all Portsmouth alumni, working together."”

Melissa Leary

BRISTOL — It seems you can’t walk a few yards inside the offices of Superior Comfort without bumping into an alumnus of Portsmouth High School. Even when the company looks to outside vendors for help, it runs into more of the same.

The Bristol business offers heating, cooling and refrigeration products and services. “We do geothermal, radiant, HVAC, AC, heating and air quality control. We’re also getting into solar,” said Melissa Leary, a jack of all trades at the company (secretary, marketing assistant, dispatcher, shipping and receiving).

The company just can’t seem to shake its PHS roots. Ms. Leary graduated from there in 2001 and says she’s surrounded by familiar faces.

The company’s marketing director is Sherry Manton Ledsworth (Class of 1999) who is also married to the owner, a 1994 graduate of PHS.

“Our parts manager is Gary Oliverira III, Class of 1994,” said Ms. Leary. “One of our top service technicians is also a graduate of Portsmouth High School — 2001. His name is Brendan Ledsworth. The construction workers we work with are (PHS) alumni as well.”

Things got really weird when Superior Comfort decided to take part in its first trade show — the four-day Rhode Island Home Show which ended Sunday, April 3 — and reach out to the wider business community for help.

First they needed a video person to put together a short piece on what Superior Comfort has to offer regarding air quality control. The video was displayed as a 10-minute loop at the Home Show.

“We called a couple of them, but the one with the best rates, the best quality, what we were looking for, ended up being Collective Thoughts Media,” said Ms. Leary. “That person graduated in 2000 from Portsmouth High. His name is Chris Hunter.” 

Mr. Hunter does a lot of work with New England Golf Monthly, the Luxury Group and other clients. “His work is phenomenal,” she said.

Then she researched display material for trade shows and she and Ms. Ledsworth even visited a smaller home show last November to ask companies what they use.

“They told us about an online website called Displays2Go,” said Ms. Leary. “I was OK with learning about the website, but I was really thinking about keeping it local. We actually called this place and found out they’re down on Tupelo (Street), right here in Bristol. We were very excited about that.”

And the person they talk to? You guessed it.

“PHS — Class of 2000,” she said. “Her name is Rebecca Glynn. I thought that was pretty funny. And the salesperson we ordered it from? Craig Brawner, (PHS) Class of ’99. Rebecca is actually going to be filming us at the trade show; she wants something on her website. We’re kind of piggy-packing off each other, and so is Chris.”

All the home show team members worked closely together and held a “mock trial” before the event. Superior Comfort had four booths at the Home Show to focus on all the different services it offers.

“They’re going above and beyond for us,” Ms. Leary said of the outside vendors.

Just a coincidence

The folks at Superior Comfort swear there’s no rhyme or reason as to why so many former PHS students work for — or with — the company.

“It’s interesting that we’re all Portsmouth alumni, working together,” said Ms. Leary. “I think the owner knew the parts manager as a child, but they went their separate directions and still ended up in the same industry. I vaguely knew Sherry from being in a couple of classes at the high school; she was two years older than me.”

Added Ms. Ledsworth, “I’m a little corny, but I think it was a sign. You know these guys your whole life, then you graduate from high school and you go on with your life and the next thing you know we’re doing something we’ve never done — the home show. 

“It’s all people we’ve graduated with.”

Patriot pride

Ms. Leary and Ms. Ledsworth both have fond memories of their PHS days. 

Ms. Leary, in fact, said she recently ran into two former teachers, Julie Bisbano (English) and Elaine Amaral (science). Ms. Bisbano encouraged her with everything, including her love for poetry. 

“She was one of my favorite teachers. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t have graduated — or come to class,” said Ms. Leary.

Despite there being “cliques everywhere,” Ms. Ledsworth also enjoyed her time at PHS. “If I could go back for one day, I totally would,” she said.

They both knew most of the other students their age since their classes were no more than 200 in size. “We all knew each other. You turned the corner and you knew everybody’s name,” said Ms. Leary.

Besides all the reminiscing she’s done over her PHS days with people in her business, there’s a more important lesson to take away from all the odd connections, she said. Ms. Leary advises high school students to work harder at forging relationships with the people around them because it could pay off years later. 

“It’s not just Facebook,” she said. “You actually need to work in the community and connect with these people on a level where you actually might see them later on.”