Robertshaw
Robertshaw Controls Company, founded in 1899 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, designs and manufactures electromechanical controls and valves for OEM appliance and HVAC manufacturers globally, holding #1 and #2 market positions across gas, water, and thermostat categories and serving brands such as Haier, Samsung, LG, GE, and Carrier.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1899
- HeadquartersItasca, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Robertshaw does
Robertshaw Controls Company is a privately held industrial manufacturer founded in 1899 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois. The company designs, engineers, and manufactures electromechanical controls and valves for gas management, fluid management, and specialty solutions serving residential and commercial appliance OEMs, HVAC equipment manufacturers, and adjacent verticals including agriculture, automotive, and specialty industrial applications. Robertshaw holds #1 global positions in electromechanical cold thermostats, #1 North American positions across multiple categories including gas valves, energy regulators, top burners, manifolds, tubular burners, and SR burners, and #2 globally in water valves, supported by 200+ patents, 600+ engineers, and 3 Engineering Innovation Centers. The product portfolio is organized under three OEM solution areas — Gas Management (gas burners, pressure regulators, thermostats, valves, ignition systems, manifolds, supply tubes, thermocouples, top burners), Fluid Management (check valves, custom valves, micropumps, motorized and piloted valves, reversing valves), and Specialty Solutions (defrost timers, electronic thermostats, energy regulators, pressure and temperature controls) — plus sub-brands Ranco (commercial refrigeration), Paragon, and Castfutura. Recent innovations include the patent-pending Master Gas Shutoff (methane leakage reduction to 90% below agency standard), the Energy Efficient Water Valve with real-time consumption data, Explosion-Proof Cold Controls, and the V-Flex Water Valve.
Robertshaw operates a dual-channel go-to-market: direct OEM engineering and sales relationships for embedding components into appliance, HVAC, and commercial refrigeration products (customers include Haier, Rheem, Carrier, Lennox, Samsung, LG, GE, Midea, Hisense, Miele, Alliance Laundry Systems, Middleby, Elkay, Beverage-Air, Pitco, and Garland), and a global distributor network for aftermarket replacement parts serviced through Johnstone Supply, Grainger, and similar wholesale channels. Operations span North America, EMEA (Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, France, UK), Asia Pacific (China, Japan, Australia), and Latin America (Mexico, Brazil), with multi-language websites, a PLEX supplier portal, and a Chatbase-powered website chat for distributor lookup, specs, and competitor cross-reference. Revenue derives from hardware sales to OEM manufacturers under multi-year contracts and from aftermarket parts distributed through the global distributor network; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quote-based. Manufacturing scale exceeds 40,000 sophisticated control products across the portfolio, supported by 5,500+ employees globally.
The company is independent, with no disclosed parent, external PE/VC ownership, or public listing. Reported corporate activity includes a 2016 acquisition of Burner Systems International and a steady cadence of product launches through 2026. Leadership includes CEO John Hewitt, Chief Innovation Officer Steve Hokky, and VP / Product & Business Director EMEA Marco Culatti.
Robertshaw firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Robertshaw
- Legal name
- Robertshaw Controls Company
- Website
- https://robertshaw.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1899
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Robertshaw Controls Company, founded in 1899 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, designs and manufactures electromechanical controls and valves for OEM appliance and HVAC manufacturers globally, holding #1 and #2 market positions across gas, water, and thermostat categories and serving brands such as Haier, Samsung, LG, GE, and Carrier.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Robertshaw industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electromechanical Controls
- NAICS
- Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Refrigeration Components & Controls (Compressors, Valves, Sensors) (IMAHAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Gas Handling Equipment & Storage (Cylinders/Tanks/Valves) (IMAEACAL), Hoses, Tubing & Fittings (Hydraulic/Pneumatic Lines & Connectors) (IMAHAGAH)
Keywords
Where Robertshaw is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Itasca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Robertshaw business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- OEM Components and Systems: Robertshaw generates revenue through the sale of electromechanical controls, valves, and integrated flow control components to OEM manufacturers of appliances, HVAC equipment, and other industrial applications. Revenue comes from both high-volume component supply contracts and custom-designed solutions.
- Replacement Parts: Sale of replacement parts through a global network of distributors to service existing installed base of Robertshaw products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B OEM and Aftermarket Parts |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Robertshaw product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Robertshaw designs, engineers, and manufactures electromechanical and electronic controls, gas valves, water valves, thermostats, timers, and integrated flow control components for OEM manufacturers in residential and commercial appliances, HVAC, commercial refrigeration, agriculture, and automotive industries. The company also supplies a broad catalog of replacement parts to a global distributor network serving the installed base of Robertshaw products.
Product overview
Robertshaw is a global leader in electromechanical controls and valves, offering a comprehensive portfolio of integrated flow control technologies organized into three core solution areas: Gas Management Solutions (gas burners, pressure regulators, thermostats, valves, ignition systems, manifolds, thermocouples, top burners), Fluid Management Solutions (check valves, customized valves, micropumps, motorized valves, piloted valves, reversing valves), and Specialty Solutions (defrost timers, electronic thermostats, pressure controls, temperature controls). The company operates under sub-brands including Ranco (commercial refrigeration), Paragon, and Castfutura. Recent innovations include Explosion-Proof Cold Controls, Master Gas Shutoff (reducing methane leakage 90% below agency standards), and Energy Efficient Water Valves with real-time consumption data. Robertshaw serves OEMs and replacement part customers across residential appliances, HVAC, commercial refrigeration, agriculture, and automotive industries, supporting major brands like Haier, Rheem, Lennox, Carrier, Samsung, LG, and GE.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ranco: Commercial refrigeration product line, including the Ranco Commercial Refrigeration Line
- Paragon
- Castfutura
Products and services
- Gas Management Solutions Comprehensive OEM product line of gas control components including gas burners, gas pressure regulators, gas thermostats, gas valves, ignition systems, manifolds, supply tubes, thermocouples, and top burners for appliance and HVAC manufacturers.
- Fluid Management Solutions Integrated OEM flow control portfolio covering check valves, customized valves, direct-acting valves, micropumps, motorized valves, piloted valves, and reversing valves for managing water and other fluids in appliances and equipment.
- Specialty Solutions Specialty OEM controls including defrost timers, electronic thermostats, energy regulators, hot thermostats, ignition controls, lube oil controls, pressure controls, and temperature controls for niche residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
- Master Gas Shutoff Patent-pending master gas regulator designed for appliance OEMs that reduces gas stove methane leakage across the system to 90% below the agency standard, enhancing safety in residential and commercial gas appliances.
- Energy Efficient Water Valve Advanced clothes washer valve for OEM integration that optimizes hot water usage and detergent efficiency while providing real-time consumption data for smart appliance applications.
- V-Flex Water Valve Flexible water valve for OEM integration designed to optimize efficiency with a configurable design for global appliance design requirements.
- Explosion-Proof Cold Controls Safety-enhanced cold controls designed for OEM appliance manufacturers for both household and industrial applications, meeting stringent safety and performance requirements.
- Ranco Commercial Refrigeration Line
- Replacement Parts Catalog Catalog of replacement components (air pressure switches, ball valves, defrost timers, electronic range controls, filter driers, gas valves, heat pump controls, pressure controls, solenoid valves, thermostats, thermostatic expansion valves, water valves, and more) sold through a global distributor network to service technicians and end users maintaining Robertshaw installations.
- Competitor Cross Reference Lookup tool that allows customers to find Robertshaw equivalents for competitor parts by cross-referencing part numbers across multiple manufacturers, supporting distributor and service technician part selection.
Quantifiable outcome
- Master Gas Shutoff reduces gas stove methane leakage to 90% below agency standard
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Robertshaw
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Robertshaw technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Robertshaw partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- PLEXcorePLEX supplier portal used for supply chain management and vendor coordination. Robertshaw utilizes PLEX for transportation management system (TMS) and supply chain operations.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Robertshaw competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- White-Rodgers (Emerson): Emerson's residential and commercial HVAC controls brand; competes head-to-head with Robertshaw in thermostats, gas valves, and ignition controls sold to OEMs and through distributors.
- Danfoss: Danish manufacturer of refrigeration and HVAC components including valves, sensors, and electronic controls; directly comparable to Robertshaw's fluid management and refrigeration control businesses.
- Watts Water Technologies: Specializes in water valves, flow control, and plumbing components serving OEMs and distributors; directly comparable to Robertshaw's #2-global water valve franchise.
- Pentair: Global water solutions and flow-control company with valves and fluid management products used across residential and commercial applications; comparable to Robertshaw's fluid management segment.
- Copeland (Emerson Climate Technologies): Leading refrigeration controls and compressor components business, including the former Emerson Climate Technologies portfolio; directly comparable to Robertshaw's Ranco commercial refrigeration line.
- Bosch Thermotechnology: OEM of heating and hot-water systems with internal control and valve development; an integrated competitor to Robertshaw in HVAC and water-heating control components.
Broad incumbents
- Honeywell: Diversified industrial conglomerate with a building technologies and HVAC controls franchise (including Resideo-adjacent heritage) overlapping directly with Robertshaw's thermostat and HVAC control portfolio.
- Johnson Controls: Global building and HVAC controls supplier with deep OEM relationships in heating and cooling equipment, competing with Robertshaw in temperature and pressure controls integrated into HVAC systems.
- Schneider Electric: Global industrial automation and building controls player offering HVAC, refrigeration, and process control components; a broader incumbent competing with Robertshaw's industrial-control-adjacent offerings.
- Roper Technologies: Diversified industrial technology holding company with HVAC/refrigeration and fluid-control businesses; provides a relevant public-market comparable for Robertshaw's OEM-controls business model and margins.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Robertshaw social profiles
Digital presenceRobertshaw financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Robertshaw leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Robertshaw funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Robertshaw M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Robertshaw
What does Robertshaw do?
Robertshaw designs, engineers, and manufactures electromechanical and electronic controls, gas valves, water valves, thermostats, timers, and integrated flow control components for OEM manufacturers in residential and commercial appliances, HVAC, commercial refrigeration, agriculture, and automotive industries. The company also supplies a broad catalog of replacement parts to a global distributor network serving the installed base of Robertshaw products.
Is Robertshaw a public or private company?
Robertshaw is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Robertshaw founded?
Robertshaw was founded in 1899. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Robertshaw based?
Robertshaw is headquartered in Itasca, United States, in the North America region.
How does Robertshaw make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. OEM Components and Systems are the primary driver. The others are replacement Parts.
Who are Robertshaw's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are White-Rodgers (Emerson), Danfoss, Watts Water Technologies, Pentair, Copeland (Emerson Climate Technologies) and Bosch Thermotechnology. Broad incumbents are Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Schneider Electric and Roper Technologies.
Does Robertshaw have an API?
No public API is recorded for Robertshaw.
What industry is Robertshaw in?
Robertshaw's product category is Electromechanical Controls. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAKAH, Refrigeration Components & Controls (Compressors, Valves, Sensors), with a secondary code of IMAEACAL, Gas Handling Equipment & Storage (Cylinders/Tanks/Valves). Its NAICS code is 334512 and its SIC code is 3823.