International Thermal Systems

What International Thermal Systems does

International Thermal Systems (ITS) is a privately-held US manufacturer of industrial thermal processing equipment—industrial ovens, furnaces, and washers—headquartered in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, with operations in Stuttgart, Germany, and Shanghai, China. Founded in 2000 through the consolidation of three legacy thermal processing companies (Industrial Heat Enterprises International/IHEI, Oven Systems Incorporated/OSI, and LTG Technologies, formally re-acquired in 2010), the company claims over 50 years of combined heritage and serves industrial manufacturers across battery, metal packaging, aerospace, automotive, power generation, food processing, and general industrial sectors. Its product portfolio spans industrial process ovens (batch and conveyor configurations for curing, annealing, tempering, preheating, thermal degreasing, hydrogen embrittlement relief, composite curing, and core baking), industrial furnaces (box, car-bottom, clam-shell, drop-bottom, horizontal-quench, stress-relief, and aluminum homogenizing variants), and industrial washers (conveyor, cabinet, pallet, case, rotary drum, and can washers). Proprietary technologies include the Three5 (Three-Five) Airflow system for temperature uniformity, the patented 7.10 Pin Oven for metal can production, VACTRANS vacuum transfer technology, HydroCure humidity drying chambers, and FlashMaid plate dryers for lead-acid battery manufacturing.

ITS generates revenue through three streams: capital equipment sales (custom-engineered and standard models under the TruTemp and TruClean sub-brands), aftermarket parts and retrofits via a 24/7 online Parts Store with 300+ SKUs covering ITS and legacy LTG/IHEI/OSI equipment, and Customer Support Services (factory-trained technician installations, repairs, preventative maintenance, NFPA inspections, and PLC/controls retrofits). Pricing is quote-based for custom equipment and unit-priced for standard models, with standard lead times of approximately 8-9 weeks. Go-to-market combines regional direct field sales with manufacturer representatives, inside sales, channel partners (Foothills Independent Sales, Piedmont Technical Sales), an e-commerce parts store, and active participation in industry trade shows (WIMTS, FabTech, CAMX, Cast Expo, PFMA, AsiaCanTech, SAMPE). The company sells primarily to enterprise industrial customers on multi-year project contracts, with no disclosed SaaS or recurring subscription revenue model.

Name

International Thermal Systems

Legal name

International Thermal Systems, LLC

Website

https://internationalthermalsystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

International Thermal Systems is a privately-held US manufacturer of industrial process ovens, furnaces, and washers serving global battery, metal packaging, aerospace, automotive, and food processing manufacturers. The company offers custom-engineered and standard thermal processing equipment with proprietary Three5 Airflow, VACTRANS, and patented 7.10 Pin Oven technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Thermal Processing Equipment

NAICS

Industrial Process Furnace and Oven Manufacturing (333994), Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567), Heating Equipment, Except Electric & Warm Air Furnaces (3433)

akta.pro primary industry

Boilers, Furnaces & Process Heating Equipment (IMAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers) (IMAHAEAC), Commercial & Industrial Refrigeration Systems (IMAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Industrial ovens
• Industrial furnaces
• Industrial parts washers
• Thermal processing equipment
• Heat treatment equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Wauwatosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial Equipment Manufacturing: Design, manufacture, and sale of custom and standard industrial ovens, furnaces, and washers. Equipment is custom-engineered for specific customer applications with pricing based on specifications and configuration.
2. Aftermarket Parts and Services: Replacement parts, retrofit kits, and upgrades for ITS equipment and legacy equipment from acquired companies (LTG, IHEI, OSI). Includes OEM and aftermarket spare parts.
3. Customer Support Services: Technical service, field support, equipment installations, repairs, and preventative maintenance performed by factory-trained technicians. NFPA inspections and equipment modernization services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

International Thermal Systems designs, manufactures, and services industrial thermal processing equipment, including batch ovens, conveyor ovens, industrial furnaces, and aqueous parts washers, sold under sub-brands such as TruTemp, TruClean, ProCon, HydroCure, FlashMaid, and VACTRANS. The company provides both standard catalog equipment and fully custom-engineered solutions for industrial manufacturers across battery, metal packaging, automotive, aerospace, power generation, foundry, and food processing sectors, complemented by a 24/7 online parts store and factory-trained field service.

Product overview

International Thermal Systems is a global manufacturer of industrial thermal processing equipment offering a comprehensive portfolio of ovens, furnaces, and washers built for industrial applications. The company operates as a single unified product platform with multiple specialized sub-brands including TruClean (aqueous washers), TruTemp (standard ovens and furnaces), and ProCon (conveyor equipment). The core product categories include Industrial Process Ovens (batch ovens, annealing, calcining, curing, tempering, thermal degreasing, hydrogen embrittlement relief), Industrial Furnaces (box, car bottom, clam shell, drop bottom, horizontal quench, stress relief, homogenizing), Composite Foundry and Core Ovens, Can/Food/Consumer Ovens (including Pin Ovens, Wicket Ovens, and OBO with VACTRANS technology), Battery Manufacturing Equipment (HydroCure and FlashMaid), and Industrial Washers (can washers, rotary drum washers). The company also offers proprietary Three-Five Air Flow Technology for enhanced temperature uniformity. Supporting services include Customer Support Services (CSS) with factory-trained technicians, 24/7 Parts Store, retrofit and upgrade solutions, and R&D capabilities. Founded in 2000 through the merger of Industrial Heat Enterprises International (IHEI), Oven Systems Incorporated (OSI), and LTG Technologies, the company has been in business for over 50 years and maintains headquarters in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin with facilities in Germany and Shanghai, China.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TruClean: Brand name for the industrial parts washer product line, including conveyor washers, cabinet washers, and pallet washers
• TruTemp
• ProCon
• HydroCure
• FlashMaid
• VACTRANS

Products and services

• Industrial Batch Ovens (TruTemp line)
• Industrial Conveyor Ovens

Quantifiable outcome

• +/-5°F temperature control at 1600°F achieved in TruTemp Box Furnace
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LTG TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010ITS acquired LTG Technologies in 2010 along with IHEI and OSI. LTG was founded in Germany in 1926 and established a legacy of engineering advanced thermal processing equipment for the metal packaging industry. LTG expanded globally including entry into the United States in 1990.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ipsen: Manufacturer of vacuum furnaces, atmosphere furnaces, and industrial heat-treating equipment serving aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy customers — overlapping with ITS's furnace and process heating product lines.
• LEWCO Inc. Designs and builds industrial ovens, furnaces, and material handling systems for heat treating and finishing — a closely comparable custom industrial thermal processing OEM with similar customer verticals.
• SECO/WARWICK: Global supplier of industrial heat treatment furnaces and ovens used in metallurgy, aluminum, and aerospace — directly competing with ITS in box furnaces, aluminum heat treat, and vacuum/process heating equipment.
• Wisconsin Oven Corporation: US-based industrial batch oven and conveyor oven manufacturer serving heat treating, composite curing, and finishing applications. Most direct US-headquartered peer to ITS's batch and conveyor oven business.
• Surface Combustion: Manufactures industrial heat treating furnaces (batch and continuous) with deep presence in automotive, aerospace, and energy — competes directly with ITS in box and specialty furnace segments.
• Grieve Corporation: Manufacturer of industrial batch ovens, conveyor ovens, and heat processing equipment — a long-standing US peer in the industrial batch and conveyor oven market overlapping with ITS's core product lines.
• AFC-Holcroft: Global supplier of batch and continuous heat-treating furnaces for automotive, aerospace, and industrial applications, directly comparable to ITS's furnace and heat treat product portfolio.
• Despatch Industries: Despatch designs and manufactures industrial ovens, furnaces, and thermal processing equipment for similar applications (heat treating, curing, drying, composites). Closely overlaps with ITS's industrial batch and conveyor oven portfolio and customer base in aerospace, automotive, and advanced materials.

Broad incumbents

• Inductotherm Group: Diversified industrial thermal technology company with heat treating and melting equipment serving metallurgy and industrial customers; broader portfolio but overlapping with ITS in process heating and custom engineered thermal systems.
• Thermal Product Solutions (TPST): Houses Gruenberg, Blue M, Tenney, and other legacy industrial oven and thermal equipment brands covering ovens, furnaces, and environmental chambers — competing broadly with ITS across multiple product categories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Thermal Systems