Smardt

What Smardt does

Smardt Chiller Group Inc. is a global manufacturer of oil-free centrifugal chillers headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada. The company was founded in 2004 by Roger Richmond-Smith, whose technology team originated from the 1993 Turbocor magnetic bearing compressor development program; Turbocor was subsequently partially acquired by Danfoss in 2004. Smardt's product portfolio spans air-cooled (T-Class, AeroPure), water-cooled (T-Class, V-Class), and evaporatively-cooled (E-Class) chillers across a 30-3,600 ton capacity range, supported by the CPECS central plant optimization system, SSP custom special products, and the newly launched Smardt AIR air handling units. All chillers use proprietary oil-free magnetic bearing turbocompressor technology, eliminating lubrication requirements and delivering 20-50% energy efficiency gains versus oil-lubricated centrifugal chillers.

Smardt generates revenue primarily through capital equipment sales to enterprise customers in data centers, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, healthcare, education, government, naval/marine, hospitality, and greenhouse/agriculture verticals. The company operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct enterprise sales via regional sales engineers, a global network of authorized distributors and service centers, chiller rentals for temporary or contingency cooling, and paid technician certification training programs. Manufacturing is distributed across five countries — USA (Plattsburgh, NY), Canada, Germany, China (Guangzhou, Nanjing), and Australia — with sales and service offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and France. Over 10,000 Smardt chillers are installed worldwide.

In 2018, Chinese HVAC company TICA entered as a global joint venture partner and acquired full ownership in 2022, with TICA Chairman Jiang Li succeeding Roger Richmond-Smith as Executive Chairman. The company maintains private status under the TICA-Smardt corporate structure with a global workforce of 900+ employees and recognized leadership in oil-free centrifugal chiller technology since 1993.

Name

Smardt

Legal name

Smardt Chiller Group Inc.

Website

https://smardt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Smardt is a global manufacturer of oil-free centrifugal chillers using proprietary magnetic bearing technology, serving enterprise customers across data centers, healthcare, manufacturing, and commercial buildings with capacities from 30 to 3,600 tons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial HVAC Chillers

NAICS

Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Chillers & Cooling Plant Equipment (IMAHAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cooling Systems & Thermal Management (CRAC/CRAH, Chillers, Liquid Cooling) (HDABAKAD), Compressors, Refrigeration Components & Condensing Units (IMADANAG)

Keywords

• Oil-free chillers
• Centrifugal chillers
• HVAC equipment
• Magnetic-bearing compressors
• Air handling units

Headquarters

HQ city

Dorval

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chiller Equipment Sales: Smardt generates primary revenue through the sale of oil-free centrifugal chillers including T-Class (air-cooled), T-Class (water-cooled), V-Class (water-cooled), E-Class (evaporatively-cooled), and custom SSP configurations. Chillers range from 30 to 3,600 tons capacity.
2. Chiller Rental Services: Short-term and long-term rental of oil-free chillers for temporary or contingency cooling needs. Units range from 60 to 3,600 tons.
3. Technician Training Certification: 3-day technical training programs for technicians on chiller maintenance and troubleshooting. Certification valid for 18-36 months depending on region. Training conducted in USA, Canada, and Australia facilities.
4. Aftermarket Services: Ongoing service and support through global network of local service centers, including maintenance, repair, and parts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Smardt manufactures oil-free magnetic-bearing centrifugal chillers and related HVAC equipment, including air-cooled, water-cooled, and evaporatively-cooled chillers, air handling units, and chiller optimization controls. The company sells engineered cooling systems and aftermarket services to commercial, institutional, and industrial building owners, contractors, and engineers worldwide.

Product overview

Smardt is a global manufacturer of oil-free centrifugal chillers offering the most comprehensive and customizable product line in the industry. The portfolio includes three main chiller types across multiple capacity ranges: Air-Cooled (T-Class, AeroPure: 30-710 tons), Water-Cooled (T-Class: 45-1600 tons; V-Class: 300-3600 tons), and Evaporatively-Cooled (E-Class: 45-530 tons). Supporting products include SSP custom special products, CPECS central plant optimization system, Smardt AIR air handling units, chiller rentals, and technical training certification. All products feature proprietary oil-free magnetic bearing technology developed from Turbocor compressors, with capacities ranging from 30 to 3,600 tons and load flexibility from 5% to 100%. The company holds positions in data centers, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, office buildings, schools, government, naval/marine, hospitals, hotels, and greenhouse industries worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AeroPure: Premium air-cooled chiller product line featuring ultra-quiet operation, oil-free compressors, capacity range 60-710 TR (211-2500 kW), supporting refrigerants R134a, R513A, R515B, and R1234ze
• CPECS
• SSP (Smardt Special Products)
• Smardt AIR

Products and services

• AeroPure Air-Cooled Chillers

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy efficiency improved by 20% to 50% compared to oil-lubricated chillers
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MecalorminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021JV established in 2021 when Mecalor acquired Transcalor (Smardt's previous Brazil partner). JV serves South American market.
• TICA (Tianjia / 南京天加环境科技有限公司)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018TICA, a leading Chinese HVAC company, entered a global joint venture with Smardt in 2018. TICA holds strong positions in AHU (air handling units) and cleanroom markets. In 2022, TICA acquired 100% ownership of Smardt. TICA committed to building new Smardt facilities in Guangzhou and Nanjing, China. TICA Chairman Jiang Li succeeded Roger Richmond-Smith as Executive Chairman.
• OPK Klimatechnik AGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Acquired by Smardt in 2011. European pioneer in custom HVAC solutions, particularly in oil-free applications for process temperature control. Located near Stuttgart, Germany.
• Kiltech ControlscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2005Exclusive partnership established in 2005. Kiltech, founded by Roger Richmond-Smith and Philip Kennedy in Montreal, provides control systems including CPECS optimization. Kiltech is a member of the Smardt group.
• Danfoss (Turbocor/DTC)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2004Danfoss acquired 50% stake in Turbocor Inc. in 2004. Turbocor oil-free compressors are the core technology used in all Smardt chillers. Smardt's founding team came from the Turbocor development team.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Daikin: Global HVAC leader whose Magnitude centrifugal chiller line directly competes in the oil-free centrifugal category using magnetic-bearing technology. Broader portfolio spans residential to industrial HVAC, giving Daikin substantially larger R&D and distribution resources than Smardt.
• Carrier Global: Major HVAC incumbent offering AquaEdge 19DV oil-free centrifugal chillers aimed at the same commercial/industrial and data center segments as Smardt. Carrier's scale, service network, and broader product portfolio make it the most consequential broad competitor in oil-free centrifugal.
• Trane Technologies: Trane's Sintra chiller line uses Danfoss Turbocor compressors, putting it in direct technology overlap with Smardt, while the broader Trane/CenTraVac portfolio competes across commercial HVAC. Trane's enterprise sales motion and service density are benchmarks for the category.
• Johnson Controls (York): York-branded chillers and broader Johnson Controls HVAC portfolio target the same commercial and mission-critical customer set as Smardt. The company is a major incumbent with deep service relationships in healthcare, education, and government, plus YK centrifugal offerings that overlap with Smardt's capacity ranges.
• Midea Group: One of the world's largest HVAC manufacturers with a full portfolio spanning residential, commercial, and industrial equipment, including chillers. Competes with Smardt in Chinese and global commercial markets, especially post TICA acquisition context.
• Gree Electric: China's largest air conditioning manufacturer with growing commercial and industrial HVAC presence. Competes with TICA-Smardt in Chinese data center and commercial chiller markets with broader scale and pricing power.
• Hitachi (Hitachi GlobalLife): Hitachi's HVAC business offers high-efficiency centrifugal chillers and broader climate solutions targeting commercial, industrial, and data center customers globally. A broad incumbent competing in similar large-tonnage and energy-efficiency use cases.

Direct peers

• Multistack: Specialist manufacturer of oil-free modular water-cooled and air-cooled chillers serving commercial and industrial customers. Smaller scale than Smardt but competing in the same oil-free, modular, and high-efficiency segments.
• Arctic Chiller Group: Commercial and industrial chiller specialist referenced in Smardt's own EVP Technology's prior work history. Direct competitor in process cooling and large-tonnage chiller applications, with comparable end customers in pharma, healthcare, and data centers.
• Dunham-Bush: Manufacturer of commercial and industrial chillers, air handling units, and heat transfer products with a global footprint. Comparable in product breadth across HVAC equipment and competes in similar commercial and data center segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/smardtchillergroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smardt-inc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Smardt