Kele
Kele, Inc. is a value-added distributor of building automation products, distributing 150,000+ SKUs from 300+ brands to contractors, system integrators, and facility managers in the U.S., with custom panel fabrication and engineering services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersMemphis, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kele does
Kele, Inc. is a value-added distributor of building automation systems (BAS) products, headquartered in Bartlett, Tennessee (Memphis area) and founded in 1983. The company distributes more than 150,000 SKUs from over 300 manufacturer brands — including Belimo, Siemens, KMC Controls, Johnson Controls, Veris, Greystone, ACI, and Edwards Signaling — covering sensors, actuators, controllers, valves, relays, thermostats, dampers, power supplies, and networking components used in HVAC, lighting, and facility-monitoring applications. In addition to product distribution, Kele operates a custom Panel Shop that fabricates control panels to specification (four-week lead time for orders up to five panels), provides application engineering and cross-brand compatibility support, and offers tooling such as the Project Portal for bill-of-materials uploads.
Kele generates revenue primarily through one-time product distribution (quote-based unit pricing, Net 30 terms, minimum $25 billing) supplemented by professional services from custom panel fabrication and project/engineering support. Its go-to-market is sales-led and multi-channel, combining a direct e-commerce platform (kele.com), inbound phone-based enterprise sales (877.826.9045 U.S.; 901.382.6084 international), physical store pickup locations, and FedEx international shipping. Customer segments are hybrid, anchored in building automation contractors and system integrators as well as facility managers, with secondary exposure to industrial HVAC, data centers, and educational facility retrofits.
The company operates as part of The Kele Companies, a rollup platform that includes AC Controls, A-Tech, Lesman, and Ponton, and is privately held under The Stephens Group following a March 2024 acquisition. Kele has executed six acquisitions over roughly six years, most recently Ponton Industries (May 2025), AC Controls (February 2024), and A-Tech (January 2022), extending the platform from core BAS distribution into industrial process and combustion automation.
Kele firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kele
- Legal name
- Kele, Inc.
- Website
- https://kele.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Kele, Inc. is a value-added distributor of building automation products, distributing 150,000+ SKUs from 300+ brands to contractors, system integrators, and facility managers in the U.S., with custom panel fabrication and engineering services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kele industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Building Automation Distribution
- NAICS
- Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334), Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531)
- SIC
- Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Control Panels & Enclosures (Panel Building, MCCs, Integration) (IMAGABAJ)
Keywords
Where Kele is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Memphis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kele business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Distribution: Kele generates revenue primarily through the distribution of building automation systems products, selling components such as sensors, actuators, controllers, valves, relays, and power supplies from over 300 manufacturer brands. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales with standard payment terms including Net 30 for established accounts.
- Custom Panel Fabrication: Custom panel fabrication services where Kele engineers and builds control panels to customer specifications, providing value-added assembly services for BAS projects.
- Project Services: Technical engineering support, application engineering, and value-added services including cross-brand compatibility validation, sensor substitution analysis, and technical consultation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for in-stock items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | KeleSaver Free Shipping for qualifying orders |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Volume and promotional discounts |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kele product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kele distributes over 150,000 building automation and HVAC control products from more than 300 manufacturer brands, serving building automation contractors, system integrators, and facility managers with in-stock inventory of sensors, valves, actuators, dampers, thermostats, relays, and power supplies. The company also provides custom control panel fabrication, project engineering support, an online Project Portal for bills-of-materials management, and value-added services including cross-brand compatibility validation and training programs.
Product overview
Kele is a value-added distributor of building automation and HVAC control products, offering over 150,000 SKUs from more than 300 brands. The core offering is the general product catalog featuring sensors (temperature, humidity, pressure, gas, CO2, leak), control valves (Belimo B2/B3 Series), communicating thermostats (KMC BAC-4000 AppStat), actuators, dampers, relays, and power supplies. Supporting services include Custom Panel Shop fabrication, Project Portal tools, and KeleSaver Free Shipping. Specialty product lines include WiNG wireless monitoring systems (with WiNG-MGR v2 gateway and sensors) for data centers and facilities, refrigerant leak detection products, and expansion into factory automation with WAGO components and United Electric switches. The company has grown through acquisitions including AC Controls, A-Tech, Lesman, and Ponton.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Orders for in-stock items entered by 5:00 PM Central Time ship same day
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Kele
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kele technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Kele partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AC ControlscoreKele acquired AC Controls, a distributor and service provider for industrial process and combustion applications. This acquisition expands Kele's footprint in the industrial automation market and enhances capabilities and geographic coverage. It marks Kele's sixth acquisition over the past six years.
- A-Tech, Inc.coreKele completed the acquisition of A-Tech, Inc., expanding its portfolio of companies and product offerings. A-Tech operates as part of The Kele Companies group.
- LesmancoreLesman is listed as one of The Kele Companies, operating as an affiliate of Kele. Lesman is a distributor of industrial automation and building automation products.
- PontoncorePonton is listed as one of The Kele Companies, operating as an affiliate of Kele. Ponton is an industrial controls and instrumentation company.
- Parameter / RLE TechnologiesminorParameter / RLE Technologies partners with Kele for sponsored content marketing. Kele offers Parameter's WiNG wireless product line including the WiNG-MGR v2 gateway and environmental sensors for facility monitoring in data centers and critical infrastructure applications.
- LumenRadiominorLumenRadio partners with Kele for sponsored content marketing, offering Wireless BACnet evaluation kits and wireless building automation solutions. Kele distributes LumenRadio's wireless technology for BAS applications.
- WAGOminorKele has expanded its catalog to include 1,000+ WAGO panel and connectivity components as part of factory and process automation product lines, making them available to BAS contractors.
- United ElectricminorKele has expanded its catalog to include 1,600+ United Electric pressure and temperature switches as part of factory and process automation product lines.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kele competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Winsupply: US HVAC, plumbing, and industrial distribution company serving contractor customers through local operating companies. Comparable in contractor-focused distribution model and value-added services orientation.
- Platt Electric Supply: US electrical distributor serving contractors and industrial customers across the western US. Direct overlap with Kele in controls, sensors, relays, and BAS component distribution to trade customers.
- Rexel USA: Global electrical distribution business with a US footprint spanning lighting, controls, and automation products. Overlaps with Kele in BAS controls, sensors, and contractor channels, though at much larger scale and broader electrical scope.
- Sonepar USA: World's largest electrical distribution group with US operations (Cooper Electric, World Electric) carrying automation, controls, and contractor-grade products comparable to Kele's line card and customer base.
- Border States Electric: Employee-owned US electrical distributor serving utility, contractor, and industrial customers with automation and controls lines comparable to Kele's contractor-focused BAS distribution model.
- Johnstone Supply: Cooperative HVAC/R parts distributor serving independent contractors in the US with a comparable trade-focused catalog model and contractor relationship orientation similar to Kele's BAS distribution focus.
- Graybar Electric Company: US electrical and data communications distributor with strong contractor and industrial customer overlap. Competes with Kele in building automation controls, networking, and panel-level electrical distribution.
Broad incumbents
- HD Supply Holdings: Large facilities and MRO maintenance distributor serving multifamily, hospitality, and commercial property customers. Competes with Kele for facility manager spend on BAS replacement parts and controls.
- Ferguson Enterprises: Large US plumbing, HVAC, and industrial PVF distributor with significantly broader category coverage and scale. Competes with Kele in HVAC controls and sensor distribution to facility and contractor customers.
- W.W. Grainger: Massive US MRO industrial distributor serving facilities maintenance buyers. Overlaps with Kele in facility-side BAS replacement parts, sensors, and controls procurement, though Grainger's catalog is far broader.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kele social profiles
Digital presenceKele compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Kele financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kele leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Kele subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Kele funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kele M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A4 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kele
What does Kele do?
Kele distributes over 150,000 building automation and HVAC control products from more than 300 manufacturer brands, serving building automation contractors, system integrators, and facility managers with in-stock inventory of sensors, valves, actuators, dampers, thermostats, relays, and power supplies. The company also provides custom control panel fabrication, project engineering support, an online Project Portal for bills-of-materials management, and value-added services including cross-brand compatibility validation and training programs.
Is Kele a public or private company?
Kele is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Kele founded?
Kele was founded in 1983. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Kele based?
Kele is headquartered in Memphis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kele make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Product Distribution is the primary driver. The others are custom Panel Fabrication and project Services.
Who are Kele's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Winsupply, Platt Electric Supply, Rexel USA, Sonepar USA, Border States Electric, Johnstone Supply and Graybar Electric Company. Broad incumbents are HD Supply Holdings, Ferguson Enterprises and W.W. Grainger.
Does Kele have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kele.
What industry is Kele in?
Kele's product category is Building Automation Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGABAJ, Industrial Control Panels & Enclosures (Panel Building, MCCs, Integration). Its NAICS code is 334513 and its SIC code is 3620.