The Kelvin Group

What The Kelvin Group does

The Kelvin Group is a privately held, PE-backed national platform that delivers mission-critical industrial and commercial refrigeration, HVAC, non-destructive testing (NDT), and process safety/compliance services to industrial customers across the United States. The company is organized as a platform-plus-acquired-brands model, consolidating regional service providers under a unified corporate structure while preserving each brand's local identity. Its core operating brands include ARC Mechanical (Northeast), Refrigeration Design & Service/RD&S (Mid-Atlantic and Southeast), RC&E (Texas and the Midwest), PermaCold Engineering (Pacific Northwest), Mullally Bros. (Upstate New York), and Sotera (the national compliance platform formed from the merger of HCG Associates and JS Compliance). Additional acquired brands such as AES-NDT, GMS Services, Dahms Refrigeration, Capitol Engineering, Global Mechanical, Cooling & Heating Specialists, RECCO, Protexus, and MaxPSM extend coverage into HVAC, mechanical services, and industrial asset integrity.

The business serves 2,800+ customers across food and beverage processing, cold storage distribution, pharmaceutical, healthcare, grocery/supermarket, petroleum, chemical, power generation, agricultural, and dairy operations. Services span planned maintenance, emergency service, engineering, design-build construction, installation, mechanical integrity inspection, and regulatory compliance — including Process Safety Management (PSM), Risk Management Programs (RMP), and Ammonia Refrigeration Management (ARM). The company specializes in natural-refrigerant systems (ammonia and CO2) and emphasizes energy-efficient, sustainable solutions. Internal programs such as Kelvin University, the Kelvin Knowledge Center, and 20 People Development Programs support workforce development across the platform.

Kelvin Group was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The company has been backed by Southfield Capital since 2017 and has executed 15 acquisitions since 2018, including the recent additions of RC&E (Feb 2024), JS Compliance (Nov 2024), PermaCold Engineering (Jan 2026), and Mullally Bros. (May 2026), along with the formation of Sotera (Jan 2026). Revenue is generated through quote-based, multi-year B2B service contracts with enterprise customers, distributed via direct enterprise field sales through the super-regional brand network. The reported annual growth rate exceeds 20%, driven primarily by acquisition velocity and cross-selling of compliance and engineering services into existing customers.

Name

The Kelvin Group

Legal name

Kelvin Group

Website

https://kelvin.cool

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Kelvin Group is a PE-backed national platform providing mission-critical industrial and commercial refrigeration, HVAC, non-destructive testing, and process safety compliance services to food, pharmaceutical, healthcare, grocery, and industrial customers across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Refrigeration Services

NAICS

Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334), Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

SIC

Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Compliance, Refrigerant Regulations & Documentation (HSAOAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refrigerants & F-Gas Accounting and Verification (HFCs, Kigali/EU F-gas) (EUAHADAK), Auxiliary Systems EPC (Station Service, HVAC, Fire Protection, Security) (EUAEADAK), Protection, Metering & Grid Compliance Systems (Relays, Revenue Metering, PQ) (EUAEADAE)

Keywords

• Industrial refrigeration services
• Commercial HVAC services
• Process safety management
• Non-destructive testing
• Refrigeration design-build

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices22 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Refrigeration Services: Comprehensive industrial refrigeration services including planned maintenance, service, engineering, and installation for cold storage, food processing, and industrial facilities
2. HVAC Services: Commercial and industrial HVAC installation and service including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems
3. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT): Non-destructive testing services for petroleum, chemical, power, and agricultural industries
4. Compliance Services: Process Safety Management, Risk Management Programs, and Ammonia Refrigeration Management compliance services
5. Design-Build Services: Custom refrigeration engineering, design, and construction services including facilities modeling, project management, and industrial insulation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Kelvin Group is a national provider of industrial and commercial mission-critical refrigeration, HVAC, and non-destructive testing services, organized as a family of super-regional brands that deliver design-build engineering, installation, planned maintenance, 24/7 emergency service, and Process Safety Management (PSM)/Risk Management Program (RMP)/Ammonia Refrigeration Management (ARM) compliance. It serves cold storage, food processing, pharmaceutical, healthcare, grocery, petroleum/chemical, power, agricultural, and dairy customers across the United States.

Product overview

Kelvin Group operates as a national family of super-regional brands providing mission-critical industrial and commercial refrigeration, HVAC, and non-destructive testing services. The company is organized as a platform-plus-acquired-brands model, with core operating companies including ARC Mechanical (Northeast), Refrigeration Design & Service (RD&S, Mid-Atlantic/Southeast), RC&E (Texas/Midwest), and PermaCold Engineering (Pacific Northwest). Compliance services are consolidated under Sotera, the nation's largest industrial refrigeration compliance platform formed from the merger of HCG Associates and JS Compliance, delivering PSM, RMP, and ARM services. Additional acquired brands include GMS Services, Dahms Refrigeration, Cooling & Heating Specialists, Global Mechanical, and others. The portfolio serves cold storage, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, grocery, and industrial sectors with design, construction, maintenance, and compliance capabilities. Internal programs including Kelvin Knowledge Center and Kelvin University support workforce development and technical collaboration across the organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sotera: The nation's largest industrial refrigeration compliance platform, providing Process Safety Management (PSM), Risk Management Program (RMP), and Ammonia Refrigeration Management (ARM) services.

Products and services

• ARC Mechanical Industrial and commercial refrigeration and specialty HVAC services company serving New England and the Northeast, offering planned maintenance, service, engineering, and installation for industrial and commercial customers.
• Refrigeration Design & Service (RD&S) Leading industrial refrigeration services and design-build provider in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, offering planned maintenance, service, engineering, and installation; also manufactures skid-mounted refrigeration systems and UL-inspected control panels.
• RC&E (Refrigeration, Construction & Engineering) Leading industrial refrigeration services and design-build provider in Texas, offering maintenance services, engineering, facilities modeling, project management, industrial insulation, parts, and process safety and risk management.
• PermaCold Engineering Industrial refrigeration firm specializing in energy-efficient, sustainable systems, natural refrigerants (ammonia and CO₂), and engineering, installation, maintenance, and consulting services for cold storage and process refrigeration applications.
• Sotera Nation's largest industrial refrigeration compliance platform delivering comprehensive Process Safety Management (PSM), Risk Management Program (RMP), and Ammonia Refrigeration Management (ARM) services across the United States and Canada.
• TotalPSM

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 2,500+ customers nationwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Clew PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 12 May 2026Clew Partners served as the buy-side advisor to Kelvin Group for the acquisition of Mullally Bros., Inc.
• Finn, Dixon & HerlingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 12 May 2026Finn, Dixon & Herling provided legal counsel to Kelvin Group and Southfield Capital for the Mullally Bros. acquisition.
• Sotera (Merger of HCG Associates and JS Compliance)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Sotera is the nation's largest industrial refrigeration compliance platform, formed through merger of HCG Associates and JS Compliance. Provides PSM, RMP, and ARM services across the US and Canada.
• PermaCold EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025PermaCold Engineering specializes in commercial and industrial refrigeration systems, serving the Northwest region. Known for energy-efficient, sustainable systems using natural refrigerants including ammonia and CO₂.
• RC&E (Refrigeration, Construction, & Engineering)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 February 2024RC&E is the leading industrial refrigeration services and design-build provider in Texas. Part of Kelvin Group's national family, providing comprehensive services including maintenance, engineering, facilities modeling, project management, and process safety.
• ARC MechanicalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2024ARC Mechanical is a Kelvin Group company and the largest independent refrigeration services company in the Northeast, offering specialty HVAC and commercial/industrial refrigeration services. Acquired by Kelvin Group and serves as a core brand within the national platform.
• RD&S (Refrigeration Design & Service)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022RD&S is the leading refrigeration services and design-build provider in the Mid-Atlantic, offering planned maintenance, service, engineering, and installation. A core brand serving the Southeast region.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• EMCOR Group: Large publicly traded provider of mechanical and electrical construction, facilities services, and industrial services including refrigeration and HVAC. Comparable to Kelvin as a diversified national mechanical services platform serving commercial and industrial customers with mission-critical mechanical work.
• Comfort Systems USA: National HVAC mechanical services contractor operating through a network of regional operating companies. Highly comparable to Kelvin's platform-plus-super-regional-brands model for commercial and industrial HVAC and mechanical services.
• APi Group: Public safety, specialty, and industrial services company with significant exposure to process safety and life safety services. Comparable to Kelvin through its industrial safety services portfolio and acquisition-led growth model.
• Matrix Service Company: Engineering, fabrication, and construction services company serving industrial and energy customers including petroleum, chemical, and power markets. Comparable to Kelvin through NDT, process safety, and industrial mechanical services to similar end markets.
• Trane Technologies: Global climate innovator manufacturing and servicing HVAC, refrigeration, and building automation systems. Comparable to Kelvin through its commercial refrigeration and HVAC service and replacement businesses, though at much larger scale and with OEM ownership of equipment.

Direct peers

• Hussmann (Panasonic): Major manufacturer and servicer of commercial refrigeration equipment and systems for grocery, foodservice, and convenience store customers. Directly comparable to Kelvin's refrigeration services portfolio for supermarket chains and cold storage operators.
• Hillphoenix: Manufacturer and servicer of commercial refrigeration systems, display cases, and power systems for grocery, foodservice, and industrial customers. Comparable to Kelvin's commercial refrigeration design, install, and service capabilities.
• Source Refrigeration & HVAC: Direct competitor providing commercial refrigeration and HVAC service, installation, and energy solutions to grocery, foodservice, and industrial customers across North America. Closest head-to-head competitor to Kelvin's RD&S, ARC, and GMS operating companies.
• Refrigerated Solutions Group: Provider of commercial refrigeration solutions including installation, service, and project management for retail and food service customers. Comparable to Kelvin's commercial refrigeration services offerings for supermarket and foodservice end markets.

Regional players

• Star Refrigeration: UK-based industrial refrigeration engineering and service contractor specializing in ammonia and natural refrigerant systems. Comparable to Kelvin through industrial refrigeration design, installation, and service capabilities, though operating primarily in the United Kingdom.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kelvincareers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A5 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Kelvin Group