Rohde Brothers

What Rohde Brothers does

Rohde Brothers, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned industrial mechanical contracting firm headquartered in Plymouth, Wisconsin, founded in 1911 by brothers Charles C., Henry, and Louis Rohde. The company designs, installs, and services mechanical, HVAC, refrigeration, process piping, geothermal, and industrial control systems for commercial and industrial clients, with deep specialization in food and beverage processing (dairy, cheese, meat, poultry), metal casting and manufacturing, municipal water and wastewater, government/public facilities, laboratory and pharmaceutical clean rooms, and cold storage. Core in-house technology includes 3D CAD/BIM modeling, shop prefabrication, Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI controls, Variable Frequency Drive integration with BAS, ASME-certified high-pressure and utility piping, state-certified pressure vessel welding, and a 37,000 sq ft fabrication facility with 40-ton crane capability supporting utility skid systems (heat pump/chiller skids, nitrogen generation, membrane separation, and mist-gas collection) plus a patent-pending geothermal pond loop system.

The company operates a sales-led, engineering-driven go-to-market executed entirely through direct field engagement and a 24/7 service dispatch operation; it does not use resellers, distributors, or marketplace channels. Revenue is generated through three streams: design-build mechanical construction project contracts, ongoing 24/7 service and maintenance agreements, and productized skid systems sold standalone or bundled into projects. Pricing is quote-based, varies with system complexity, and is not publicly disclosed. Customers include Mercury Marine, Johnsonville Sausage, Lakeside Foods, Masters Gallery Foods, Kohler Company, Grande Cheese, Gold-N-Plump, Revela Foods, several Wisconsin municipalities, and the Northeast Wisconsin Zoo and Adventure Park, with multi-decade anchor relationships on both the enterprise manufacturing and food processing sides.

Rohde Brothers is privately held under sole ownership of President and CEO Mike Rohde, who bought out his brother Ted in 2012; Chuck Rohde serves as Chairman. The firm reports headcount of 51-100 employees and is currently investing in workforce development through youth apprenticeship partnerships with Cooperative Educational Service Agencies 6 and 7, alongside a 2024 fabrication shop expansion that added 40-ton crane capability, geothermal HVAC, ice bank cooling, and stainless steel fabrication capacity to the Plymouth headquarters.

Name

Rohde Brothers

Legal name

Rohde Brothers, Inc.

Website

https://rohdebros.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Rohde Brothers, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned industrial mechanical contractor in Plymouth, WI that designs, installs, and services HVAC, refrigeration, process piping, controls, and geothermal systems for food processors, manufacturers, municipalities, and clean room facilities across Wisconsin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Mechanical Contracting Services

NAICS

Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Process Skids & Modular Process Systems (Packaged Units) (IMAHAEAH)

Keywords

• Industrial mechanical contracting
• Commercial HVAC services
• Industrial refrigeration systems
• Process piping installation
• Metal fabrication services

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mechanical Construction Services: Design-build and installation of mechanical systems including process piping, HVAC, industrial refrigeration, industrial controls, and geothermal systems for commercial and industrial clients. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts with one-time installation fees and ongoing service/maintenance agreements.
2. 24/7 Mechanical Service and Maintenance: Ongoing service contracts and emergency repair services for installed mechanical systems, providing recurring service revenue.
3. Product Solutions (Utility Skid Systems, Nitrogen Generation, Membrane Separation): Pre-assembled, tested utility skid systems including heat pump/chiller skids, nitrogen generation units, membrane filtration skids, and mist-gas collection systems sold as standalone products or integrated into larger projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rohde Brothers, Inc. is a commercial and industrial mechanical contractor that designs, installs, fabricates, and maintains mechanical systems for food processing, manufacturing, government, and municipal clients. Core service offerings include industrial HVAC, industrial refrigeration (ammonia and glycol systems), process piping, industrial controls (Allen-Bradley PLC/HMI), geothermal systems, and metal fabrication. The company also manufactures pre-engineered utility skid products such as heat pump/chiller skids, membrane separation systems, nitrogen generators, and mist-gas collection systems in its 37,000 sq ft Plymouth, WI fabrication facility.

Product overview

Rohde Brothers is a mechanical contractor offering an integrated portfolio of industrial services and manufactured products. Their service offerings include Mechanical Piping (ASME-certified), Industrial HVAC, Industrial Controls (Allen-Bradley PLC/HMI systems), Geothermal Systems, and Metal Fabrication (up to 40-ton capacity). Their product offerings center on portable skid-based systems including Utility Skid Systems (heat pumps and chillers), Membrane Separation Systems for filtration, Mist-Gas Collection Systems for air quality control, and Nitrogen Generation Systems. These products are designed and fabricated in-house at their 37,000 sq ft facility, allowing the company to deliver complete mechanical system integration packages from design through installation and ongoing service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Utility Skid Systems Pre-assembled portable utility skid systems featuring heat pump and chiller technology for industrial temperature control, designed to fit through standard double doors for easy installation.
• Membrane Separation Systems Membrane filtration skid systems built to specific process requirements, scalable and expandable, featuring no-heat separation technology ideal for heat-sensitive products, potentially saving up to 85% in operational costs per 1,000 lbs of recovered solids compared to heat-based techniques.
• Mist-Gas Collection Systems Industrial air filtration systems designed to capture and process hot, noxious, and acidic mist and gases from die casting and foundry operations, featuring multi-stage filtration and return-air capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced installed and operating costs while enhancing performance expectations for Mercury Marine process utility projects
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CESA 6 (Cooperative Educational Service Agency 6)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2025Partnership with CESA 6 for youth apprenticeship programs, providing high school juniors and seniors with hands-on work experience while earning school credit and income. Enables Rohde to grow its own skilled trades workforce.
• CESA 7 (Cooperative Educational Service Agency 7)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2025Partnership with CESA 7 for youth apprenticeship programs, providing high school juniors and seniors with hands-on work experience while earning school credit and income. Works alongside CESA 6 to reach youth apprentices across the region.
• A.C.E. Building ServicesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 6 May 2024Construction project partner for the 11,000 sq ft fabrication shop expansion, contributing to planning and construction of the new facility.
• KW ElectricminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 6 May 2024Electrical construction partner for the 11,000 sq ft fabrication shop expansion, involved in planning and construction.
• Excel EngineeringminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 6 May 2024Engineering design partner for the 11,000 sq ft fabrication shop expansion, involved in planning and construction of the new space.
• Miron Construction Co., Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing construction partner on Johnsonville Sausage expansion projects. Rohde serves as Miron's valued mechanical subcontractor with recurring opportunities driven by the value Johnsonville sees in Rohde's work.
• Caloris Engineering LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Caloris Engineering on the Revela Foods dehumidification project. Caloris designed the spray dryer inlet air dehumidification unit; Rohde manufactured and delivered the chilled glycol system when Caloris faced 52+ week equipment lead times from major suppliers.
• Bartelt Insulation SupplyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner on the Lakeside Foods 138,000 sq ft stand-alone freezer project, providing insulation supply while Rohde handled mechanical installation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• APi Group: Public safety and specialty services conglomerate with a life-safety specialty contractor segment (including industrial mechanical contractors). Broader portfolio but overlapping industrial HVAC and controls practice.
• Trane Technologies: Global manufacturer of HVAC and commercial/industrial refrigeration equipment and controls. Significant overlap in industrial refrigeration equipment and chiller technologies, though Trane is equipment-centric while Rohde is contracting-led.
• EMCOR Group: Largest publicly traded U.S. mechanical & electrical contractor serving industrial and commercial clients nationwide. Broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in HVAC, refrigeration, controls, and energy services, but operates at much greater scale and geography.
• Comfort Systems USA: Public mechanical contractor network providing HVAC, plumbing, and process piping nationwide. Comparable in core service mix but vastly larger, multi-state operating footprint.
• Johnson Controls Inc. Global industrial HVAC, controls, and refrigeration incumbent. Overlaps in commercial/industrial refrigeration, building automation, and controls integration, but at a fundamentally different scale and vertical mix.

Direct peers

• J.F. Ahern Co. Family-owned Wisconsin-headquartered mechanical contractor (founded 1880) with design-build HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing, and controls across industrial, food/dairy, and municipal customers. The most analogous regional peer in terms of geography, vertical mix, and family ownership.
• Limbach Holdings: Public specialty mechanical contractor focused on HVAC, plumbing, and process piping for institutional, healthcare, and industrial customers. Closest direct peer given overlapping design-build, in-house fabrication, and energy services practice.
• Hooper Corporation: Wisconsin-based mechanical and process contractor with industrial HVAC, process piping, and controls work. Direct regional peer serving similar Wisconsin industrial customers with comparable design-build delivery.

Regional players

• Faith Technologies: Northeast Wisconsin-headquartered specialty contractor providing industrial electrical, controls, and mechanical services. Comparable client mix (industrial, food processing) and Wisconsin operating footprint; broader geographic reach but overlap in controls/integration work.
• Hunzinger Mechanical: Wisconsin-based commercial mechanical contractor performing HVAC, plumbing, and process piping. Closely comparable scale, regional operating focus, and commercial/industrial customer mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rohdebrosinc
• Instagraminstagram.com/rohdebros
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rohde-brothers-inc

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Rohde Brothers