What United Refrigeration does

United Refrigeration, Inc. (URI) is a privately held B2B wholesale distributor of refrigeration, HVAC, air conditioning, and heating parts and equipment headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with operations spanning the United States and Canada. The company is built around a multi-channel distribution model combining a B2B e-commerce storefront at uri.com, a nationwide physical branch network accessed through a Branch Locator, and a phone sales operation (888-578-9100) that routes to technical support and customer service representatives. URI employs 1,001-5,000 people and has been operating since 1947, making it one of the longest-tenured specialty distributors in the HVAC-R channel. Its primary customer segment is HVAC-R contractors and technicians performing installation, service, and repair work across commercial and light-commercial refrigeration and air conditioning.

The product portfolio spans refrigeration equipment (condensers, condensing units, evaporators, chillers, specialty equipment from Trenton, Bohn, Larkin, Copeland, Tecumseh); AC and heating equipment (split systems, packaged units, VRV-VRF, water source heat pumps, hydronic heating, domestic hot water from Arcoaire, Bosch, Sea Breeze, Daikin); indoor air quality products; food service equipment (ice machines, commercial refrigeration, water filtration from Manitowac, Koolaire, Scotsman); compressors (Copeland, Tecumseh, Danfoss, Bitzer, Carlyle, Bristol, Embraco, Maneurop); motors; controls and electrical (thermostats, supermarket controls from Carel, Danfoss, Emerson, Johnson Controls, Sporlan); service parts (valves, driers, filters, accumulators); and service supplies (tools, fittings, refrigerants, brazing equipment). Self-service platform tools include Job List Builder for contractor project assembly, Branch Locator, a Resource Center with EPA certification forms and credit applications, and the upcoming UR Tech Toolkit plus Refrigerant Resources. Pricing is quote-based and gated behind account registration.

URI's revenue model is wholesale hardware sales to business customers who order via e-commerce, phone, or counter and may apply for credit accounts billed monthly; additional mechanics include truck stock programs that pre-position high-velocity parts on contractor vehicles and dedicated brand merchandising with OEM partners. The company carries no public debt or equity, has no disclosed parent company, funding rounds, M&A activity, or regulatory actions, and is owned and operated as an independent private entity. Market scope is North America (US primary, with Canada served through the e-commerce channel), and the company shows no current signs of acquisition, closure, or public listing activity.

Name

United Refrigeration

Legal name

United Refrigeration, Inc.

Website

https://URI.COM

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

United Refrigeration is a privately held B2B wholesale distributor of refrigeration, HVAC, and heating parts and equipment serving HVAC-R contractors and technicians across the United States and Canada via e-commerce, a nationwide branch network, and phone sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HVAC-R Parts and Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423740), Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423730)

SIC

Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Refrigeration & HVAC (Foodservice) Wholesale (AFAIALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compressors, Refrigeration Components & Condensing Units (IMADANAG), Commercial & Industrial Refrigeration Systems (IMAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Refrigeration parts distribution
• HVAC equipment supply
• Wholesale HVAC distribution
• Refrigeration equipment wholesale
• HVAC replacement parts

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Parts and Equipment Sales: Revenue generated from selling refrigeration equipment, HVAC parts, compressors, motors, controls, and related supplies to contractors and technicians. Operates as a wholesale distributor with B2B e-commerce and branch network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

United Refrigeration is a B2B wholesale distributor of refrigeration, air conditioning, and heating parts and equipment, operating a nationwide branch network and a B2B e-commerce platform. The company sells replacement parts, components, and full equipment (condensers, evaporators, compressors, motors, controls, refrigerants, and supplies) from major brands such as Trenton, Copeland, Sporlan, Heatcraft, Fieldpiece, Bosch, and Arcoaire to HVAC-R contractors and technicians.

Product overview

United Refrigeration (URI) is a B2B distributor of refrigeration and HVAC replacement parts and equipment serving contractors and technicians. The company operates primarily as an e-commerce platform (uri.com) with physical branch locations across the US and Canada. Their product portfolio centers on two core categories: (1) Refrigeration Equipment encompassing condensers, condensing units, evaporators, and chillers under brands like Trenton, Copeland, and Tecumseh; and (2) AC and Heating Equipment including split systems, packaged units, VRV-VRF systems, and heat pumps under brands like Arcoaire, Bosch, and Sea Breeze. Supporting categories include Indoor Air Quality products (filters, air cleaners, dehumidifiers, humidifiers), Food Service Equipment (ice machines, water filtration, commercial refrigeration), Compressors (hermetic, scroll, screw, semi-hermetic types), Motors, Controls and Electrical (thermostats, motor drives, supermarket controls), Parts and Components (valves, driers, filters), and Supplies and Service (tools, fittings, refrigerants). The platform includes self-service tools like Job List Builder for project planning and Branch Locator for finding retail locations. Featured brands include Trenton Refrigeration (esp. ESP Plus and Quiet Units), Copeland, Heatcraft, Sporlan, Fieldpiece, Bosch, Sea Breeze, and Arcoaire. The company also provides Resource Center and Refrigerant Resources as informational platforms. Note: The website content appears to be behind a login wall requiring cookies for full access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refrigeration Equipment Distribution of commercial and industrial refrigeration equipment including condensers (air cooled, water cooled), condensing units, evaporators (reach-in, walk-in, special application), chillers, and specialty equipment such as compressor-receiver units, cooling towers, and suction heat exchangers. Brands include Trenton, Bohn, Larkin, Copeland, and Tecumseh.
• AC and Heating Equipment Distribution of air conditioning and heating solutions including split systems (ducted, ductless, hybrid), packaged units (gas-electric, heat pump, electric cool), VRV-VRF systems, water source heat pumps, evaporative cooling, domestic hot water heaters, hydronic heating, unit heaters, space heaters, and portable room AC units. Brands include Arcoaire, Bosch, and Sea Breeze.
• Indoor Air Quality Products Distribution of indoor air quality products including filters (aluminum, fiberglass, pleated, poly synthetic), air cleaners and scrubbers, air purifiers, dehumidifiers, humidifiers, and ventilation equipment including ERV-HRV systems and fans/blowers.
• Food Service Equipment Distribution of commercial food service equipment including ice machines (Manitowoc, Koolaire, Scotsman), water filtration and treatment systems, commercial refrigeration (reach-in, pass-thru, roll-thru, undercounter, worktop), OEM parts, beverage dispensers, and self-contained merchandisers.
• Compressors Distribution of compressors covering hermetic (reciprocating, rotary, scroll), open, screw, and semi-hermetic types. Major brands include Copeland, Tecumseh, Danfoss, Bitzer, Carlyle, Bristol, Embraco, and Maneurop. Also includes compressor accessories and core charges.
• Motors Distribution of motors for HVAC and refrigeration applications including ECM motors, belt drive, direct drive blower, condenser fan, draft inducers, blowers, definite purpose motors, and general purpose motors, plus related accessories such as capacitors, belts, pulleys, fan blades, and blower wheels.
• Refrigerants and Chemicals Distribution of chemical products including coil cleaners, coil coatings, degreasers, leak detection and sealant products, lubricants, glycols, refrigerants (gases, analytical testing, labels), and refrigeration oils (alkylbenzene, mineral, polyolester, polyvinylether), plus water treatments and tool clean-up products.
• Controls and Electrical Distribution of controls and electrical components including thermostats (digital programmable/non-programmable, electromechanical, line voltage), commercial building controls, detectors (CO2, CO, smoke), motor drives (HVAC, IntelliPass, micro), supermarket controls (Carel, Danfoss, Emerson, Johnson Controls, Sporlan), pneumatic components, pressure controls, timers, and zone control systems.
• Parts and Components Distribution of replacement parts including refrigerant service valves (TXV, solenoid, check, shutoff, relief, electronic expansion), water service valves, driers (sealed, shell, replacement core), filters, heating accessories, oil system components, refrigerant receivers, sightglass/moisture indicators, and suction accumulators.
• Supplies and Service Distribution of service supplies and tools including testing instruments, hand tools, air distribution products (duct accessories, flexible ducting, registers), brazing and soldering equipment, charging/evacuation/recovery equipment, electrical supplies, fasteners, fittings (black iron, brass, PVC, wrot copper), piping, safety equipment, straps/tie downs, tape, tool bags/storage, and training materials.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trenton RefrigerationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor brand partner featured prominently on website with dedicated sections for Trenton refrigeration equipment including condensers, evaporators, and specialty equipment. Featured as a leading brand in the industry.
• CopelandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey brand partner offering compressors and condensing units. Website features Copeland Mobile app promotion and dedicated product sections.
• SporlancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor brand partner for supermarket controls and parts, driers, and valves. Featured brand with dedicated product categories.
• HeatcraftcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partner for refrigeration equipment and HVAC products including evaporators, motors, and controls.
• National RefrigerantscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRefrigerant supplier partner offering refrigerant gases, refrigerants, and related products.
• FieldpieceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured brand for recovery and vacuum equipment, testing instruments, and tools.
• BoschminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partner featuring Bosch IDS inverter heat pump systems for residential and commercial HVAC applications.
• RobertshawminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partner for timers, defrost controls, and heating/electrical devices.
• Daikin (Atmosphera Oterra)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMulti-zone ductless system partner featuring Daikin products in split system ductless category.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Johnstone Supply: Johnstone Supply is a co-operative wholesale distributor of HVAC-R parts and equipment serving contractors through member-owned branches across the US. Directly overlaps with URI on product range, customer base (HVAC-R contractors), and branch-and-online distribution model.
• HAJOCA Corporation: HAJOCA is a private, employee-owned wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating, cooling, and industrial supplies with branches across the US. Closely comparable to URI as a privately held multi-branch HVAC/plumbing distributor targeting professional contractors.
• Carrier Enterprise: Carrier Enterprise (majority-owned by Watsco) distributes Carrier, Payne, and Bryant HVAC equipment and parts across North America. Directly competes with URI for HVAC-R contractor orders but operates as an OEM-aligned captive distributor with access to Carrier's full product line.
• Trane Supply: Trane Supply is the distribution arm of Trane Technologies, selling Trane and Ameristar HVAC equipment plus parts to contractors through company-owned branches. Competes head-to-head with URI for HVAC contractor business but is vertically integrated with a major equipment OEM.
• Winsupply: Winsupply is a private wholesale distributor of plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and industrial supplies operating through local subsidiary companies across the US. Comparable business model to URI as a decentralized group of HVAC/plumbing wholesalers serving professional contractors.
• AC Pro: AC Pro is a family-owned wholesale distributor of air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration equipment and parts operating branches across the western and central US. Closely comparable to URI in product mix and contractor focus, but with a more regional footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Watsco: Watsco is the largest publicly traded HVAC-R distributor in North America, operating Carrier Enterprise and other regional distributors across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. A scaled incumbent competing with URI on HVAC-R distribution but at materially larger scale and with publicly funded growth capacity.
• Ferguson Enterprises: Ferguson is a publicly traded wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating, cooling, and industrial products with a national branch network. Overlaps with URI in HVAC and refrigeration distribution but serves a broader end-market spanning plumbing, waterworks, and industrial.
• Rexel USA: Rexel is a global electrical and HVAC products distributor with US operations serving contractors, industrial, and commercial customers. Overlaps with URI in HVAC equipment and controls distribution but is significantly larger and more diversified across electrical categories.
• ABC Supply Co. ABC Supply is the largest wholesale distributor of roofing, siding, windows, and HVAC products in North America with a national branch network. Adjacent competitor with HVAC overlap (heating/cooling equipment distribution) that is significantly larger and broader than URI in product categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-refrigeration-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 United Refrigeration