What Hobbs & Associates does

Hobbs & Associates, LLC is a commercial HVAC manufacturer representative and field service provider headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, founded in 1985 and operating across Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia. The company serves engineers, mechanical contractors, and building owners through four staffed offices (Birmingham, Nashville, Richmond, Norfolk) and additional line-card territories (Huntsville, Auburn, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, East Tennessee, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Staunton), representing manufacturer partners including LG Chillers, AAON, WaterFurnace, and Fellowes.

The company's offering is organized into four integrated pillars: HVAC Equipment & Systems (chillers, VRF systems, heat pumps, energy recovery ventilators, air handlers, and split systems); Service & Support (commissioning, maintenance, and optimization for high-performance commercial and industrial HVAC systems); Parts & Supplies (aftermarket OEM parts including pleated, rigid, HEPA, and cartridge filters); and HVAC Training & Events. The training franchise, anchored by the Hobbs Service Academy established in 2023, delivers PDH-approved in-person lunch-and-learns, live training events, mobile on-site training, and The Engineers HVAC Podcast.

Hobbs operates within the AIR Control Concepts network of operating companies across the U.S. and Canada, and is privately held as a family-owned LLC. The business model is B2B and project-based, with quote-based pricing on equipment, recurring service contracts, parts distribution, and training fees. The company employs 251-500 people and generates revenue through one-time equipment sales, professional services (commissioning, maintenance, optimization), and aftermarket parts distribution, with no disclosed public revenue or institutional funding beyond the AIR Control Concepts platform affiliation.

Name

Hobbs & Associates

Legal name

Hobbs & Associates, LLC

Website

https://hobbsassociates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hobbs & Associates is a privately held, family-owned commercial HVAC manufacturer representative founded in 1985, serving engineers, contractors, and building owners across Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia with equipment, service, parts, and PDH-approved training under the AIR Control Concepts platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial HVAC Distribution & Services

NAICS

Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42373), Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC, Water Heaters & Indoor Air Quality Distribution (CRAOAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

HVAC & Refrigeration Contracting (IMAFALAB)

Keywords

• Commercial HVAC equipment
• HVAC manufacturer representative
• Commercial HVAC service
• HVAC parts supplies
• HVAC technical training

Headquarters

HQ city

Norfolk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HVAC Equipment Sales: Revenue generated from selling commercial HVAC equipment and systems as manufacturer representatives across Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia.
2. Aftermarket Parts & Supplies: Sales of replacement parts and supplies for commercial HVAC systems.
3. Service & Support: Technical service and support for installed HVAC systems.
4. HVAC Training: Technical training programs including PDH credits through Hobbs Service Academy, offering hands-on and live virtual training events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hobbs & Associates is a commercial HVAC manufacturer representative delivering engineered HVAC equipment, aftermarket parts, service support, and technical training to engineers, contractors, and building owners across Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia. The company operates through regional offices and acts as the regional sales, specification, and post-installation support channel for partner manufacturers including AAON, LG Chillers, WaterFurnace, and Fellowes.

Product overview

Hobbs & Associates is a family-owned commercial HVAC solutions provider operating across Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia. The company offers a portfolio of four integrated core offerings: (1) HVAC Equipment & Systems — representing engineered equipment from manufacturer partners including chillers, VRF systems, heat pumps, energy recovery ventilators, air handlers, and filters; (2) Service & Support — commissioning, maintenance, and optimization services for commercial and industrial facilities; (3) Parts & Supplies — aftermarket OEM parts and replacement components; and (4) HVAC Training & Events — including the 2023-launched Hobbs Service Academy, mobile training, lunch-and-learns, and The Engineers HVAC Podcast. This four-pillar structure enables Hobbs to serve engineers, contractors, and building owners from equipment specification through ongoing support and professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hobbs Service Academy: PDH-approved training program established in 2023 providing in-person lunch-and-learns, live PDH training events, and mobile HVAC training for engineers, contractors, and owners.

Products and services

• HVAC Equipment & Systems Commercial HVAC equipment and systems including chillers, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems, heat pumps, energy recovery ventilators, air handlers, and split system units, sold as a manufacturer representative for engineers, contractors, and building owners of commercial and industrial facilities.
• Service & Support Commissioning, maintenance, and optimization services for high-performance commercial and industrial HVAC systems, ensuring reliability at every level for facility owners and contractors.
• Parts & Supplies Aftermarket HVAC parts including OEM solutions, pleated filters, rigid filters, HEPA filters, cartridge filters, and other replacement components for commercial and industrial HVAC systems.
• HVAC Training & Events Hands-on and PDH-approved training programs for technicians, service teams, engineers, contractors, and building owners, delivered through the Hobbs Service Academy via lunch-and-learns, live events, and mobile training experiences.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LG ChillerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturer partner providing commercial HVAC equipment including chillers and variable refrigerant flow systems.
• AAONcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorld leader in creating comfortable indoor environments through manufacture of custom commercial-use HVAC equipment.
• FellowesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAir quality solutions provider for healthier offices, commercial spaces, and homes, including pleated filters, HEPA filters, and air purification products.
• WaterFurnacecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLargest manufacturer of water source and geothermal heat pumps, developing innovative energy-efficient products.
• Hanson SchultzminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEquipment sales representative serving Auburn, Birmingham markets in Alabama.
• Charles VizzinaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEquipment sales representative serving Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery markets in Alabama.
• AIR Control ConceptscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent network company that Hobbs & Associates is part of, allowing employees to explore positions across multiple operating companies throughout the United States and Canada.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carrier Enterprise: Wholly-owned distribution arm of Carrier Global selling Carrier, Payne, and Bryant HVAC equipment to dealers and contractors. Operates a similar regional distribution/rep model serving engineers and contractors in commercial and residential HVAC.
• Johnstone Supply: Largest HVACR parts and equipment distributor in the U.S. with hundreds of branch locations. Closely comparable wholesale-distribution-plus-technical-support model serving the same contractor and technician customer base.
• R.E. Michel Company: Wholesale distributor of HVAC equipment, parts, and supplies with branches across the eastern U.S. Highly comparable business in terms of product mix, contractor customer base, and regional branch strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Watsco: Largest HVAC distributor in North America (NYSE: WSO), operating brands like Carrier Enterprise, Baker Distributing, and Gemaire. Comparable distribution model and customer base, but national scale dwarfs Hobbs' regional footprint.
• Trane Technologies: Global HVAC manufacturer (Trane, Thermo King). Overlaps with Hobbs as an upstream brand partner and indirect competitor; relevant for understanding OEM-side dynamics and pricing power in Hobbs' territory.
• Carrier Global: Global HVAC manufacturer and a parent to one of Hobbs' peer distributors (Carrier Enterprise). Comparable in commercial HVAC product portfolio; relevant for tracking OEM channel strategy shifts that affect Hobbs.
• Ferguson Enterprises: Large plumbing and HVAC distribution company (NYSE: FERG). Comparable B2B distribution model and commercial-customer overlap, though broader product portfolio and substantially larger scale.
• Daikin Applied: U.S. commercial HVAC arm of Daikin (global HVAC leader). Comparable commercial equipment portfolio (chillers, air handlers) and overlaps with Hobbs' specifying engineer customer base; relevant for OEM channel and competitive dynamics.

Emerging players

• Mestek: U.S. manufacturer of commercial HVAC and heat-transfer products including coils and air handlers. Comparable as a smaller commercial HVAC specialist, though Mestek is a manufacturer rather than a rep/distributor.
• CaptiveAire: Privately held U.S. manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation and HVAC equipment with a direct factory-rep sales model. Comparable commercial-HVAC focus and direct-to-contractor/specifier go-to-market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hobbs-&-associates-inc-/posts/?feedView=all

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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 Hobbs & Associates