What Phillips & Temro Industries does

Phillips & Temro Industries (PTI) is a privately held US manufacturer of thermal and electrical components for vehicles and industrial equipment, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with operating roots dating to 1920. The company designs, engineers, and manufactures engine heating solutions (block heaters, air intake heaters, circulation heaters, battery heaters), fuel and fluid warming systems, idle-elimination equipment (electric auxiliary power units and power inverters), and diesel-engine cooling fans, organized under four sub-brands: Zerostart, Arctic Fox, Idle Free Systems, and Truflo. Its products address cold-weather engine starting, fuel gelling prevention, cab comfort, and engine/radiator cooling for diesel-powered platforms.

The company operates a dual-channel business model, selling directly to OEMs in the automotive, heavy-duty trucking, off-road/industrial, oil & gas, and power generation sectors, and distributing replacement products through a global aftermarket network that integrates with the ShowMeTheParts parts-lookup system and a dedicated Idle Free dealer portal. Manufacturing is carried out across facilities in the United States (Eden Prairie, Madison, Delano), Canada (Winnipeg, historical), the United Kingdom (Tipton), the Netherlands (Roosendaal), Belgium (Sprimont), and China (Yizheng). Contract manufacturing and R&D/testing services extend the revenue base beyond discrete product sales.

PTI has grown through a series of strategic acquisitions: Truflo (2005), Arctic Fox (2013), Idle Free Systems (2014), Wolverine Engine Heaters (2017), Carlor Engineering (2017), and EVoCharge (2019), the last of which marks the company's entry into electric-vehicle charging. The company holds IATF 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 27001 certifications across multiple sites and has accumulated quality awards from Ford, GM, Subaru, Hino, Toyota Canada, Cummins, Paccar, and NAPA. There is no public ownership, no disclosed revenue, and no executive team beyond the President/CEO and CFO roles.

Name

Phillips & Temro Industries

Legal name

Phillips & Temro Industries

Website

https://phillipsandtemro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Phillips & Temro Industries is a private US manufacturer of thermal and electrical components, including engine heaters, fuel warmers, idle-elimination systems, and cooling fans, sold globally to automotive, trucking, off-road, oil & gas, and power generation OEMs and through aftermarket distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Thermal Management Components

NAICS

Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415), Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413), Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (33632)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Vehicle Cooling, HVAC & Thermal Management Manufacturing (IMACABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive PTC Heaters, Heat Pumps & Auxiliary Heating Systems (IMACALAI), Passenger Vehicle Thermal, Cooling & HVAC Manufacturing (ICE) (IMACAAAL), Automotive Heat Exchangers Manufacturing (Radiators/Condensers/Evaporators/Heater Cores) (IMACALAC), Heat Exchangers & Thermal Transfer Equipment (IMAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Thermal management solutions
• Engine heating systems
• Idle elimination equipment
• Engine cooling fans
• Fuel fluid warming products

Headquarters

HQ city

Eden Prairie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. OEM Product Sales: Phillips & Temro manufactures and sells thermal and electrical components (engine heaters, cooling fans, APU systems) directly to OEM customers for integration into vehicles and equipment
2. Aftermarket Product Sales: Replacement parts and heating/cooling solutions sold through distributors and dealer networks for maintenance and retrofit applications
3. Contract Manufacturing: Custom engineering and manufacturing services for thermal solutions from concept design through testing to delivery

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Phillips & Temro Industries designs, manufactures, and sells thermal and electrical components for vehicles and equipment, including engine block heaters, air intake heaters, circulation heaters, battery heaters, fuel and fluid warming systems, electric auxiliary power units (eAPUs) for idle elimination, and engine cooling fans. Products are sold directly to OEM vehicle and equipment manufacturers and distributed globally through aftermarket distributors and dealer networks serving automotive, trucking, off-road, oil and gas, and power generation markets.

Product overview

Phillips & Temro Industries (PTI) offers a comprehensive portfolio of thermal and electrical solutions organized under four main sub-brands. Zerostart® provides engine heating technologies including air intake heaters, electric immersion heaters, circulation heaters, battery heaters, and engine block heaters for cold weather protection. Arctic Fox® delivers fuel and hydraulic fluid warming products including in-line fuel heaters and fuel tank heaters. Idle Free® Systems provides electric auxiliary power units (eAPUs) and power inverter systems for truck idle elimination. Truflo™ manufactures engine cooling fans ranging from 300mm to 2800mm for construction equipment and industrial HVAC applications. The company also offers R&D/testing and contract manufacturing services, serving automotive, trucking, off-road/industrial, oil & gas, and power generation markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zerostart: Engineered heating solutions and electrification technologies for automotive, light to medium trucks, off-road and power generation equipment in challenging weather conditions.
• Arctic Fox
• Idle Free Systems
• Truflo

Products and services

• Air Intake Heaters Grid and manifold heaters providing on-board cold weather starting aid for diesel applications. Powered by vehicle battery, reduces white smoke, engine wear, battery consumption, and fuel consumption during startup. Available in sandwich, integrated, cartridge, and drop-in housing configurations for diesel engine OEMs and equipment manufacturers.
• Electric Immersion Heaters (Zerostart Block Heaters, Oil Pan Heaters, Thermostats, Receptacles) Electric immersion engine heating products for automotive, light to medium trucks, off-road, and power generation equipment. Includes Zerostart block heaters, oil pan heaters, thermostats, cordsets, receptacles, indicator lights, and thermostat immersion heater systems for consistent engine warm-up in cold weather.
• Circulation Engine Heaters (Forced Flow Circulation Heater) Forced Flow Circulation Heaters (FFCH) for diesel and natural gas genset applications. UL and CSA certified systems ensuring uniform heat distribution and optimal starting temperature for standby and prime power generator OEMs and operators.
• Battery Heaters Heating solutions for vehicle batteries to ensure reliable cold weather starting and performance in automotive, truck, off-road, and power generation applications.
• In-Line Fuel Heaters (Arctic Fox I-909 and I-1500 series) Diesel fuel warming products for preventing fuel gelling and ensuring reliable cold weather operation. I-909 and I-1500 series in-line fuel and fluid warmers for heavy duty trucks, off-road equipment, oil and gas, and power sports applications.
• Fuel Tank Heaters In-tank fuel warming solutions for cold weather diesel applications, used in heavy duty trucks, off-road equipment, and oil and gas operations to prevent fuel gelling.
• Silicone Pad Heaters Flexible silicone heating pads for various industrial heating applications, expanded through the 2016 Wolverine acquisition for thermal solutions across industrial and OEM customers.
• Series5000 eAPU (Electric Auxiliary Power Unit) Electric auxiliary power unit for over-the-road sleeper trucks with limited frame rail space. Provides idle-free power for cab heating, cooling, and hotel loads for commercial trucking fleets and owner-operators seeking CARB compliance and fuel savings.
• Electric APUs for Semi Trucks (Idle Free Systems) Electric auxiliary power units for idle elimination in over-the-road sleeper cabs and refrigerated trailers. Provides cab heating, cooling, and power without engine idling, leveraging the patented Reefer Link technology to use reefer unit energy for cab climate control.
• Semi Truck Power Inverter Systems (Cab Power / Cab Power Plus) Power inverter systems for semi trucks providing AC power for driver amenities without engine idling. Includes Cab Power and Cab Power Plus configurations for commercial trucking fleets seeking idle reduction.
• Flex Systems (Idle Elimination Configuration) Flexible idle elimination systems for commercial trucks, configurable to fleet and truck operator requirements with branded Flex Systems configuration options.
• Electric Fans (Truflo engine and radiator cooling fans) Engine and radiator cooling fans including one-piece molded fans, hybrid fans, segmented metal fans, and spider metal fans for construction, power generation, agriculture, mining, forestry, and industrial applications. Truflo brand fans range from 300mm to 2800mm in diameter and are tested in an ISO 5801 wind tunnel.
• One-Piece Molded Fans One-piece molded cooling fans for diesel powered construction equipment, generator sets, and industrial HVAC applications as part of the Truflo product line.
• Contract Manufacturing Services Custom manufacturing services for thermal and electrical solutions from concept design through testing to delivery. PTI manages the entire process and serves OEM customers needing bespoke thermal and electrical component production.
• R&D and Testing Services Research and development and product testing services from concept design through rapid prototyping to on-site product testing for thermal and electrical solutions customers and OEM partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Idle Free eAPU reduces fuel costs associated with truck idling
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CarlorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The acquisition of Carlor expanded PTI's variety of circulation heaters, enhancing their engine heating capabilities.
• WolverinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016The acquisition of Wolverine in 2016 expanded PTI's variety of pad heater products, strengthening their thermal solutions portfolio for heating applications.
• Idle Free SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014The acquisition of Idle Free Systems expanded PTI's presence in thermal systems, idle elimination and driver comfort. Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, Idle Free provides auxiliary power unit (APU) solutions for over-the-road, day cab, and work truck markets.
• Arctic FoxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Phillips & Temro Industries acquired Arctic Fox, expanding PTI's presence into fuel and hydraulic systems, oil & gas, and power sport end markets.
• TruflocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005The acquisition of Truflo expanded PTI's presence on a global basis with a strong market position in the US and Europe and a growing presence in the Asia Pacific region. Truflo's high precision fans are critical for providing cooled air to a variety of industrial applications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Webasto Group: Global automotive supplier of auxiliary heaters, parking heaters, EV charging and thermal management. Directly overlaps PTI's Zerostart engine heater, Idle Free eAPU and emerging EV charging product lines with comparable OEM customer base and tier-1 status.
• Eberspächer: Major supplier of auxiliary heating, catalytic heaters, and vehicle thermal management including EV battery thermal solutions. Closest direct competitor to PTI's engine block heaters and circulation heater portfolio, particularly across commercial vehicle and passenger car OEM programs.
• Modine Manufacturing: Designs and manufactures thermal management products for commercial vehicles, industrial equipment, and EVs (battery cooling). Overlaps with PTI on engine cooling fans (Truflo), coolant heating, and idle-elimination adjacent thermal systems for heavy-duty trucking.
• Thermo King (Trane Technologies): Dominant supplier of transport refrigeration units and cab climate control for trucks and trailers. Directly comparable to PTI's Idle Free / Reefer Link idle-elimination technology, both serving over-the-road refrigerated fleets to address driver comfort and CARB-style anti-idling rules.
• Greenheck Group: Leading North American manufacturer of commercial and industrial fans, blowers, dampers and air-handling equipment. Directly comparable to PTI's Truflo fan business for HVAC, industrial process ventilation, and OEM-equipment cooling fans.
• Dometic Group: Supplier of mobile climate control, refrigeration and energy solutions for trucks, RVs and marine. Adjacent competitor to PTI in cab/truck climate, idle-elimination auxiliaries, and refrigerated transport, particularly in Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Gentherm: Automotive thermal and comfort technology supplier focused on heated/ventilated seats, steering wheels and battery thermal management. Broader portfolio than PTI but targets the same OEMs and overlaps in cab climate and electrification thermal categories.
• BorgWarner: Large Tier-1 automotive supplier with thermal and electrical product lines including battery heaters, coolant heaters and cabin heaters for ICE and EVs. Competes with PTI on OEM thermal content capture but with vastly larger scale and broader propulsion portfolio.
• Howden Group: Global industrial fan and blower manufacturer serving HVAC, mining, oil & gas, and power generation. Comparable to Truflo's industrial cooling fan range, with a larger global installed base and broader European footprint.
• Cold Chain Refrigeration / Carrier Transicold: Transport refrigeration unit (TRU) manufacturer for over-the-road refrigerated trailers. Comparable to Idle Free Systems' reefer-integrated idle-elimination value proposition, addressing the same anti-idling and driver comfort pain points in refrigerated trucking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 Phillips & Temro Industries