Refrigeration Sales Corp

What Refrigeration Sales Corp does

Refrigeration Sales Corp (RSC) is a wholesale distributor of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) equipment, parts, supplies, and tools, serving HVAC/R contractors and technicians across Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Founded in 1945 with origins dating to 1921, the company operates 10 retail branch locations and a 210,000+ square foot centralized distribution center in Stow, Ohio, stocked with approximately 11,000 unique SKUs across roughly 30,000 bin locations. RSC distributes equipment from manufacturers including Carrier, Copeland, Manitowoc, Bard, Heil, and Emerson Climate Technologies, alongside parts, indoor air quality products, and professional tools. Beyond physical distribution, RSC operates factory-certified service teams (Cold Crew for commercial refrigeration), a 24/7 emergency on-call service, and next-day delivery, complemented by paid training programs offering State License, NATE, EPA, and CFAD credit hours.

The company's revenue model combines hardware and parts sales (its primary stream) with professional services including training, technical support, design assistance, and emergency service response. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market emphasizes field sales through locally-based branch associates, inside sales support, and rapid fulfillment, with service speed, expertise, and contractor relationships as core differentiators. In early 2023, RSC was acquired by Master Group, Canada's largest independent HVAC/R distributor, while retaining local operational autonomy and its existing leadership team. In 2025, RSC launched RSC TechChat, an AI-powered text-based technical support tool gated to trained and licensed HVAC professionals, marking the company's first digital product surface.

Name

Refrigeration Sales Corp

Legal name

Refrigeration Sales Corp.

Website

http://refrigerationsales.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Refrigeration Sales Corp is a wholesale HVAC/R equipment, parts, and supplies distributor serving contractors across Ohio and Western Pennsylvania through 10 branch locations and a centralized distribution center, complemented by technical services, training, and the AI-powered TechChat support tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment and Parts Sales: RSC generates revenue through the sale of HVAC/R equipment (commercial and residential), parts, supplies, and tools to HVAC/R contractors. Products include furnaces, condensers, fan coils, ice machines, coolers, air conditioners, gas furnaces, chillers, digital control systems, replacement parts, tools and chemicals.
2. Training and Technical Services: RSC provides paid training classes, technical support services, design assistance, and emergency service support to contractors. Training courses qualify for State License, NATE Certification, and CFAD Distributor Training Credit Hours.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Refrigeration Sales Corp is a wholesale HVAC/R distributor that sells heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and commercial refrigeration equipment, parts, supplies, indoor air quality products, and professional tools to HVAC/R contractors through ten branch locations and a centralized distribution center in Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. The company supplements its product distribution with value-added services including factory-certified commercial refrigeration technical support (Cold Crew), certified training programs, next-day delivery, 24/7 emergency service, refrigerant reclamation, and an AI-powered technical support chatbot for licensed HVAC professionals.

Product overview

Refrigeration Sales Corp is a multi-location HVAC/R (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration) wholesale distributor serving Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. The company operates as a single unified distribution platform offering equipment, parts, and supplies from numerous manufacturer brands, complemented by technical services and professional training. The product portfolio includes HVAC equipment (commercial and residential), commercial refrigeration equipment, parts and supplies, indoor air quality products, and tools/test instruments. Services include the Cold Crew commercial refrigeration services, RSC TechChat AI-powered technical support, technical support, training programs, next-day delivery, after-hours emergency services, refrigerant reclamation, and sales/marketing support. The company serves HVAC/R contractors through 10 branch locations and one centralized distribution center in Stow, Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RSC Cold Crew: The commercial refrigeration service team at RSC, providing technical services including job site reviews, troubleshooting, piping layout, load calculations, and equipment selection assistance.
• RSC TechChat

Products and services

• HVAC Equipment Distribution Wholesale distribution of HVAC equipment including commercial units (Bard, Carrier, Heil, Koldwave, MicroMetl, Tempstar) and residential products (Carrier, Cozy, Heil, Modine, Tempstar) for HVAC/R contractors serving residential and commercial end customers.
• Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Distribution of commercial refrigeration equipment from brands including Copeland, Drake Chillers, Emerson Climate Technologies, HTPG, KPS Global Walk-Ins, Larkin, Manitowoc, RDI Refrigeration, Russell, SRC Walk-Ins, Tecumseh, U.S. Cooler, and White-Rodgers, for HVAC/R contractors serving commercial end customers.
• HVAC Parts and Supplies Wholesale distribution of HVAC parts including compressors (Bristol, Carlyle, Copeland, Maneurop, Tecumseh), Totaline parts, refrigeration components, controls, motors, and accessories for HVAC/R contractors and service technicians.
• Indoor Air Quality Products Distribution of indoor air quality solutions including air filters (Aprilaire, Dust Free, Glasfloss), HEPA filters, UV air purification systems (RGF Environmental), electronic air filters, dehumidifiers, humidifiers, and CO detectors for HVAC/R contractors.
• Tools and Test Instruments Distribution of professional HVAC tools and test instruments from brands including Fieldpiece, Fluke, Flir, Klein Tools, Robinair, Supco, UEI Meters, and Yellow Jacket, for HVAC/R contractors and service technicians.
• RSC Cold Crew Commercial Refrigeration Services Technical commercial refrigeration services including job site reviews, troubleshooting, piping layout, load calculations, and equipment selection assistance, delivered by factory-certified Cold Crew associates for HVAC/R contractors handling commercial refrigeration projects.
• RSC Training Programs Paid training classes for HVAC and refrigeration professionals including commercial and residential courses, EPA refrigerant certification preparation, and NATE testing; courses qualify for State License, NATE Certification, and CFAD Distributor Training Credit Hours.
• Technical Support Services Award-winning technical staff providing assistance with controls, equipment diagnosis, troubleshooting installations, and product selection for HVAC/R contractors and technicians.
• Next Day Delivery Next-day delivery of HVAC/R parts and supplies from the centralized Stow distribution center to support dealers and contractors across Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
• After-Hours and Emergency Services 24/7 emergency support available nights and weekends with monitored emergency lines for both Columbus and Valley View locations, including same-day delivery for emergency situations.
• Refrigerant Reclamation Facilities at each location for the return of recovered refrigerant, supporting environmental responsibility and regulatory compliance for HVAC/R contractors.
• RSC TechChat AI-powered technical support tool accessible via the website that provides technical assistance to trained and licensed HVAC professionals, including troubleshooting, controls assistance, equipment diagnosis, and installation support via a chat interface launched from the bottom right corner of the screen.
• Sales and Marketing Support Sales team assistance with product selection, marketing team support for developing marketing strategies, advertising programs, co-op coordination, business planning, stocking programs, and financing program support for HVAC/R contractor dealers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24/7 emergency on-call service available

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ferguson: Large-scale plumbing/HPV/R and industrial distributor with a growing HVAC presence; relevant as a 'broad incumbent' pressure on regional wholesalers given national branch scale and procurement capabilities.
• Master Group: Parent of RSC and Canada's largest independent HVAC/R distributor with a similar multi-branch, contractor-focused wholesale model; directly comparable business model though Canada-centric.
• Trane Technologies: Global HVAC/R manufacturer with extensive North American authorized-dealer distribution; sets the competitive baseline for product availability, financing programs, and training that RSC must match to remain a contractor partner.
• Watsco: Largest U.S. HVAC/R distribution platform (Carrier Enterprise, Gemaire, Replacement Components) operating nationally; relevant as the scale benchmark against which regional players like RSC compete for brand allocations and contractor relationships.
• Carrier Enterprise: Wholesale distribution arm of Carrier HVAC serving contractors across the U.S.; RSC is itself a Carrier brand manager, so Carrier Enterprise represents both a partner and a competitive variable.
• Lennox International: Manufacturer of HVAC/R equipment that sells through wholesale distributors like RSC and operates its own direct dealer network; a direct channel competitor for the contractors RSC serves.

Direct peers

• Geary Pacific Company: Western U.S. distributor of Carrier HVAC/R products to contractors; comparable wholesale focus and brand-aligned (Carrier) distribution model, though geographically separate.
• Johnstone Supply: Cooperative HVAC/R parts and equipment distributor serving independent contractors; the most direct functional peer to RSC's wholesale distribution model and is referenced in RSC's own materials (BMOP partner).
• Gustave A. Larson Company: Mid-Atlantic and Midwest-focused HVAC/R wholesale distributor with branch-based contractor service; directly comparable footprint, brand mix (Carrier, Trane, Lennox), and contractor-centric GTM.
• Meier Supply Co. Family-owned HVAC/R wholesale distributor with branches across the Upper Midwest/Northeast; comparable size, contractor segment, training-program emphasis, and family-business heritage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/refrigerationsalescorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refrigerationsalescorp
• Instagraminstagram.com/refrigerationsalescorp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Refrigeration Sales Corp