O’Connor Company

What O’Connor Company does

O'Connor Company is a family-owned commercial HVAC equipment distributor founded in 1970 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and now in its third generation of O'Connor family leadership under President Ryan O'Connor. The company sells commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, replacement parts, and warranty management services to mechanical contractors, building owners, and design professionals across a five-state territory covering South Dakota, Wyoming, northwest Iowa, southwest Minnesota, and northeast Nebraska. Operations are supported by two fully stocked regional warehouses in Sioux Falls and Rapid City and a direct sales engineering team that provides consultative equipment specification, system design support, and post-sale warranty handling under a stated 'Creating Customers For Life' philosophy.

The business model is primarily transactional hardware sales — O'Connor acts as a manufacturer representative and distributor for 70+ commercial HVAC brands including Daikin, AAON, AAF International, and many others — supplemented by a recurring replacement parts stream (belts, filters, gaskets, actuators, motors, compressors, dampers, coils, and custom-sized filters) and a warranty administration service. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific rather than published or subscription-based, and there is no e-commerce self-serve channel; the only digital commerce touchpoint is an online HVAC Parts Request form with delivery, pickup, and 60-mile radius shipping.

O'Connor operates as part of the HVAC Elements marketing umbrella, alongside sister companies G&R Controls (Siemens-backed building automation) and Balancing Professionals (NEBB-certified testing and balancing). The group structure allows O'Connor to participate in a broader HVAC project lifecycle — equipment supply, controls integration, and system balancing — though each entity remains independently operated. The company has remained privately held and family-controlled across all leadership transitions since founding.

Name

O’Connor Company

Legal name

O'Connor Company

Website

https://oconnorco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

O'Connor Company is a family-owned commercial HVAC equipment and replacement parts distributor serving contractors, building owners, and design professionals across a five-state Upper Midwest territory from warehouses in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, South Dakota, as part of the HVAC Elements group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial HVAC Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42373)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

HVAC Parts & Supplies Retail (Thermostats, Filters, Ducting) (CRAIADAI), HVAC & Refrigeration Contracting (IMAFALAB)

Keywords

• Commercial HVAC equipment
• HVAC replacement parts
• HVAC equipment distribution
• Rooftop unit supply
• Air handling units

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Commercial HVAC Equipment Sales: O'Connor Company generates revenue primarily through the sale of commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment. The company acts as a manufacturer representative and distributor, selling full HVAC units and systems to commercial contractors, building owners, and design professionals. Revenue is transaction-based, driven by project pipelines and replacement cycles.
2. Replacement Parts Distribution: A secondary revenue stream derived from the sale of replacement parts including belts, filters, gaskets, actuators, motors, compressors, dampers, and coils. This stream is supported by fully stocked regional warehouses, enabling rapid fulfillment for maintenance and repair needs. Parts revenue is recurring in nature, driven by ongoing equipment maintenance requirements across the customer base.
3. Technical Services and Warranty Support: Revenue is also generated through technical pre-sale consultation and post-sale warranty support services provided by the company's team of sales engineers. These services are bundled with equipment and parts sales rather than billed separately.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

O'Connor Company distributes and sells commercial HVAC equipment (chillers, air handlers, rooftop units, condensing units, customized systems) and a full line of replacement parts to contractors, building owners, and design professionals in a five-state territory. The company provides sales-engineering consultation, system design assistance, warranty tracking, and rapid parts fulfillment from regional warehouses in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, SD. O'Connor also coordinates with sister divisions G&R Controls and Balancing Professionals to deliver integrated HVAC solutions.

Product overview

O'Connor Company is a commercial HVAC equipment distributor founded in 1970, operating as part of the HVAC Elements group. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio consisting of commercial HVAC equipment (including chillers, air handlers, rooftop units, condensing units, and specialized systems), replacement parts (belts, filters, gaskets, actuators, motors, compressors, coils, dampers), and warranty management services. They maintain fully stocked warehouses in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, SD, and partner with over 70 manufacturers including Daikin, AAON, AAF International, and others to provide equipment across commercial, educational, healthcare, financial, and industrial markets throughout South Dakota, Wyoming, northwest Iowa, southwest Minnesota, and northeast Nebraska. The company also provides custom filter sizing and HVAC parts ordering through their online request system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial HVAC Equipment Distribution of high-quality commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment including chillers, air handlers, rooftop units, condensing units, and customized solutions. Serves commercial, educational, healthcare, financial, and industrial facilities across a five-state territory (SD, WY, NW Iowa, SW Minnesota, NE Nebraska).
• Replacement Parts Extensive inventory of commercial HVAC repair and replacement parts including belts, filters, gaskets, actuators, grills, motors, compressors, dampers, coils, and custom filter sizes. Warehouses fully stocked in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, SD, supporting rapid fulfillment for contractor and facility maintenance needs.
• Warranty Services Warranty management and guarantee services including tracking of plan specifications, maintenance of warranty agreements, and assistance with warranty replacements for HVAC equipment. Provided to contractors and building owners across the company's territory.
• HVAC Parts Request Online ordering system for HVAC parts and filters providing delivery, pickup, and shipping options within a 60-mile radius, enabling customers to request parts and filters directly from O'Connor Company.
• Custom Filters Custom-sized HVAC filters made to specification for particular systems, saving time and money for customers with non-standard filter requirements.
• Aftermarket Parts Department Specialist support for identifying and ordering the correct HVAC parts, led by the Aftermarket Parts Department (contact: Tyler Pierce) to assist contractors and facility operators with parts identification and ordering.

Segments7 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.

• HVAC Elements Group (Parent Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerO'Connor Company is a member of the HVAC Elements group, a marketing and sales organization that encompasses multiple commercial HVAC companies under a unified commercial umbrella. The group is led by O'Connor Company leadership and includes sister divisions G&R Controls and Balancing Professionals. The group serves as a marketing arm and coordination layer across member companies.
• G&R ControlscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerG&R Controls is a sister company within the HVAC Elements group, specializing in Siemens-backed building automation and HVAC controls. G&R Controls complements O'Connor Company's equipment distribution by providing integrated control solutions, enabling the group to offer complete HVAC system solutions to customers.
• Balancing ProfessionalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBalancing Professionals is a sister company within the HVAC Elements group and is NEBB (National Environmental Balancing Bureau) certified. The company provides third-party air and water balancing testing and certification services. This partnership enables the HVAC Elements group to offer complete project lifecycle services from equipment supply through system balancing and certification.
• AAF InternationalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorO'Connor Company represents AAF International, a manufacturer of air filtration and indoor air quality products, as a distributor within its territory. AAF International products include commercial air filtration systems, air filters, and air quality monitoring solutions.
• AAONminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorO'Connor Company represents AAON, a manufacturer of rooftop units, split systems, and custom HVAC equipment, distributing AAON products to commercial customers within the five-state territory.
• AboveAir TechnologiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorO'Connor Company distributes AboveAir Technologies products, which include commercial-grade air conditioning and refrigeration solutions.
• Multiple Additional Manufacturers (Dozens Represented)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorO'Connor Company represents dozens of additional commercial HVAC manufacturers including AbsoluteAire, Aegis, Aerofin, Aircuity, and many others across categories including air handling, coils, boilers, pumps, filtration, and specialized HVAC components. The breadth of manufacturer representation is a core component of O'Connor's value proposition, enabling application-specific equipment matching.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Carrier Enterprise: Distributor of Carrier and Bryant residential and light commercial HVAC equipment, parts, and supplies across the US, Caribbean, and Latin America. Direct peer in HVAC equipment and parts distribution, with comparable manufacturer-rep business model.
• WinSupply: US cooperative distributor of plumbing, heating, cooling, and industrial supplies serving independent contractor customers through local branches. Comparable to O'Connor in serving mechanical contractors with a multi-brand HVAC offering across regional markets.
• Watsco: Largest US distributor of HVAC, refrigeration, and plumbing products, distributing Carrier, Goodman, Rheem and other major brands through more than 600 locations. Direct competitor in the wholesale distribution layer that O'Connor operates in, with a much larger geographic footprint.
• R.E. Michel Company: Wholesale distributor of HVAC equipment, parts, and supplies to contractors across the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and South. Closely comparable to O'Connor as a regional, contractor-focused HVAC distributor with multiple warehouse locations.
• Gemaire Distributors: Specialty HVAC distributor of Goodman, Amana, Daikin, and other residential and light commercial equipment, parts, and supplies. Direct peer in the wholesale HVAC distribution model with strong manufacturer partnerships.
• Johnstone Supply: Largest HVAC/R plumbing distributor cooperative in North America, supplying commercial and residential contractors with equipment and parts from hundreds of manufacturers. Most direct comparable to O'Connor as a multi-line commercial HVAC distributor serving contractor customers.

Broad incumbents

• Ferguson Enterprises: Large US wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating, cooling, and industrial supplies, including commercial HVAC equipment and parts. Operates at significantly greater scale than O'Connor and offers HVAC as part of a much broader product portfolio.
• Trane Supply (Trane Technologies): Trane Technologies' distribution arm for Trane and Thermo King commercial HVAC equipment, parts, and controls. Manufacturer-owned distributor with overlapping product mix and contractor customer base, though typically tied to the Trane brand portfolio.
• Daikin Applied (Daikin Comfort Technologies): Manufacturer and direct sales channel for Daikin's commercial and industrial HVAC systems and applied equipment. Represents both a current brand partner represented by O'Connor and a structural risk, as Daikin increasingly combines direct sales with distributor relationships.

Regional players

• ACR Supply: Regional HVAC distributor serving the Carolinas and Southeast with residential and light commercial equipment, parts, and supplies. Comparable business model to O'Connor but operating in a different US region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 O’Connor Company