Norman S. Wright

What Norman S. Wright does

Norman S. Wright is a privately held commercial and industrial HVAC equipment distributor and engineering services firm, founded in 1906 in San Francisco and currently headquartered in Brisbane, California. The company distributes chillers, boilers, air handlers, VRV systems, variable frequency drives, filtration, laboratory controls, energy recovery units, heat pumps, and hydronic equipment from manufacturers including Daikin, Nortek (Huntair), and ABB, while providing application engineering and design support to engineers, architects, and contractors throughout the western United States and Guam. The firm operates more than 22 physical offices across 11 states plus Guam, supported by wholly-owned affiliates including NSW-PEP (data center power and cooling), Automated NSW (building automation), Intec Solutions (ABB drive service), MP-NSW (Mountain West), NSW Southwest (Arizona/New Mexico/West Texas), NSW-Duckworth (Central California), NSW of Southern Nevada, NSW Rocky Mountain, and Norbryhn NSW (Idaho).

Revenue is generated primarily through quote-based, project-by-project sales of HVAC equipment and replacement parts, supplemented by design consulting, system commissioning, training services delivered through the NSW HVAC Academy, and building automation services via Automated NSW. The customer base is diversified across data centers, healthcare, life sciences, education, multi-family residential, and commercial office buildings, with marquee projects at Levi's Stadium, the Transamerica Pyramid, the SFPUC headquarters, and named relationships with Apple, Salesforce, Google, Kaiser, and San Francisco City Hall. The firm has no external institutional ownership, no disclosed funding rounds, and no public listing; it is led by CEO Rich Leao (45-year tenure), COO Sal Giglio, CFO Angela Jison, CIO/CMO Jenny Sivie, and General Counsel Lisa Wright, with a stated workforce of 300+ veteran HVAC professionals.

Name

Norman S. Wright

Legal name

Norman S. Wright Mechanical Equipment LLC

Website

https://normanwright.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Norman S. Wright is a privately held commercial HVAC equipment distributor and engineering services firm, founded in 1906, serving engineers, architects, and contractors across the western United States and Guam via 22+ offices and multiple wholly-owned affiliates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial HVAC Equipment Distribution and Building Automation Services

NAICS

Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42373), Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415), Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Steam & Air-Conditioning Supply (4961), Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC Equipment (Heating, Cooling & Air Handling) (IMAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Commercial HVAC equipment
• HVAC manufacturer's representative
• Building automation integration
• HVAC design support services
• Chillers and boilers

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices24 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HVAC Equipment Sales: NSW represents multiple high-performing HVAC product lines including chillers, boilers, air handlers, fans, variable frequency drives, filtration, air distribution products, heat pumps, cooling towers, and more. Revenue is generated through the sale of equipment from manufacturer partners.
2. Design Support and Consulting Services: Sales and application engineers provide expert HVAC design and construction support services for engineers, architects, and contractors. Services include system design support, product selection, installation oversight, commissioning, and startup verification.
3. Parts and Components Sales: NSW maintains high in-stock inventory across a wide range of manufacturers and components for fast-paced projects and emergency replacement needs. Parts include OEM and non-OEM HVAC components from top manufacturers.
4. Building Automation and Compliance Services (Automated NSW): Automated NSW, an affiliate company, provides comprehensive building automation services including compliance, standards, documentation, in-factory integration, owner's representation, and vendor management.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Norman S. Wright Co. is a commercial HVAC manufacturer's representative/distributor that sells HVAC equipment (chillers, boilers, air handlers, controls) and provides complementary engineering design assistance, building automation integration, parts distribution, and repair/maintenance services. Its customers are mechanical engineers, contractors, architects, building owners, and government/military clients across 11+ U.S. states and Guam.

Product overview

Norman S. Wright is an HVAC equipment distributor offering a comprehensive portfolio of airside products (air cleaning, distribution, chilled beams, fans, filtration, heating systems, laboratory control, noise control, VFDs, VRV systems), applied products (heat pumps, chillers, cooling towers, custom air handlers, energy recovery, DOAS units, rooftop units), and hydronic products (boilers, pumps, water source heat pumps). The company provides physical equipment distribution combined with design support, training services, and building automation offerings through subsidiaries like Automated NSW and Intec Solutions. Products range from residential-scale to industrial applications serving data centers, healthcare, laboratories, commercial buildings, and educational facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial HVAC Equipment Distribution Distribution of commercial HVAC equipment (chillers, boilers, air handlers, controls) to engineers, contractors, architects, and building owners across 11+ western/southwestern U.S. states and Guam.
• Engineering Design Support and Application Assistance Free engineering design assistance, system layout, and energy analysis provided to engineers, contractors, architects, building owners, and government/military customers before, during, and after HVAC installation.
• Building Automation Integration Building automation and controls integration services delivered through the Automated NSW subsidiary, bundling HVAC equipment with monitoring and control system deployment for commercial and government facilities.
• HVAC Repair Services and Parts Supply Repair services and replacement parts supply for installed commercial HVAC equipment, with 24/7 service availability for customers across NSW's territory.

Quantifiable outcome

• SFPUC HQ produces 50% less carbon footprint, uses 32% less energy, and 60% less water compared to similar 13-story office buildings
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DaikincoreTechnology or IntegrationDaikin is a key equipment partner for NSW. NSW supplies Daikin Magnitude chillers (oil-free, magnetic-bearing compressors), packaged air-conditioning units, VRV systems, and other Daikin products across projects including SFPUC HQ, Levi's Stadium, and more. Daikin technicians co-on-site with NSW for startup and commissioning.
• Nortek (Huntair FANWALL)coreTechnology or IntegrationNSW partnered with Nortek to supply Huntair FANWALL systems for the Transamerica Pyramid retrofit. The FANWALL system uses multiple direct-driven fans to replace single housed fans, providing redundancy, energy savings, and easier maintenance.
• ABB (via Intec Solutions)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntec Solutions is an ABB drive service partner and authorized warranty service provider, operating from Livermore, CA. Intec provides VFD services across Northern & Central California and Western Nevada.
• SJ Engineers of San FranciscominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNSW worked with SJ Engineers of San Francisco on the SFPUC HQ project to ensure all requirements were met for this complex green building project.
• ACCO Engineering SystemsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNSW collaborated with ACCO Engineering Systems in San Leandro, CA on the SFPUC HQ project to ensure all HVAC requirements were met.
• Turner-Devcon Joint Venture (TDJV)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNSW worked with TDJV on Levi's Stadium HVAC supply and commissioning. TDJV was authorized to complete design development and bridging documentation for MEP and food service bid packages for the stadium.
• Norbryhn NSWcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorbryhn NSW is an affiliate company serving Boise, ID and the state of Idaho as part of the NSW portfolio of companies.
• Mechanical Products NSW (MP-NSW)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMP-NSW serves Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming, operating from Midvale, UT and Denver, CO. Part of the NSW affiliate network, focused on quality products and education for customers.
• NSW SouthwestcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNSW Southwest serves Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas with offices in Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and El Paso. Dedicated to exceptional service for plan/spec and design/build projects.
• Automated NSWcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAutomated NSW is a provider of comprehensive building automation services, specializing in compliance, standards, and documentation, in-factory integration, owner's representation, and vendor management. Serves all NSW portfolio locations from Concord, CA.
• Intec SolutionscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIntec Solutions is an equipment startup services company operating from Livermore, CA. Provides ABB drive service, authorized warranty service, and equipment startup services for Northern & Central California and Western Nevada.
• NSW-PEP (Power and Cooling)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNSW-PEP was formed to meet the power and cooling needs of data center clients. Featured in portfolio alongside Apple campus projects.
• NSW-DuckworthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNSW-Duckworth serves Central California (Fresno and Central Coast offices) and is committed to providing best possible service through quality representation of manufacturers' products.
• NSW of Southern NevadacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNSW of Southern Nevada serves Clark and Nye counties in Nevada (Las Vegas office), focused on selecting and supporting high-performing product lines and delivering customer satisfaction.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Watsco: Largest U.S. distributor of HVAC, refrigeration, and plumbing equipment. Direct comparison as a multi-state HVAC equipment distributor serving contractors and engineers through branch-based reps — Watsco is the scale-version of NSW's business model across the entire U.S. vs. NSW's Western concentration.
• Johnstone Supply: Wholesale distributor of HVAC, plumbing, and refrigeration parts and equipment serving contractor customers via a member-owned cooperative of branches across the U.S. Closely comparable to NSW as a relationship-driven contractor-channel HVAC distributor.
• AC Pro: Independent HVAC distributor serving contractors in the Western U.S. with a multi-branch counter-style model. Close direct competitor to NSW in the same Western geography with a contractor focus and comparable product breadth.
• WinSupply: U.S. distributor of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical supplies to contractors through a decentralized local-branch model. Comparable contractor-channel wholesale model with multi-state presence and product breadth similar to NSW.
• Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US: Joint venture between Mitsubishi Electric and Trane distributing VRF and ductless HVAC systems through a rep/channel network. Comparable as a manufacturer-side rep/distributor channel model that competes with NSW on VRF specification pull-through.

Broad incumbents

• Ferguson Enterprises: Largest U.S. distributor of plumbing, heating, and HVAC products serving the construction and industrial markets. Comparable as a multi-vertical, multi-region building-products distributor with HVAC exposure, though broader in plumbing/waterworks and considerably larger than NSW.
• Carrier: Global HVAC equipment manufacturer whose products are distributed in part through independent reps like NSW. Comparable as a supplier in NSW's portfolio and a benchmark for what the specifier-facing manufacturer side of the channel looks like.
• Trane Technologies: Global manufacturer of HVAC systems, chillers, and building automation. Overlaps with NSW as both a supplier of chillers and air handlers and as a competing specification channel to large commercial customers.
• Daikin Applied: North American commercial arm of Daikin (a key NSW partner brand), selling chillers, packaged units, and VRF direct and through rep networks. Comparable because it is the manufacturer side of the same channel relationships NSW operates.
• Lennox International: HVAC equipment manufacturer and distributor serving residential and light commercial markets. Industry peer in HVAC manufacturing with overlapping product categories (chillers, AHUs, packaged units) and competitor for the same specification pipeline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/NSWHVACAcademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/norman-s.-wright-mechanical-equipment-corporation
• Facebookfacebook.com/normanswright

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries9 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 Norman S. Wright