Proheat
Proheat is a US industrial heating equipment distributor serving manufacturers with Chromalox, Watlow, and MDI products, including heaters, sensors, controllers, and heat trace cable. The privately held firm, founded in 1970 and recently rebranded to Big Chief, runs account-manager-led direct sales across multiple industrial verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersLa Grange, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Proheat does
Proheat, Inc. is a US industrial heating equipment distributor headquartered in the Louisville, Kentucky area (La Grange), operating as an authorized channel partner for three tier-1 manufacturers: Chromalox, Watlow, and MDI Hot Runner Systems. The company's catalog spans band, cartridge, strip, immersion, tubular, infrared, flexible, and drum heaters; temperature and process sensors (thermocouples, RTDs, pressure transducers); temperature and power controls (1/32 DIN to 1/4 DIN controllers, SCR/SSR relays); heat trace cable products for freeze protection and process maintenance (including Chromalox Thermwire and Mineral Insulated lines); MDI hot runner systems for injection molding; cold-weather and infrared heating solutions; and ancillary consumables such as Slide mold release chemicals and handheld measurement instruments. Proheat carries no proprietary technology stack — it is a pure distribution and value-added technical support business, not a manufacturer.
The business model is direct, authorized, B2B distribution. Proheat sells through a team of account managers and inside sales staff to industrial manufacturers across the United States, supplemented by an e-commerce-enabled website that now supports direct Chromalox ordering by model or part number. Pricing is quote-based with no public list rates; revenue derives from one-time product sales rather than subscriptions or licensing. Value-added services include credit applications, order tracking, stocking programs, delivery programs, RMA processing, and catalog requests. The customer base is concentrated in plastics/injection molding (NylonCraft, LNP Engineering Plastics), packaging (C&M Fine Pack, Rexam), and food/confectionery (Russel Stover), with testimonials emphasizing long-tenured relationships, technical problem-solving, and rapid response times.
Proheat is privately held with 11–50 employees, was founded in 1970, and has no disclosed external investors or funding events. The company recently rebranded to Big Chief, directing existing Proheat customers to gobigchief.com. Operating geographies are limited to the United States with no claims of international footprint. The competitive moat rests on multi-brand authorized access and individual account-manager relationships rather than proprietary IP, data assets, or technology differentiation.
Proheat firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Proheat
- Legal name
- Proheat, Inc.
- Website
- https://proheatinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Proheat is a US industrial heating equipment distributor serving manufacturers with Chromalox, Watlow, and MDI products, including heaters, sensors, controllers, and heat trace cable. The privately held firm, founded in 1970 and recently rebranded to Big Chief, runs account-manager-led direct sales across multiple industrial verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Proheat industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Heating Equipment Distribution
- NAICS
- Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)
- SIC
- Steam & Air-Conditioning Supply (4961), Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Refrigeration Components & Controls (Compressors, Valves, Sensors) (IMAHAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Heat Exchangers & Thermal Transfer Equipment (IMAHAKAC)
Keywords
Where Proheat is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Grange
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Proheat business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Distribution and Sales: Proheat generates revenue through the distribution and resale of industrial heating products including heaters, sensors, temperature controls, and accessories from major brands like Chromalox, Watlow, and MDI.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | B2B distributor pricing through product inquiry |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Proheat product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Proheat is an authorized distributor of industrial heating equipment and components, reselling heaters, sensors, temperature controls, heat trace cables, and hot runner systems from premium brands including Chromalox, Watlow, and MDI Hot Runner Systems. The company serves industrial manufacturers across the United States through direct sales, inside sales, and an e-commerce-enabled website, providing technical support, stocking programs, and order fulfillment alongside the distributed product lines.
Product overview
Proheat is an industrial heating equipment distributor and solutions provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of heating products, temperature sensors, and controls. The company operates as an authorized distributor for major brands including Chromalox, Watlow, and MDI Hot Runner. Their core product lines include band heaters, cartridge heaters, strip heaters, immersion heaters, tubular heaters, flexible heaters, infrared heaters, and mold components for plastic injection molding and industrial process heating. Complementary offerings encompass temperature controls and controllers (ranging from 1/32 DIN to 1/4 DIN formats), power controls and relays, heat trace cables (self-regulating and constant wattage), hot runner systems for injection molding, cold weather equipment, wire products, and handheld measurement devices. The company also distributes ancillary products like Slide mold release chemicals. Proheat's business model centers on distribution and technical support rather than manufacturing, providing engineered heating solutions through product sales and technical expertise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Chromalox Heat Trace: Heat trace cable products for pipe freeze protection and roof/gutter de-icing
- Watlow
- MDI Hot Runner
Companies that use Proheat
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Proheat technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Proheat partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ChromaloxcoreProheat is an authorized distributor of Chromalox heaters, sensors, controllers, and more. Products include strip & ring heaters, cartridge heaters, circulation & immersion heaters, and heat trace cables.
- WatlowcoreProheat is an authorized distributor of all Watlow heater products, including cartridge, strip, and tubular heaters, as well as Watlow EZ-ZONE controllers and Watlow F4T temperature controllers.
- MDI Hot Runner SystemscoreProheat is an authorized distributor of all MDI hot runner injection molding products, including nozzles, systems, and controllers.
- Slide Mold ReleaseminorProheat is an authorized distributor of Slide mold releases, lubricants, rust preventives, and purging compounds.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Proheat competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Chromalox: Manufacturer of industrial heaters and heat trace products; one of Proheat's three principal brand partners. Comparable because Proheat distributes Chromalox's full product line, but Chromalox operates at far greater scale and also sells direct.
- Watlow: Global manufacturer of industrial heaters, temperature controllers, and thermal systems; another principal brand Proheat distributes. Comparable in product category but vastly larger and primarily direct-to-customer.
Direct peers
- Tempco Electric Heater Corporation: US-based manufacturer and supplier of industrial electric heaters, sensors, and temperature controls. Comparable because it sells a similar heater/sensor/controls portfolio to industrial OEMs and injection molders through both direct and distributor channels.
- Backer Hotwatt: Manufacturer of industrial heating elements including cartridge, band, strip, tubular, and immersion heaters. Comparable because it serves the same injection molding and industrial process heating customers with overlapping product lines.
- Durex Industries: Manufacturer of electric heating elements, temperature sensors, and controls for industrial and process heating applications. Comparable product mix and customer base in plastics, packaging, and process industries.
- Vulcan Electric: Manufacturer of industrial electric heating elements including band, cartridge, and strip heaters. Comparable as a heating-element specialist serving plastic injection molding and industrial process customers.
- Wattco: Manufacturer and supplier of industrial electric heaters, immersion heaters, and process heating equipment. Comparable product portfolio and target end markets including plastics, food, and chemical processing.
- Heatrex: US manufacturer of electric heating equipment, heat exchangers, and process heaters. Comparable in serving industrial and OEM customers requiring engineered thermal solutions.
- Indeeco: Manufacturer of commercial and industrial electric heating equipment including unit heaters, duct heaters, and process heaters. Comparable product category and customer overlap in industrial process heating.
- Tutco Heating Solutions Group: Manufacturer of industrial heating elements and assemblies including open coil, tubular, and flexible heaters. Comparable as an industrial heating specialist serving OEMs in plastics, packaging, and process industries.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Proheat social profiles
Digital presenceProheat financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Proheat leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Proheat funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Proheat M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Proheat
What does Proheat do?
Proheat is an authorized distributor of industrial heating equipment and components, reselling heaters, sensors, temperature controls, heat trace cables, and hot runner systems from premium brands including Chromalox, Watlow, and MDI Hot Runner Systems. The company serves industrial manufacturers across the United States through direct sales, inside sales, and an e-commerce-enabled website, providing technical support, stocking programs, and order fulfillment alongside the distributed product lines.
Is Proheat a public or private company?
Proheat is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Proheat founded?
Proheat was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Proheat based?
Proheat is headquartered in La Grange, United States, in the North America region.
How does Proheat make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Distribution and Sales.
Who are Proheat's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Chromalox and Watlow. Direct peers are Tempco Electric Heater Corporation, Backer Hotwatt, Durex Industries, Vulcan Electric, Wattco, Heatrex, Indeeco and Tutco Heating Solutions Group.
Does Proheat have an API?
No public API is recorded for Proheat.
What industry is Proheat in?
Proheat's product category is Industrial Heating Equipment Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAKAH, Refrigeration Components & Controls (Compressors, Valves, Sensors), with a secondary code of IMAHAKAC, Heat Exchangers & Thermal Transfer Equipment. Its NAICS code is 33341 and its SIC code is 4961.