What Gardiner does

Gardiner Service Company, founded in 1962 and headquartered in Solon, Ohio, is a privately held building technology partner serving commercial, healthcare, K-12 education, local government, and industrial facilities primarily across Northern Ohio with a recent extension into northeast Indiana. The company operates as the Factory Authorized Daikin Representative for the territory, distributing applied, light commercial, and VRV/VRF HVAC equipment, and supplies parts and tools from more than 100 manufacturers. Its services portfolio spans maintenance and repair, water treatment, building automation, building analytics, energy and performance contracting, supply-side energy management, and a fire and security division built through acquisitions of Continental Fire & Security (2022) and IntelliTech Fire & Security (2026).

Gardiner monetizes through a mix of hardware distribution, recurring service and maintenance contracts, and professional services such as performance-based energy contracting and paid technical training at its Training & Technology Center. Proprietary technology is concentrated in the Building Analytics platform — used to benchmark facilities against Energy Star and quantify energy savings — and in Gardiner DS, a dispatch and scheduling platform integrated with ClockWorks Analytics. The company reaches customers via a direct field-sales model operating from five Ohio/Indiana offices, supplemented by webinars, case studies, training events, and partner co-marketing with Daikin and other OEMs.

The customer base includes Progressive Insurance, Cleveland Clinic, Hudson and Painesville City Schools, the City of Garfield Heights, Cleveland Hopkins Airport, Bridgestone, and Tenneco Automotive. With 251–500 employees and a 60+ year operating history, Gardiner combines a regional manufacturer's-representative model with an expanding building-technology services layer, anchored by deep talent retention and consecutive Top Workplaces recognition since 2010.

Name

Gardiner

Legal name

Gardiner Service Company

Website

https://whgardiner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Gardiner Service Company is a Northern Ohio building technology partner founded in 1962 that distributes Daikin HVAC equipment and delivers maintenance, building automation, analytics, energy performance contracting, and fire and security services to commercial, healthcare, education, government, and industrial customers across Ohio and northeast Indiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HVAC and Building Technology Services

NAICS

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220)

SIC

Steam & Air-Conditioning Supply (4961)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC & Refrigeration Contracting (IMAFALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chillers, Boilers & Central Plant Operations (BPABACAG)

Keywords

• HVAC distribution services
• Building automation systems
• Energy performance contracting
• Fire and security services
• Building analytics solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Solon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HVAC Equipment Distribution: Distribution of HVAC systems as Factory Authorized Representative for Daikin in Northern Ohio
2. Service & Maintenance: Maintenance and repair services, emergency service, water treatment services
3. Parts & Supplies: Access to over 100 manufacturer's universal parts, tools, and maintenance supplies
4. Fire & Security Services: Fire protection and building safety systems through Gardiner Fire & Security division, including acquired Continental Fire & Security and IntelliTech
5. Energy Solutions: Building analytics, energy performance contracting, and supply side energy management
6. Training Services: Technical training programs for HVAC systems, building automation, and energy management

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gardiner distributes Daikin HVAC systems and parts from over 100 manufacturers as a Factory Authorized Representative in Northern Ohio, and delivers integrated building technology services including building automation, building analytics, energy and performance contracting, supply side energy management, maintenance and repair, water treatment, and fire and security services. The company bundles equipment distribution, controls, recurring service contracts, and energy savings guarantees into a "Total Building System Solutions" portfolio for commercial, healthcare, education, government, and industrial facilities.

Product overview

Gardiner is a building technology partner offering a comprehensive portfolio of HVAC distribution, services, and solutions. The core offerings include HVAC equipment distribution (as Factory Authorized Daikin Representative), Gardiner DS (dispatch/scheduling management), Fire & Security services (covering fire alarm, security, nurse call, CCTV, access control, and telecommunications), Maintenance & Repair, Water Treatment, Building Automation, Building Analytics, Energy & Performance Contracting, and Supply Side Energy Management. The product architecture combines a distribution model (HVAC Systems, Parts) with service divisions and technology solutions, unified under the 'Total Building System Solutions' approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gardiner Fire & Security: Consolidated fire and life safety division encompassing both Continental Fire & Security and IntelliTech Fire & Security brands.

Products and services

• HVAC Systems Distribution Factory-authorized distribution of Daikin HVAC equipment including applied systems, light commercial products, VRV/VRF systems, and related components for commercial and industrial buildings in Northern Ohio.
• Parts and Supplies Supply of universal parts, tools, and maintenance supplies from over 100 manufacturers for HVAC systems and building equipment, supported by a 24-hour parts emergency line.
• Building Automation Building automation and control systems integration for HVAC, lighting, and other building systems, utilizing products from KMC Controls and other partners.
• Building Analytics Building performance analytics leveraging data to benchmark facilities against Energy Star portfolio, identify inefficiencies, and develop energy-saving strategies with verified results.
• Energy and Performance Contracting Performance-based contracting for building upgrades including turnkey projects, guaranteed savings, and complete construction management that enables self-funded facility improvements.
• Supply Side Energy Management Utility rate review and energy supply management services to help clients negotiate better rates with utilities regardless of facility size, with no-cost rate reviews and rate optimization.
• Maintenance and Repair Comprehensive maintenance and repair services for HVAC and building systems including 24-hour emergency response for commercial and industrial customers.
• Water Treatment Water treatment services for commercial and industrial building water systems to protect equipment and maintain performance.
• Fire and Security Services (Gardiner Fire & Security) Fire protection and building safety services including fire alarms, security systems, nurse call, CCTV, access control, and telecommunications delivered through the Gardiner Fire & Security division (Continental Fire & Security and IntelliTech Fire & Security brands), with IntelliTech operating as a licensed Siemens Fire Protection distributor.
• Technical Training Programs Paid instructor-led technical training programs at the Gardiner Training & Technology Center covering Daikin MicroTech 4 service and troubleshooting, Camus hydronics boilers and water heaters, chiller scroll and screw systems, and Thermal Solutions boilers and water heaters. Tiered per-student pricing from $250 to $1,900.

Quantifiable outcome

• Building comfort can impact employee productivity by 17% or more
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• DaikincoreTechnology or IntegrationFactory Authorized Representative for Daikin in Northern Ohio since 1962. Provides access to Daikin's full line of HVAC systems, controls, and integration solutions including VRV systems, applied products, and light commercial equipment.
• Siemens Fire ProtectioncoreTechnology or IntegrationIntelliTech Fire & Security (acquired company) operates as a licensed distributor for Siemens Fire Protection products, expanding Gardiner's fire and life safety capabilities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• EMCOR Group: Public provider of electrical and mechanical construction, building services, and facility maintenance for commercial, industrial, and utility customers. Directly comparable to Gardiner's full-stack HVAC contracting, building automation, and energy services, with broader geographic reach and a much larger balance sheet.
• Ferguson Enterprises: Large publicly traded distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and waterworks products with branch networks across North America. Comparable to Gardiner's HVAC distribution and parts business, but operating at vastly greater scale and across broader product categories.
• Comfort Systems USA: Largest publicly traded U.S. mechanical services contractor providing HVAC installation, service, and controls nationwide. Comparable business mix to Gardiner's installation, service, and energy solutions stack, but operates at substantially greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Watsco: Largest U.S. distributor of HVAC, refrigeration, and plumbing equipment, operating a network of branches and independent dealers. Comparable distribution model to Gardiner's Daikin-rep business, but at national scale and across multiple OEMs rather than a single principal.
• ABM Industries: Public facility services provider offering HVAC maintenance, mechanical services, janitorial, and integrated building solutions across thousands of client sites. Comparable to Gardiner's maintenance & repair and building engineering services, but with national coverage and a much broader facility-services portfolio.
• Johnson Controls: Global manufacturer and servicer of HVAC equipment, building automation systems, and fire/security solutions. Comparable to Gardiner across the full stack — equipment, controls, services, and energy — but as a global OEM and integrated service provider rather than a regional manufacturer's rep.

Direct peers

• APi Group: Public holding company focused on safety, security, fire protection, and specialty industrial services. Highly comparable given Gardiner's recent build-out of Gardiner Fire & Security via Continental and IntelliTech acquisitions, which mirrors APi's growth model of consolidating regional fire and life-safety providers.
• Limbach Holdings: Public specialty mechanical services contractor focused on HVAC, plumbing, and building controls across multiple U.S. regions. Closely comparable to Gardiner in business model — design-build, service, maintenance, and building analytics for commercial, healthcare, and institutional customers — though materially larger and geographically diversified.
• Carrier Enterprise: HVAC distribution arm of Carrier Global, distributing Carrier, Payne, and other brands through dozens of branch locations across the U.S. and Latin America. Directly comparable to Gardiner's Daikin Factory Authorized Representative distribution model in both structure and customer base.
• Johnstone Supply: Cooperative wholesale distributor of HVAC, refrigeration, and plumbing parts and supplies across hundreds of independently owned branch locations in the U.S. and Canada. Comparable as a regional/branch-based HVAC parts and equipment distributor serving contractors, though structured as a co-op rather than a single corporate rep.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WHGardiner
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gardiner

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gardiner