Queensland Thermo King

What Queensland Thermo King does

QTK Group Pty Ltd (trading as Queensland Thermo King and Thermo King Bus Australia) is a privately held, family-owned Australian dealer and service company founded in 2003 through the acquisition of the Spectra refrigeration business. The company distributes, services, and supports three product lines: Thermo King transport refrigeration units for trucks, trailers, vans, and intermodal applications (dealer territory covering Queensland and Northern Territory); Thermo King bus and coach HVAC systems (national master dealership via the Thermo King Bus Australia division, achieving 52-64% market share in new equipment sales); and Anteo aluminium tail-lifts (sole dealer for Queensland and Northern Territory since 2004).

Its operations are anchored by a purpose-built headquarters and workshop in Darra, Brisbane, opened in 2009, with additional service facilities in Truganina (VIC), Penrith (NSW), and Malaga (WA), supported by ten mobile service vans and a 24/7 emergency service operation. The company employs 65+ staff including 23 mechanics with seven apprentices and carries OEM-trained Air Conditioning technicians. Customer bases span grocery logistics (Woolworths and Coles Online refrigerated delivery vans), bus and coach OEMs and operators (Yutong Australia via Bus Stop Brisbane), and national fleet operators across temperature-controlled freight and bus HVAC.

Revenue is generated through equipment sales, parts sales, and a layered recurring service model that includes Thermo Kare preventative maintenance contracts with monthly billing and five-year fixed-cost refrigeration programs bundling ownership and maintenance. Over 5,000 refrigeration units are reportedly under service and maintenance contracts across Australia. The company sells across top-of-funnel digital channels, trade shows (National Bus & Coach Show, Brisbane Truck Show, BusVic Maintenance Conference), and direct enterprise field sales. Recent product activity has focused on electric and hybrid bus transition technology, including the lightweight E-1200LW electric HVAC unit and CF-1200A diesel unit.

Name

Queensland Thermo King

Legal name

QTK Group Pty Ltd

Website

https://qtk.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Queensland Thermo King (QTK Group) is an Australian authorized dealer and service provider for Thermo King transport refrigeration, Thermo King bus HVAC, and Anteo tail-lifts, serving fleet operators, bus OEMs, and grocery logistics customers nationally from its Darra headquarters and four-state service network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transport Refrigeration and Bus HVAC Equipment Services

NAICS

Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423740), Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42374), Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423730)

SIC

Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013)

akta.pro primary industry

Refrigerated Truck/Bus Systems Service (Transport Refrigeration Units) (TLAKABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trailer Refrigeration Unit (Reefer) Installation, Service & Repair (TLAKACAE), HVAC & Thermal Systems Service (A/C, Heating, Cooling) (TLAKABAF)

Keywords

• Transport refrigeration systems
• Bus HVAC equipment
• Tail lift solutions
• Commercial vehicle air conditioning
• Fleet maintenance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Darra

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of Thermo King transport refrigeration units for trucks, trailers, vans, and Thermo King Bus HVAC air conditioning systems, as well as Anteo tail lifts
2. Service and Repair: Full range of in-store and on-site services including preventive maintenance, emergency repairs, routine servicing, installations, and complete rebuilds
3. Parts Sales: Sale of genuine OEM parts for bus, coach, truck, and trailer refrigeration units; also stocks competitive parts for mixed fleets
4. Fixed Cost Maintenance Programs: Five-year fixed cost programs where customers pay a set monthly amount covering both ownership and maintenance of refrigeration units
5. Preventative Maintenance Contracts: Thermo Kare programs offering streamlined monthly costs, no hidden additional costs, reduced administration, minimal downtime, extended unit life, and guaranteed buy back schemes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Queensland Thermo King distributes, installs and services Thermo King transport refrigeration units for trucks, trailers, vans and intermodal containers, Thermo King bus and coach HVAC air-conditioning systems nationally, and Anteo aluminium hydraulic tail-lifts in Queensland and the Northern Territory. The company provides 24/7 emergency repair, preventive maintenance programs (Thermo Kare), fixed-cost multi-year ownership-and-maintenance contracts, and genuine OEM parts resale across Australia through its Darra headquarters and regional facilities.

Product overview

QTK Group (Queensland Thermo King) operates as a distributor and service provider for three main product lines: Thermo King Bus Australia (HVAC air conditioning for buses), Thermo King Transport Refrigeration (for trucks, trailers, vans), and Anteo Tail-Lifts (aluminium loading lifts). Thermo King Bus Australia holds 52-64% market share in Australia and includes electric units (E-1200LW) and diesel solutions (CF-1200A, KRS model). Thermo King refrigeration covers trailer units (S 700 Precedent), truck units (T-Series, V 520 RT), and multi-temp systems. Anteo offers tail-lifts including REP CL06LR and F3CL10 models. All product lines are supported by 24/7 service departments offering preventive maintenance, emergency repairs, installations, and genuine OEM parts through mobile service fleets and strategically located workshops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Thermo King Bus Australia: National bus and coach air conditioning division providing sales, service, and parts support for Thermo King HVAC equipment for small, large articulated and double-deck buses across Australia. Has achieved 52-64% market share in new equipment sales during the past 3 years.
• Anteo

Products and services

• Thermo King Transport Refrigeration Transport temperature control systems for trucks, trailers, vans and intermodal containers, including self-powered truck units, trailer refrigeration platforms and Multi-temp fridges with separate freezer and chiller compartments for delivery vehicles. Sold and serviced through QTK's authorised Thermo King dealer network for fleet operators in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
• Thermo King Bus Australia HVAC Air Conditioning HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) equipment for small, large, articulated and double-deck buses, including electrically powered rooftop units for hybrid and electric buses and diesel-powered units. Sold and supported nationally as Thermo King Bus Australia, holding 52–64% market share in Australian new bus HVAC equipment sales.
• Anteo Tail-Lifts Aluminium and high-strength steel hydraulic loading tail-lifts for trucks, trailers and vans, featuring superior hydraulic technology, fatigue-tested prototypes (50,000 cycles), load capacity over five times own weight, low maintenance and 4-year warranty. Offered through QTK as authorised Anteo dealer for QLD/NT.
• Thermo King Service & Parts (Truck, Trailer, Container) Factory-trained technician service and OEM parts support for Thermo King transport refrigeration units, including preventative maintenance, emergency repairs, installations, mobile service fleets and supply of genuine OEM parts, delivered 24/7 across Australia.
• Thermo King Bus Australia Service & Parts 24/7 service and parts support for Thermo King bus HVAC systems, including major and minor component replacement, coil cleaning, panel repairs, air flow tests, noise tests, sanitisation, performance tests, and driver/operator training, delivered nationally.
• Anteo Service & Parts Full range of Anteo tail-lift services including installations, emergency repairs (in-store and on-site), routine servicing, parts reconditioning, and no-obligation quotes, delivered through drive-through workshop bays and mobile service fleets.
• Thermo Kare Preventive Maintenance Programs Streamlined monthly preventive maintenance subscription contracts for Thermo King refrigeration units, offering no hidden additional costs, reduced administration, minimal downtime, extended unit life and guaranteed buy-back schemes.
• Fixed-Cost Refrigeration Ownership and Maintenance Program Five-year fixed-cost program where customers pay a set monthly amount covering both ownership and maintenance of Thermo King refrigeration units, with controlled costs and regular scheduled servicing included.

Quantifiable outcome

• 52-64% market share in new equipment sales for Thermo King Bus Australia
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• AnteocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2004QTK Group has been the sole authorized Anteo dealer for Queensland and Northern Territory since 2004. Anteo produces the widest range of advanced loading tail-lifts, recognized as world-class lifting specialists with European engineering heritage dating back to 1969.
• Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQTK Group is the authorized Thermo King dealer for Queensland and Northern Territory covering truck, trailer, van, and intermodal refrigeration. Additionally, QTK Group holds the master dealership for Thermo King Bus Australia, providing national support for bus and coach HVAC products.
• Yutong AustraliaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Yutong Australia through Bus Stop Brisbane dealers to offer Thermo King KRS model air conditioners as an alternative option in Yutong 39-seat midi-coach and 51-57 seat coach products.
• Woolworths and Coles OnlinemajorOthersMajor customer for Thermo King Multitemp refrigeration units used in delivery vans, with freezer in front and chiller in back. QTK has approximately 90 units on road in Queensland, primarily in SE Queensland.
• Bus Stop BrisbaneminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQueensland and northern NSW agents of new Yutong buses and coaches, now able to provide Thermo King Heat/Cool Air Conditioners as an option in their products.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carrier Transicold Australia: Direct competitor supplying transport refrigeration and bus HVAC equipment and service across Australia. Allan Lowes, QTK's Customer Solutions Manager, previously led Carrier Transicold's national bus product sales, confirming head-to-head overlap in both truck reefer and bus air conditioning segments.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies): Global OEM manufacturer of the transport refrigeration and bus HVAC equipment that QTK distributes and services. QTK is the authorized Australian dealer, making Thermo King both QTK's principal supplier and the global incumbent whose dealer network QTK competes within.
• Eberspächer (Spheros) Bus & Coach HVAC: Global bus and coach HVAC manufacturer competing with Thermo King for OEM fitment on Australian and imported buses. Comparable in that it supplies heating/cooling systems and after-sales service into the same bus and coach customer base.
• Daikin Australia: Major HVAC manufacturer with bus, rail and transport applications that competes for Australian bus air conditioning contracts. Comparable in that it offers HVAC equipment plus service support to overlapping commercial and transport customers.

Emerging players

• Webasto Thermo & Comfort Australia: Supplies transport refrigeration and HVAC systems for trucks, trailers and buses globally, including electric bus HVAC. Competes with Thermo King on equipment and overlaps with QTK's product set in Australian fleet and bus OEM channels.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Transport: Manufactures transport refrigeration units and bus HVAC systems under the Mitsubishi and predecessors, with presence in Australian commercial vehicle segments. Overlaps with QTK on transport reefer equipment supplied to fleet operators.
• Epta Group: European commercial refrigeration group with expanding presence in transport refrigeration and cold-chain solutions. Comparable as a refrigeration equipment manufacturer/distributor operating in adjacent cold-chain and logistics markets.
• Zanotti (Zanotti S.p.A.): Italian manufacturer of transport refrigeration units for trucks, trailers and vans. Comparable in providing refrigeration equipment that competes with Thermo King units serviced and sold by QTK in Australia.

Regional players

• CoolDrive Auto Parts: Australian wholesale distributor of automotive HVAC, refrigeration and thermal management parts and components. Comparable in supplying refrigeration parts and components to the Australian commercial vehicle and transport service market.

Others

• Hussmann (a Panasonic company): Global commercial refrigeration and cold-chain solutions provider adjacent to QTK's transport refrigeration end market. Comparable as a refrigeration ecosystem participant serving food retailers and logistics operators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/QTKGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qtk-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Queensland Thermo King