DraCool-USA

What DraCool-USA does

DraCool-USA is a privately held, minority-owned industrial services company specializing in the sales, service, refurbishment, and manufacturing of plate heat exchangers (PHEs). The business traces to 1956 as DraCool of Lykens, was acquired by Javier "Tony" Avendano in 2002, and was renamed DraCool-USA in 2007 with the corporate office moved to Carlisle, Ohio. From four regional offices in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Tennessee, plus a dedicated PHE manufacturing facility in Franklin, Ohio, the company serves enterprise industrial customers across the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast United States, including Dow Chemical, NBC Universal, and an Iowa-based ethanol producer.

The core technology centers on plate heat exchanger refurbishment and replacement manufacturing. Service offerings include non-abrasive plate cleaning, fluorescent penetrant testing to detect holes, pinholes, and cracks, heat curing (baking) of gasketed plates at over 300 degrees to achieve a solid gasket-to-plate bond, on-site plate swaps, and a plate pack exchange program that ships pre-cleaned, pre-gasketed plate packs for emergency installation. The company manufactures replacement plates and gaskets compatible with all major OEM brands, including Alfa Laval, APV/SPX, GEA, ITT, Mueller, Sigma, Sondex, SWEP, Tranter, and Vicarb, in materials ranging from 316 stainless steel and titanium to Hastelloy, and in polymers including EPDM, NBR, hydrogenated NBR, Viton A/G, and neoprene.

DraCool-USA operates an enterprise field-sales go-to-market, with regional account executives managing customer relationships in each state and on-site PHE technicians deployed to customer sites for swaps, washing, gasket replacement, and hydro-testing, supported by a 24x7 emergency response commitment. Revenue is generated across five streams: on-site heat exchanger services, replacement plates and gaskets hardware sales, the plate pack exchange program, engineering consulting, and full unit replacement. Pricing is uniformly quote-based, with no public price list, and varies by plate material, gasket specification, plate thickness, and quantity. Primary customer segments are Industrial Manufacturing (lead) and Chemical Processing.

Name

DraCool-USA

Legal name

DraCool-USA

Website

https://dracool-usa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DraCool-USA is a minority-owned industrial services company that sells, services, refurbishes, and manufactures plate heat exchangers. It serves enterprise industrial customers across the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast U.S. from four regional offices and a manufacturing facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Carlisle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heat Exchanger Services: On-site plate refurbishment, plate swaps, hydro-testing, and emergency repair services. Standard turnaround is 10-12 working days with expedited options available.
2. Plates and Gaskets: Sale of replacement plates and gaskets for all major heat exchanger manufacturers including Alfa Laval, GEA, Tranter, Sondex, SWEP, and others. Plates available in 316 stainless steel, titanium, Hastelloy, and other metals.
3. Plate Pack Exchange: Exchange service where customers receive pre-gasketed plate packs and return used plates within two weeks. Customers invoiced per plate for failures to return or damaged plates.
4. Engineering Services: Heat exchanger sizing, installation planning, performance troubleshooting, consulting services, and warranty issue resolution.
5. Unit Replacement: Complete heat exchanger unit replacement including full refurbishment of entire units with frames and components, or new unit supply and installation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DraCool-USA sells, services, refurbishes, and manufactures plate heat exchangers, plates, and gaskets for industrial customers. The company provides on-site plate swaps, emergency plate pack exchange, full plate and frame unit replacement, and engineering services such as sizing and troubleshooting across the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast United States.

Product overview

DraCool-USA is a minority-owned plate heat exchanger sales and service company offering a comprehensive portfolio of manufactured products and professional services. The core portfolio consists of (1) manufactured products: Heat Exchanger Plates (new and refurbished) and Heat Exchanger Gaskets available for all major OEM brands including Alfa Laval, APV/SPX, GEA, ITT, Mueller, Sigma, Sondex, SWEP, Tranter, and Vicarb, plus Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger Unit Replacement; and (2) services: Plate Refurbishment (cleaning, dye penetrant testing, re-gasketing, and heat curing), On-Site Plate Swap, Plate Pack Exchange Program for emergency situations, and Engineering Services (sizing, installation planning, troubleshooting, warranty consultation). The company operates support facilities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Illinois, serving industrial customers with a focus on minimizing equipment downtime.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plate Refurbishment Service End-to-end plate refurbishment service including non-abrasive cleaning, fluorescent penetrant testing for holes and cracks, re-gasketing, and heat curing of gaskets above 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Standard turnaround is 10-12 working days with expedited service available, targeting industrial customers needing to extend heat exchanger life and minimize downtime.
• On-Site Plate Swap Service Field service in which DraCool-USA technicians travel to customer sites to remove plates, send them for refurbishment, and reinstall the plate pack with proper alignment and hydraulic closing. Designed for industrial plants that need continued operation during plate service.
• Plate Pack Exchange Program Emergency exchange service providing pre-stocked, cleaned, and gasketed plate packs for immediate shipment or technician-delivered installation. Customers return used plates within two weeks; failed returns, wrong materials, or plates failing inspection are invoiced per plate.
• Engineering Services Engineering consulting covering heat exchanger sizing, installation planning, performance troubleshooting, and resolution of manufacturer-user conflicts and warranty issues for industrial customers.
• Heat Exchanger Replacement Plates Manufactured replacement plates for plate heat exchangers across all major OEM brands (Alfa Laval, APV/SPX, GEA, ITT, Mueller, Sigma, Sondex, SWEP, Tranter, Vicarb), available in 316 stainless steel, titanium, Hastelloy, and other metals.
• Heat Exchanger Replacement Gaskets Replacement gaskets for plate heat exchangers in polymers including standard and high-temperature NBR, hydrogenated NBR, EPDM, butyl, Viton A & G, and neoprene, compatible with all major OEM brands.
• Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger Unit Replacement Full heat exchanger unit replacement and repair service, including shipment of entire units for refurbishment, hydro-testing, and on-site removal and reinstallation of plate and frame units.
• Alfa Laval Plates and Gaskets Replacement plates and gaskets for Alfa Laval plate heat exchangers, covering M Series, A Series, T Series, ClipLine, P Series, welded models, and miscellaneous models.
• APV / SPX SR Plates and Gaskets Replacement plates and gaskets for APV / SPX SR plate heat exchangers, covering SR, R, TR/LR/LD, J/QD/QE, B, and other APV model series.
• GEA Replacement Plates and Gaskets
• ITT Plates and Gaskets
• Mueller Plates and Gaskets
• Sigma Plates and Gaskets
• Sondex Plates and Gaskets
• SWEP Plates and Gaskets
• Tranter Plates and Gaskets
• Vicarb Plates and Gaskets

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Alfa Laval: Global Swedish OEM and largest plate heat exchanger manufacturer with broad service network; competes head-to-head with DraCool in PHE sales, parts, and authorized service across the same industrial verticals.
• Kelvion: Global heat exchanger manufacturer offering plates, gaskets, and service across industrial process applications; competes with DraCool in replacement parts and field refurbishment.
• GEA Group: Major German process equipment OEM with a substantial PHE product line (NT, ECOFLEX, VT series) and aftermarket service business; directly comparable to DraCool's GEA-compatible plate and gasket offerings.
• APV (SPX): Heritage plate heat exchanger brand (SR, R, Q, J, B series) under SPX; competes with DraCool on APV-compatible plates, gaskets, and authorized service in industrial markets.
• Tranter (SPX Heat Transfer): Long-established plate heat exchanger manufacturer (now part of SPX) offering plate, gasket, and service solutions across industrial applications; directly competes with DraCool's Tranter-compatible product line.
• SWEP (part of Dover): Brazed plate heat exchanger specialist owned by Dover; sells replacement plates and gaskets and competes for the same refrigeration and industrial service work as DraCool.
• Sondex (part of Danfoss): Plate heat exchanger OEM serving HVAC, refrigeration, and industrial customers; competes directly with DraCool on Sondex-compatible plates, gaskets, and field service.
• Vicarb: Plate heat exchanger manufacturer with V-series clip-on and double-wall models; DraCool offers Vicarb-compatible plates and gaskets, putting the two in direct competition in the same installed base.
• Mueller (Paul Mueller Company): Process equipment manufacturer with the Accu-Therm PHE line (AT series); DraCool explicitly supports Mueller plate/gasket replacement, making Mueller a directly comparable brand and competitor.

Direct peers

• API Heat Transfer: US-based manufacturer and service provider of heat exchangers including plate designs; most comparable mid-sized competitor with manufacturing + service model similar to DraCool's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 DraCool-USA