What Slakey Brothers does

Slakey Brothers (legal entity Slakey Inc.) is a privately held, family-owned wholesale distributor of heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), and plumbing products serving residential and commercial contractors across the Western United States. Founded in 1939 by brothers Bill and Roger Slakey in Sacramento, California, the company now operates from its corporate headquarters in Elk Grove, California, and runs 22 branch locations spanning California, Nevada, and Southern Oregon, supported by approximately 400 team members, 1,000,000 square feet of warehouse space, and a delivery fleet of 75+ vehicles offering free same-day delivery and will-call pickup.

The company's core offering is the wholesale supply of HVAC equipment and plumbing supplies to licensed contractor customers, drawing on a catalog of 16,000+ SKUs sourced from premier manufacturer brand partners including Bryant, Midea, Tempstar, Heil, Payne, Navien, and State Water Heaters, alongside proprietary Columbia Manufacturing sheet metal and HVAC components (e.g., Columbia Oval Pipe) produced through its Tacoma, Washington subsidiary. Slakey's technology stack consists of an Epicor Prophet 21 (P21) ERP, PathGuide warehouse management, EDI integrations, and the proprietary SlakeyCustomer.com e-commerce platform with mobile app, which provides account-based ordering, real-time inventory lookup, commercial quoting, bill pay, and order tracking. GPS-based delivery notification and location-based service-verification technologies are also deployed.

Slakey's business model is transactional B2B wholesale distribution. Revenue is generated on a transaction/take-rate basis when contractor customers purchase products, with no subscription component; pricing is quote-based and account-tiered rather than publicly listed, credit terms are extended after account application, and free delivery is standard. Go-to-market is sales-led, combining dedicated inside and outside account management at each branch with inside-sales phone and counter support, supplemented by annual dealer meetings, training events, Slakey Text SMS communications, and community engagement such as the annual Slakey Charity Golf Tournament. Slakey sells to two primary verticals — residential contractors and commercial design-build/retrofit contractors — the latter served through a dedicated Commercial Solutions function offering engineering-assisted quoting and project logistics. Following the early-1990s sale of the company to its employees, Slakey was acquired in 2018 by the Walters family of Tacoma, Washington, owners of another wholesale HVAC distributor.

Name

Slakey Brothers

Legal name

Slakey Inc.

Website

https://slakey.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Slakey Brothers is a family-owned wholesale distributor of HVAC and plumbing products serving residential and commercial contractors across California, Nevada, and Southern Oregon through 22 branches, a delivery fleet, and the SlakeyCustomer.com online ordering platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Elk Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Product Distribution: Slakey generates revenue through the sale of HVAC equipment, plumbing supplies, and related products to contractor customers. The company operates as a wholesale distributor purchasing products from manufacturer brand partners and reselling to residential and commercial contractors. Revenue is transactional based on product purchases, with no subscription components. The company offers free delivery, will-call pickup, and account-based terms for qualified customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Slakey Brothers is a regional wholesale distributor that purchases HVAC equipment, plumbing supplies, and related products from manufacturer brand partners (Bryant, Midea, Tempstar, Heil, Payne, Navien, State, Delta, Kohler, Moen, etc.) and resells them to licensed residential and commercial contractor customers across California, Nevada, and Oregon. The 22-branch operation supports 16,000+ SKUs and adds value through technical services, commercial quoting, e-commerce ordering via SlakeyCustomer.com, free delivery, and the proprietary Columbia Manufacturing sheet metal brand.

Product overview

Slakey Brothers operates as a regional wholesale distributor offering a unified portfolio of HVAC equipment, plumbing supplies, and related services through 22 branch locations across California, Oregon, and Nevada. The core offering centers on HVAC and plumbing products from premier brand partners (Bryant, Tempstar, Heil, Payne, Midea, Navien, Delta, Kohler, Moen, etc.) complemented by the proprietary Columbia Manufacturing brand for sheet metal components. Customer-facing operations are enabled through the SlakeyCustomer.com e-commerce platform providing online ordering, account management, and commercial services. Technical Services delivers installation support, troubleshooting, and training to contractors. Commercial Solutions offers design-build and retrofit project support with engineering assistance and competitive quoting. Slakey Text provides SMS-based customer communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Columbia Manufacturing: Sheet metal and HVAC equipment manufacturing brand operated by Slakey
• SlakeyCustomer.com
• Slakey Commercial

Products and services

• HVAC Equipment & Supplies Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment and supplies from manufacturer brand partners (Bryant, Tempstar, Heil, Payne, Midea, Navien, Noritz) sold wholesale to licensed HVAC contractors for residential and light commercial projects.
• Plumbing Products & Supplies Comprehensive plumbing supplies (pipes, fittings, faucets, water heaters, and related products) from brand partners including Delta, Kohler, Moen, Charlotte Pipe, and Watts, sold wholesale to licensed plumbing contractors.
• Commercial Solutions Commercial HVAC and plumbing solutions for non-residential projects encompassing design-build and retrofit work, with engineering assistance, competitive commercial quoting, local inventory access, and coordinated delivery logistics for large projects.
• Technical Services Technical support, troubleshooting, product guidance, installation assistance, on-site support for complex issues, and formal technical training for contractors and installers, delivered by Slakey's award-winning technical services team at certified training facilities.
• Columbia Manufacturing Proprietary, Slakey-owned manufacturer of HVAC components including sheet metal and Columbia Oval Pipe products sold through Slakey branches and channels.
• SlakeyCustomer.com Slakey's online customer portal and mobile app enabling approved account customers to browse products, place orders, check inventory, pay bills, request commercial quotes, and access Slakey's commercial services online.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Bryant Heating & Cooling SystemsflagshipOthersPremier brand partner for HVAC equipment. Slakey has received Bryant Top Gun Awards consecutively from 2018-2023. Bryant Women in HVAC partnership for 10 years supporting women in the industry.
• Columbia ManufacturingflagshipOthersSheet metal and HVAC products manufacturer owned by Slakey. Products include Columbia Oval Pipe and related sheet metal products for HVAC applications.
• MideacoreOthersMajor HVAC equipment brand partner offering residential and commercial climate control solutions.
• Tempstar, Heil, PaynecoreOthersHVAC equipment brands (Nortek Global HVAC family) offered through Slakey distribution network.
• NaviencoreOthersTankless water heaters and boilers distributed through Slakey branches.
• State Water HeaterscoreOthersCommercial and residential water heating equipment distributed through Slakey.
• Local Utility PartnershipsminorOthersProduct promotions and incentive programs through local utility companies for energy-efficient HVAC equipment.
• Sacramento Children's MuseumminorOthersNon-profit beneficiary of Slakey's annual Charity Golf Tournament. Received $49,546.71 in 2024 donations.
• Stanford Sierra Youth and FamiliesminorOthersNon-profit beneficiary of Slakey's annual Charity Golf Tournament supporting children and families.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ferguson Enterprises: Ferguson is the largest US distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and related water/flow products. It operates a national branch network serving residential and commercial contractors — directly overlapping with Slakey's core HVAC and plumbing contractor customer base, but at significantly greater scale.
• Genuine Parts Company: Genuine Parts Company distributes automotive and industrial replacement parts through NAPA and other banners. While not a direct HVAC/plumbing peer, it is a relevant broad incumbent in specialty distribution with similar scale and operational characteristics.
• Rexel USA: Rexel USA distributes electrical, lighting, and HVAC products to contractors and industrial customers across the US. Overlaps with Slakey in HVAC distribution for commercial/contractor customers but with a much broader product portfolio.
• Watsco: Watsco is the largest US distributor of HVAC equipment, refrigeration, and related products through more than 600 locations. Like Slakey, it serves HVAC contractors but operates nationally and has deeper relationships with Carrier and other OEMs.

Direct peers

• Winsupply: Winsupply is a privately held cooperative distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and related products serving residential and commercial contractors across the US. Strong direct comparable on business model (local operating companies, contractor focus) but with national reach.
• Johnstone Supply: Johnstone Supply is a cooperative wholesale distributor of HVAC equipment, parts, and supplies serving contractor members across more than 400 US locations. Directly comparable product mix, customer base, and franchise/co-op model.
• APR Supply Co. APR Supply is a privately held wholesale distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and hydronics serving Pennsylvania and surrounding Mid-Atlantic markets. Strong comparable on family-owned regional HVAC/plumbing distribution model.
• Hajoca Corporation: Hajoca is the largest privately held US distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and industrial supplies, serving contractors through 400+ branches nationwide. Highly comparable business model, customer base, and product mix to Slakey, though with broader geographic reach.
• F.W. Webb Company: F.W. Webb is a privately held wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating, cooling, and industrial supplies with branches primarily in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Highly comparable HVAC/plumbing contractor distribution model, though geographically complementary rather than overlapping with Slakey's Western footprint.
• Carrier Enterprise: Carrier Enterprise is the exclusive distributor of Carrier, Payne, and Bryant HVAC products to contractors across the US, Caribbean, and Latin America. Directly comparable in HVAC distribution and shares the Bryant brand partnership with Slakey.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Slakey Brothers