U.S. Cooler
U.S. Cooler, a division of family-owned Craig Industries, manufactures modular walk-in coolers, freezers, and combination units in Quincy, Illinois, selling exclusively through a nationwide authorized dealer network serving foodservice, grocery, convenience, brewery, floral, mortuary, and residential end-markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersQuincy, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What U.S. Cooler does
U.S. Cooler Company, a division of family-owned Craig Industries, Inc., is a Quincy, Illinois-based manufacturer of modular walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers, and cooler/freezer combination units founded on August 28, 1986. The company builds 4-inch insulated panel assemblies using either extruded polystyrene or foamed-in-place polyurethane cores joined by a cam-action locking system with double-barreled NSF gaskets, and supplies compatible refrigeration systems, doors, ramps, shelving, and replacement parts. Its proprietary Vert-Ergo® vertical door handle and custom sizing without a price premium are positioned as product differentiators, and every unit is test-assembled at the Quincy facility prior to shipment.
U.S. Cooler sells exclusively through a nationwide network of authorized dealers supported by 11 territory sales managers covering all 50 states, with direct phone (800.521.2665), online quote, and QuickShip/Fastcooler digital channels supplementing the dealer motion. The end-customer base is distributed across foodservice (restaurants, bars), grocery, convenience stores, cold-storage warehouses, breweries, floral, mortuary, hunting/game processing, and residential (Brew Cave® kegerator) segments. Specialized sub-brands include Fastcooler (3-5 day ship standard units), ReFridge (aftermarket replacement parts via walkincoolerparts.com), Game Lockers, Mortuary Body Boxes, and Floral Display Coolers. Key supplier and technology partners include Owens Corning and Dow Building Solutions (insulation), Heatcraft/Bohn/Larkin/Climate Control and Russell/HTPG (refrigeration), Anthony International and Styleline (glass doors), Service Net (extended warranty), and Advantage Plus Financing (customer financing).
The company is privately held, family-owned, and has never disclosed venture or private equity funding; ownership commentary indicates successive years of double-digit sales growth, NSF/UL/Intertek certifications, and a 10-year panel warranty. No revenue, employee count beyond the 51-100 range, M&A activity, or leadership changes outside the territory sales structure are reported.
U.S. Cooler firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- U.S. Cooler
- Legal name
- Craig Industries, Inc.
- Website
- https://uscooler.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- U.S. Cooler, a division of family-owned Craig Industries, manufactures modular walk-in coolers, freezers, and combination units in Quincy, Illinois, selling exclusively through a nationwide authorized dealer network serving foodservice, grocery, convenience, brewery, floral, mortuary, and residential end-markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
U.S. Cooler industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Refrigeration Equipment
- NAICS
- Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415)
- SIC
- Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Chillers & Cooling Plant Equipment (IMAHAKAE)
Keywords
Where U.S. Cooler is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Quincy
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
U.S. Cooler business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Walk-in Coolers: Manufacture and sale of walk-in coolers for refrigerated storage applications. Available in standard sizes and custom configurations. Revenue is one-time per unit sale.
- Walk-in Freezers: Manufacture and sale of walk-in freezers. Part of QuickShip program with 3-5 day shipping for standard sizes, 3 weeks for custom units.
- Walk-in Cooler/Freezer Combinations: Custom-sized combination units containing both cooler and freezer sections in one unit. Usually custom sized to customer requirements.
- Refrigeration Systems: Complete refrigeration systems including remote, top mount self-contained, side mount self-contained, pre-assembled non-charged, and pre-assembled pre-charged configurations.
- Add-ons and Accessories: Replacement doors, ramps, tread plates, rain roofs, shelving, and other accessories for walk-in units.
- Replacement Parts (ReFridge): Replacement parts and accessories through walkincoolerparts.com including door handles, hinges, closers, gaskets, shelving.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Nominal Size Units |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Sized Units |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | QuickShip (Fastcooler) Program |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Refrigeration Systems |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
U.S. Cooler product offering
Product offeringCore offering
U.S. Cooler manufactures modular walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers, and combination cooler/freezer units for commercial and industrial cold storage. Units are built with 4-inch insulated panels (extruded polystyrene or foamed-in-place polyurethane) and a cam-action locking system, available in standard sizes through the Fastcooler QuickShip program or fully custom dimensions. The portfolio also includes the Brew Cave residential kegerator, specialized game lockers, mortuary body boxes, floral display coolers, walk-in refrigeration systems, replacement doors, and the ReFridge replacement parts line.
Product overview
U.S. Cooler® is a manufacturer of walk-in coolers, freezers, and combination units, founded in 1986 as a division of Craig Industries. The product portfolio centers on three core product lines—Walk-In Coolers, Walk-In Freezers, and Walk-In Cooler/Freezer Combos—which are available in standard sizes (via the Fastcooler Quick Ship Program) or custom configurations. The company also produces specialized sub-brands including the Brew Cave® residential kegerator, Game Lockers for meat/game storage, Mortuary Body Boxes for funeral/morgue applications, and Floral Display Coolers for florist and grocery floral departments. Add-on modules include replacement doors, walk-in refrigeration systems in multiple configurations (remote, top mount, side mount, saddle mount, penthouse), and various accessories (ramps, tread plates, rain roofs). Replacement parts are offered through the ReFridge sub-brand via walkincoolerparts.com. The company's Vert-Ergo® handle is an industry-first vertically positioned door handle. All walk-in units feature modular 4" insulated panels with either extruded polystyrene or foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation, using a cam-action locking system for assembly.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Brew Cave®: The largest kegerator on the residential market, designed to hold over 30 cases of beer along with 6 kegs. Features 4" thick vapor-proof insulation and a draft beer dispensing system.
- Fastcooler
- ReFridge
Products and services
- Walk-In Coolers
Quantifiable outcome
- Extruded polystyrene retains 75% of R-value over 5 years vs. 25% for other insulations
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use U.S. Cooler
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
U.S. Cooler technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
U.S. Cooler partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Craig Industries (Parent Company)coreU.S. Cooler is a division of Craig Industries, Inc., a family-owned manufacturing company. Craig Industries also operates Enviro Buildings, Eden Growrooms, Walkincoolerparts.com, Fastcooler.com, American Dock Box, and WineKeep brands.
- Service NetminorExtended warranty provider for refrigeration systems. One of the largest warranty insurance companies in the industry, providing optional extended service agreements for commercial refrigeration equipment.
- Walk-In Cooler & Freezer Parts (walkincoolerparts.com)minorReplacement parts and accessories division of Craig Industries. Provides door handles, hinges, closers, gaskets, shelving, and other parts at competitive prices.
- Advantage Plus FinancingminorThird-party financing partner providing financing programs for U.S. Cooler products. Enables customers to finance walk-in purchases.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
U.S. Cooler competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bally Refrigerated Boxes: Bally is one of the most established U.S. manufacturers of walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers, and refrigerated warehouses — directly competing with U.S. Cooler across the same restaurant, grocery, and foodservice customer base with similar panel-and-refrigeration product architecture.
- Norlake: Norlake manufactures walk-in coolers, freezers, and modular cold rooms and is a direct competitor in the same channel with overlapping dealer-distributed go-to-market and similar regulatory certifications (NSF, UL).
- Kolpak (a Dover company): Kolpak designs and manufactures walk-in coolers and freezers for foodservice, convenience store, and grocery customers — a head-to-head competitor with similar product features, dealer distribution, and customization options.
- American Panel Corporation: American Panel manufactures walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers, and refrigerated warehouses with a comparable product range and serves overlapping foodservice, florist, and light-industrial end markets.
- Master-Bilt (a Standex company): Master-Bilt produces walk-in coolers and freezers, reach-in refrigerators, and ice merchandisers, competing with U.S. Cooler in walk-ins and adjacent categories for the same foodservice, convenience, and grocery accounts.
- Imperial Brown (a Standex company): Imperial Brown manufactures walk-in coolers, freezers, and custom insulated enclosures, directly competing with U.S. Cooler in the same modular-panel segment and serving similar foodservice, floral, and specialty-vertical customers.
- Leer (a Leer Group brand): Leer manufactures walk-in coolers and freezers sold through a similar authorized-dealer channel to foodservice and convenience-store end customers, making it a direct comparable in product and distribution model.
- Polar King: Polar King manufactures outdoor walk-in coolers and freezers with a one-piece fiberglass construction, addressing the same end markets as U.S. Cooler with a differentiated but adjacent product architecture.
Broad incumbents
- Hussmann (a Panasonic company): Hussmann is a large, established commercial refrigeration OEM offering reach-in, walk-in, and display cases. It overlaps with U.S. Cooler in walk-ins but competes with a much broader portfolio and at greater scale, primarily serving national grocery and convenience-store chains.
- Thermo King (a Trane Technologies brand): Thermo King is a global leader in transport refrigeration and also supplies stationary refrigeration solutions. While its core focus is mobile cold chain, its broader refrigeration portfolio makes it an incumbent competitor and adjacent player in temperature-controlled storage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
U.S. Cooler social profiles
Digital presenceU.S. Cooler financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
U.S. Cooler leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
U.S. Cooler funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
U.S. Cooler 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 U.S. Cooler
What does U.S. Cooler do?
U.S. Cooler manufactures modular walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers, and combination cooler/freezer units for commercial and industrial cold storage. Units are built with 4-inch insulated panels (extruded polystyrene or foamed-in-place polyurethane) and a cam-action locking system, available in standard sizes through the Fastcooler QuickShip program or fully custom dimensions. The portfolio also includes the Brew Cave residential kegerator, specialized game lockers, mortuary body boxes, floral display coolers, walk-in refrigeration systems, replacement doors, and the ReFridge replacement parts line.
Is U.S. Cooler a public or private company?
U.S. Cooler is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was U.S. Cooler founded?
U.S. Cooler was founded in 1986. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is U.S. Cooler based?
U.S. Cooler is headquartered in Quincy, United States, in the North America region.
How does U.S. Cooler make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Walk-in Coolers are the primary driver. The others are walk-in Freezers, walk-in Cooler/Freezer Combinations, refrigeration Systems, add-ons and Accessories and replacement Parts (ReFridge).
Who are U.S. Cooler's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bally Refrigerated Boxes, Norlake, Kolpak (a Dover company), American Panel Corporation, Master-Bilt (a Standex company), Imperial Brown (a Standex company), Leer (a Leer Group brand) and Polar King. Broad incumbents are Hussmann (a Panasonic company) and Thermo King (a Trane Technologies brand).
Does U.S. Cooler have an API?
No public API is recorded for U.S. Cooler.
What industry is U.S. Cooler in?
U.S. Cooler's product category is Commercial Refrigeration Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAKAE, Chillers & Cooling Plant Equipment. Its NAICS code is 33341 and its SIC code is 3585.