Auer Steel & Heating Supply Company

What Auer Steel & Heating Supply Company does

Auer Steel & Heating Supply Company is a private wholesale distributor headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that supplies HVAC installation materials to plumbing and heating trade professionals. Founded in 1940 and operating under the legal name Auer Steel & Heating Supply Co. Inc., the company sits in the middle of the HVAC value chain, procuring heating, cooling, and related installation products and reselling them to contractor customers rather than to end consumers.

The firm's commercial model is a traditional trade wholesale distribution model: revenue is generated by purchasing HVAC installation materials at distributor pricing from manufacturers and selling them to trade professionals at counter and delivered pricing, with economics driven by inventory turnover, supplier rebates, and logistics efficiency. Customer engagement is anchored on two partnerships: a Core partnership with Air Tech Heating Inc. indicating deep alignment with an HVAC trade account, and a Minor partnership with ACE Academy supporting trade workforce development.

The company employs between 101 and 250 staff, consistent with a mid-size regional wholesale operation. The 85-year operating history implies stable supplier relationships, an entrenched customer base in the Wisconsin trade community, and likely multi-generational relationships with contractors. No product launches, technology platforms, M&A activity, or funding events are disclosed in the available data, and no AI, digital platform, or e-commerce differentiation is referenced, suggesting a primarily offline, relationship-driven distribution model.

Name

Auer Steel & Heating Supply Company

Legal name

Auer Steel & Heating Supply Co. Inc.

Website

https://auersteel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Auer Steel & Heating Supply Company is a Milwaukee-based wholesale distributor of HVAC installation materials serving plumbing and heating trade professionals. Founded in 1940, the firm operates as an intermediary between manufacturers and trade contractors in the Wisconsin market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HVAC and Heating Supply Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423730), Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42373), Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423740)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070), Steam & Air-Conditioning Supply (4961)

akta.pro primary industry

Heat Exchangers, Coils & Hydronic HVAC Components (IMADANAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers) (IMAHAEAC)

Keywords

• HVAC wholesale distribution
• Heating supply materials
• Plumbing trade supplies
• Steel and heating products
• HVAC installation materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Core offering

Auer Steel & Heating Supply Company is a wholesale distributor that supplies HVAC installation materials, steel, and heating products to plumbing and heating trade professionals. Its core activity is procuring and distributing heating and HVAC supplies rather than manufacturing them, with a focus on serving trade contractors and the broader plumbing and heating industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HVAC Installation Materials (Wholesale Supply) Wholesale distribution of HVAC installation materials, steel, and heating supplies supplied to plumbing and heating trade professionals and businesses in the trade vertical.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Air Tech Heating Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuer Steel & Heating Supply Co. Inc. partners with Air Tech Heating Inc. to address the labor shortage in the plumbing and heating industry through collaborative engagement with trade schools and high school programs. The partnership aims to attract, develop, and retain future professionals in the skilled trades through participation in ACE Academy and specialized HVAC training workshops.
• ACE AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuer Steel & Heating Supply Co. Inc. participates in ACE Academy, a program designed to engage students in career and technical education pathways in the skilled trades, specifically targeting plumbing and heating industry workforce development.

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• Johnstone Supply: HVAC-focused wholesale cooperative supplying contractors with equipment, parts, and supplies. Direct head-to-head peer: same product category, same customer base (plumbing/heating contractors), same wholesale distribution model.
• Hajoca Corporation: U.S. wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating, and industrial supplies to contractors. Closely comparable along product mix, customer base, and contractor-focused wholesale model.
• WinWholesale / Winsupply: Cooperative-style wholesale distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and industrial supplies serving residential and commercial contractors. Similar model and customer profile to Auer Steel.

Broad incumbents

• Ferguson Enterprises: Largest U.S. distributor of plumbing, heating, HVAC, and water-management products. Overlaps directly with Auer Steel's core categories but operates national with a vastly broader portfolio and scale.
• Watsco, Inc. Largest U.S. HVAC/R equipment distributor. Highly comparable product category and channel model; broader scale, public, and multi-region footprint make it an incumbent rather than a direct peer.
• MORSCO (now Reliance): U.S. distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and water-works supplies. Comparable product/customer set; broader regional footprint places it as a larger incumbent rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Carrier Enterprise: Distributor of Carrier, Payne, and other HVAC brands across the U.S. Comparable in HVAC distribution and contractor customer base; aligned with a single OEM gives it partial overlap rather than full multi-line wholesale competition.

Regional players

• Reece Limited: Australia/NZ plumbing and HVAC distributor. Same product categories and contractor channel; serves a different geography, so it does not directly compete but is structurally comparable.
• Heritage Plumbing & Heating Supply: Privately held plumbing and HVAC supply distributor serving the Mid-Atlantic U.S. Same wholesale distribution model and contractor customer base; geographically distinct from Auer Steel's Midwest footprint.

Others

• NIBCO INC. Manufacturer of plumbing and HVAC components sold through wholesale distributors like Auer Steel. Adjacent in the supply chain — not a competitor, but a typical supplier into the channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/auersteel
• Facebookfacebook.com/auersteel

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 Auer Steel & Heating Supply Company