Tempco Electric Heater Corporation

What Tempco Electric Heater Corporation does

Tempco Electric Heater Corporation is a family-owned, vertically integrated U.S. manufacturer of industrial electric heating elements, temperature sensors, and temperature control products, headquartered in Wood Dale, Illinois. Founded in August 1972 by Fermin Adames Sr. in Schiller Park with three employees and approximately 1,500 square feet, the company has grown to occupy more than 174,000 square feet across multiple Wood Dale facilities (a 130,000-square-foot headquarters built in 1987 and a ~44,000-square-foot Plant II built in 1998) and reports 400-500 employees. The company sells through a wholly-owned Mexican distribution arm (Tempco Mexico, established in Mexico City in November 1981) plus a network of territorial sales managers, regional sales representatives, and authorized distributors. Its catalog spans more than 100 product lines and approximately 30 heater types with hundreds of design variations, serving OEMs and end-users across plastics processing, food and beverage, medical devices, transportation, energy, packaging, construction, research/science, and general manufacturing.

The product portfolio covers band, cartridge, cast-in, ceramic fiber, coil and cable, drum, enclosure, flexible, heated hose and tubing, infrared, process, shroud, strip, tank, and tubular heaters; temperature sensors (RTDs, thermocouples, thermistors, thermocouple wire, thermowells); and temperature control hardware (controllers, control consoles, SCR power controllers, custom power and temperature control panels). Manufacturing is performed in-house and is anchored by a nonferrous foundry (electric reverb and induction furnaces), CNC machine shop, pattern shop, and welding department, supporting proprietary construction technologies including the 1979-patented Hi-Density Cartridge Heater and the 2001-patented Cast Aluminum Motor Housing with Integral Liquid Cool Capabilities. Two service programs — the Terminator Program (1-3 business day delivery on custom-terminated cartridge heaters from 1,000+ standard sizes) and PRONTO expedited delivery — address order-velocity differentiation. Quality certifications include ISO 9001:2015 and cULus panel shop listings under UL 508A, UL 698A, and UL 1203, with product-level CSA, CE, RoHS, UKCA, FM, and UL approvals enabling sale into regulated and hazardous-location end-uses. The company remained continuously operational through the COVID-19 pandemic, serving medical device, food service, and transportation customers designated as essential industries, and recorded approximately 30% year-over-year revenue growth in its 50th-anniversary year of 2022.

Tempco operates a sales-led, custom-engineering business model with quote-based pricing (no public price list), revenue earned primarily through hardware sales across the catalog and complemented by non-recurring engineering fees, tooling fees, setup costs, and agency/certification fees for special approvals. Customer acquisition flows through website quote requests, a (800) 323-6859 sales line, [email protected], and direct engagement with territorial sales managers or rep/distributor channels. Ownership has remained with the founding Adames family throughout; leadership transferred to Fermin Alan Adames as President in January 2012 following the death of his father. No external private equity, venture, or institutional ownership is evidenced, and the company is privately held with no public listing.

Name

Tempco Electric Heater Corporation

Legal name

Tempco Electric Heater Corporation

Website

https://tempco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tempco Electric Heater Corporation is a family-owned, vertically integrated U.S. manufacturer of industrial electric heating elements, temperature sensors, and temperature control products serving OEMs and end-users across plastics, food, medical, and transportation industries since 1972.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Electric Heating Equipment

NAICS

Industrial Process Furnace and Oven Manufacturing (333994), Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414), Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (332410)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Boilers, Furnaces & Process Heating Equipment (IMAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Thermal Management Components (Heat sinks, TIMs, fans/blowers, thermal pads) (IMAGAJAL), Heat Exchangers, Coils & Hydronic HVAC Components (IMADANAF)

Keywords

• Industrial electric heaters
• Temperature sensors
• Process heating systems
• Band cartridge heaters
• Thermal control products

Headquarters

HQ city

Wood Dale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Heating Elements: Sale of custom and standard electric heating elements including band heaters, cartridge heaters, cast-in heaters, flexible heaters, process heaters, and tubular heaters. Manufacturing approximately 30 different types with hundreds of design variations.
2. Temperature Sensors: Thermocouples, RTDs, thermistors, thermocouple wire and cable, thermowells, jack panels, and sensor accessories.
3. Temperature Control Products: Temperature controllers, control consoles, power and temperature control panels, SCR power controllers, and solid state variable controllers.
4. Turnkey Process Heating Systems: Fully engineered, assembled, and ready-to-install heating solutions including fluid circulation systems, fuel circulation systems, duct heater systems, and immersion heaters.
5. Custom Engineering and Manufacturing Services: Non-recurring engineering (NRE) fees for new custom designs, tooling fees, and setup costs for small orders of complicated heaters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Tempco Electric Heater Corporation designs, manufactures, and sells industrial electric heating elements (band, cartridge, cast-in, coil, strip, tubular, infrared, flexible, drum, tank, enclosure, process, and heated hose heaters), temperature sensors (thermocouples, RTDs, thermistors, wire/cable, thermowells), and temperature control products (controllers, consoles, SCR power controllers, custom panels). Offerings also include turnkey process heating systems and expedited custom manufacturing programs serving OEMs and industrial end users.

Product overview

Tempco Electric Heater Corporation offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial thermal management products organized into five core categories: Electric Heaters and Elements (including band heaters, cartridge heaters, cast-in heaters, ceramic fiber heaters, coil and cable heaters, drum heaters, enclosure heaters, flexible heaters, heated hose and tubing, infrared heaters, process heaters, shroud systems, strip heaters, tank heaters, and tubular heaters); Temperature Control products (temperature controllers, control consoles, power and temperature control panels, SCR power controllers, and the MX hot runner temperature control system); Temperature Sensors (RTD sensors, thermocouples, thermistors, thermocouple wire and cable, thermowells, and jack panels); Turnkey Process Heating Systems (fuel circulation heating system, duct heater system, fluid circulation heating system, and immersion heater with electrical enclosure); and Accessories. The company also offers value-added service programs including the Terminator Program for expedited custom cartridge heater delivery and PRONTO Service for urgent non-stock orders. All products are manufactured in-house at the company's 174,000 square foot facility in Wood Dale, Illinois, with vertical integration from foundry casting and CNC machining to panel assembly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Band Heaters Band heaters wrap around cylindrical surfaces such as injection molding barrels, extruder barrels, nozzles, pipes, and hot runner manifolds to deliver uniform radial heat. Available in multiple insulation styles including mica-insulated, ceramic, cast-in, and tubular constructions.
• Cartridge Heaters Cartridge heaters are inserted into drilled holes to heat platens, molds, or used as liquid immersion heaters. Available in high-density and low-density constructions with temperatures up to 1,400°F (760°C).
• Cast-In Heaters Cast-in thermal components embed tubular heating elements directly into aluminum, bronze, or brass castings for superior heat transfer and temperature uniformity. Used in plastics processing, food warming, semiconductor manufacturing, and other industries.
• Ceramic Fiber Heaters Ceramic fiber heaters use a lightweight ceramic fiber substrate to deliver high-temperature radiant heat up to 2,192°F/1,200°C with faster heat-up and cool-down cycles compared to dense refractory heaters.
• Coil and Cable Heaters Mineral-insulated cable heaters that can be coiled, formed, wrapped around pipes, or used straight. Include Mightyband coil heaters, Tempco-Pak cable heaters, and cast bronze nozzle heater bushings.
• Drum Heaters Drum heaters wrap around drums, barrels, and intermediate bulk containers to heat viscous materials including adhesives, resins, oils, waxes, and chemicals. Available in blanket, immersion, dolly, metal-jacketed, and silicone rubber configurations.
• Enclosure Heaters Enclosure heaters maintain minimum safe operating temperatures inside electrical cabinets, control panels, and instrument housings to prevent condensation. Available in ceramic, finned strip, silicone rubber, and tubular heater styles.
• Flexible Heaters Thin, flexible electric heaters made from fiberglass-reinforced silicone rubber or Kapton. Operating temperatures up to 500°F/260°C intermittent and 392°F/200°C continuous. Ideal for irregular and curved surfaces in freeze protection, condensation control, and curing applications.
• Heated Hose and Heated Tubing Electrically heated hose assemblies designed for optimum transfer of non-explosive liquids or gases. Used for adhesives, chemicals, food products, hot melt systems, oil lines, paint systems, and waxes.
• Infrared Heaters Infrared radiant heaters transfer heat via electromagnetic radiation for non-contact heating applications. Includes ceramic E-mitters, quartz tubular elements, sealed IR quartz lamps, and radiant panels for curing, drying, forming, and paint baking.
• Process Heaters Industrial process heaters engineered to heat air, liquids, and gases. Includes circulation heaters, duct heaters, flanged immersion heaters, screw plug immersion heaters, and pressure-rated flanged immersion heaters.
• Shroud Systems Air-cooled housings that enclose band heaters on plastics processing barrels, providing optimized heating and cooling plus operator safety. Includes Cool-to-the-Touch, Multiversal, and Arctic Cast designs with various blower options.
• Strip Heaters Flat, rectangular electric heaters for direct contact or radiation heating of flat surfaces, platens, molds, dies, and enclosures. Available in mica insulated, channel strip, and finned channel strip configurations.
• Tank Heaters Heaters designed to heat liquids stored in open or closed tanks using over-the-side or over-the-top mounting configurations.
• Tubular Heaters Mineral-insulated tubular heating elements highly versatile for air, liquid, and surface heating. Can be bent into custom shapes and used as standalone heaters or in immersion, duct, and cast-in heater assemblies.
• Temperature Controllers Temperature control devices including TEC, TKZ, and TBC series controllers for precise thermal loop management.
• Control Consoles Self-contained portable temperature control systems (TPC and PCM series) for monitoring and controlling process temperatures in fixed or portable applications.
• Power and Temperature Control Panels Custom-engineered power and temperature control panels built in cULus certified shop, backed by over 45 years of process heating industry experience.
• RTD Sensors Resistance Temperature Detector sensors for precision temperature measurement based on resistance change in pure metal elements.
• Thermocouples Temperature sensors based on the Seebeck effect that generate voltage proportional to temperature. Available in multiple types (J, K, T, E, N, R, S, B) and configurations.
• Thermistors and Specialty Sensors Metal oxide resistive temperature sensors offering high sensitivity in small packages for consumer, medical, and laboratory applications.
• Thermocouple Wire and Cable Thermocouple wire and extension wire including mineral-insulated varieties stocked in multiple types and gauges on 100- and 250-foot spools.
• Thermowells and Protection Tubes Protective enclosures allowing temperature sensors to be inserted into high-velocity, high-pressure, or chemically aggressive process streams without direct media exposure.
• Fuel Circulation Heating System Fully engineered, assembled, and ready-to-install heating solution for fuel circulation applications.
• Duct Heater System Process air heating system for tempering forced air in industrial HVAC, drying, and manufacturing processes with outlet temperatures up to 1,200°F (650°C).
• Fluid Circulation Heating System Complete heating solution for fluid circulation applications with integrated components matched and tested before shipment.
• Immersion Heater with Electrical Enclosure Self-contained immersion heating unit with integrated electrical enclosure for easy installation in tank and vessel applications.
• Terminator Program Expedited delivery program offering 1-3 business day delivery on custom-terminated Hi-Density Cartridge Heaters built from semi-finished stock with over 1,000 standard sizes available.
• PRONTO Service Expedited delivery service for non-stock and custom-manufactured products that drastically reduces normal delivery times for urgent situations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% year-over-year revenue growth in 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Tempco MexicocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEstablished November 1981 in Mexico City by Fermin Sr. Distribution center that carries all products manufactured: electric heating elements, temperature sensors, and temperature control products. Own distribution operation serving Mexican market.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TempcoEHC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnn9jK6Rrma9BQjsrCHicBg
• Facebookfacebook.com/TempcoElectricHeaterCorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tempco-electric-heater-corporation
• Instagraminstagram.com/tempco_ehc

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Tempco Electric Heater Corporation