What Bigelow-Liptak does

Bigelow-Liptak designs, engineers, manufactures, and services high-temperature process equipment and custom combustion systems for industrial facilities in mineral processing, petrochemical, refining, glass/ceramics, cement, and environmental compliance applications. Founded in 1927 and headquartered operationally in Oakville, Ontario (as a division of Canadian Stebbins Engineering & Mfg. Co. ULC under Watertown, NY-based Stebbins Engineering & Manufacturing Company), the company employs 51–100 people and operates with a 51–100 employee scale serving customers globally.

The core product portfolio centers on Hot Air Furnaces and Hot Gas Generators (1–400 MMBtu/Hr, fired by gas/oil/coal/waste fuels) and the proprietary Suspended Air Cooled Refractory System — a patented wall construction with documented 25+ year service life installed in over 140 cylindrical furnaces. Complementary engineered systems include thermal oxidizers (100+ supplied for waste streams including chlorinated hydrocarbons, VOCs, digester gas, and landfill gas), enclosed ground flares, catalyst activators for HDPE polymerization (30+ years of supply), Safety Instrumented Burner Management Systems with SIL 2/SIL 3 architecture certified to IEC 61508/61511, fuel handling systems, and ancillary furnace components. All equipment is designed to international standards (AGA, ANSI, ASME, CE, CGA, FM, IRI, NFPA).

The business model is project-based custom engineering: revenue is generated through one-time equipment sales contracts (ranging from small construction jobs to multi-million dollar engineering and construction contracts, with the largest recent single contract at approximately $10 million), supplemented by recurring spare parts and field service revenue (commissioning, maintenance, refractory inspection/repair, burner tuning). Distribution is exclusively direct via dedicated sales engineers working with enterprise customers from proposal through commissioning. Marketing is limited to a content-led company website establishing technical credibility. The company holds no publicly disclosed pricing, has no AI/digital product layer, and operates without any venture capital or private equity ownership.

Name

Bigelow-Liptak

Legal name

Bigelow-Liptak

Website

https://bigelow-liptak.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bigelow-Liptak designs, manufactures, and services custom high-temperature process equipment and combustion systems — including patented refractory-lined hot air furnaces, thermal oxidizers, enclosed flares, and SIL-rated burner management systems — for mineral processing, petrochemical, refining, and environmental compliance customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Process Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (332410), Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Furnaces, Kilns & Thermal Processing Equipment (IMAHAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Refractory, Furnace & Kiln Maintenance Services (IMAIACAG)

Keywords

• High-temperature process equipment
• Custom combustion systems
• Refractory linings
• Thermal oxidizers
• Industrial furnace engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Engineered Equipment Sales: Design, supply, and installation of complete process combustion systems including hot gas generators, thermal oxidizers, enclosed ground flares, catalyst activators, rotary kiln burners, and ancillary products. Projects range from small construction jobs to multi-million dollar engineering and construction contracts with the largest recent contract at approximately ten million dollars.
2. Spare Parts: Common spare parts warehoused at the facility for quick dispatch. Dedicated spare parts staff assist in recommending, pricing and executing spare parts requirements for high-temperature process equipment.
3. Field Service & Commissioning: Experienced technicians provide installation supervision, plant commissioning and start-up, routine shutdown preventative maintenance, refractory inspection and repair, electrical troubleshooting and burner tuning.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Bigelow-Liptak designs, engineers, supplies, and services custom high-temperature process equipment and combustion systems for mineral processing, petrochemical, refinery, and other demanding industrial facilities. Core offerings include hot air furnaces and hot gas generators, the patented Suspended Air Cooled Refractory System, thermal oxidizers, enclosed ground flares, catalyst activators, burner management systems, and fuel handling systems, supported by spare parts and field service.

Product overview

Bigelow-Liptak is a leading supplier of high-temperature process equipment and custom combustion systems since 1927. The company operates as a single unified product portfolio centered on industrial combustion and refractory systems. The core product line includes Hot Air Furnaces and Hot Gas Generators (HAF/HGG), supported by the proprietary Suspended Air Cooled Refractory System for refractory lining. Complementary products include Thermal Oxidizers for waste destruction, Enclosed Ground Flares for gas flaring, Catalyst Activators for petrochemical processes, Burner Management Systems and Flame Safeguard for combustion safety, Fuel Handling Systems for fuel delivery, and Furnace Doors & Observation Ports for furnace access. The company also provides Spare Parts & Field Service as an add-on support offering. Services include commissioning, maintenance, operator training, and technical support. All equipment is designed to meet international standards including AGA, ANSI, ASME, CE, CGA, FM, IRI, and NFPA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hot Air Furnaces (HAF) & Hot Gas Generators (HGG) Custom-designed hot air furnaces and hot gas generators fired by gas, oil, coal, or waste fuels, with thermal output capacities from 1 to 400 MMBtu/Hr (0.25 to 100 x 10^6 Kcal/Hr). Available in horizontal and vertical configurations with pressurized, negative, or balanced draft operation. For industrial facilities requiring a controlled source of hot flue gases.
• Suspended Air Cooled Refractory System Patented air-cooled suspended refractory wall construction system developed over 40 years ago for coal-fired hot air furnaces and still used today. Provides progressive cooling along the furnace length, eliminates hot streaks, produces homogeneous outlet temperatures, and delivers service life exceeding 25 years without repairs. More than 140 cylindrical units installed worldwide.
• Thermal Oxidizers Custom-engineered thermal oxidizer systems designed to destroy industrial liquid and gaseous waste streams, including chlorinated hydrocarbons, NCG streams, wood wastes, VOCs, digester gas, landfill gas, pathological waste, and coke calciner particulates. Over 100 systems supplied worldwide.
• Enclosed Ground Flares Custom-engineered enclosed ground flares featuring ceramic fiber high-density modules, stainless steel rain lips, and NEMA 4X control panels. Provide smokeless operation with no visible flame and low NOx emissions. Complete Bio-Gas blower or booster skids also supplied. Designed for project-specific temperatures and retention times.
• Catalyst Activators Catalyst activator systems for chromium-based catalysts used in HDPE polymerization, supplied for over 30 years. Available as complete or partial packages with fuel gas fired or electrically heated systems. Supports legacy system upgrades including separation/filtration retrofits that can increase catalyst recovery by as much as 25%.
• Burner Management Systems (BMS) and Flame Safeguard Combustion safety and control systems compliant with NFPA, FM, and CSA standards. Offer both relay-based and PLC-based BMS using hardware from Honeywell, Durag, and Fireye. Includes Safety Instrumented BMS (SIS BMS) with SIL 2/SIL 3 rated components certified to IEC 61508 and designed according to IEC 61511, with fault tolerant architecture.
• Fuel Handling Systems Major and minor plant fuel handling systems for liquid fuels, gaseous fuels, and coal, ranging from simple gas valve trains to complete plant oil handling systems including railcar unloading, storage tanks, transfer pumps, and steam heated systems. Natural gas valve trains support flows up to 700,000 SCFH.
• Furnace Doors & Observation Ports Heavy-duty furnace access doors (Type B: 18" x 20", Type L: 36" x 60") and observation doors with 4x6 inch heat-resistant glass viewing ports. Available for new equipment or standalone installation in non-Bigelow equipment.
• Spare Parts & Field Service Complete spare parts and field service offering including installation supervision, plant commissioning and start-up, routine shutdown preventative maintenance, refractory inspection and repair, electrical troubleshooting, and burner tuning. Common spare parts are warehoused for quick dispatch, with dedicated spare parts staff supporting recommendations, pricing, and order fulfillment.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 140 cylindrical oil and/or gas fired furnaces utilizing suspended air cooled refractory construction with many units operating for more than 25 years without the need for repairs to the suspended wall.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments8 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.

• The Stebbins Engineering and Manufacturing Companyparent companyOthers · 1 January 1992The Stebbins Engineering and Manufacturing Company of Watertown, New York acquired Bigelow-Liptak Corporation in 1992. Bigelow-Liptak operates as a division of Canadian Stebbins Engineering & Mfg. Co. ULC with a sales office in Oakville, Ontario. Both subsidiaries are capable of completing projects ranging from small construction jobs to multi-million dollar engineering and construction contracts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Zeeco: Zeeco designs and manufactures combustion systems, thermal oxidizers, flares, and burners for the petrochemical, refining, and energy industries — directly overlapping with Bigelow-Liptak's thermal oxidizer, enclosed ground flare, and burner management offerings.
• John Zink Hamworthy Combustion (Koch Engineered Solutions): John Zink is a global leader in combustion, flare, and emissions control systems for refining, petrochemical, and industrial markets — directly comparable to Bigelow-Liptak's flare, burner management, and thermal oxidizer product lines.
• Surface Combustion: Surface Combustion manufactures industrial heat-treating furnaces and process heating equipment for metals, glass, and other industrial markets — directly comparable to Bigelow-Liptak's high-temperature process furnaces and combustion systems.
• Bloom Engineering: Bloom Engineering designs and manufactures industrial burners and combustion systems for furnaces, kilns, and process heaters — directly comparable to Bigelow-Liptak's hot air furnaces and custom-engineered combustion portfolio.
• Callidus (Babcock Power Environmental): Callidus supplies thermal oxidizers, flares, and vapor combustors for process industry emissions control — directly comparable to Bigelow-Liptak's thermal oxidizer and enclosed ground flare products for petrochemical and wastewater use cases.
• Maxon (Honeywell): Maxon manufactures industrial burners, combustion equipment, and shutoff valves used in process heating applications — directly comparable to Bigelow-Liptak's burner management systems and fuel handling components.
• Eclipse Combustion: Eclipse Combustion manufactures industrial burners, combustion air/gas mixers, and fuel handling equipment — directly comparable to Bigelow-Liptak's fuel handling systems and burner management product lines.

Broad incumbents

• RHI Magnesita: RHI Magnesita is the world's largest refractory manufacturer serving steel, cement, and industrial markets — a broad incumbent that overlaps with Bigelow-Liptak's refractory installation and refractory-lined furnace business as a much larger global supplier.
• Resco Products: Resco Products is a major North American refractory manufacturer serving steel, foundry, and petrochemical markets — a broad incumbent comparable to Bigelow-Liptak's refractory expertise, though more focused on refractory products rather than full process systems.
• HarbisonWalker International: HarbisonWalker International is a leading North American refractory products manufacturer serving heavy industrial markets — comparable to Bigelow-Liptak as a refractory incumbent, supplying refractory linings and installation services to overlapping end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

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 Bigelow-Liptak