Howe

What Howe does

Howe, Inc. is a family-owned mechanical contracting firm headquartered at 712 E 3rd St, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, operating continuously since 1940. The company delivers HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, custom fabrication, and design-build services to both residential and commercial customers. Its commercial service area spans five Midwestern states — South Dakota, Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Minnesota — while residential service is concentrated in the Sioux Falls metropolitan area. The company employs 101-250 people and operates a 24-hour emergency response line staffed from its single Sioux Falls headquarters.

The service portfolio is built around four mechanical disciplines — HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and welding/fabrication — extended by design-build, engineering, and Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) capabilities. VDC incorporates 3D laser scanning, Building Information Modeling, and Robotic Total Station layout. The fabrication facility supports automated sheet metal production via coil line and CNC plasma, CNC-cut prefabricated piping spools, HDPE fusion welding, equipment skids, and structural welding. Product offerings extend into hydronic systems (radiant floor heating, snow melt), specialty piping (medical gas, acid waste, high-purity), indoor air quality (UV lights, ERV/HRV, bipolar ionization), and energy-efficient equipment (mini-splits, heat pumps, smart thermostats). The company is an authorized Lennox Premier Dealer and holds NATE, NICET, PHCC, ACCA, NFPA, AFSA, BBB, and ABPA credentials.

Name

Howe

Legal name

Howe, Inc.

Website

https://howeinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Howe, Inc. is a family-owned mechanical contractor founded in 1940 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, providing HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, fabrication, and design-build services to residential and commercial customers across five Midwestern states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mechanical Contracting Services

NAICS

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220), Other Building Equipment Contractors (23829)

akta.pro primary industry

Plumbing & Pipefitting Contracting (IMAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

HVAC & Refrigeration Contracting (IMAFALAB), Fire Protection Systems Contracting (Sprinklers, Alarms, Suppression) (IMAFALAD)

Keywords

• Commercial HVAC services
• Residential plumbing services
• Fire protection installation
• Mechanical contracting services
• Design-build engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HVAC Services: Revenue from heating, ventilation, and air conditioning services including installation, repair, maintenance for residential and commercial properties. Services include furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, rooftop units, and specialized systems.
2. Plumbing Services: Plumbing installation, repair, and maintenance for residential and commercial properties. Includes specialty piping, backflow prevention, water heaters, and sump pumps.
3. Fire Protection Services: Fire sprinkler systems design, installation, inspection, and maintenance. Includes wet/dry systems, deluge systems, fire pumps, and backflow prevention testing.
4. Design-Build and Engineering: Comprehensive design-build solutions including pre-construction services, engineering, VDC, and custom fabrication for complex projects.
5. Custom Fabrication: Prefabricated products and systems including ductwork, piping spools, equipment skids, and structural/pipe welding sold as components for construction projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Howe, Inc. is a mechanical contractor providing HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and design-build services for residential and commercial customers in the Sioux Falls region and across five Midwestern states. The company operates an in-house fabrication facility producing custom sheet metal ductwork, prefabricated piping spools, equipment skids, and structural welding, supported by Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) capabilities for digital project delivery.

Product overview

Howe, Inc. is a mechanical contractor offering comprehensive residential and commercial services including HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and fabrication. The company provides a unified portfolio of services built around core mechanical systems: residential heating/cooling/plumbing, commercial HVAC and plumbing, fire protection (sprinkler systems and backflow prevention), and specialized fabrication services including welding, sheet metal/ductwork, piping spools, and equipment skids. Supporting these are design and engineering services utilizing Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) technology for 3D modeling and BIM. The company also offers complementary products like radiant floor heating, indoor air quality solutions, smart thermostats, mini-split systems, and heat pumps. With over 85 years of experience since 1940, the company operates primarily in the Sioux Falls metro area of South Dakota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Heating Services Heating services for residential properties including furnace and boiler repair, maintenance, and installation, with expertise in top-of-the-line equipment and custom solutions.
• Residential Cooling Services Air conditioning and cooling services for residential homes including AC repair, installation, and preventative maintenance, plus emergency AC repair or replacement.
• Residential Plumbing Services Comprehensive residential plumbing services including pipe repair, fixture installation, water heaters, sump pumps, water filtration systems, and garbage disposals.
• Commercial HVAC Services Full-service commercial HVAC including repair, maintenance, and installation for commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities.
• Commercial Plumbing Services Commercial plumbing installation and repair services including piping systems, fixtures, water heaters, and backflow prevention.
• Fire Protection Services Fire sprinkler system installation, inspection, repair, and maintenance including wet, dry, and deluge systems for facilities ranging from million-square-foot buildings to single sprinkler heads.
• Design-Build Services Integrated design and construction services including pre-construction, engineering, and project management that pair teamwork with technology for project success on new construction and major renovations.
• Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) Industry-leading VDC services combining 3D laser scanning of existing buildings, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and Robotic Total Station (RTS) layout using laser data collection to keep complex projects moving forward.
• Sheet Metal & Ductwork Fabrication Custom sheet metal fabrication and ductwork production using automated coil line for straight duct and CNC plasma for seamless fittings, enabling efficient heating and cooling ductwork fabrication.
• Piping Spool Prefabrication State-of-the-art CNC pipe cutting producing precise gradual curves for flawless fit-ups, with professional welding and testing in a controlled environment for prefabricated piping spool components in copper, stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, and HDPE plastic.
• Welding Services Structural and pipe welding services for commercial and industrial applications, including prefabricated components.
• Equipment Skids and Assemblies Prepackaged and custom equipment skids including process skids, rack assemblies, and boiler assemblies built in Howe's fabrication facility.
• Specialty Piping Services Specialty piping including process piping, medical gas, specialty gases, acid waste, HDPE fusion, high-purity, oil, and food-grade piping for industrial applications.
• Hydronic Piping Services Chilled, geothermal, hot water, and steam hydronic piping systems using fluids like water to move heat for indoor climate control in commercial applications.
• Radiant Floor Heating Hydronic radiant floor heating installation and service for energy-efficient residential and commercial heating.
• Commercial Snow Melt Systems Hydronic snow and ice melt systems for outdoor surfaces including driveways and parking areas.
• Indoor Air Quality Products IAQ solutions including Lennox PureAir air purification, Aprilaire purifiers and humidifiers, Honeywell thermostats, UV lights, ERV/HRV ventilators, and bipolar ionization.
• Smart Thermostat Installation Smart and programmable thermostat installation services for residential HVAC optimization with annual energy cost savings.
• Mini-Split HVAC Systems Ductless mini-split heat pump systems for single rooms, additions, and zoned heating/cooling applications, offered as a Lennox Premier Dealer.
• Heat Pump Systems Heat pump repair, installation, and maintenance services for year-round heating and cooling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to $180 in annual energy cost savings with smart thermostat installation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LennoxcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHowe is an authorized Lennox Premier Dealer, offering Lennox HVAC equipment including air conditioners, furnaces, and heat pumps. As a Premier Dealer, technicians receive specialized training and can offer Lennox products with manufacturer support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Limbach Holdings: Limbach is a publicly traded specialty mechanical contractor delivering HVAC, plumbing, piping, and building controls for commercial and institutional customers. It is directly comparable because Howe runs the same multi-trade mechanical services stack for similar enterprise customers with design-build and prefabrication capabilities.
• TDIndustries: TDIndustries is a Texas-based, employee-owned mechanical contractor providing HVAC, plumbing, and building performance services. Comparable to Howe because it is a multi-trade, owner-controlled mechanical services firm offering design-build and ongoing service for commercial buildings.
• RK Mechanical: RK Mechanical is a regional mechanical contractor with HVAC, plumbing, and fabrication services in the central U.S. The combination of mechanical contracting plus in-house prefabrication and sheet-metal fabrication parallels Howe's operating model at a similar size tier.
• McKinstry: McKinstry is a privately held national mechanical, electrical, and energy services firm with full design-build capability. Directly comparable to Howe because it operates the same HVAC/plumbing/fire-protection service stack but also pursues larger integrated building performance projects.
• MSI Mechanical Systems: MSI Mechanical Systems is a Midwest mechanical contractor providing HVAC, plumbing, and process piping for commercial and industrial customers. Comparable due to similar service mix and regional commercial/industrial customer profile, slightly outside Howe's core Upper Midwest geographies.
• Harris Companies: Harris is a Minneapolis-based mechanical contractor offering HVAC, plumbing, and building systems services across the Upper Midwest and beyond. Closely mirrors Howe's mechanical services portfolio and Midwest regional footprint, making it a strong direct peer.

Emerging players

• Service Logic: Service Logic is a private, PE-backed HVAC, plumbing, and building services consolidator. Comparable as a newer, growing multi-trade mechanical services platform that pursues both service contracts and project work — an indirect competitor and potential acquirer profile for a regional firm like Howe.

Broad incumbents

• EMCOR Group: EMCOR is a publicly traded national facilities and mechanical/electrical services provider with mechanical contracting at its core. It competes with Howe on large commercial HVAC and plumbing scopes, and it actively acquires regional mechanical firms like Howe for footprint expansion.
• APi Group: APi Group is a publicly traded safety, specialty, and industrial services holding company with significant HVAC and fire-protection service subsidiaries. Overlaps Howe on both HVAC and fire-sprinkler services, making it a relevant incumbent and possible acquirer profile.
• Comfort Systems USA: Comfort Systems USA is a publicly traded national HVAC mechanical services and installation provider. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Howe across commercial HVAC, plumbing, and building services, and consolidator activity makes it an overlap competitor on larger projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/howeinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/howe-heating-plumbing-inc-184152948270003

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Howe