Bornquist

What Bornquist does

Bornquist, Inc. is a privately held manufacturer's representative founded in 1937 and headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, with a secondary office in East Moline, Illinois. The company represents a portfolio of Tier-1 fluid-handling brands — Bell & Gossett (Xylem), Aerco, Danfoss, Metraflex, PVI, and SPX Marley — and sells their pumps, heat exchangers, condensing boilers and water heaters, variable frequency drives, expansion joints, strainers, and cooling towers through a network of stocking distributors and direct relationships with HVAC, plumbing, and industrial contractors, engineers, and architects across Chicagoland, northern Illinois, and eastern Iowa. Bornquist also operates a Division 10 architectural-products line through its Sandberg office at the East Moline location, addressing architectural-firm specifications.

The company's underlying capability stack combines 60+ employees, 34,000 sq. ft. of stocked warehouse, in-house fabrication, and a four-technician 24/7 service-truck operation supporting warranty, start-up, and repair work. Its in-house IDEA (Integrated Design Engineering Assistance) team provides delegated design services with stamped engineering calculations for piping expansion projects, while an education arm runs the Bell & Gossett Little Red Schoolhouse and vendor-sponsored training seminars from Xylem, Danfoss, and Tekmar to influence specifying engineers.

Revenue is generated primarily through manufacturer's-representative commissions on product sales distributed via wholesalers, supplemented by service and parts revenue (e.g., a disclosed $95 per-hour charge for unsuccessful equipment start-up visits) and training-program fees. The go-to-market is sales-led and channel-driven, targeting HVAC and plumbing contractors, consulting engineers, architects, and institutions through direct field sales, stocking-distributor relationships, technical content marketing, industry events including the AHR Expo, and PR such as the April 2026 Chief Engineers Magazine feature with President David Everhart and Buildings Group Sales Manager Nate Hultgren. No external funding, M&A activity, or public-market affiliation is disclosed; ownership appears to have remained independent since founding.

Name

Bornquist

Legal name

Bornquist, Inc.

Website

https://bornquist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bornquist is a privately held manufacturer's representative, founded in 1937 and headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, that distributes Tier-1 HVAC, plumbing, industrial, and architectural fluid-handling brands through stocking distributors and direct contractor and engineer relationships across Chicagoland, northern Illinois, and eastern Iowa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Northbrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Manufacturer's Representative Commissions: Bornquist operates as a manufacturer's representative earning commissions on product sales through their distributor and contractor network. They represent top-tier brands in HVAC, Plumbing, Industrial, and Architectural markets.
2. Service and Parts: Revenue from warranty service, start-up service, parts sales, repair and maintenance, and equipment commissioning.
3. Training and Education: Seminars and training programs for hydronic heating, cooling and plumbing systems including vendor-sponsored schools and custom-tailored sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bornquist is a manufacturer's representative founded in 1937 that distributes and supports fluid handling and HVAC/plumbing equipment from top-tier brands such as Bell & Gossett (Xylem), Aerco, Danfoss, Metraflex, and PVI across Chicagoland, northern Illinois, and eastern Iowa. Beyond product distribution, the company provides engineering system design services via its IDEA team, 24/7 factory-trained service and parts support, and education/training seminars on hydronic heating, cooling, and plumbing systems.

Product overview

Bornquist is a manufacturer's representative company (not a software platform) that distributes physical HVAC, Plumbing, Industrial, and Architectural products from multiple vendor brands. Their portfolio centers on fluid handling systems and includes Bell & Gossett centrifugal pumps and heat exchangers, Aerco high-efficiency boilers and water heaters, Danfoss variable frequency drives, Metraflex piping solutions (LPD Y-strainers, expansion joints), and PVI water heaters. Beyond product distribution, Bornquist offers complementary engineering services including system design, 24/7 service and parts support, and professional education and training seminars on hydronic heating, cooling, and plumbing systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bell & Gossett Products Centrifugal pumps, heat exchangers, hydronic accessories, and variable speed pumping systems for HVAC and plumbing applications, sold through Bornquist as manufacturer's representative.
• Aerco Products High efficiency condensing boilers and water heaters for commercial applications across education, healthcare, hospitality, government, industrial, multifamily housing, and office buildings.
• Danfoss Drives Variable frequency drives (VFDs) for HVAC and industrial applications, distributed through Bornquist with accompanying education programs.
• Metraflex Products Engineered piping solutions including LPD Y-Strainers, expansion joints, packed joints, and piping specialties with low pressure drops and energy savings.
• PVI Products Commercial water heating products for commercial and industrial applications, represented by Bornquist in its territory.
• System Design Services Engineering design services via the IDEA (Integrated Design Engineering Assistance) team for fluid handling systems including pumps, heat transfer, steam and condensate, controls, and expansion products, including stamped calculations for piping expansion projects.
• Service & Parts Factory-trained technicians and 24/7 service trucks providing warranty service, start-up service, repair, and parts support for HVAC and plumbing products.
• Education & Training Seminars and training programs on hydronic heating, cooling, and plumbing systems, including vendor-sponsored schools from Xylem Bell & Gossett, Danfoss, and Tekmar, and the Bell & Gossett Little Red Schoolhouse.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Bell & Gossett (Xylem)coreTechnology or IntegrationBell & Gossett, a Xylem brand, is a leading manufacturer of pumps, valves, heat exchangers and accessories for plumbing, wastewater and HVAC applications including steam and heat transfer. Bornquist represents their full product line including centrifugal pumps, heat exchangers, and hydronic accessories.
• AERCOcoreTechnology or IntegrationAERCO provides reliable, cost-effective heating and hot water solutions including condensing boilers and water heaters for commercial applications including Education, Hospitality, Multifamily Housing, Healthcare, Government and Military, Manufacturing, and Office Buildings.
• DanfosscoreTechnology or IntegrationDanfoss provides drives and controls for HVAC applications. Bornquist offers Danfoss education programs including best practices for selecting input/output devices, drive installation, and safety options.
• MetraflexcoreTechnology or IntegrationMetraflex provides engineered piping solutions including LPD Y-Strainers, expansion joints, and piping specialties. Products feature low pressure drops and energy savings with BIM/REVIT files available.
• PVIsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPVI provides commercial water heating solutions represented by Bornquist in their territory.
• SPX Cooling Technologies (Marley)supportingTechnology or IntegrationSPX Marley cooling towers are featured products represented by Bornquist for commercial cooling applications.
• AMS Mechanical SystemssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAMS Mechanical Systems is a service contractor that has worked with Bornquist on pump replacement and system upgrade projects using Metraflex products.
• MC MechanicalsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMC Mechanical is an installation contractor that partnered with Bornquist on cooling tower start-up projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hajoca Corporation: Privately held, family-owned wholesale distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and industrial products across the U.S. Same HVAC/plumbing distribution model and principal-brand-heavy line card as Bornquist, but operating at significantly greater national scale.
• Ferguson Enterprises: Largest U.S. distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and waterworks products. Directly comparable end-customer set (contractors, engineers, institutions) and overlapping product categories, though Ferguson operates a branch distribution model rather than a rep model.
• Winsupply: Cooperative-style wholesale distributor serving HVAC, plumbing, and industrial markets through local companies. Overlapping customer base of contractors and engineers and similar HVAC/plumbing product mix as Bornquist, with a much broader national footprint.
• Johnstone Supply: HVAC-focused cooperative distributor serving independent contractor members nationwide. Directly comparable in HVAC product breadth and contractor-led GTM, though structured as a member-owned cooperative.
• Watsco: Largest U.S. distributor of HVAC equipment, parts, and supplies (NYSE: WSO). Same end markets (HVAC contractors, engineers) and overlapping principal brands, providing a public benchmark for HVAC distribution economics relevant to Bornquist.
• Kaman Industrial Technologies: Industrial distribution business carrying fluid power, motion control, and industrial products. Comparable on the industrial fluid handling side of Bornquist's portfolio, though broader in scope beyond HVAC.

Direct peers

• R. E. Michel Company: Wholesale distributor of HVAC products, parts, and supplies serving contractors across the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Midwest. Closely comparable product mix and contractor-led customer base to Bornquist, with similar role as a regional stock-and-distribute distributor.
• United Refrigeration: Wholesale distributor of HVAC/R equipment, parts, and controls with regional service centers. Comparable in product breadth across HVAC equipment, controls, and specialty items, and contractor-heavy customer base.

Regional players

• Sid Harvey Industries: Family-owned HVAC and plumbing parts distributor serving the Northeast U.S. Comparable product mix and contractor-led distribution model to Bornquist, but concentrated in Northeast/Mid-Atlantic rather than the Midwest.
• APR Supply Co. Wholesale distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and hydronics products across Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic. Comparable product mix (pumps, boilers, hydronic specialties) and contractor/engineer customer profile, though geographically distant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Bornquist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bornquist-inc
• Xx.com/BornquistInc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Bornquist