McKenna Boiler Works

What McKenna Boiler Works does

McKenna Boiler Works, Inc. is a privately held, California-incorporated industrial boiler manufacturer and service provider founded in 1921 by John Bernard "JB" McKenna in Downtown Los Angeles, with boiler servicing roots dating to 1887. The company designs, manufactures, sells, installs, repairs, rents, and maintains commercial and industrial boiler systems — fire-tube, water-tube, electric, low NOx (7ppm emissions-compliant), and Scotch Marine style units — along with ancillary products such as blowdown tanks and feedwater systems. Its heritage Scotch Marine design, developed in the 1930s by relative Guy Smith, remains in active production, and the firm holds ASME code certifications and California contractor license #1044490. Operations are anchored by two Southern California facilities (Los Angeles and Oceanside/San Diego) with product distribution extending nationwide.

The company operates a direct, field-sales-driven go-to-market targeting enterprise and mid-market customers in food and beverage, healthcare, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, laundries, and breweries. Revenue streams include new boiler hardware sales, 24/7 emergency repair services (covering both McKenna equipment and other major brands such as Cleaver Brooks, Rite, Laars, Aerco, and Raypak), mobile boiler rentals, preventative maintenance contracts, and OEM parts/accessories. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific, structured around multi-year maintenance agreements. Named customers include Disney, Paramount, Universal Studios, Samuel Adams, La Brea Bakery, Conagra, Lucky Brand, and 7 For All Mankind. The firm is an authorized Autoflame tech center for Mini MK8 combustion control integration, extending its service reach into third-party control system diagnostics and parts supply. Leadership consists of General Manager Hali Krista and CFO Tyson Smith; the company remains founder-family owned with no external institutional investment.

Name

McKenna Boiler Works

Legal name

McKenna Boiler Works, Inc.

Website

https://mckennaboiler.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McKenna Boiler Works is a 100+ year-old California industrial boiler manufacturer and full-service provider offering fire-tube, water-tube, electric, and low NOx boilers plus repair, rental, and maintenance services to enterprise customers in food and beverage, healthcare, manufacturing, and entertainment across Southern California and nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Boiler Manufacturing & Sales: Manufactures and sells commercial/industrial boilers including fire-tube, water-tube, and electric options. Revenue from new boiler sales with customization options for specific industry requirements.
2. Boiler Repair Services: 24/7 emergency repair services for their own brand and other manufacturers (Cleaver Brooks, Rite, Laars, Aerco, Raypak, etc.). Includes ASME code repairs.
3. Boiler Rentals: Mobile boiler rental solutions for temporary needs, events, or while permanent repairs/replacements are arranged.
4. Maintenance Services: Preventative and full coverage maintenance contracts, boiler tuning, steam trap surveys, and annual inspections.
5. Boiler Parts & Accessories: OEM parts, blowdown tanks, feedwater systems, and boiler accessories including tubes, connectors, valves.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

McKenna Boiler Works manufactures and services commercial and industrial boilers for facilities that require steam or hot water generation. The company designs, builds, installs, repairs, rents, and maintains its own fire-tube, water-tube, electric, low NOx, and Scotch Marine-style boilers, along with supporting products such as blowdown tanks and feedwater systems, and provides 24/7 emergency repair and preventive maintenance for both its own equipment and other manufacturers' units.

Product overview

McKenna Boiler Works is a premier industrial boiler manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The company manufactures fire-tube, water-tube, and electric boilers designed for efficiency and durability, along with supporting products including blowdown tanks and feedwater systems. They also offer low NOx boiler options meeting California's 7ppm emissions standards. Beyond manufacturing, McKenna provides turnkey solutions including boiler sales, installation, repairs, rentals, and 24/7 emergency maintenance services, serving industries such as food processing, pharmaceuticals, hospitals, manufacturing, laundries, and breweries throughout Southern California and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire-Tube Boilers Industrial fire-tube boilers where hot gases pass through tubes immersed in water, designed for small to medium-sized applications with stable steam demand; manufactured by McKenna for industrial and commercial facilities.
• Water-Tube Boilers Industrial water-tube boilers where water circulates through tubes heated externally by combustion gases, capable of generating steam at higher pressures and temperatures for large-scale industrial applications.
• Electric Boilers Boilers that use electrical energy to heat water and generate steam, providing a clean and quiet steam source for applications where fuel combustion is not feasible.
• Low NOx Boilers Boilers designed to meet California's stringent emissions requirements of 7ppm for NOx emissions, minimizing environmental impact while maintaining industrial-scale performance.
• Blowdown Tanks Tanks that safely discharge boiler water containing accumulated sediments and dissolved solids to maintain boiler efficiency and longevity, sold as standalone accessory equipment.
• Feedwater Systems Systems that supply pre-heated water to boilers, maintaining proper water levels and quality for optimal boiler performance, sold as standalone equipment.
• Mobile Boiler Rentals Mobile and temporary boiler rental solutions delivered to customer locations for short-term or emergency steam and hot water needs, including during permanent equipment repairs or replacements.
• Boiler Installation, Repair and Maintenance Services Comprehensive boiler services performed by licensed technicians covering boiler installation, repair, maintenance, tuning, steam trap surveys, and annual inspections, including 24/7 emergency response for both McKenna-built and other manufacturers' boilers.
• OEM Boiler Parts and Accessories OEM boiler parts and accessories—including tubes, connectors, valves, blowdown tanks, feedwater systems, and Autoflame control parts—sold to support ongoing operations of McKenna and other manufacturers' boilers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7ppm NOx emissions meeting California requirements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• AutoflamecoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized Autoflame tech center with expertise in Mini MK8 control panels. Uses Autoflame controls in their own boiler manufacturing. Stock and supply Autoflame parts including tubes, connectors, valves. Provides diagnosis, repair, and replacement services for Autoflame systems.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cleaver-Brooks: One of the largest US manufacturers of industrial fire-tube, water-tube, and electric boilers, with a national service and parts network. McKenna explicitly services Cleaver-Brooks equipment in addition to manufacturing its own, indicating direct competition for both new equipment and aftermarket service.
• Fulton Companies: Manufacturer of steam boilers, hot water boilers, and thermal fluid heaters serving industrial and commercial customers across North America. Comparable product portfolio and direct overlap in fire-tube boiler segments where McKenna competes.
• Bryan Steam LLC: Manufacturer of fire-tube boilers (including flexible water-tube designs) for commercial and industrial applications. Overlaps directly with McKenna's product offering and customer segments (food processing, healthcare, manufacturing).
• Hurst Boiler & Welding Co. Family-owned manufacturer of solid fuel, fire-tube, and water-tube boilers serving industrial customers in the US and internationally. Comparable business model, customer profile, and product range to McKenna.
• Victory Energy Operations (formerly Sellers Manufacturing): Designs and manufactures custom industrial watertube and firetube boilers for process industries. Direct competitor in custom-engineered boiler systems, the same niche McKenna emphasizes as a differentiator.
• Superior Boiler Works: Manufacturer of industrial fire-tube and water-tube boilers, heat recovery steam generators, and boiler rental services. Direct overlap in product portfolio and rental offering.
• Johnston Boiler Company: Family-owned manufacturer of fire-tube boilers serving industrial and commercial customers. Comparable heritage, manufacturing focus, and customer profile to McKenna.

Broad incumbents

• Burnham Holdings: Holding company for US boiler and radiation heating brands (Burnham, U.S. Boiler Company, New Yorker, CINTEC). Larger, multi-brand incumbent with broader residential/commercial focus that competes in adjacent boiler categories.

Emerging players

• RBI (now part of Groupe Atlantic): Manufacturer of high-efficiency commercial and industrial boilers and water heaters. Overlaps with McKenna's low-NOx and energy-efficiency positioning and competes in the same commercial/industrial segments.

Regional players

• Industrial Boiler & Mechanical: Boiler service, repair, and installation company operating in adjacent Western US markets. Comparable service-led business model targeting industrial customers, with overlapping boiler service offerings (repairs, maintenance, retrofits).

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 McKenna Boiler Works