Applied Thermal Systems
Applied Thermal Systems (dba Big Chief Inc., 'The Heater Leader') is a privately held, factory-authorized US distributor of industrial electric heaters, temperature controllers, and sensors, serving plastics, packaging, automotive, food, chemical, and other manufacturing customers since 1986.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersBrooklyn Park, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Applied Thermal Systems does
Applied Thermal Systems, doing business as Big Chief Inc. and branded 'The Heater Leader®', is a privately held factory-authorized industrial thermal products distributor founded in 1986 and headquartered at 5150 Big Chief Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio. The company distributes electric heaters, temperature controllers, sensors, and related thermal management components manufactured by third parties including Watlow (PM family of PID controllers), Nexthermal (Premier Distributor status), Tempco, Chromalox, Dalton Electric, Slide Products, Backer Marathon, and Gefran. Its product catalog spans six core categories: Controls & Control Panels, Heating & Thermal Solutions (flexible, band, cartridge, air, strip, and immersion heaters), Sensors & Measurement (thermocouples, RTDs), Accessories & Consumables, Industrial Chemicals & Mold Care, and Plastics Processing Equipment & Components.
The company operates a field sales-led go-to-market model staffed by professional sales engineers, supported by an e-commerce website with account login, quick-order, and order-history functionality. Pricing is quote-based with no public price list; expedited shipping is available. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of industrial thermal components to customers in plastics, packaging, automotive, food, chemical, petroleum, housing, aviation, and medical industries. A signature value-added service, the Thermal Component Survey, sends an engineer to a customer's facility to measure, photograph, and catalog heaters, thermocouples, and other parts into a quick-reference guide using proprietary Big Chief part numbers — creating a switching-cost asset for the customer.
The business is small-scale with 1-10 employees, no disclosed financials, no funding history, no M&A activity, and no parent company identified. Geographic scope is domestic United States. The company's strategic posture is incremental: deepening OEM authorizations (especially the Nexthermal Premier tier), expanding into adjacent industrial verticals, and layering digital tools onto a traditional distribution backbone rather than pursuing platform-scale or geographic expansion.
Applied Thermal Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Applied Thermal Systems
- Legal name
- Big Chief Inc.
- Website
- https://apptherm.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Applied Thermal Systems (dba Big Chief Inc., 'The Heater Leader') is a privately held, factory-authorized US distributor of industrial electric heaters, temperature controllers, and sensors, serving plastics, packaging, automotive, food, chemical, and other manufacturing customers since 1986.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Applied Thermal Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Heating Equipment Distribution
- NAICS
- Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415)
- SIC
- Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Boilers, Furnaces & Process Heating Equipment (IMAHAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Thermal Management Components (Heat sinks, TIMs, fans/blowers, thermal pads) (IMAGAJAL)
Keywords
Where Applied Thermal Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Applied Thermal Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Industrial Thermal Products Distribution: Distribution of electric heating solutions, temperature controllers, sensors, and control panels to industrial manufacturers. Revenue generated through product sales with pricing based on specific industrial thermal components and systems.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Industrial thermal products - custom quotation required |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Applied Thermal Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Applied Thermal Systems is a factory-authorized industrial thermal management distributor that sells electric heaters, temperature and process controllers (including the Watlow PM family of PID controllers), temperature sensors, accessories, industrial chemicals, and plastics processing equipment. The company also provides a value-added Thermal Component Survey engineering service in which an engineer visits customer facilities to measure, identify, photograph, and catalog thermal components into a quick reference guide with proprietary part numbers, supporting mission-critical spare parts identification and standardization.
Product overview
Big Chief Inc. operates as a factory-authorized distributor of industrial thermal products, offering a comprehensive portfolio of heating solutions, temperature control products, and sensors. The product portfolio spans six core categories: Controls & Control Panels (featuring Watlow PM PID controllers for precise temperature management), Heating & Thermal Solutions (encompassing flexible heaters, band heaters, cartridge heaters, air heaters, strip heaters, and immersion heaters), Sensors & Measurement (including thermocouples and RTDs), Accessories & Consumables, Industrial Chemicals & Mold Care, and Plastics Processing Equipment & Components. The company positions itself as 'The Heater Leader' and also provides value-added services including Thermal Component Surveys where engineers visit facilities to catalog thermal components. Big Chief distributes products from multiple manufacturers including Watlow, Tempco, Chromalox, Nexthermal, Dalton Electric, Slide Products, Backer Marathon, and Gefran, serving industries such as plastics, packaging, automotive, food, chemical, petroleum, housing, aviation, and medical.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Controls & Control Panels Temperature and process control products, including the Watlow PM family of PID controllers, for precise and repeatable control in demanding industrial applications. Targeted at industrial engineers and plant operators needing accurate process temperature management.
- Accessories & Consumables Supporting components and consumable items for industrial heating systems and thermal management applications, supplying replacement and supplementary parts alongside primary heating equipment.
- Heating & Thermal Solutions Industrial heating products including flexible heaters, band heaters, cartridge heaters, air heaters, strip heaters, and immersion heaters for varied thermal management applications across plastics processing and general industrial manufacturing.
- Sensors & Measurement Temperature sensing equipment including thermocouples and RTDs (Resistance Temperature Detectors) for accurate thermal measurement and closed-loop control in industrial processes.
- Industrial Chemicals & Mold Care Chemical products and mold care solutions (mold sprays and related consumables) used in plastics processing and broader industrial manufacturing operations.
- Plastics Processing Equipment & Components Equipment and components for plastics processing operations, including hot runner modules and related systems used on plastics manufacturing machinery.
- Thermal Component Survey Engineering service in which an Applied Thermal Systems engineer visits a customer facility to measure, identify, photograph, and catalog heaters, thermocouples, transducers, and other spare parts on specific plastics machinery, producing a quick reference guide with proprietary Big Chief part numbers for simplified future reordering. Targeted at plastics processing plants operating many similar machines.
Quantifiable outcome
- Standard responsiveness praised in customer testimonials - customers wish more vendors were as easy to work with
Companies that use Applied Thermal Systems
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Applied Thermal Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Applied Thermal Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- WatlowcoreFactory-authorized Watlow distributor providing the full Watlow PM family of temperature and process controllers. Distributor offers inventory, sizing help, and technical support for Watlow products.
- NexthermalflagshipPremier Distributor status for Nexthermal, delivering trusted smart heat management solutions. Represents a key strategic partnership with elevated distributor status.
- TempcocoreAuthorized distributor for Tempco heating products including band heaters, cartridge heaters, and other thermal solutions.
- ChromaloxcoreAuthorized distributor for Chromalox industrial heating solutions and temperature control products.
- Dalton Electric Heating CompanyminorAuthorized distributor for Dalton Electric heating products.
- Slide ProductsminorAuthorized distributor for Slide Products industrial components.
- Backer MarathonminorAuthorized distributor for Backer Marathon heating products.
- GefranminorAuthorized distributor for Gefran sensors and control products.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
Applied Thermal Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Watlow: Watlow is the largest US manufacturer of industrial electric heaters, temperature controllers (including the PM PID line Big Chief distributes), and thermal sensors. It is both Big Chief's principal supplier and a direct competitor via its own factory-direct sales force serving the same plastics, semiconductor, and process heating customers.
- Chromalox: Chromalox is a major manufacturer of industrial heating solutions, temperature control products, and heat transfer systems. As a Big Chief supplier-partner, Chromalox also competes directly via its own direct sales channel serving the same process heating and thermal management end markets.
- Tempco Electric Heater Corporation: Tempco manufactures band heaters, cartridge heaters, strip heaters, and other thermal components that Big Chief distributes. The two share product lines and customer overlap in plastics processing and OEM industrial accounts, with Tempco maintaining direct sales that compete with Big Chief.
- Nexthermal: Nexthermal is a manufacturer of smart heat management solutions for which Big Chief holds Premier Distributor status. Nexthermal's direct sales force targets the same OEMs and plastics processors, making it both the most strategic supplier-partner and a structural competitor.
- Dalton Electric Heating Company: Dalton Electric is a long-standing US manufacturer of industrial heaters (band, cartridge, immersion, strip) that Big Chief distributes. Dalton's direct relationships with industrial OEMs and its specialization in plastics processing machinery overlap directly with Big Chief's core verticals.
- Backer Marathon: Backer Marathon manufactures tubular heating elements, band heaters, and flexible heating solutions for industrial and appliance applications. As a Big Chief distribution partner with overlapping plastics, packaging, and process heating customers, it is both an ally and indirect competitor.
Broad incumbents
- BriskHeat: BriskHeat manufactures industrial heating products including flexible heaters, heating jackets, and silicone heating solutions, serving industrial, semiconductor, and process customers. It competes with the products Big Chief distributes and operates its own direct and distributor sales channels.
- Heatrex: Heatrex is a US manufacturer of immersion heaters, process heaters, and specialty heating equipment for industrial and commercial applications. It overlaps with Big Chief's industrial heater portfolio and serves comparable process heating end markets.
- Vulcan Electric Company: Vulcan Electric manufactures industrial electric heating elements including band heaters, cartridge heaters, and strip heaters for plastics, packaging, and process industries. Its product line and target customers substantially overlap with the Big Chief distributed portfolio.
- Gefran: Gefran is a global manufacturer of sensors (including thermocouples and RTDs), temperature controllers, and industrial automation components. As a Big Chief distribution partner with significant direct-sales capability, it competes for the controls and instrumentation portion of Big Chief's revenue.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Applied Thermal Systems social profiles
Digital presenceApplied Thermal Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Applied Thermal Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Applied Thermal Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Applied Thermal Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Applied Thermal Systems
What does Applied Thermal Systems do?
Applied Thermal Systems is a factory-authorized industrial thermal management distributor that sells electric heaters, temperature and process controllers (including the Watlow PM family of PID controllers), temperature sensors, accessories, industrial chemicals, and plastics processing equipment. The company also provides a value-added Thermal Component Survey engineering service in which an engineer visits customer facilities to measure, identify, photograph, and catalog thermal components into a quick reference guide with proprietary part numbers, supporting mission-critical spare parts identification and standardization.
Is Applied Thermal Systems a public or private company?
Applied Thermal Systems is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Applied Thermal Systems founded?
Applied Thermal Systems was founded in 1986. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Applied Thermal Systems based?
Applied Thermal Systems is headquartered in Brooklyn Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does Applied Thermal Systems make money?
One revenue line is on record: industrial Thermal Products Distribution.
Who are Applied Thermal Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Watlow, Chromalox, Tempco Electric Heater Corporation, Nexthermal, Dalton Electric Heating Company and Backer Marathon. Broad incumbents are BriskHeat, Heatrex, Vulcan Electric Company and Gefran.
Does Applied Thermal Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Applied Thermal Systems.
What industry is Applied Thermal Systems in?
Applied Thermal Systems's product category is Industrial Heating Equipment Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAKAD, Boilers, Furnaces & Process Heating Equipment, with a secondary code of IMAGAJAL, Thermal Management Components (Heat sinks, TIMs, fans/blowers, thermal pads). Its NAICS code is 333414 and its SIC code is 3585.